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Bar Rescue - Madame Dalia's Country Bar (Country Nights) Update

March 10, 2019, 6:57 am
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On this week's episode of Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer and crew are in San Antonio, Texas to rescue Country Nights Club.   Country Nights Club is supposedly $144,000 in debt and is losing $4,000 to $6,000 a month.  While Jon is there, he finds bartenders who are drunk and an out of control owner who is trying to serve customers shots out of her cleavage.  The owner Dalia is more worried about her looks and drinking rather than running a successful bar.

During the Bar Rescue makeover, Jon Taffer decided to change the name of Country Nights Club to Madame Dalia's Country Bar and the bar has somewhat kept the name.  It seems they dropped the 'Madame' and they go by Dalia's Country Bar. Let's take a look at some information, reviews, and updates for Dalia's Country Bar since Bar Rescue came and made all of the changes to the bar (All reviews are post-Bar Rescue):



Positive Reviews:
  • "They have great live bands and plenty of dancing room!"

Negative Reviews:

  • "Judge mental crowd. Owner stared my husband, friend and I down the whole time. Only went because it's closest to us and we don't have a car. Going to save for an uber and go to Rocky's next time. Bartender Ed is a friend and regular customer of mine, great Service on his part. Owner always sending employees for beer, limes, and change. Employees are not the problem here. Bad ownership and management are to blame."
  • "Damn they need to handle up on customer service"
*Reviews from Google, Facebook


Other News and Links:

  • The Bar Rescue episode was filmed in June 2018
  • Here is a 6-minute video preview of the episode from the Paramount YouTube page.
  • Here is the Dalia's Country Bar Facebook page.  You will see there that most of the recent posts have Dalia's Country Bar and the "Madame" is dropped and cropped out of the logo. They also use Country Nights in their advertisements as well.
  • Dalia's Country Bar is having a watch party for the episode. (Link)
  • On Facebook, Dalia's Country Bar advertises the women bartenders that are working there to try to draw more customers.
  • Here are the Facebook pages of Dalia (owner), Melissa (bartender), and Krystal (bartender)
  • Right after the makeover, people commented on the name change saying it sounded like a brothel.  The bar responded, "He did not mean it in that term he was very adamant about putting my name up there" (Link)
  • There is only 1 Yelp review for the bar, which is from 2015. (Link)
  • Here are the Google reviews which average a 3.7 out of 5 with 38 reviews. (Link)
  • When Bar Rescue was casting bars in San Antonio, they reached out to some bars that were successful, which made them angry. (Link)
  • In Texas, you are able to view the bar receipts for bars every month.  It seems since the Bar Rescue makeover, sales have increased a bit from the year prior, but not by very much. They are around $30,000 a month. (Link)


Conclusion:

Country Nights Club was renamed to Madame Dalia's Country by Bar Rescue, and the bar has pretty much kept the name.  They have dropped the "Madame" from the name and they also use both Dalia's Country Bar and Country Nights Club in recent advertisements.  There haven't really been any reviews for the bar since the makeover and there weren't too many before the rescue, so it is hard to tell too much about Dalia's Country Bar.  There was a complaint about ownership and customer service while someone complemented the live music and dancing.  Based on the Texas gross bar receipts for Dalia's Country Bar, the sales have slightly increased from the year before, but they have remained pretty consistent over the years.  We will have to see if there is any increase in sales after the Bar Rescue episode airs.


*To see how all of the bars from Bar Rescue are doing, go to the Bar Rescue Updates page, and also Like us on Facebook or Follow Us on Twitter to stay up to date with all things involving Bar Rescue.

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Bar Rescue - The Frozen Cactus (RJ's Replays) Update

March 17, 2019, 7:27 am
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On this week's episode of Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer and crew are in Tucson, Arizona to rescue RJ's Replays.  RJ's Replays was opened in 2011 by Rich McClelland and is a sports bar that has a focus on craft beers.  Rich borrowed over $700,000 from his parents to open the bar and the bar is supposedly has almost $1 million in debt.  The bar supposedly lost $20,000 the previous month and is about a month from closing.  While Jon is there, he finds a menu that is too large and that the owner Rich is drunk in his own bar.

During the Bar Rescue makeover, Jon Taffer decided to change the name of RJ's Replays to The Frozen Cactus and the bar has somewhat kept the name.  They now go by RJ's Frozen Cactus.  Let's take a look at some information, reviews, and updates for The Frozen Cactus/RJ's Frozen Cactus since Bar Rescue came and made all of the changes to the bar (All reviews are post-Bar Rescue):





Positive Reviews:

  • "Great place to watch sports. Loved that they have NHL Center Ice. Food is very good and Jessica was. Great server."
  • "The Frozen Cactus has been very fair and welcoming to local musicians. I co-host an Open Mic here and am consistently surprised by the care and attention that the owner and staff put into to their clientele, events, and atmosphere. I have seen some negative reviews online, but have also seen the owner reach out time and time again to ask what they can do better, and that's something I personally really value in a business. TFC is one of my favorite spots in town!"
  • "Rich is the best! This sports bar tries hard and it shows. The improved vibe is designed to bring in more women so the sausage fest isn't so dull. That's good for everyone. We're rolling into football and basketball season so le bon temps roule!"
  • "I have to defend this place for its craft beer selection alone. It's got it's issues but the owner is so dedicated. I hope this place makes it."
  • "Nice place. Clean. The owner Rick was working hard right along with his staff. It was very busy and they could have used more help but all in all we had a great time."
  • "Been here a couple times since the change of name. Service good, atmosphere decent. The upscale rehab is not as noticable. I generally only come here for drinks and watching sports games. Will be back soon."


Negative Reviews:

  • "What a joke. You can put up a new coat of paint but you can't fix this bars issues. The waitress took forever to come by and there were only a couple of tables in the place. Food was cold and had to be sent back. When the owner or manager (not sure which he didn't introduce himself) came by he was DRUNK and slurring his words. Can't wait for this place to close so an actual business can swoop up that prime real estate. There are sooo many other options in Tucson"
  • "If I could give 0 stars, I would! From the moment we walked in until we left it was an awful experience! The servers were all standing around, blocking the walkway and just stared at my group, so we had to navigate our way through the tables to the bar. Once seated we weren't even offered menus, and they had no idea on their specials. Once we finally got our drinks, two of the four were incorrect, one of which came in a glass with a crack that ran all the way down the side. Our server seemed like she had absolutely no clue what was going on, will never go back! #BarNOTRescued"
  • "Walked in for some food and drinks- also curious to see the changes Taffer made. Number one the entrance to this place is a joke and not well marked. Secondly, we walked in and the place lacked a flow, felt in organized. Nothing looked renovated."
  • "Talk about bar rescue f...ing up a well established bar. This place is pretentious. Wtf did they sway away from a sports bar. I walked in around two on Saturday. A total of three people in the bar. The menu is tiny. No more pizza. John tafner is a freakin moron that is clueless to Tucson. The owners are not to smart for accepting his idea. This place will be out of business soon unless they switch it back. You don't fix what's not broken!!!"
*Reviews from Yelp, Google


Other News and Links:

  • The Bar Rescue makeover happened in May 2018, so almost a year before the episode aired.
  • Here is a 5-minute preview video of the episode from the Paramount YouTube page.
  • Here is RJ's Frozen Cactus website which still has the rjsreplay.com URL.  In fact, www.thefrozencactus.com redirects to rjsreplay.com.
  • Here is The Frozen Cactus  Facebook page, which still has the RJs Replay's name, however all of the advertisements refer to RJ's Frozen Cactus.  Here is another The Frozen Cactus Facebook page. The new logo for the bar says "RJ's Frozen Cactus - Red Hot Sports, Ice Cold Craft Beers." The Bar Rescue one was "The Frozen Cactus - Ice Bar & Flame Grill" (Link)
  • Here are the Facebook pages of Rich (owner), Klaryssa (bartender), Katelyn (bartender/manager), Ranesha (bartender)
  • Here are the reviews for The Frozen Cactus from Yelp (3.5 out of 5, 20 reviews), Tripadvisor (4 out of 5, 12 reviews), and Google (3.9 out of 5, 308 reviews).
  • When Rich bought the bar in 2011, he said he was going to try to scrub the biker vibe from the building and turn it into a more upscale bar. (Link)


Conclusion:

RJ's Replays was renamed to The Frozen Cactus by Bar Rescue, and the bar has somewhat kept the name.  They changed it to RJ's Frozen Cactus and also changed the description from "Ice Bar & Flame Grill" to "Red Hot Sports, Ice Cold Craft Beers."  The reviews for the bar have been mixed with some people complimenting Rich and his dedication to the bar, while others had complaints about the service and the makeover done by Bar Rescue.  


*To see how all of the bars from Bar Rescue are doing, go to the Bar Rescue Updates page, and also Like us on Facebook or Follow Us on Twitter to stay up to date with all things involving Bar Rescue.

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Bar Rescue - The Original Hideout Update

March 23, 2019, 6:14 pm
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On this week's episode of Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer and crew are in Tucson, Arizona to rescue The Original Hideout.  The Original Hideout is owned by Ramiro Flores and is run by his brother Raul.  Ramiro put up about $300,000 for the bar and is supposedly losing $6,000 a month.  While Jon is there, he finds that the kitchen is unsanitary and after confronting Raul, he decides to walk out of the bar.

