Delco BBQ Chef Describes Working With Gordon Ramsay

Wilson's Secret Sauce in Upper Darby had no idea that it would be featured in celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay's new show "Gordon Ramsay's Secret Service" on FOX when the celebrity chef shot an episode there in March.

Owner Steve Wilson of Wilson's Secret Sauce told Philadelphia Magazine what it was like working with Ramsay, who is known for his brash, no-nonsense approach to food and business. 

Wilson said that the experience overall was life-changing. "He has a job to do. When I met him, he looked at me as someone who was probably ready to fight. And instead, I cried. I broke. I'm under so much pressure every day. I just want my family to be proud of what we're accomplishing."

He described the biggest change that Ramsay made at his restaurant. "Slimming down the menu. I had 73 items. We went down to 13. And we are up to around 25 now. We have a lot of people calling and asking for things that were on the old menu. And it was really hard for me to take the burger off of the menu even though I didn't want a burger at my restaurant to begin with, but trying to cook 10 to 15 burgers at a time can make it hard to focus on other things," he said.

Wilson said the publicity he's received from appearing on "Secret Service" has been overwhelmingly positive. His restaurant's Facebook page has received a million views in about 90 days. "So many customers have been coming in who never heard of us until they saw the stories about Gordon Ramsay being here," he said.

According to Philadelphia Magazine, Wilson worked as a mechanic for 30 years before he decided to enter the Garry Maddox Barbecue Challenge. Motivated by that experience, Wilson and his wife got together and started to do catering, which turned into opening Wilson's Secret Sauce.

The episode featuring Wilson's Secret Sauce just aired nationally and will be available for viewing on Hulu soon.