Here's What To Know About 3 Southern Girls From Kitchen Nightmares

Devotees of "Kitchen Nightmares" aren't shy about expressing their wishes for future seasons, from the desire to cover locations outside of the East Coast to complaints about the show's dramatic editing style. The ninth season of this reality TV show premiered on January 7, and ardent fans of chef Gordon Ramsay and his penchant for angrily yelling on television are poised to see if their wishes come to fruition. While it's impossible to know everything the season will hold as it unfolds, we do know that New Orleans-based restaurant 3 Southern Girls, will make an appearance.

We did a little digging and found out some interesting info about the establishment, which was founded by chef Gabrielle Smith in 2020. Since then, 3 Southern Girls has made a name for itself by offering folksy Southern staples like fried catfish, seafood plates with smothered okra, and red beans and rice. While the menu appears pretty solid, especially for fans of Southern cuisine, Ramsay's visit indicates that 3 Southern Girls is in need of guidance that only a world-famous chef can provide. 

3 Southern Girls made its debut on February 29, 2020, which means the New Orleans restaurant is coming up on five years in business. In addition to the many challenges new restaurants must navigate — such as building up revenue, meeting customer expectations, and ensuring sanitation per health code guidelines — 3 Southern Girls founder Garbrielle Smith faced a seemingly untenable situation at the outset. Due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, restaurants in Louisiana were limited to takeout orders only on March 16, 2020, just weeks after 3 Southern Girls had officially opened its doors.

Despite these obstacles, Smith was able to weather the storm and maintain business. As explained in a Facebook post celebrating last year's anniversary, 3 Southern Girls is imminently grateful for its opportunities and its ability to thrive: "It's been 4 years of blessings and we couldn't be more thankful ... This has been everything promised and even more at times."

The continued success of 3 Southern Girls is even more impressive when you consider head chef and founder Gabrielle Smith's background. While Smith is passionate about Southern culinary traditions, she lacked the typical experience you'd expect from a new restaurant owner. She hadn't previously managed a restaurant, nor had she cooked within a commercial setting. Despite her lack of experience and training, Smith's menu appears to be received well by those who've dined at 3 Southern Girls.

According to reviews of the restaurant posted to Yelp, the establishment has scratched the itch locals have for Southern-style comfort food. As one reviewer put it, "I absolutely love this place. As someone who grew up in southern Louisiana this food makes me feel at home." Another happy customer stated, "Once again, they do not disappoint!!" At the time of this writing, 3 Southern Girls has an overall rating of 4.6 based on 41 reviews. However, it's worth mentioning that not all of the feedback was positive. One diner stated in part, "The fried chicken was the worst chicken I've ever had in my life ... I literally spit the chicken out my mouth on the drive back home." The person also complained that the offending poultry didn't taste fresh and alleged that it had been cooked in "old fish grease."

Red beans and rice recipes are a vital part of Southern cuisine, with roots in Creole cooking. 3 Southern Girls offers a red beans and rice entree complete with smoked sausage and a side of corn bread, and the recipe used at the restaurant was actually developed by Garbrielle Smith's grandmother many years back. Smith's grandmother was also a restaurateur in New Orleans, and she used an uncommon cooking technique when it came to her red beans and rice recipe. 

Instead of incorporating the celery, onions, and bell peppers into the dish at the beginning, Smith's grandmother recommended adding "the Cajun Holy Trinity" to the recipe just 30 minutes before it finished cooking. Additionally, Smith's grandmother added these ingredients raw, which is believed to infuse the red beans and rice with a fresher, bolder flavor. Smith continues this tradition at 3 Southern Girls, and the decision has apparently paid off. A Yelp review described the restaurant's red beans and rice with sausage as "Hot, succulent an explosion of taste and memories," which is precisely the kind of experience you want when visiting an establishment devoted to Southern comfort food.