During the Bar Rescue makeover, Jon Taffer decided to keep the name of The Original Hideout.  Let's take a look at some information, reviews, and updates for The Original Hideout since Bar Rescue came and made all of the changes to the bar (All reviews are post-Bar Rescue):



Positive Reviews:
  • "Stop in on Sundays for amazing Menudo. Red or white with many condiments including oregano, cilantro, limes, chopped white onion and chiles. Garlic bread available. Prepared very homade, like family kitchen. Pork adobada is off the charts good."
  • "Excellent Mexican Food."
  • "This place has been around a long time. My meal was pretty good, and the atmosphere is vibrant. Good drinks too!"
  • "cheese crisp was perfect! Also their chicken sandwich was perfectly made with perfect bacon and avocado and also their onion rings were perfect and they give you a can of 7Up rather than from the tap it was really a good experience"
  • "Good food, sometimes slow service, but not during the day."

Negative Reviews:
  • "Came in with my friend to check out what changes were made after Bar Rescue. Everything seemed to be basically the same, only Modelo on tap, my friend ordered a whiskey ginger but they didn't have ginger ale? Overall felt pretty unwelcome and we left after getting 1 drink."
  • "Visited today since it got remodeled. I like this place but my review is for the embarrassing customer service. Our server was new Maritza, she was excellent! Very sweet and wow was she working very hard. She was taking food orders and working the bar. The negative review is for Summer, she literally (and I say literally because a lot of patrons noticed) flirted with men at the bar while poor Maritza was running around all night...Tables surrounded agreed only because we saw the strain one employee was under while the other did nothing. Plus side food was excellent, fish fry, street tacos, carne asada burrito was excellent and the prices are so cheap! Fix the balance of your workers and you have 5 stars."
  • "Service leaves a lot to be desired. Very low blouses, negative attitudes. If you aren't a Mexican man good luck getting waited on! When you are paying $15 a shot you would think that they would want to serve you."
  • "IT WAS OK BUT NOT GOOD MUSIC AND THE BARTENDERS WERE HORRIBLE"
  • "Still not a place I want to hang out at"
  • "One word only dump"
  • "Not my scene. Felt like prey. Men standing and staring."

*Reviews from Yelp, Google

Other News and Links:

  • The Bar Rescue makeover happened in May 2018, so close to a year before the episode aired.
  • Here is a 7-minute preview video of the episode from the Paramount YouTube page.
  • Here is The Original Hideout Facebook page which does not post much.  They do not have a website.
  • The Original Hideout kept their same entertainment schedule and specials after the Bar Rescue makeover. (Link)
  • Here are the Facebook pages of Ramiro (owner), Gloria (bartender), Linette (bartender)
  • Here are the review for The Original Hideout from Yelp (3 out of 5, 13 reviews), Tripadvisor (3.5 out of 5, 6 reviews) and Google (4 out of 5, 177 reviews)
  • Ramiro Flores also co-owns a bar/restaurant called Amigo's Burgers and Beer. (Link)
    • Here is their Facebook page which looks like it features him on the logo, and Yelp reviews which are positive.
  • Ramiro Flores is also an attorney is Tucson.


Conclusion:

Jon Taffer and Bar Rescue decided to keep the name of The Original Hideout and the reviews for the bar have been mixed since the Bar Rescue makeover.  All of the positive reviews compliment the food while the negative reviews talk about bad service.  The reviews also seem to imply that this is more of a bar for men than it is for women.  The owner Ramiro Flores also co-owns another bar in Tucson, which seems to have better reviews.


*To see how all of the bars from Bar Rescue are doing, go to the Bar Rescue Updates page, and also Like us on Facebook or Follow Us on Twitter to stay up to date with all things involving Bar Rescue.
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Bar Rescue - Gaddy Shack (Crossroads Grille) Update

March 30, 2019, 8:28 pm
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On this week's episode of Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer and crew are in Antioch, Tennessee to rescue Crossroads Grille.  Crossroads Grille is owned by Robert Gaddy and his wife Ashley helps run the bar.  While Jon Taffer is there, he finds an uncontrollable staff who are twerking all over the place and drinking on the job.  The bartenders also do not know how to make basic drinks and the kitchen is filthy.

During the Bar Rescue makeover, Jon Taffer decided to change the name of Crossroads Grille to Gaddy Shack and the bar kept the name.  Let's take a look at some information, reviews, and updates for Gaddy Shack since Bar Rescue came and made all of the changes to the bar (All reviews are post-Bar Rescue):



Reviews:

The bar wasn't open for too long after the Bar Rescue makeover, so there weren't really any reviews.  Gaddy Shack had a grand reopening in February 2018, but it seems they closed a short time after that.


Other News and Links:
  • The Bar Rescue makeover happened in December 2017, so over a year ago.
  • The bar was closed for a little bit after the makeover and had a grand reopening in February 2018.  When they had the grand reopening, Robert posted on Instagram, "Finally after all the red tape and lies my sign is up. WELCOME TO THE GADDY SHACK!!!!!!" (Link)
  • Here is the Gaddy Shack Southern Bar & Grille Facebook page.  They stopped posting things about Gaddy Shack in March 2018, so it probably closed around that time.  Now, the Gaddy Shack Facebook page pretty much advertises another bar Robert and Ashley own in Nashville, TN called Donks.
    • Here is the Donks Facebook page and some of the bartenders from the Gaddy Shack episode work at Donks.
    • Donks has a theme of bartenders in skimpy outfits that emphasize the butt, hence the name Donks.
    • Donks is having a watch party for the Bar Rescue episode of Crossroads Grille - Gaddy Shack.
  • Here are the Facebook pages of Robert (owner), Ashley (Robert's wife/owner), Don (cook)
    • Someone commented on Don's Facebook page about the episode, "bruh u could tell this was scripted! There is no way in hell we could have been drinking like that in any of those businesses in front of Ashley and Gadddy like that." (Link)
  • Here is Robert Gaddy's Instagram page, which advertises Donks a lot and has pictures of a packed bar.
  • Ashley actually teaches a bartending course and charges $50-75 for the course. (Link)


Conclusion:

Crossroads Grille was renamed to Gaddy Shack by Bar Rescue and the bar did keep the name.  The Bar Rescue makeover was done over a year ago and Gaddy Shack didn't stay open for too long after the makeover.  Ashley and Robert own another bar in Nashville called Donks which is having a watch party for the Bar Rescue episode.  It seems that they decided to close Gaddy Shack and focus on their other bar Donks.

*To see how all of the bars from Bar Rescue are doing, go to the Bar Rescue Updates page, and also Like us on Facebook or Follow Us on Twitter to stay up to date with all things involving Bar Rescue.
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Bar Rescue - UNLV Episode

April 6, 2019, 8:06 pm
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On this weeks episode of Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer is in Las Vegas, Nevada to try to help UNLV hospitality students get ready for the real world in just one week.  This is a special episode where he isn't helping a struggling bar, so there will not be much of an update for this episode.  If you are interested in watching a long preview video of the episode, there is one on the Paramount YouTube page.


I figured I would do a post in case anybody wanted to discuss this episode.  Also if anything is worthy of an update after the episode airs, I will update this post.

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Bar Rescue - The Base Line (Recovery Room) Update

April 13, 2019, 6:40 pm
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On this week's episode of Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer and crew are in San Antonio, Texas to rescue The Recovery Room.  The Recovery Room is owned by Heather Bury Stich whose partying ways have impacted both her business and her marriage.  While Jon Taffer is there, he finds that Heather is drunk behind the bar and is giving away free shots.  She also has trouble making a basic margarita.


During the Bar Rescue makeover, Jon Taffer decided to change the name of The Recovery Room to The Base Line and the bar kept the name. Let's take a look at some information, reviews, and updates for The Base Line since Bar Rescue came and made all of the changes to the bar (All reviews are post-Bar Rescue):


Positive Reviews:
  • "Great dive bar!! Has only frozen pizza for food, but the drinks are a good price. Has pool tables and and TV's. Our bartender was fantastic!!"
  • "We have been coming to the Base Line for years now--long enough to see it's evolution from the "Recovery Room" dive bar into the amazing (still pleasantly dive-y) destination it has become today. There is a relatively new staff (Karen is amazing!!) that treads the nice border between friendly and respectfully detached. This is for sure our place, and we're looking forward to many happy years ending our nights here."
  • "Great place to hang and relax. No drama , the owner is cool and friendly. Will come back again."
  • "Amazing bar military friendly and very close to base. Good liquor great service and cheap beer."
  • "Cool place to hang. Friendly bartender and nice patrons. Not place to eat but, chill atmosphere. Check it out!"

Negative Reviews:
  • "Ok bar. It was crowed both times I have been there. Not one of the best places I have been to but its ok."

Other News and Links:

  • The Bar Rescue makeover happened in June of 2018.
  • Here is a five-minute preview video of the episode from the Paramount YouTube page.
  • Here is The Base Line Facebook Page and website. 
  • Here are some photos of The Base Line after the makeover and the bar is having a viewing party at the bar for the episode tonight.
  • The Base Line does lingerie nights on Fridays where the bartenders are all dressed in lingerie.
  • The 'About Us' of The Base Line states, "The Base Line, formerly the Recovery Room, is located in the heart of San Antonio just outside of Fort Sam Houston. We are a friendly neighborhood bar serving our home town community and military community. We are proud to show off of our newly remodeled bar with an undeniable military theme that provides a fresh and relaxing, get out of the house, experience. We have great drinks specials, pool, darts, shuffleboard, delicious pizza, sweepstakes, monthly steak nights, trivia Wednesdays and karaoke Saturdays. Come and also hang out on our back patio!"
  • Here are the Facebook pages of Heather (owner) and Howard (owner) where they are both promoting the upcoming episode.
  • Heather did a recent radio interview where she talked about the experience and said nothing is scripted and she loved the experience of being on the show.
  • The Base Line/Recovery Room has good reviews both before and after the Bar Rescue makeover with 4.5 stars out of 5 on Yelp and 4.5 stars out of 5 on Google.
    • Heather puts in the effort of responding to reviews for The Base Line.
  • In a local article, owner Heather Bury Stich said, "Looking back on it, it was the longest, toughest, greatest 10 days of my life. The hardest part for me was that I worked my entire life to buy that bar and make it mine, and it was in the hands of the show. But the end result has been fantastic."


