Bar Rescue - Island Lounge (Island Bar & Grill) Update

On this week's episode of Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer and crew are just outside of Chicago in Blue Island, Illinois to rescue Island Bar & Grill.  Island Bar & Grill is owned by Adam Shorter who has staffed the bar with his family members which is causing friction at the bar.  The bar was opened about four years ago and is supposedly losing $5,000 a month.  While doing recon (without Jon Taffer), it is discovered that the kitchen is dirty and the staff has a lack of professionalism.

During the Bar Rescue makeover, Jon Taffer decided to slightly change the name of Island Bar & Grill to Island Lounge.  The bar seems to use the names interchangeably.  Let's take a look at some information, reviews, and updates for Island Lounge since Bar Rescue came and made all of the changes to the bar (All reviews are post-Bar Rescue):

Bar Rescue - Britestar Tavern Update

On this week's episode of Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer and crew are in Glendora, California to rescue Britestar Tavern.  Britestar Tavern is a beer only bar owned by Jim Reed who is an absentee owner.  The bar has been losing money and Jon Taffer sees one of the problems is the bar's tap system which wastes a lot of beer.  During recon, they also see a disorganized open mic night and a gross, chunky Bloody Mary mix.

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

Bar Rescue - The Dickson (The Wanted Saloon) Update

On this week's episode of Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer and crew are in Dickson, Tennessee to rescue The Wanted Saloon.  The Wanted Saloon is owned by JD, who is an aspiring musician, and his wife Ashley.  The bar is barely breaking even and some months they are losing money.  Jon Taffer discovers that the bar is hard to find and only serves beer.  He also thinks JD's lack of effort at the bar is causing issues with both the business and his marriage.


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

Bar Rescue - Bayou Bar & Grill (Fatballs) Update

On this week's episode of Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer and crew are in Jacksonville, Florida to rescue Fatballs. Fatballs is a sport bar with a bad reputation and an even worse name.  While doing recon, there are barely any customers and Jon Taffer still has to wait forever to get some food and drinks.  Even with the long wait, the food and drinks are not up to standards.

During the Bar Rescue makeover, Jon Taffer decided to change the name of Fatballs to Bayou Bar & Grill, but the bar has changed the name back to Fatballs.  Let's take a look at some information, reviews, and updates for Fatballs/Bayou Bar & Grill since Bar Rescue came and made all of the changes to the bar (All reviews are post-Bar Rescue):

Bar Rescue - Puerto Rico El K'rajo Beach Bar Update

On this week's episode of Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer and crew are in Puerto Rico for a special episode where they help El K'rajo Beach Bar rebuild after Hurricane Maria.  Janet and Victor are the owners of the bar and after the hurricane hit, they found their bar without a roof and filled with six feet of sand.  Jon has plenty of help with celebrities such as Bethenny Frankel, Mark Cuban, Jose Barrea, Luis Guzmán, Chef Jose Enrique, and Bernie Williams. 

Besides rebuilding the bar, everyone helps rebuild the local community center in Loiza, Puerto Rico, including the basketball courts and baseball field.  As this is a special episode, this will not be a normal Bar Rescue update, but I will provide info about El K'rajo Beach Bar and other related links.

Paladino's (Theory) From Bar Rescue Has Closed

Paladino's in Tarzana, California which appeared on Bar Rescue in March of 2018 has closed.  The bar was renamed to Theory A Vintage Parlor Bar during the Bar Rescue makeover and Paladino's ended up using the names interchangeably.  Paladino's closed at the beginning of July 2018 and their website now says, "PALADINOS IS NOW CLOSED
Decades of great memories shows and friendships. Thank you to one and all. Stay tuned for what the future will bring."

Paladino's also had a couple live Facebook feeds from their final night on their Facebook page and  answered some questions from customers.  They said they did music on weekends under the name Paladino's and used the name Theory during the week.  They also said that the bar was sold and the new owner will be doing upgrades and changing the name, so it is the end of an era.

Paladino's (Theory) has been marked as 'Closed' on the Bar Rescue Updates Page.  If you are interested in the original update for Paladino's, here it is. 

Bar Rescue - Sydney an Australian Beach Club (Blue Water Daiquiri and Oyster Bar) Update

Photo - Facebook

On this week's episode of Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer and crew are in Jacksonville Beach, Florida to rescue Blue Water Daiquiri and Oyster Bar. Blue Water Daiquiri and Oyster Bar is owned by a Chinese immigrant who must battle his emotional manager to save his dream beach bar.  Jon Taffer gets Lil Jon to help out during recon and they find that some of the daiquiri machines don't work at the bar.

