10 shows to watch if you like The Bear

The Bear has become one of the biggest hits on streaming, and there are more shows like it for fans to check out!

Since its debut in 2022, The Bear has erupted in popularity. The tale of Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) trying to turn his family diner into a fine restaurant has been hailed for both its amazing writing and acting as well as nailing the restaurant experience. Fans can’t get enough of the frenzy of the kitchen and just how much happens that diners don’t know about. 

There are several shows with the same sort of complex personal dynamics. Yet others are notable for also taking on a restaurant setting and using it as the backdrop for some great drama. There are also some earlier shows by The Bear creator and stars that clearly influenced the series. So while you wait for The Bear Season 4, these ten shows can be just the thing to fill the time!

Kitchen Confidential 

Before he hit it big as a movie star, Bradley Cooper starred in this short-lived 2005 Fox series based on the book by the late, great Anthony Bourdain. Cooper played Jack Bourdain, a once top chef brought down by his addictions. He’s given a second chance to run a Manhattan restaurant. It hits the ground running with Jack learning he has only 48 hours to get the place staffed up and open. 

The show has a great style capturing the frantic pace of the kitchen and a cast of future stars like John Cho, Jaime King, and Bonnie Sommerville. It’s a shame it only lasted one season as Cooper is terrific, and it’s clear that much of the DNA of The Bear is in this wonderfully underrated series.

Kitchen Confidential is streaming on Hulu.

Sweetbitter

This Starz series follows Tess (Ella Purnell), who moves to New York City and lands a job working at a high-end restaurant. The show is notable for how Tess grows to enjoy her “work family” at first, only to be drawn into their hedonistic lifestyle. The first season is a bit rough, while season 2 is an improvement and has some good character beats. Purnell grounds it with her performance, showing Tess going from innocent to wild yet still hopeful for the future. The setting is much like The Bear while showing some crazy character dynamics to be a good binge.

Sweetbitter is streaming on Starz.

Feed the Beast

Another short-lived series, this 2016 AMC show stars David Schwimmer and Jim Sturgess as long-time best friends who decide to open their own Greek restaurant. Given Schwimmer is a recovering addict and Sturgess is an ex-con, they have challenges. The biggest is how they accidentally run afoul of a mobster who now wants a stake in their place. 

The series balances the restaurant dramedy with the crime thriller as well as the difficult friendship of the two leads. It’s an odd mix of genres that the actors manage to pull off pretty well. Sadly, it was canceled after one season on a cliffhanger but deserves a watch as it resembles The Bear in many ways. 

Feed the Beast is streaming on AMC+.

Julia

To many in cooking circles, Julia Child was not just a chef but an icon. Sarah Lancashire tackles the daunting task of bringing her to life and does so beautifully. It follows Child in 1961 as she publishes her first bestselling cookbook and then lands her own show. David Hyde Pierce is well cast as her husband, who goes from supportive to jealous of her success. 

Lancashire nails the real Child from that distinctive voice to mannerisms and handles the various cooking scenes with style. Her relationship with her husband is well done, and so are the challenges Child faced in proving herself to TV executives and more elite chefs looking down at her. It lasted just two seasons yet it’s the perfect tribute to the woman who made cooking TV a staple and still a heroine to any aspiring chef.

Julia is streaming on MAX.

Raw

This underrated Irish series focuses on the titular Dublin restaurant. It kicks off with a new chef finding out the co-owner has fled town after an altercation with mobsters and his wife has to become manager. Season 2 shifts it up with a new owner and direction yet keeping the staff, who are often at each other’s throats. The Dublin setting sets it apart and the unique characters make the show spark so it’s worth a watch for those who enjoy some complex family dramas centered around a dining establishment.

Raw is streaming on Tubi

Boiling Point

Spinning off from the 2021 movie of the same name, this 2023 British series from writer/director Philip Barantini is right up the alley for Bear fans. A female head chef with her own restaurant tries to make it a success but has issues, from an arrogant chef to her former boss who wants back in the game.

The show is wonderfully directed, capturing the chaotic feel of a kitchen setting along with the problems making a restaurant work today. The cast handles it all quite well, with some unique romances taking place, and hopefully, the show gets a second season to continue its great fun.

Boiling Point is streaming on Netflix.

Gentefied

This Netflix series is a good showcase of a generational clash in a food service setting. Three Mexican-american cousins work in their family’s L.A. taco shop, all chasing their various dreams. They want to update the menu, decor, and theme for the new era, while their parents prefer to keep things traditional. The show tackles issues of racism, class, male toxicity and more with good humor and heart. It’s a vibrant show that brings the various cultures to wonderful life and while the taco shop isn’t always the centerpiece, it does form a lovely backdrop to a terrific celebration of immigrant life.

Gentefied is streaming on Netflix.

Shameless

If you want more of Jeremy Allen White in a Chicago setting, check out his breakout turn in this long-running Showtime comedy. He’s Lip, the second child of the wildly crazy Gallagher family, probably the smartest of the bunch but struggles with alcohol. Over the course of the series, Lip tries to break away from his crazy family but eventually has to lead them, clashing with sister Fiona (Emmy Rossum) and constantly drunk dad Frank (William H. Macy).

Calling this show raunchy is putting it mildly, with Lip getting some wild stuff like hooking up with his college professor (Sasha Alexander) and eventually becoming a dad himself. The show is a crazy romp that proved White could be a future star.

Shameless is streaming on Netflix.

Ramy

Before creating The Bear, Christopher Storer proved his skills in producing and directing this acclaimed Hulu dramedy. Ramy Yousseff won a Golden Globe for his portrayal of the title role of a young man struggling with his identity as an American Muslim in today’s society. It’s obvious how much the show inspired The Bear in its complex leading man, the difficult family dynamics and there’s even a diner setting.

The series is amazing, from acting to writing to some top guest stars like two-time Oscar winner Mahershala Ali. It comes together into a wonderful package for one of the better dramedies around, and many of the actors later guest-starred on The Bear, showing how important Ramy was for that later series’ success.

Ramy is streaming on Hulu.

From Scratch

Zoe Saldana in a lush Italian setting? That sounds like a rom-com setup, yet it also fits this Netflix series. She plays Amy, a woman vacationing in Italy who hits it off with chef Lino (Eugenio Mastrandrea). Before long, the two are married with him moving to L.A. in hopes of opening his own place. The eight episodes unfold like an extended Hallmark film tracking their ups and downs, including a bitter health ordeal. 

The Italian meals are such a centerpiece, it will make you want to order some yourself. There’s some real heart to the story as Saldana and Mastrandrea have fantastic chemistry with a fine supporting cast helping. While it may be a bit too weepy by the end, it’s in a good way and food is used as a good metaphor to make this a warm show for Bear fans to take in.

From Scratch is streaming on Netflix.