Conclusion:

The Recovery Room was renamed to The Base Line by Bar Rescue and the bar has kept the name.  The reviews for the bar both before and after the Bar Rescue makeover are pretty much all positive with people liking the atmosphere for a drink.  Heather is heavily promoting the upcoming episode and she said the experience with the show was great and that the end result was fantastic.


*To see how all of the bars from Bar Rescue are doing, go to the Bar Rescue Updates page, and also Like us on Facebook or Follow Us on Twitter to stay up to date with all things involving Bar Rescue.
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Bar Rescue - The Morgue (Kiva Lounge & Bar) Update

April 20, 2019, 8:08 pm
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On this week's episode of Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer and crew are in San Marcos, Texas to rescue Kiva Lounge & Bar.  Kiva Lounge & Bar is owned by "two burnout rockers" Miles and Henry who have supposedly lost $200,000 in two years.  While Jon Taffer is there, he discovers a sweaty chef that is unsanitary and owners that do not care enough about their business.  The bartenders at Kiva Lounge & Bar also can't make a basic drink such as a daiquiri.

During the Bar Rescue makeover, Jon Taffer decided to change the name of Kiva Lounge & Bar to The Morgue.  Several months after the makeover, the bar changed their name from The Morgue back to Kiva Lounge & Bar. Let's take a look at some information, reviews, and updates for The Morgue/Kiva Lounge & Bar since Bar Rescue came and made all of the changes to the bar (All reviews are post-Bar Rescue):




Positive Reviews:
  • "Awesome place! Super friendly staff, great activities and beer selection, and live music. My only complaint would be that the music was a little loud, maybe i'm turning into an old woman!"
  • "Great live music, guaranteed good times with friends"
  • "Great place for a drink and good music"

Negative Reviews:
  • "I have been here previously before. And now I remembered why I stopped going. There is a bartender who is extremely rude and has always look passed us when being served. I would literally have to try and wave him down after he would get other individuals drinks. I had then waved him down stating I needed another drink he gave me the thumbs up. Completely ignored my request starting serving everyone else. Until I waved him down again since he wouldn't even look my way. Finally a nice young lady came and checked on me. But he has always been like this with me and certain friends. Idk what his problem is."
  • "If there was an option for 0 stars... This piece of Shit bar would fit that category! I have been to KIVA 3 times and all 3 times... The bartenders were rude... Not personable and lazy! Oh and also... They over charged me all three times! My friend played a gig there and was also over charge... He bought 4 beers and they tacked on top shelf margaritas that he did not buy.... To which the staff replied... You made a mistake and you are drinking. Pretty much told him his judgement was off because he was drunk! He provided this place with Live music and they Shit all over him! I hope everyone can see the issue here... The owner needs to be aware of his/her staff and the fact that they rip of their guests... Get your Shit together folks... I will never go to KIVA and I will tell all of my friends what a piece of lowlife dog Shit this place is! FUCK YOU!"
  • "Live in Dallas and went there and played pool. Had to leave a drivers license. They gave me the wrong one back. Stuck with someone else's license . Didn't notice until back home. They don't answer their phone or have any sort of contact info. Thanks"
  • "Besides that the parking sucks, Seems like it only caters to lame college kids who think they are the bee's knees."
  • "Terrible sound, really disgusting and I don’t know how the health department hasn’t came to shut down, the most rude bartenders, uncouth establishment do not go here!"
  • "Overpriced drinks, usually slow service unless you're friends with the bartenders, only thing this place has going for it is that they do have local metal bands play. Other than that it doesn't do anything better than any other bar around here."
*Reviews from Yelp, Google


Other News and Links:

  • The Bar Rescue makeover happened in June 2018.
  • Here is a five minute preview video of the episode from the Paramount YouTube page.
  • Here is The Kiva Lounge & Bar website and Facebook page.  The website has a lot of broken links. 
  • Here are the Facebook pages of owners Miles and Henry.
  • In August 2018 (2 months after the makeover), the bar posted the following message on Facebook announcing they were changing their name back to Kiva Lounge & Bar.  "Friends and family we have realized very clearly that The Morgue is where bars go to die, and Kiva was a shining beacon of local community that needs to thrive! We originally wanted to keep the name to garner attention from the show, but we found out the show isn’t airing till next year, and The Morgue is just not our vibe. We appreciated the opportunity to do Bar Rescue, but their vision was clearly different from ours and it is time to get back to what we love doing! Be ready for some amazing national, regional, and the BEST local music this town has to offer! We will be having our Grand Re-Opening Friday September 7th with a huge punk and rock show with 5 awesome local bands! We appreciate everyone’s support since we have opened our doors, and can’t wait to bring you a lot of great music, karaoke, and amazing events all year long!"


Conclusion:

Kiva Lounge & Bar was renamed to The Morgue by Bar Rescue, but the bar changed their name back to Kiva Lounge & Bar shortly after Bar Rescue left.  The reviews for The Morgue/Kiva Lounge & Bar after the Bar Rescue makeover are mostly negative with a lot of complaints about bartenders and the service.  The few positive reviews seem to like the live music.  It seems that the bar didn't put much effort into the new theme put in by Bar Rescue, so we will have to see how long this one lasts.


*To see how all of the bars from Bar Rescue are doing, go to the Bar Rescue Updates page, and also Like us on Facebook or Follow Us on Twitter to stay up to date with all things involving Bar Rescue.
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Bar Rescue - The Shattered Bar (Eliphino Dive and Dine) Update

April 27, 2019, 8:21 pm
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On this week's episode of Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer and crew are in Las Vegas, Nevada to rescue Eliphino Dive and Dine. Eliphino is owned by John McDonnell who supposedly makes more enemies than friends at his bar.  Jon Taffer does recon with a former employee Casey and the kitchen is not being used at the bar due to leasing it out to somebody else.  The owner John also tells Jon Taffer that he feels he is perpetually one step away from a panic attack.


During the Bar Rescue makeover, Jon Taffer decided to change the name of Eliphino Dive and Dine to The Shattered Bar and the bar did keep the name.  However, the bar has already closed before this episode aired.  Let's take a look at some information, reviews, and updates for The Shattered Bar since Bar Rescue came and made all of the changes to the bar (All reviews are post-Bar Rescue):




Positive Reviews:
  • "Good place to grab a beer and watch a game in the evening. John - bartender/owner (?) - is a smart guy and a great conversationalist."
  • "This place will make your feel like you can take your shoes off and just chill and relax at your local bar. Well at least that's how I felt walk-in in lol. Drinks are price decent and the vibe is nice. I really enjoyed my self tonight. They had a Special Event tonight, where you you purchased a $10 dollar wristbamd and some selection drinks are just priced $1.00. I mean just take my money why don't you. Yes, with this event I will be coming back. John the guy running the show tonight was nothing but professional and very pleasent to chat with. It's the chill atmosphere I was looking for in my local area bar."
  • "Any restaurant/bar that is non smoking, is one of my favorite bars... but The Shattered is my new favorite place to watch a game."
  • "Best Long Island Iced Tea ever! The owner John is amazing, always great entertainment."
  • "Stopped by The Shattered Bar for the first time out of curiosity after reading that Bar Rescue had been there. I don't know what the bar looked like prior to the remodel, but I thought the decor they have now is pretty cool....Like the bar area, the stage was backed by a mural themed off the bar's new name. My wife had a blast with it. Best of all the bartender was friendly and the drinks well made. I got to speak to the owner a bit. Nice guy. He was very active on the bar floor and seemed invested in making sure everyone was having a good time. The only downside was the kitchen wasn't open. The owner said it was something they were working on though. Overall a fun time. Check it out."


Negative Reviews:
  • "I will not visit this bar again. Very unprofessional management. Management bans customer and performers over hearsay and personal feelings rather than facts. Just unprofessional all around."
  • "Empty, nice contemporary look inside, no food offered@ this place won't last especially after being filmed for Bar Rescue!!!"
*Reviews from Yelp, Google


Other News and Links:

  • The Bar Rescue makeover for Eliphino/The Shattered Bar happened back in February 2018, so more than a year before the episode aired.
  • Here is a five minute preview video of the episode from Paramount TV.
  • Here is The Shattered Bar Facebook page and website.
  • Here are the Facebook pages of John (owner), Amanda (bartender), Lee Lee (bartender), Angie (bartender), Autumn (bartender) and Casey (former employee)
  • In May 2018, John was looking for lawyers to help deal with the conflict of the kitchen lease. (Link)
  • Also in May 2018, John emailed me detailing the issues at the bar which was mainly with the person who leased the kitchen.  He asked if I could reach out to my audience to see if there was anyone out there to help him legally in defending him against the person who had the kitchen lease.
  • In June 2018, John posted, "If the person leasing my bar's kitchen spent even a third as much time on her business rather than trying to take down mine....we would BOTH be rich." (Link)
  • The Shattered Bar closed in October 2018 and John posted, "Hi guys. John here. Needed to take a little time to myself. In case you haven't heard, the bar closed. Could have been a good transition but kinda got screwed. But I don't want to focus on the negative. It is what it is. I'm not going to give those people any power. They may have been able to knock me down but they will not be able to stop me from getting back up. This is a transition period and not an end. I don't know what is next, yet. But in starting to work on it already.  The stage's Shattered sign is safely in my house. It will reign again.
In February 2019, when John saw his bar on a preview for the new season of Bar Rescue, he posted, 
"Now I'm pissed. Fuck this shit. Over a year later and four months after closing THIS is how I find out and what they show???!! Bullshit
First of all....when Lee says "We're open we just don't have any customers" she meant that the show producers needed to let all the people who they held up in line for over an hour in the cold, come in!!!
Then...it shows Lee talking to me, cut to all the girls, cut to Taffer saying "None of your employees like you" THEN cut to me saying "I'm ready to change". Taffer said that at another bar!!! Not to me.
Just wanted to make it look like he said it to me in the commercial. For the record, THE GIRLS FUCKING LOVE ME! They wouldn't have put up with all they did with the show if they didn't like me. We told them we needed help with marketing and organization. The publicity is really the main thing I wanted. They gave no help with marketing, made a mess of my already disorganized office and the publicity never came. I was told,most likely, 6-8 weeks before airing. Then 8-10 weeks. Then in a few months. Then by August.  The show does not "Rescue"bars. It should be called "Bar Renovation". That's all they did. They find people in bad situations and capitalize on them. They offer false hope. Which is cruel and wrong. I had the bar listed for an asset sale. I pulled it off the market so we could at least give it a chance. There was so many hoops and bullshit we had to endure. There is no redeeming value to the "Stress Test". They jam the place full and dump out the drinks whether made right or not. Just to make us look stupid and create drama.
Help people or don't pretend what your goals are!! "Bar Rescue" could be entertaining and actually help people. Those things are not mutually exclusive. We were not "Set up for success". Anyone who thinks we were doesn't know bars. My Bar's failure was MY fault. It was a bad business plan (based on incorrect assumptions) and executed poorly. That left us vunerable to outside challenges...and we endured plenty.
One of the things I did right was make the bar Smoke-Free. That brought people in. Unfortunately the show took down my "Smoke-Free Bar" sign or anything else that said "Hey, come in we're a bar!"
Not exactly the "Call to Action" he says to other bars.
"No Excuses" or "Don't Bullshit Yourself" may sell books and drive ratings, but life is not black and white. At one point Taffer said to me that I was a coward. Bullshit. Noone who puts it all on the line and risks it all is a coward. You know who also isn't a coward? Robert Irvine...or Gordon Ramsay
They have similar shows but still put their names on restaurants and open themselves to criticism. They back up their talk. There is no Jon Taffer's Bar and Grill. He's hinted at it for years but apparently doesn't have the guts to put it all on the line. Giada has a show where she tells everyone she can cook well. Never has opened a restaurant. But she had the balls to open her first restaurant on one of the busiest corners in the world. Guy Fieri shows off great restaurants around the world. He says "Hey, I can cook too" and has multiple places. Easy for people to criticize and critique. But he does it.
There's no way a Taffer bar on the strip would be anything but profitable. Then why doesn't he do it?
Is he afraid someone will come in and scream out "THIS PLACE SUCKS - SHUT IT DOWN!!!"???
Number one question people ask me is "Is Jon Taffer really an asshole?"
Answer is...I don't know. I never spoke with him off camera. I've known of him for years. He is the real deal in the industry. Then again, Jerry Springer was once the Mayor of Cincinnati. During filming Taffer yelled at Lee Lee and told me she was the reason I was failing. Cowardly I did not stand up for her......pathetic of me. The next day on camera I told him, "Noone has brought more people through my door, noone has put more money in my register and noone has shown more care and concern for my business than Lee Lee has". I should have said that when he yelled at her. That was wrong of me and I am so very sorry for that. But if that line is not aired then there is not one scrap of reality in that show.
Someone will have to let me know if they show me saying that. I will not watch that show. I do not wish to sit through a rehashing of my failures or the show's bs. My only goal now is for there to be something good that comes out of the show for the girls.  Angie, Autumn, Amanda and Lee Lee are amazing bartenders and extraordinary human beings. Hopefully people will recognize that and offers (legitimate) will be coming their way. They damn sure deserve it.
John W McDonnell
Former owner of The Eliphino / The Shattered Bar"
In April 2019 when the episode description for this episode came out, John said,
"Airing the episode long after it could have done any good, the show has decided to describe me as:
"THE BAR OWNER WHO MAKES MORE ENEMIES THAN FRIENDS"
Very few descriptions of me could be more upsetting. Describing me as such is, disgusting, egregious and reprehensible. It also makes no sense to me because of what was filmed and how they talked to me about my issues as a bar owner. Never once did they even infer that I make enemies. This is just pure unadulterated bullshit. I'm sorry I ever did that goddamn show.
I understand that the people who know me and care for me are aware that describing me as such is bullshit and that's what truly matters. But it still sucks when you are described as an asshole to the world. There is a cult-like following of that show. So now thousands of people believe something that is completely wrong about me. Thank you to all my friends who know that is not an accurate description of me."


Conclusion:

Eliphino Dive and Dine was renamed to The Shattered Bar by Bar Rescue and the bar did keep the name, but it closed in October of 2018.  The Bar Rescue makeover happened in February of 2018, and the reviews for the bar after the makeover were somewhat positive with people complementing John and the bartenders but complaining there was no food.  It seems like the issue with the leased kitchen continued and there was legal issues with that.  The owner John it not happy at all with Bar Rescue or Jon Taffer and he has no plans to watch the episode.  He hopes that his bartenders are shown in a positive light so something good comes out of the episode.  I have a feeling John will watch the episode and will be responding to fans online or on his Facebook page after the episode airs, so stay tuned.


*To see how all of the bars from Bar Rescue are doing, go to the Bar Rescue Updates page, and also Like us on Facebook or Follow Us on Twitter to stay up to date with all things involving Bar Rescue.
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Bar Rescue - Halo Restaurant and Bar (LIV Nightclub) Update

May 5, 2019, 5:26 pm
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On this week's episode of Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer and crew are in Las Vegas, Nevada to rescue LIV Nightclub.  LIV Nightclub is owned by Michelle Lim and she is supposedly almost out of money due the bar.  The bartenders cannot make basic drinks and they are also giving away drinks to get bigger tips.  Jon Taffer has "social media experts" helping him do recon and Tyme the Infamous is one of them.  While Jon Taffer is doing recon, he discovers the cook is cross contaminating everything with his dirty gloves and by reusing the same cutting board.


During the Bar Rescue makeover, Jon Taffer decided to change the name of LIV Nightclub to Halo Restaurant and Bar and the bar decided to keep the name. However, the bar has already closed before this episode aired. Let's take a look at some information, reviews, and updates for Halo Restaurant and Bar since Bar Rescue came and made all of the changes to the bar (All reviews are post-Bar Rescue):



Positive Reviews:
  • "Halo is a great venue. The ambiance, size, the drinks, and OMG the food was DELICIOUS!"
  • "Loved this place for good drinks and simple plates! They have a great light up dance floor too which was really fun. Can't believe they don't have any reviews but I think they changed their name so that can be why. Anyway.. I would have to visit again to be able to rate them on their consistency but my boyfriend and I popped in on a Saturday night and had a great time. Very impressed by the garnishes in our drinks and fresh taste. Will revisit!"

Negative Reviews:

  • No negative reviews

Other News and Links:

  • The Bar Rescue makeover happened back in February of 2018, so well over year before this episode aired.
  • Here is a 4.5-minute preview video of the episode from the Paramount YouTube page.
  • Here is the Halo Restaurant and Bar Facebook page, which didn't post much before or after the Bar Rescue makeover. 
  • Here is a very basic website for Halo Restaurant and Bar. 
  • Here are the Facebook pages of Michelle (owner), Janette (bartender)
  • The bar was also previously name Rendezvous Restaurant and Bar.  That Facebook page also had the Halo Restaurant and Bar pictures after the Bar Rescue makeover.
  • Signs that Halo Restaurant and Bar is closed since they do not have much of a social media presence:
    • Their Grubhub Link has been taken down and is no longer available.  The Seamless link is also no longer available.
    • The phone number for Halo Restaurant and Bar no longer works and is not in service.
    • They haven't posted anything on Facebook since May 2018 and no one else has posted on their Facebook page since October 2018.
    • There were a lot of events at the bar, which seemed to stop in October 2018 (Link)
  • It seems that Halo Restaurant and Bar started serving soul food in late 2018.  All of the recent Google reviews and Facebook reviews talk about soul food.
  • There was a Halo Bar in Las Vegas on the strip inside Planet Hollywood, but that closed in early 2018.

Conclusion:

LIV Nightclub was renamed to Halo Restaurant and Bar by Bar Rescue and the bar did keep the name.  However, all signs point to Halo Restaurant and Bar being closed as they no longer have a working telephone number and all online links for the bar are broken.  There were only a few reviews since the Bar Rescue makeover, which is never a good sign, especially when the makeover was a long time ago.  Halo Restaurant and Bar didn't have much of an online presence after the Bar Rescue makeover and it seems like they turned into a soul food restaurant before closing.  It isn't clear if the same owners were the ones trying the soul food concept or if they were new ones, but either way it appears that Halo Restaurant and Bar is now closed.


*To see how all of the bars from Bar Rescue are doing, go to the Bar Rescue Updates page, and also Like us on Facebook or Follow Us on Twitter to stay up to date with all things involving Bar Rescue.

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Bar Rescue - The Tipsy Bull (China Grove Trading Post) Update

May 12, 2019, 11:26 am
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On this week's episode of Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer and crew are in China Grove, Texas to rescue The China Grove Trading Post.  The China Grove Trading Post is owned by Wendy and Raymond Jenkins and they are enabling their "belligerent" daughter Maggen who works at the bar.  While Jon Taffer is there doing recon, he sees that there is a possum in the bar.  In previous episodes, Jon has seen horses and raccoons in a bar, so now we can add possums to the list of animals seen on Bar Rescue.