During the Bar Rescue makeover, Jon Taffer decided change the name of Blue Water Daiquiri and Oyster Bar to Sydney an Australian Beach Club and the bar has kept the name.  Let's take a look at some information, reviews, and updates for Sydney an Australian Beach Club since Bar Rescue came and made all of the changes to the bar (All reviews are post-Bar Rescue):

Bar Rescue - The Airliner Update

On this week's episode of Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer and crew are in Los Angeles, California to rescue The Airliner.  The Airliner is a Los Angeles dive bar and music venue owned by Luiz Quiroz.  The band American Authors are on hand to help Jon Taffer do recon and they discover the food is inedible.  The owner Luiz has lost his passion for running the bar and Jon will need to reignite his passion to turn the bar around.

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

Bar Rescue - Phish Tales (Phish Heads) Update

On this week's episode of Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer and crew are in Lake City, Florida to rescue Phish Heads.  Phish Heads is a bar owned by couple Toni and Philip Crenshaw who are supposedly $250,000 in debt.  Their "stubborn, lazy" son James has been working at the bar for 9 years and doesn't think he can run it by himself.


During the Bar Rescue makeover, Jon Taffer decided to slightly rename Phish Heads to Phish Tales and the bar has kept the name. Let's take a look at some information, reviews, and updates for Phish Tales since Bar Rescue came and made all of the changes to the bar (All reviews are post-Bar Rescue):

Bar Rescue - No Name Saloon Update

On this week's episode of Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer and crew are in Edgewater, Florida to rescue No Name Saloon. No Name Saloon is a family owned biker bar and the father is struggling to hand over control of the bar to his daughter.  The customers at the bar are unruly and do not have any respect for the employees of the bar.  No Name Saloon also doesn't have a drink menu and the portion sizes of their food are way too big.  The bar is supposedly losing $7,000 a month and the owner Jim Kelly is supposedly $800,000 in debt.

During the Bar Rescue makeover, Jon Taffer decided to keep the name of No Name Saloon. Let's take a look at some information, reviews, and updates for No Name Saloon since Bar Rescue came and made all of the changes to the bar (All reviews are post-Bar Rescue):

Bar Rescue - The Valley Saloon (Barley Pop's) Update

On this week's episode of Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer and crew are in Las Vegas, Nevada to rescue The Barley Pop's Bar & Grill.  Barley Pop's is a Las Vegas dive bar owned by Christopher Woodbury which has a dirty kitchen with old grease in its fryer.  Chris has a drinking problem which is fueled by the loss of his stepson to cancer and his wife to suicide.  Jon Taffer has to help Chris find his way and get him to focus on making his bar successful.

During the Bar Rescue makeover, Jon Taffer decided to change the name of Barley Pop's Bar & Grill to The Valley Saloon and they have kept their name.  Let's take a look at some information, reviews, and updates for The Valley Saloon since Bar Rescue came and made all of the changes to the bar (All reviews are post-Bar Rescue):

Bar Rescue - The Cave Sports Bar Update

On this week's episode of Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer and crew are in Anaheim, California to rescue The Cave Sports Bar.  The Cave Sports Bar's owner is about $200,000 in debt and her son Jaime isn't helping things out.  He is the bar's manager and has hurt the business by not doing his job correctly such as not training staff.  The bartenders at the bar have a tendency to over serve customers and also themselves.

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

Blue Frog's Local 22 From Bar Rescue Has Closed

Blue Frog's Local 22 in Chicago, Illinois which appeared on the first season of Bar Rescue has closed.  Last night was their last night in business as the owners plan to retire.  The bar posted the following message on Facebook, "After 8 wonderful and crazy years, we’re retiring. Join us for a week of specials and an opportunity to purchase the amazing memorabilia of the bar! Our last day is Friday, May 11!"

Blue Frog's Local 22 also posted a photo that said, "Come see us before we close. After 30 years of slinging burgers & beers, Mimi is retiring!"

The Yelp reviews of Blue Frog's Local 22 were pretty positive averaging a 4 out of five stars, but it seems like the most recent ones were more negative.

In May of 2015, Blue Frog's Local 22 complained about scaffolding in front of their bar that prevented them from opening their patio and caused them to lose money.  They said they were in danger of closing and filed a lawsuit, which you can read here.  The scaffolding came down around July of 2015 and they remained open until now.

Blue Frog's Local 22 has been marked as 'Closed' on the Bar Rescue Updates Page.

Bar Rescue - The Copper Rocket Pub Update

On this week's episode of Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer and crew are in Maitland, Florida to rescue The Copper Rocket Pub. The Copper Rocket Pub is owned by Selman Markovic who doesn't take the blame for his bar's failure and instead blames his employees.  Also, there is food on the menu that is no longer available and the food that they do serve leaves a lot to be desired.

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

Bar Rescue - Cap N Odies Lounge Update

On this week's episode of Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer and crew are in Atlantic Beach, Florida to rescue Cap N Odies Lounge.  Cap N Odies is run by the daughter of the original owner.  She is trying to find a way to keep his bar afloat to save his legacy.  The bartenders have trouble making basic drinks and  the ice machine is filthy which results in dirty drinks for the customers.

