Sunday, May 4, 2025

Smithton Station (CJ's Pub) - Bar Rescue Update

In this week's episode of Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer and crew are in Smithton, Illinois to rescue Smithton Station Bar.  The owners are married, and one is working two jobs to support them while the other is mismanaging the bar.  During recon, the bartenders are muddling drinks with a shot glass and going to a walk-in cooler to pour pre-made drinks.  The walk-in cooler is also filled with black mold. The kitchen is also disorganized and needs two cooks because there is a pizza making station in a separate part of the bar.


During the Bar Rescue makeover, Jon Taffer decided to change the name of CJ's Pub to Smithton Station Classic Kitchen & Cocktails, but the bar switched back to its original name and closed before the episode aired. Let's take a look at some information, reviews, and updates for Smithton Station since Bar Rescue came and made all of the changes to the bar (All reviews are post-Bar Rescue):