During the Bar Rescue makeover, Jon Taffer decided to change the name of The China Grove Trading Post to The Tipsy Bull and the bar decided to keep the name. However, the bar has already closed before this episode aired.  Let's take a look at some information, reviews, and updates for The Tipsy Bull since Bar Rescue came and made all of the changes to the bar (All reviews are post-Bar Rescue):


Positive Reviews:
  • "Can't say enough about the outstanding service and friendly atmosphere. Lisa, the daytime bartender, does an amazing job amd makes the best Blue Hawaiians ever!"
Negative Reviews:
  • "It's was alright. People started showing up around 11 and then the smoke got bad and my eyes started to burning. Too many people smoking in the place. Didn't see too many big changes from Bar Rescue!"
*Reviews from Google


Other News and Links:
  • The Bar Rescue makeover happened in late May/early June 2018, so about a year before the episode first aired.
  • Here is a five minute preview video of the episode from the Paramount TV YouTube page.
  • Here is a Trading Post Facebook page that hasn't posted since 2014 and a Trading post Facebook page that posts nothing but Republican-themed political memes.  Here is a Tipsy Bull Facebook page which never posted anything.
  • Here are the Facebook pages of Wendy (owner), Maggen (Wendy's daughter/employee), Cheyenne (bartender)
  • A week before the Bar Rescue makeover, Maggen's grandfather passed away (Link)
  • In Texas, you are able to see the gross receipts for bars by month.  It seems that The Tipsy Bull didn't get much of a bump from the Bar Rescue filming and the monthly sales in 2017 were higher than 2018. (Link)
  • The Tipsy Bull closed in October 2018.  On October 12, 2018, Maggen posted, "Rumors are true!!!  China Grove Trading Post "The Tipsy Bull is closing. Satutday 2am our doors will lock; and we will not re open. It has been a long road, good times, bad times, and all the in betweens. Its bitter sweet as we say our goodbyes. We appreciate everybody that has been apart of our lives. Make sure to come in tonight and tomorrow night going out w a bang... Its been a exprencie of a life time, and i will always hold the memories we have all made together.. See you all soon..." (Link)
  • A new bar opened in the same location in March 2019, which was about five months after The Tipsy Bull closed.  The new bar is called Mr. Jim's Trading Post, so they somewhat used the old name.
    • Here is the Mr. Jim's Trading Post website which emphasizes the new ownership and Facebook page.
    • The new bar is also having a watch party for the Bar Rescue episode.


Conclusion:

The China Grove Trading post was renamed to The Tipsy Bull by Jon Taffer and the bar did keep the name.  There were only a few reviews for The Tipsy Bull since the makeover and the gross receipts for the bar didn't increase from the previous year after Bar Rescue visited.  The Tipsy Bull closed in October 2018 and a new bar is now operating in the location.  This is the third Bar Rescue episode in a row where the makeover was done about a year ago and the bar was closed before the episode aired.


*To see how all of the bars from Bar Rescue are doing, go to the Bar Rescue Updates page, and also Like us on Facebook or Follow Us on Twitter to stay up to date with all things involving Bar Rescue.

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Bar Rescue - Sauced (Gil & Rick's Sports Bar and Pizzeria) Update

May 19, 2019, 7:37 am
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On this week's episode of Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer and crew are in Largo, Florida to rescue Gil & Rick's Sports Bar and Pizzeria.  Gil & Rick's is as the name states a sports bar and pizzeria owned by two longtime postal employees Gil Grim and Rick Johnson.  Dave Portnoy from Barstool Sports helps Jon Taffer do recon and the bar cannot handle an order that includes multiple pizzas.


During the Bar Rescue makeover, Jon Taffer decided to change the name of Gil & Rick's Sports Bar and Pizzeria to Sauced and the bar decided to keep the name.  Let's take a look at some information, reviews, and updates for Sauced since Bar Rescue came and made all of the changes to the bar (All reviews are post-Bar Rescue):



Positive Reviews:
  • "Friends invited us to hear sax music early in the day at this newly renamed and remodeled establishment in a tiny strip mall in Largo. The happy hour is 4-7 and reasonably priced. The house was rocking with an older crowd dancing and enjoying the music and stepping up for open-mic fun. With all of the new TVs we are looking forward to enjoying it as the sports bar venue too....We went two Mondays in a row and Sheila, bartender, ensured we had fun and no one had to wait long for a re-fill. The other bartenders are also very friendly and accommodating."
  • "I had a great time with my family. Husband, and his 2 sisters and brother and brother in-law and three nieces. Great crowd, fun karaoke, pretty good pizza too. Could have had a little more staff, for it was a wait for drinks. Overall fun place, and I would go again. "
  • "No longer Gil and Ricks. Bar Rescuse came to get them back on there feet. I was there just recently and it's a very clean nice look compared to the last time I was in. Service was pretty good. Atmosphere was nice. Very slow the late afternoon I showed up. Menu looked good. Some day I'll eat some hotdogs that they are specializing in by the choices."
  • "Could be a thriving business, but they need to treat locals like their bread and butter.An apartment complex in walking distance of very hardworking men and women,that might start coming in if they were greeted properly.Basic of customer service .I wish them well, Well since Kallie and new manager has taken over,the pub is a really taken on new atmosphere these two ladies are killing it, all different age groups, family friendly, and definitely taking care of locals, Ladies you can come here and relax, No one hangs on you, fun group."
  • "I went in for lunch about 2 weeks after the rescue. The remodel was intact. The bar is nicer than other businesses nearby in this suburb of Tampa. There was only 1 other patron at 11:30 on a Tuesday. The pizza was pretty good, but since it took over 20 minutes to prepare, the owner/bartender gave me a discount. He seemed to have some difficulty operating the new POS system. Bar Rescue's new drink menu was on the wall, but the prices were crossed out. Overall a good experience. I would go back to check out the night scene there."

Negative Reviews:
  • "The look is great, The food was on spot. But i was told at 6:44 happy hour was already over. I believe it is from 4-7. Bartender was mainly focusing on the regulars. Now there was only 20 people in there. Would go back for food, but nothing else."
  • "Went yesterday and music was great. The rudest bartender ever. She complained about customers each time I tried to order and told me who didnt tip. Very unprofessional. Sat at table but server never around, had to go talk to rude bartender to order food and drinks and clean off my own table. Will not return."
  • "Should be a -star, This place shouldn't even be open for business. Three of us entered and sat at the bar. Totally ignored for five minutes until a disgusting women covered with tats came over in a stupor and loudly asked what we wanted, then walked away. The other person behind the bar "Bob"came over and took our order but didn't seem to understand what we wanted, two beers and a gin and tonic. She came back and asked us again what we wanted. She appeared HIGH and was very abusive toward us. Had to have the bill replaced three times as it was always wrong for what we ordered. Couldn't get out of there fast enough as "Kelly" was totally off the wall screaming and slamming the door as she retreated into the back somewhere. Incredible and embarssing experience. Will NEVER return to this place."
*Reviews from Yelp, Google. E-mailed review


Other News and Links:
  • The Bar Rescue makeover happened in February 2019, so about 3 months before the episode aired.
  • Here is a five-minute preview video of the episode from the Paramount YouTube page.  Dave Portnoy from Barstool Sports helps with the recon.
  • Here is the Sauced Facebook page.  They are still posting as Gil & Rick's, but all of the advertisements and the Facebook URL refer to Sauced as the name of the bar.  Here is another Sauced Facebook page which a restaurant page and has all of the same postings.
  • Here is the Sauced website where they say, "Did You Know We're Famous?  That's right! We were just featured on Bar Rescue on Paramount with the legendary Jon Taffer.  And since then things are doing great. And we'd love to invite you out to our place. "Sauced Largo" for a great night of Food, Drinks and Fun.  We've updated EVERYTHING!!! The place looks amazing and we've even changed up the Food and Drink Menus with signature cuisine and even new deserts."
  • Here is the old Gil & Rick's website which is still online.
  • Here are the Facebook pages of Gil (owner), Rick (owner), Dunlavy (bartender), Erika (bartender), Michael (bartender)
  • Sauced is having a watch party for the episode at the bar. (Link)
  • Right after the Bar Rescue makeover, Sauced was hiring for all positions (bartender, server, cook).  (Link)
  • About a week after Bar Rescue was completed, Sauced had a restaurant inspection which found 30 violations including high priority ones involving temperature controls for food, some of which a "Stop Sale" was ordered.  A follow up inspection in March found 18 violations and another inspection in May 2019 found 8 violations.  (Link with inspection details)
  • Sauced has a 1-minute commercial advertising their bar/restaurant and appearance on Bar Rescue.  The commercial has been posted on YouTube and can be seen here.
  • Here are the Yelp reviews before the makeover, which aren't too great and have some complaints about Gil, including him kicking someone out of the bar for cheering for the Bills against the Jets (Gil is a Jets fan).
  • The bar was called Eddie's before Gil and Rick bought it.


Conclusion:

Gil & Rick's Sports Bar and Pizzeria was renamed to Sauced by Bar Rescue and the bar has kept the name.  The reviews for Sauced are mixed with people liking the atmosphere and pizza while there are some complaints about the service/bartenders.  The reviews seem to be more positive than before the Bar Rescue makeover.  Sauced and the owners seem happy with the Bar Rescue makeover as they have a commercial referring to it and their website advertises that they were on Bar Rescue.  Shortly after the Bar Rescue makeover, there was a restaurant inspection at Sauced and the bar had 30 violations.