During the Bar Rescue makeover, Jon Taffer slightly changed the name of Cap N Odies Lounge to just Cap N Odies. Let's take a look at some information, reviews, and updates for Cap N Odies since Bar Rescue came and made all of the changes to the bar (All reviews are post-Bar Rescue):

Bar Rescue - Chilleen's on 17 (Kid Chilleen's) Update

Kid Chilleen's appeared on Bar Rescue in April of 2013 and was renamed to Chilleen's on 17 during the episode and the bar has kept the name.  This episode was most known for having a horse walk into the bar and the bar remains open and successful.  Lets take a look at some reviews and news that relate to Chilleen's on 17.

• Here is the Chilleen's on 17 Facebook Page and website which boasts "As seen on Bar Rescue."
• The "our story" section on the website says they are out of bankruptcy and sales are up 43%.
• The website also said a horse has not walked into the bar since the episode aired.
• Donna said she stopped drinking in the bar since Jon Taffer left and that she lost 20 pounds. (Link)
• Chilleen's on 17 appeared on a Back to the Bar episode of Bar Rescue and Jon Taffer declared the makeover a complete success. (Link)
• There are over 200 Yelp reviews of Chilleen's on 17 with a 3.5 out of 5 star average.  The reviews have been mixed lately.  (Link)

Bar Rescue - Club Platinum Gentlemen's Club Update

On this week's episode of Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer and crew are in Las Vegas, Nevada to rescue Club Platinum.  Club Platinum is a Gentlemen's with topless dancers that are more worried about staring at their phones than paying attention to the customers.  The owner Rita also argues with and chastises her employees in front of customers.

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

Breakwall Bar & Grill (Kilkenny's Irish Pub) Is Closed

Kilkenny's Irish Pub in Redondo Beach, California appeared on season 1 of Bar Rescue in July of 2011. During the Bar Rescue makeover, Jon Taffer and team renamed the bar to Breakwall Bar & Grill and the bar kept the name. 

Breakwall Bar & Grill didn't last too much longer after the Bar Rescue episode aired as they surrendered their liquor license in January 2012 and closed.   

Owner Allie Speed told the local paper, "Breakwall, like many businesses, closed its doors in early January because it was impossible to keep it open. Sadly, we had no choice. We truly thank our patrons, employees and the Redondo Beach community for their support over the past six years."

In that article there are also tons of comments from locals who blame Carlos for the closure and have some not so nice things to say about him.  

Breakwall Bar & Grill is marked as 'Closed' on the Bar Rescue Updates Page.

Weber's Rum Bar & Grill (Weber's Place) is Closed

Photo - Facebook

Weber's Place in Reseda, California appeared on Bar Rescue in September of 2012.  During the Bar Rescue makeover, Jon Taffer and team slightly renamed the bar to Weber's Rum Bar & Grill.  The owners decided to rename the bar to Weber's Sports Bar and Grill after Jon Taffer left.  Weber's also brought back live music after Bar Rescue left..

The reviews for Weber's Sports Bar and Grill were pretty negative after Bar Rescue left and some of the reviews are below:

• "Sigh.....this place has tremendous potential. It has everything it needs to be successful: a stage and sound system for local talent, a large bar, plenty of crowd space, plenty of parking space, and name recognition. Unfortunately, gross mismanagement and downright apathy on behalf of the owners are its demise."
• "Anything upgraded from their episode in Bar Rescue has vanished. It's a dirty little punk dive and not the good kind. The bartenders didn't even know how to make a hurricane."
• "Weber's inability to serve most of their menu and the gross discourtesy shown to the headlining band (and others bands) is the cause for the poor rating."
• "MR. OWNER! Read these reviews about your poor customer service and hire some servers who know what they are doing! If you don't, you'll lose a really great opportunity to make money. These poor customer service reviews are killing you!"
• "I wanted to check out this place after I saw it on Bar Rescue and I can see why it was on there!!!!! We walked in and it had a great look but HORRIBLE SERVICE!!!! "

*Reviews from Yelp

Weber's Sports Bar and Grill closed in the middle of 2013, so not too long after they appeared on Bar Rescue. Their Facebook Page is still up, but they obviously have not posted since they closed.  The Bar Rescue Updates Page has Weber's listed as 'Closed'.

Bar Rescue - The Iron Horse (Joe's Thirsty Lizard) Update

On this week's episode of Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer and crew are in Horn Lake, Mississippi to rescue Joe's Thirsty Lizard.  Joe's Thirsty Lizard is a dive bar owned by a Navy veteran Joe Scott who has put his unqualified friend in charge of managing the bar.  The cook at the bar doesn't care about anything and is caught taking showers at the bar.  Joe's Thirsty Lizard is dirty and in need of repairs and Joe is losing about $4,000 to $6,000 a month.

During the Bar Rescue makeover, Jon Taffer changed the name of Joe's Thirsty Lizard to The Iron Horse and the bar has kept the name. Let's take a look at some information, reviews, and updates for The Iron Horse since Bar Rescue came and made all of the changes to the bar (All reviews are post-Bar Rescue):