TV Restaurants

Is Beso Still Open? Restaurant Stakeout Update (Brooklyn, NY)

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As of September 2026, Beso is open — confirmed via the restaurant's current website/social account, accessed September 2026.

Primary source
brooklynbeso.com ·

Last verified

What the source shows: The business's own website shows current hours, an active online-ordering system, and a live Labor Day 2026 promotion, indicating ongoing operation.

  • Season / episode Season 4, Episode 5
  • Original air date
  • Address 370 Lewis Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11233
  • Current name Brooklyn Beso Restaurant & Bar

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Note on this show: Described as staged/scripted by Wikipedia's article, citing a 2012 realityblurred.com report. Surface this note on every record.

What happened after Restaurant Stakeout?

"Restaurant Stakeout" host Willie Degel used hidden cameras to watch daily service at Beso, a Latin American and Caribbean restaurant that had opened in 2011 in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. Consistent with the show's format, the surveillance focused on how the front-of-house team treated guests, at a point when the restaurant's food was drawing customers but its customer-service reputation was suffering. After revealing himself to ownership, Degel is understood to have pushed the staff toward steadier, more attentive service and better communication between the kitchen and the floor. Wikipedia's article on the show, citing a 2012 realityblurred.com report, describes Restaurant Stakeout's surveillance-and-intervention format as staged and scripted rather than a genuine unannounced investigation. Separately, Beso's owners, Edwin and Donna Drakes, have described 2013 as a turning point: a fire forced a six-week closure that began the day after this episode aired, and Donna Drakes has said the owners used that downtime to overhaul hiring and refocus on customer service, addressing the same complaints that had been the show's premise. The restaurant, now branded Brooklyn Beso Restaurant & Bar at the same Lewis Avenue address, has continued operating for more than a decade since, and its own website shows current hours, an active online-ordering system, and a live Labor Day 2026 promotion.

Featured on Restaurant Stakeout

Season / episode
Season 4, Episode 5
Original air date
Episode title
Kiss Beso Goodbye
What was featured
Latin/Caribbean restaurant's inconsistent front-of-house customer service
Role
Featured restaurant
Name on the broadcast
Beso

Frequently asked questions

Is Beso still open in 2026?

As of September 2026, Beso is open — confirmed via the restaurant's current website/social account, accessed September 2026.

What happened to Beso after Restaurant Stakeout?

"Restaurant Stakeout" host Willie Degel used hidden cameras to watch daily service at Beso, a Latin American and Caribbean restaurant that had opened in 2011 in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. As of September 2026, Beso is open — confirmed via the restaurant's current website/social account, accessed September 2026.

What is Beso called now?

Now: Brooklyn Beso Restaurant & Bar (formerly Beso). As of September 2026, Beso is open — confirmed via the restaurant's current website/social account, accessed September 2026.

Where is Beso located?

370 Lewis Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11233. That is the address on the record as of September 7, 2026.

What season and episode of Restaurant Stakeout featured Beso?

Season 4, Episode 5 of Restaurant Stakeout, first aired October 9, 2013. The episode is titled “Kiss Beso Goodbye”.

Every status on this site carries a confidence label and a date, and names the source it rests on. Read the Editorial & Corrections Policy for what each label means and how quickly we act on corrections. The questions above are generated from this record's own published fields — we never publish a question we cannot answer from the data.

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Visit info

Address
370 Lewis Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11233
Venue type
restaurant
Official website
brooklynbeso.com

Businesses change fast. Always confirm directly with the restaurant — call ahead, or check its own current website or social media — before making plans around anything on this page.

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Record rs-037 · last verified .