*To see how all of the bars from Bar Rescue are doing, go to the Bar Rescue Updates page, and also Like us on Facebook or Follow Us on Twitter to stay up to date with all things involving Bar Rescue.
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Rack's Billiards and Bourbon (Angel's Sports Bar) From Bar Rescue (Already Closed) Caught Fire

May 21, 2019, 11:48 am
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The building which held Rack's Billiards and Bourbon from season 1 of Bar Rescue had a large fire last night which badly damaged the building.  The Corona, California bar and gentleman's club was originally named Angel's Sports Bar and Jon Taffer renamed it to Rack's Billiards and Bourbon on the show.  The bar eventually changed their name from Rack's Billiards and Bourbon to Bar 1650 and they closed in 2018.

Since the bar closed in 2018, the building has remained vacant and last night there was a four-alarm fire that caused a lot of damage.  The Corona fire department provided updates about the fire which was eventually put out and one firefighter received a minor burn injury.  A picture of the building while the fire was being extinguished is below.


Renee Vicary, who was the owner of Rack's Billiards and Bourbon also owns other bars which still remain open.  Renee got in trouble after Bar Rescue in 2012 and was charged with tax evasion and workman's comp issues.  Renee later plead no contest and avoided any jail time.

In 2015, a man was fatally stabbed outside Rack's Billiards and Bourbon and the suspect in that case was later found guilty and sentenced to 37 years to life in prison. 


*To see the status of all bars that have appeared on Bar Rescue, visit our Bar Rescue Updates page.
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Jon Taffer's Marriage Rescue

May 31, 2019, 11:09 am
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Jon Taffer has a new show on Paramount Network that will premiere this Sunday at 10pm ET/PT called Marriage Rescue.  The show is a spin-off of Bar Rescue, but instead of rescuing bars, Jon will be trying to save marriages.  Marriage Rescue will have six one-hour episodes and there will be two couples on the show per episode.  The show was filmed in December 2018/January 2019 in Puerto Rico at a five-star resort.  After Jon puts the couples through challenges, they have to decide if they want to remain together or split up before leaving the resort.

While Jon Taffer is not a licensed marriage counselor, I guess the thought is that people enjoy Jon Taffer screaming at bar owners about their bar, so they will also enjoy Jon Taffer screaming at people about their marriage.  Jon will use the same approach to try to fix marriages as he has limited time to get the job done.


What are your thoughts on Marriage Rescue?  Will you be watching?  If anything interesting comes out of the show, I can do some updates or maybe I will keep track of the couples who stay together vs. separate. Feel free to discuss the episodes in the comments of this post.


A 5-minute preview of the first episode and a 2-minute preview of the season of Marriage Rescue is after the break.



Season Preview:



Here is an almost 5-minute preview of the first episode:



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Bar Rescue - Das Brauhaus (New England's Ale House) Update

June 2, 2019, 6:06 am
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On this week's episode of Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer and crew are in Palm Harbor, Florida to rescue New England's Ale House.  New England's Ale House is owned by Tara Cook who is recently divorced and is now a single mother.  She hired her friend Doug as a general manager, and he helps her out in both the bar and her personal life, but the bar is failing.  Three Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Beau Allen, Cameron Brate and Ali Marpet are there to help Jon Taffer do recon.  While doing recon, Jon discovers the kitchen has a big problem with cross-contamination.


During the Bar Rescue makeover, Jon Taffer decided to change the name of New England's Ale House to Das Brauhaus, which is a German-themed bar and restaurant.  The bar decided to keep the name, but Das Brauhaus closed before its episode aired. Let's take a look at some information, reviews, and updates for Das Brauhaus since Bar Rescue came and made all of the changes to the bar (All reviews are post-Bar Rescue):




Positive Reviews:

  • "When Das Brauhaus showed up on my radar, I thought; Thank Goodness, a replacement for the German restaurant recently closed in Holiday! We visited last night, with hope in our eyes (and stomachs, lol) and, by the first course, I knew my hunger for German food was in pretty good hands.....The staff was friendly and eager to please, the outdoor area is inviting and reminded us of the best of the German Biergarten's, there are outdoor games to play and plenty of tv screens to watch the games. A hearty welcome to Palm Harbor! Prost!"
  • "Really good food and comfortable atmosphere with acoustic live music on a Friday night. Jager Schitzel, braised cabbage, Rouladen and apple strudel all really really tasty and very comfortably priced. Also a good house wine for $5 a glass. The only flaw for me was a side of applesauce was not homemade. But great service friendly staff and everyone was upbeat. Really enjoyed the experience. Will return soon and spread the good word."
  • "Really cool place with a German menu. A sufficient beer selection and the food is just awesome although it's a small menu - the food is awesome. I like it better to have a limited amount of GREAT FOOD than to have a wide selection of mediocre items."
  • "Great place for a nice cold beer and a traditional German meal!! Our first time here and we will definitely be back."
  • "I wasn't too sure about German food ... I haven't been a fan of other German places. But I was pleasantly surprised at Das Brauhaus today. We started with the pretzel and beer cheese and it was fantastic. Then I had the hot dog ... nice foot long dog ... so yummy. My husband had the pork schnitzel and he loved it. The gravy makes it. I tried a bite of it and I'd definitely order it for myself next time. We are looking forward to going back and trying more items. The atmosphere and new decor is wonderful and my husband was very happy to have some German beer!"

Negative Reviews:

  • "Service is still great! I preferred the old menu though. The brat was not memorable and needs to be on a different bun with a crispy crust. The pork also was not memorable and came with an overabundance of bland cabbage. The spaetzle with brown gravy was soupy and bland and the gravy wasn't brown. Won't be back to be honest as the food isn't worth it."
  • "I went to check this place out yesterday.We ordered 2 single shots drinks Belvedere vodka & soda. The music they where playing was elevator music . It was terrible I was expecting someone to ask for the grey Poupon mustard ! Then we hear this hammering going on it was coming from the kitchen. I asked if they were still under construction. The bartender said no that's the chef pounding the meats . We watched the food come out it looked over cooked and not very appetizing. So we decided to get are check and I couldn't believe they charged 23.54 for two drinks. I don't mind paying that much but there was no atmosphere no view nothing but what I described up above. Charging that much for two drinks is ludicrous. We stopped at Hurricane Eddies for the same drinks 14.00 ! Good luck with this place you will need it. Don't waste your time or money."
  • "Very disappointing. Had rouladen , very dry no gray. Potatoes not cooked. Most items on menu had no sides. Only side was a poor example for potato salad."
*Reviews from Yelp


Other News and Links:


  • The Bar Rescue makeover happened in late February/early March 2019, so about 3 months before the episode aired.
  • Here is a five-minute preview video of the episode from the Paramount YouTube page.
  • Here is the Das Brauhaus website and Facebook page.  Here is the New England's Ale House Facebook page.
  • Here is the Facebook page of Tara (owner)
  • Tara posted a lot of live videos on Facebook.
  • In early May, she let everybody know they would be bringing back old menu items on a "secret menu" such as wings. (Link)
  • On May 6th, Tara announced she would be closing the bar on Mother's Day (May 12, 2019).  She talked about how she was going through a divorce, was a single mom, and there wasn't enough time in the day to also be a bar owner/bartender.  The video is below (Link)




  • Tara said she was entertaining offers for the property, such as leases and purchases. (Link)
  • New England's Ale House had a 3-star rating on Yelp, while Das Brauhaus had a 3.5-star rating, so they were slightly improved after the Bar Rescue makeover.
  • According to her Facebook page, Tara started a new job as a real estate associate in May 2019. (Link)
  • In December 2017, Tara was arrested for a DUI after driving on the wrong side of the road. (Link)
  • Jon Taffer's Marriage Rescue (more info on that show) is premiering after this episode of Bar Rescue, so it seems like this episode was chosen as a good lead in to the new show.

Conclusion:

New England's Ale House was renamed to Das Brauhaus by Bar Rescue and the bar did keep the name and German theme.  The reviews for Das Brauhaus were slightly improved from when they were New England's Ale House. However, Das Brauhaus closed in May 2019, which was about three months after the rescue and before their episode even aired on television.  Tara said it was too hard to own a bar and be a single mom, so now she is going to focus on her kids/family.  She is currently working as a real estate agent and is trying to sell the building that Das Brauhaus was in.


*To see how all of the bars from Bar Rescue are doing, go to the Bar Rescue Updates page, and also Like us on Facebook or Follow Us on Twitter to stay up to date with all things involving Bar Rescue.
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Cayman Cove From Bar Rescue Has Closed

July 1, 2019, 12:03 pm
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Cayman Cove in Tampa, Florida, which was featured on season 4 (5th set) of Bar Rescue has closed.  The bar posted on Facebook that they closed in June 2019 as the owners wanted to focus more time on their growing family.  The Facebook post said:
"That’s how we END cayman cove. We wanna thank you all for the loyalty all those years. It was an amazing 9 years. But today our family is growing and we wanna be able to stay together and the bar was a great time but the hours are crazy and we’ve decided we want time for us and do things together. We will keep you all in our hearts and prayers as we move onto a new chapter of our life’s. We wanna thank you in a very special way the loyal people that worked with us and became family. Michelle, Nicole, Cristina, Yolanda, Burt, Michaella and few others I can’t remember all the names. But in a very special way all of you made us last 9 years. May god bless us all. Special thanks to our partners. In memory of RUSSEL BAIN forever in our hearts we will live life the fullest. Stephanie, Scott, Howard & Rudy."


Cayman Cove appeared on Bar Rescue in March 2016 and was originally named Dale 1891.  Jon Taffer decided to rename the bar to Cayman Cove and the bar did keep the name until they closed.  The owner Scott also appeared on a Back to the Bar episode of Bar Rescue (video).

The reviews of Cayman Cove were pretty bad with a lot of recent 1-star reviews on Yelp before they closed.  Cayman Cove has been marked as 'Closed' on the Bar Rescue Updates page and here is the original update for Dale 1891/Cayman Cove.

