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Olde Hitching Post, located in Plymouth County at 48 Spring Street in Hanson, is one of the lucky, once-failing restaurants that has survived and now seemingly thrives following its stint on the reality television show.
The eatery, which serves up soups, salad, burgers, and much more, was featured on the reality show’s sixth season and aired in 2013.
During the episode, the notoriously harsh Ramsay gave then-owner Tom a tongue lashing, calling him an “f–ing blockhead” for serving frozen food that Ramsay described as “watery” and “bland.”
He then began the overhaul process, which involved creating a new menu from scratch and giving the eatery a facelift.
Tom sold the restaurant to his daughter Andrea after the show (a plan that had been in motion and was discussed during the episode), who then sold it to different owners in 2022, according to the Whitman-Hanson Express.
Nonetheless, Olde Hitching Post not only remains open (one of just 20 restaurants featured on the show to do so) but continues to receive mostly four- and five-star reviews since the show aired, showing that Ramsay’s touch may have done the trick and saved the business.
Research by QR Code Generator analyzed TripAdvisor reviews for the remaining open “Kitchen Nightmares” restaurants.
It found that 73.8 percent of Olde Hitching Post reviews were positive, making it the seventh highest-rated “Kitchen Nightmares” restaurant.
Some customers said they would have never guessed that the eatery had been featured on the show.
One Yelp user — who wrote his review three years after the show aired — said, “Oh my gosh! I've been here two times, once before ‘Kitchen Nightmares’ came, [and] then the food was inedible.”
“However," he continued, "when I found out that ‘Kitchen Nightmares’ came to the restaurant I thought I would give them a second chance, and was I right to give it to them.”
Dozens of reviews since then have praised the restaurant’s dishes, including ones more recently written.
“[The] ambiance was excellent for a Saturday evening with live music that was spot on and friendly service,” wrote Yelp reviewer Caitlin C. of Whitman, MA in the summer of 2023.
She described her entree, a fried seafood trio dish, as “delectable,” and the cocktail she chose to pair with it as “perfectly balanced.”
South Weymouth resident Lori K, who also left a four-star review, raved about her family’s meal, which included meatloaf, sandwiches, and macaroni and cheese with pulled pork.
“The food was tasteful and we all enjoyed our meals.”
Olde Hitching Post is open Tuesdays through Sundays. For more information, click here.
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