It had to end eventually: The Bear, Hulu’s critically-acclaimed (and lambasted … and think-pieced-to-death) series about a driven, raw-nerved chef and his devoted crew of misfit employees, drops its fifth and final season on Thursday, June 25. The “Is it a comedy or a drama?” argument may never be settled, but The Bear will live on as the pinnacle of stressful foodie TV.
As dessert, here are some other restaurant-centric shows to fill the coming Yes, Chef! void.
The Bear (2022-2026; Hulu): It’s not over yet, so let’s start here: When we last left The Bear, Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) had quit the dining biz, leaving Syd (Ayo Edebiri) and Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) to run the restaurant as it faces closure and a serious reduction in screaming kitchen blowouts. Will he return to help The Bear finally earn a Michelin star? With any other series, obviously. But this one? Not without setting your emotions to flambé first. Let’s white-knuckle it together on June 25.
A Taste for Murder (2026; BritBox): Anglophile murder-mystery buffs and Italian-dining foodies alike can enjoy A Taste for Murder, which pairs Capri cuisine with a delicious new death in each of its six episodes, from “Uova in Purgatorio (Eggs in Purgatory)” to “Holy Cannoli!” (no translation required). London detective Joe (Warren Brown) just wanted a summer vacation, but these multiplying homicide cases aren’t going to solve themselves (even though they kinda do). A tasty twist on the cozy whodunnit.
Sweetbitter (2018-2019; Starz): Like The Bear, Sweetbitter captures the behind-the-scenes kitchen chaos of a big-city restaurant. Unlike in The Bear, the show’s protagonist, Tess (Ella Purnell of Fallout and Yellowjackets), has way more fun—at least at first. She’s just moved to New York City and landed a job at a hotspot restaurant, but the sex and drugs and rock ’n’ roll lifestyle that comes with it soon becomes too much for her to sustain. Sweetbitter is not to be confused with Sweetpea, another Purnell series.
Feed the Beast (2016; AMC+): Sommelier Tommy (David Schwimmer) has a dream of opening a restaurant in the Bronx, but it soon becomes a nightmare when his chef and partner Dion (Jim Sturgess) has his Polish mob debts and inner demons catch up with him. Feed the Beast channels the tension and dark humor of Breaking Bad into the restaurant world, with the added visual flair of classic Dexter (thanks to Dex writer Clyde Phillips). The show had grit and pre-Bear potential, but no one wanted a post-Friends Schwimmer.
Mildred Pierce (2011; HBO Max): In the Todd Haynes-directed miniseries adaptation of the 1941 novel and the 1945 Joan Crawford movie, Kate Winslet absolutely owns the title role as a Great Depression divorcee struggling to establish a restaurant. Mildred also struggles to earn the love of her narcissistic daughter, Veda (future Westworld star Evan Rachel Wood), in this emotional rollercoaster that went on to win more than 20 small-screen awards. Bonus: Mildred Pierce is only five episodes long.
Kitchen Confidential (2005; currently unavailable): Trying to stuff Anthony Bourdain’s memoir Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly into a half-hour broadcast comedy was not a winning idea (Fox canceled the show after airing only four of 13 produced episodes), but it probably would have worked on 2010s cable or present-day streaming. Kitchen Confidential featured Bradley Cooper’s funniest TV performance as “Jack” Bourdain, but it’s been off the streaming menu for years.
Party Down (2009-2010; 2023; Starz, Prime Video, Plex): Party Down is about a catering company, which makes it at least kitchen-adjacent. The hilarious comedy lasted just two seasons in 2009-2010, but the show’s cult following was loud enough for Starz to finally produce a third in 2023. The scathing Hollywood satire is relentlessly deadpan, with stars Adam Scott, Lizzy Caplan, Jane Lynch, Ken Marino, Megan Mullally and others turning in some of their best, comedically off-the-cuff work.
Bob’s Burgers (2011-present; Hulu): The Bear subliminally cribbed some of its restaurant chaos from Bob’s Burgers, which has charmed its way into the hearts (and stomachs) of America with 16 seasons of burger puns, musical numbers and small-business grit. Bob makes it work behind the grill, but Carmy could never run his restaurant with “help” like Linda, Gene, Louise and Tina. It would be cool to see Richie animated into the show as a temp maître d, though—it’s all in the Disney Co. family.