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Bar Rescue - Thunderbird KSC Tavern (Thunderbolt) Update

July 14, 2019, 6:47 pm
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On this week's episode of Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer and crew are in Pleasant Valley, Missouri to rescue Thunderbolt Bar & Grill.  While Jon is there, he finds a filthy kitchen and the owner Don is acting like a frat boy in his own bar.  Don will need to change his ways if he wants Jon Taffer to rescue his bar and if he wants Thunderbolt to succeed.


During the Bar Rescue makeover, Jon Taffer decided to change the name of Thunderbolt Bar & Grill to Thunderbird KSC Tavern and the bar has kept the name. Let's take a look at some information, reviews, and updates for Thunderbird KSC Tavern since Bar Rescue came and made all of the changes to the bar (All reviews are post-Bar Rescue):


Positive Reviews:

  • "Great friendly staff. Prices were good and beer was cold. Had pizza and burgers. Try the home made mozzarella sticks, fantastic!"
  • "It's a cool place lots of room to play pole. And drinks r cheap"
  • "I miss mustang sallys to be honest, and mary the bartender she was great. But i like the change that was made as well, it's still a cool place to kick it"
  • "Renovations are good and bartenders are the best"


Negative Reviews:
None



Other News and Links:

  • The Bar Rescue makeover for Thunderbolt happened in April 2019.
  • Jenny McCarthy helped Jon Taffer to recon on this episode.
  • Here is the Thunderbird KSC Tavern Facebook page, which makes no mention of their upcoming Bar Rescue appearance, and their website.
    • Here is their menu that includes their specials. 
  • Here are the Facebook pages of Don (owner), Christina (bartender), Crystal (bartender), Amber (bartender)
  • Before Don bought Thunderbolt, it was called Mustang Sally's and that bar had some pretty good reviews on Google.  One review talked about the changes made by the new owner, which is below:
    • "Mustangs is now Thunderbolt bar and since new ownership they done went from homemade fries to frozen, went from good size burgers to little ones and tenderloins are also frozen...they always run out of alcohol and cant seem to keep it stalked...this is a ford employee bar and its gettin old already... the new owner is bout to lose alot of business due to all the changes for the worse. If it aint broke dont try to fix it...dont change a thing to save a dollar...quality is goin down fast...ive been goin there for 20+ years and aint ever seen a down hill slide like this. People are talkin...Listen to your people. Forget what you are doin and keep people happy."
  • In September 2018, The bar explained why it was named Thunderbolt, stating, "Wonder where the name “Thunderbolt” came from? The owner’s father, Donald Ray Gibson Sr, was a retired UAW Ford Employee and he was very proud of it too! He was a Ford man all the way and the 1964 Ford Thunderbolt was one of his dream cars. So, Thunderbolt’s Bar & Grill was named in honor of this hard working man, his dream car and his pride in being a UAW Ford Employee."
  • The Ford plant is directly across the street from Thunderbird KSC Tavern.
  • Chef Anthony Lamas shared the preview video of this episode and said it was one of the dirtiest kitchens he's ever been in. (Link)
  • The only reviews available for Thunderbird KSC Tavern were from Google, and it seems like some were friends/employees of the bar leaving good reviews, so take them with a grain of salt.

Conclusion:

Thunderbolt Bar & Grill was renamed to Thunderbird KSC Tavern by Bar Rescue and the bar has kept the name.  There weren't too many reviews of the bar as the Bar Rescue makeover was done just a few months ago, but the few reviews were positive.  With Thunderbird KSC Tavern being right across the street from Ford, it seems like for them to succeed, they will have to keep the Ford employees happy.


*To see how all of the bars from Bar Rescue are doing, go to the Bar Rescue Updates page, and also Like us on Facebook or Follow Us on Twitter to stay up to date with all things involving Bar Rescue.
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Bar Rescue - The Stampede Saloon (Whiskey Girl Saloon) Update

July 21, 2019, 5:36 am
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On this week's episode of Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer and crew are in Fort Worth, Texas to rescue Whiskey Girl Saloon. Whiskey Girl is co-owned by "big time bar-persona" Rick Roundhouse and Jon Taffer needs to convince him that he is the reason why the bar is failing.  The bar is supposedly losing $6,000 a month and they are only open two days a week and do not have a kitchen.


During the Bar Rescue makeover, Jon Taffer decided to change the name of Whiskey Girl Saloon to The Stampede Saloon and the bar has kept the name, however they have already closed. Let's take a look at some information, reviews, and updates for The Stampede Saloon since Bar Rescue came and made all of the changes to the bar (All reviews are post-Bar Rescue):



Reviews:

No reviews for The Stampede Saloon since the Bar Rescue makeover besides a few on Facebook.


Other News and Links:

  • The Bar Rescue makeover for Whiskey Girl Saloon happened in March 2019
  • Here is a 4-minute preview video of the episode from the Paramount YouTube page.
  • Here is The Stampede Saloon Facebook page.
  • Here are the Facebook pages of Rick Roundhouse (co-owner) and Fred (co-owner).
  • On July 2nd, The Stampede Saloon posted on their Facebook page, "Effective July 2, 2019 The Stampede Saloon has officially closed." (Link)
    • The closing seemed abrupt and someone from a band scheduled to perform at the bar was upset that they weren't notified.
  • Someone affiliated with The Stampede Saloon (Jeremy) said, "I really appreciate everyone’s concern on why this happened, and the personal texts and phone calls. This was a business decision made by the ownership, therefore that is where I’ll leave it, if you want to know more contact them please."  So, it seems the owners decided to shut the bar down.
  • The state of Texas has a database of gross bar receipts and The Stampede Saloon had the following amounts reported - March 2019 - $17,600, April - $16,512, May - $12,496.  So according to this, business decreased since the Bar Rescue makeover.


Conclusion:

Whiskey Girl Saloon was renamed to The Stampede Saloon by Bar Rescue and the bar did keep the name.  There were no reviews for the bar after the Bar Rescue visit and the bar closed in early July 2019, just a few months after the Bar Rescue makeover.  The Stampede Saloon closed just a few weeks before their Bar Rescue episode aired, so they didn't get a chance to see if that would cause any type of boost in sales.  According to the Texas gross bar receipts, sales decreased at The Stampede Saloon after Bar Rescue visited.



*To see how all of the bars from Bar Rescue are doing, go to the Bar Rescue Updates page, and also Like us on Facebook or Follow Us on Twitter to stay up to date with all things involving Bar Rescue.

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Bar Rescue - JB Taco (Harbor Point Club & Grill) Update

July 28, 2019, 10:56 am
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On this week's episode of Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer and crew are in Richardson, Texas to rescue Harbor Point Club and Grill. Harbor Point Club & Grill is co-owned by John Willis and Bert Novey who have no prior bar experience.  The owners are drinking in their bar and during recon, Bar Rescue pretends they are not making over the bar to see the reaction of John and Bert.  Jon Taffer sees they are genuinely upset and decides to go through with the makeover.


During the Bar Rescue makeover, Jon Taffer decided to change the name of Harbor Point Club & Grill to JB Taco.  The bar did not keep the name and currently goes by the name Rocket's Sports Bar & Grill.  Let's take a look at some information, reviews, and updates for JB Taco/Rocket's Sports Bar & Grill since Bar Rescue came and made all of the changes to the bar (All reviews are post-Bar Rescue):




Positive Reviews:

  • "Here with friends for karaoke night and having fun as always. But just have to give them 5 stars for the best Chef Salad I’ve ever had. Hands up to John (owner) for making sure it had everything but the kitchen sink in it!!!"
  • "Friendly people and great atmosphere"
  • "Jay Smith's karaoke night was AWESOME!! We had a great time!!"
  • "Under new ownership "rockets" Is a awesome place to stop in a grab a quick drink or bite to eat. The staff is friendly the food is scrumptious and they have plenty of great entertainment. From the best shuffle board tables I've seen to billards , darts, even unique games like chess they have it all. They lots of great music karaoke several nights a week and live music. 9 big screen TVs have all the sports on as well.Great fun environment."
  • "Since the new owners have taken over (thank God). The place has changed immensely. People are friendly, smiling and sociable. Karaoke with Jay rocks. The owners are always present making sure everything is great. It's a real fun place now."
  • "I visited this establishment on a random whim with 2 guy friends I had just met. Needless to say the staff was friendly, it wasn't hot and overcrowded like some club and grills can be. Drinks were amazing and you can play a great game of pool. Its a hidden gem. I would highly recommend this establishment."

Negative Reviews:


  • "We went after bar rescue came and it was supposed to be JB taco with the largest taco menu in Texas. They didn't have anything prepped to make any of the 51 tacos on the menu... So she gave us a menu with four choices including, cheeseburger, hot dog, grilled cheese, and chicken wings... With potato chips. We liked the old menu, but they hardly had anything prepped before either."
  • "This is a local dive bar in a strip mall with many loyal customers, billiards, and table shuffleboard. The bar was recently upgraded with a new menu that has 50 tacos on it. The tacos are okay but slow, and they did not keep the specialty cocktails created during the makeover. Despite the upgrades, the crowd is small on a Friday. The name is now JB Taco which is confusing because this is clearly still a bar and not really a restaurant. I probably won't return."


