As a chef who's spent countless hours in restaurant kitchens, when I first heard about The Bear, I was intrigued. A TV show about the inner workings of a Chicago-based restaurant? Okay, that hits a little close to home, both literally and figuratively. You see, The Bear isn’t just about food… it’s about the blood, sweat, and tears that come with working in a kitchen. And spoiler alert, this show does a pretty solid job of capturing the chaos, camaraderie, and intensity of restaurant life.
If you're a home cook watching The Bear, you might wonder just how accurate this portrayal is. Do kitchens really run like that? Are chefs really that stressed out? Can the passion for cooking really drive someone to their breaking point? We’ll find out the answer to all these questions as we explore the life of chefs in a kitchen.
In the first episodes of The Bear, you meet the main character Carmy, a fine-dining chef who inherits his family's rundown Chicago sandwich shop. Carmy has worked in Michelin-starred kitchens, but now he’s dealing with a whole different beast… trying to breathe new life into a greasy spoon where the systems are nonexistent, and the staff is, let’s say… a bit rough around the edges. The chaos is immediate, and trust me, that’s not just for dramatic effect.
Real kitchens are intense. We’re talking about the constant pressure to get every dish out perfectly and on time, and multiply that by a hundred on a busy night. The orders come in like a never ending avalanche, and there’s no stopping until the last ticket is cleared. If you’ve ever worked a Friday night dinner service, you know exactly what I’m talking about. You have to keep moving, and there’s zero room for error. Always questioning, “Is this the last ticket?” The answer is probably, No… haha! So when you see Carmy and his crew running around, shouting orders and snapping at each other, you’re seeing a real snapshot of what happens behind the scenes.
For home cooks, this might feel foreign. When you're cooking at home, you can take your time, improvise, and enjoy the process. But in a professional kitchen, there’s no leisurely pace. It’s high speed all the way. And while you may not be shouting "Yes, Chef!" in your kitchen, if you’ve ever tried to get Thanksgiving dinner on the table for a crowd, you’ve probably experienced a mini version of this chaos.
Here’s something The Bear nails: kitchen life is stressful! Cooking professionally isn’t just about making food, it’s about managing time, ingredients, people, and expectations, all while working in a high-pressure, high-heat environment. The stress depicted in the show: the sleepless nights, the frayed nerves, the tense moments of self-doubt, is a very real part of the job.
For many chefs, the stress of perfectionism can be overwhelming. In the show, Carmy has flashbacks to his time in fine dining, where everything had to be flawless. In real life, top-tier kitchens are relentless in their pursuit of excellence. Chefs are perfectionists by nature, and when you’re constantly trying to live up to the standard of Michelin stars, every little mistake feels like the end of the world. There’s an unspoken pressure to never let anyone down… the diners, your staff, or yourself. Next time you’re out at a high end restaurant, take a moment to observe the staff and what they are doing. You'll start noticing small things that you otherwise wouldn't and they make your experience just a hint better if they otherwise weren't done.
One of the most heartwarming and accurate things about The Bear is the sense of family in the kitchen. In the show, Carmy has a complicated relationship with his staff. They’re not always on the same page, and the dysfunction is clear, but over time they become more than just coworkers, they become a family.
This is true in real kitchens, too. Working in a restaurant is like being part of a high-stakes team. You spend more time with your kitchen crew than with your own family. You bond over the shared struggle of making it through a crazy shift, and these relationships become essential to surviving the job. There’s a camaraderie that develops when you’re all in the trenches together. The show does a great job of depicting how messy, dysfunctional, and beautiful these relationships can be. You can learn more about how kitchen promote a sense of unity in one of my previous posts about family meal.
Home cooks might not get the same team dynamic in their kitchen, but the idea of collaboration is just as important. Whether you're cooking for family, friends, or even just for yourself, the joy of sharing a meal is universal. Sure, you might not have a sous chef at your side, but even in a home kitchen cooking is about connection. The best meals are the ones made with love and shared with others.
While The Bear does a great job of capturing the gritty reality of restaurant life, there are a few things it glosses over. For starters, cooking isn’t always that dramatic. Yes, there are stressful moments, but there are also moments of pure joy and satisfaction (these are the moments chefs live for). The creative process of developing dishes, experimenting with flavors, and watching diners enjoy your food is incredibly rewarding. The Bear focuses a lot on the struggle, but it’s the love of food that keeps chefs going.
Also, not every restaurant is as dysfunctional as the one in The Bear. Many kitchens run like well-oiled machines, with clear communication, mutual respect, and a positive working environment. Things can get heated during service, but a good chef knows how to lead their team without constant chaos. While the show thrives on drama, the reality is that a successful kitchen requires discipline, organization, and cooperation.
So, what can home cooks learn from The Bear? First off, respect the process. Cooking is hard work, whether you're in a restaurant or at home. The show highlights the importance of preparation, focus, and teamwork, all things that can elevate your own cooking. Even if you’re just making dinner for your family, treat it like you’re working the line. Stay organized, pay attention to details, and don’t be afraid to push yourself.
So, next time you watch The Bear, know that while some parts are exaggerated for TV, the heart of the story, the passion, the pressure, and the love of food is 100% real.
All the chefs at The Chopping Block love to share their kitchen nightmare stories and their most fulfilling stories from the industry. So stop in and chat with us to find out more about cooking.
If you love to cook and want to learn more about what it takes to cook at the high level of Michelin star chefs or what it's like in common kitchens, take one of our boot camps or check out our upcoming Tasting Table of The Bear with Chef/Owner Lisa Counts on Monday, September 23 at 6pm. But hurry, there's only two spots left!