*Reviews from Google, plus a review from email


Other News and Links:

  • The Bar Rescue makeover for Harbor Point Club & Grill happened in late March 2019.
  • Here is a 6-minute preview video of the episode from the Paramount YouTube page.
  • Here is a Harbor Point Club & Grill website, which has a header that will make you dizzy.
  • Here are the Facebook pages of John (owner), Bert (owner)
  • The bar changed their name from JB Taco to Rocket's Sports Bar & Grill in May 2019, so about a month after the makeover.
  • Here is the Rocket's Sports Bar & Grill Facebook page.  Bert is listed as the page administrator and John is tagged in a lot of the posts.
  • Many of the reviews refer to new owners, so I called the bar and confirmed that John and Bert were still the owners. 
  • Rocket's Sports Bar & Grill seem to be pushing their karaoke night a lot on their Facebook page.
  • Here is Bert's LinkedIn page that lists him as the owner of Rocket's Sports Bar (also misspelled as Rockers).
  • Texas allows you to see bar receipts for bars.  Harbor Point had about $49,000 in April and $48,000 in May 2019.  Before Bar Rescue came, they had months in the $50k+ range such as $59,000 in December 2018, but May 2018 was $42,000. (Link - Use ID "N 1012560" as filter)


Conclusion:

During the Bar Rescue makeover Harbor Point Club & Grill was renamed to JB Taco.  The bar did not keep the name of JB Taco or the taco concept and currently goes by the name Rocket's Sports Bar & Grill.  Despite many reviews saying there is new ownership, it seems that Bert and John still own the bar.  Bert still runs the Facebook page for Rocket's and he is listed as the owner on his LinkedIn page.  The reviews for the bar have been somewhat positive with people complimenting the food, atmosphere and karaoke night. 



*To see how all of the bars from Bar Rescue are doing, go to the Bar Rescue Updates page, and also Like us on Facebook or Follow Us on Twitter to stay up to date with all things involving Bar Rescue.

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Fatballs (Bayou Bar & Grill) From Bar Rescue Has Closed

July 30, 2019, 11:44 am
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Fatballs in Jacksonville, Florida, which appeared on season 6 of Bar Rescue, has closed.   The bar last posted on Facebook in May 2019, and they confirmed that they closed in late May 2019.   Owner Tony Azer also confirmed Fatballs was closed on his personal Facebook page and it appears he is now involved with a sandwich shop.

Fatballs was renamed to Bayou Bar & Grill by Jon Taffer, but the bar changed back to Fatballs after the makeover.  At the time, owner Tony Azer said he changed the name back due to his licenses being in that name, decreasing sales with the new name, and customers thinking Fatballs closed due to the name change.


The Bar Rescue for Fatballs was done in January 2018 and the episode aired in July 2018.  Since the makeover, there weren't too many reviews and Fatballs had a few bad restaurant inspections.  If you are interested in the detailed update done for the episode, here is that post.  Fatballs is now marked as 'Closed' on the Bar Rescue Updates page.

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Bar Rescue - Butcher & Brew Pub (Drunken Donkey) Update

August 4, 2019, 6:23 am
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On this week's episode of Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer and crew are in Lewisville, Texas to rescue Drunken Donkey Bar & Grill. Drunken Donkey Bar & Grill is owned by two best friends who are on "the verge of losing their bar."  Co- owner Nick Vogiatzis is working while wearing sandals, the bar has 75 different kegs, and they are using four different managers to help run the bar.  The bar's menu is too large, and the kitchen is using a microwave to warm up food.

During the Bar Rescue makeover, Jon Taffer decided to change the name of Drunken Donkey Bar & Grill to Butcher & Brew Pub and the bar has kept the name. Let's take a look at some information, reviews, and updates for Butcher & Brew Pub since Bar Rescue came and made all of the changes to the bar (All reviews are post-Bar Rescue):



Positive Reviews:

  • "Friendly staff & great menu! Excellent range of items for that crave of just a cheeseburger to an elevated crave for the Lemon Herb Quail. Cocktails were sexy and love in every sip. We will be back for games and other events as this venue has a great concept for ALL."
  • "Hesitant when we drove up due to strip mall location. We were pleasantly surprised with options on draft and food. We shared a wedge salad and Cuban and both very good!"
  • "Great beer selection. Great service. Awesome bartenders. Very good food. Good sports and outdoor patio w/ pool, manga and tv's. What's not to love?"
  • "What a turnaround! The service was impeccable The appetizers and meal were wonderful. We were fit to be tied with seating and lackluster service at the Drunken Donkey and thought we would give this place a shot since the Bar Rescue revamp. Seriously impressed and glad we made the visit...Def Worth the stop. We will be back soon :-)"
  • "I've heard that this place has changed from the Drunken Donkey and was curious to check it out. I was immediately impressed with the ambiance of the new interior design. More of a casual speakeasy but with plenty of TVs to watch the latest game. Molly was fabulous as always and food was great. See ya next time....."
  • "This place changed their name and their vibe a little while back from a local bar to something with more of a cocktail bar vibe. I came when they first opened very surprised that they had brought the beer menu down and changed it all up because I loved the old place. Well I went on July 4th and was happy to see that some of the Old Drunken Donkey has made its way back. It seems like they had about 15 beers the first time I came and they’ve made it all the way back to 50. Made me real happy to hear the manager say they are aiming for the original 75. If you’re looking for a review telling you if you should give it another try. Do it. And this is coming from a guy who was super disappointed with the change."


Negative Reviews:

  • "Seems to be a pattern , very disappointing. I ordered a Reuben , I can honestly say it was awful . My husband ordered the appetizer ribs . He asked our server if the were beef or pork ? She said pork ( that's what the menu said too ) When served, they were beef and not good...It did have the vibe of a bar rescue, but poorly done . "
  • "This place was apparently on the show Bar Rescue and was previously the Drunken Donkey. From what I know of this show, they renovate the decor quickly and cheaply. The "wooden" walls and messy paint job didn't do this dark space any favors. There's nothing wrong with a dark bar but when it's trying to be a chic restaurant, it just doesn't work. Now, I ordered the wings and it was nothing to write home about...Lastly, the music consisted of outdated pop music and did not fit the overall vibe of the place. Most people probably wouldn't notice but it honestly annoyed me more than it should have. "
  • "Stay away. Went in today at noon and no one came to our table for 10-15 minutes. Food order took 45 minutes, only to have to ask for it go, and the order was wrong. They changed the name of the place - but still the worst service ever!!!"
  • "Not sure if they realize what they have done. I'm sure they wanted to make it better. Unfortunately, Missed the Mark. Went on a Friday, place should have been packed. As the donkey was always busy. Plenty of space in the peak hours. Not good. The food was good. Beer selection have decreased, okay. I think they really should have kept some of the better sellers. May have made some decisions that could hurt the biz. Sad, cause I enjoyed it the way it was."
  • "Food was overpriced and the portions were small. I miss the old menu. Inside is all black and the overhead rap music was not the ambiance I wanted. I use to love coming here.... bad makeover, lost another customer."
*Reviews from Yelp, Google

Other News and Links:

  • The Bar Rescue makeover for Drunken Donkey happened in March 2019.
  • Here is a 7-minute preview video of the episode from the Paramount YouTube page.
  • Here is the Butcher & Brew Pub website and Facebook page.
  • Their website is pretty well designed and the banner reads, "NEW HOME OF THE FORMER DRUNKEN DONKEY....NOMINATED BEST BAR RESCUE EPISODE 2019"
  • The Butcher & Brew is having a watch party for the episode tonight at the bar. The description says, "Come watch Butcher & Brew Pub Bar Rescue Episode with Nick on the other side of the ass chewing!!!!! All our friends, regulars, and most importantly past staff members, come join us this Sunday night 8/4 at 9pm for the Bar Rescue watch party, as we get to laugh it up as Nick gets his ass chewed by Jon Taffer! But in the end of it all, we got a awesome new concept out of it." (Link)
  • When Jon Taffer was doing the makeover, a lot of people were commenting that the place is always packed and they weren't sure it needed a makeover. (Link)
  • Here are the Facebook pages of Nick (owner), Chris (owner), Brittany (bartender)
  • According to Nick's Facebook page, he is also the owner of a BBQ catering company/restaurant and an excavation company.  He also lists himself as a franchise owner at Cruise Planner.  There is also another location of the Drunken Donkey in The Colony, Texas that he owns as well.
  • Nick said about the Bar Rescue experience, "And yes despite the ass whip and getting my balls kicked in it was truly a great experience."  He also said, "I almost walked off 3 times but I was in too deep! 😂 😆 😂 😆 Turned out nice though." (Link)
  • There was also a Drunken Donkey location in Keller, Texas, but this was closed before the makeover, sometime in 2018.
  • In April 2019, Butcher & Brew Pub was looking to hire a bartender and offering a $500 signing bonus. (Link)
  • In Texas, you can see the gross receipts for bars, and Butcher & Brew Pub had the following amounts after the makeover: April - $74,017, May - $83,123 June - $75,908.  All the months before the makeover has receipts well over $100,000, so I am not sure why there was a decrease.  April, May and June of 2018 were all around $130,000 for the bar. (Link, Link 2)
  • According to the gross receipts, The Colony, TX location of Drunken Donkey does well over $100k in sales per month. (Link)
  • Here is the Drunken Donkey website.


Conclusion:

Jon Taffer decided to change the name of Drunken Donkey Bar & Grill to Butcher & Brew Pub and the bar has kept the name.  The reviews for Butcher & Brew Pub have been mixed with people complimenting the food, beer selection and service.  Other people had some complaints about the food, service, and changes implemented by Bar Rescue.  It seems that the bar probably wasn't struggling or in need of a makeover as the owners own multiple bars and multiple businesses. Also, locals said that the bar was always packed and probably didn't need help.  Nick has said that he is happy with the Bar Rescue experience and likes the new concept.  According to the Texas gross receipts of Butcher & Brew Pub, the sales have decreased by a good margin since the Bar Rescue makeover.



*To see how all of the bars from Bar Rescue are doing, go to the Bar Rescue Updates page, and also Like us on Facebook or Follow Us on Twitter to stay up to date with all things involving Bar Rescue.

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