Bar Rescue bars? Anyone ever visit one?

Bar Rescue has done a few LV bars, has anyone ever visited one? I know the gay bar closed and I think I read The End closed or moved, but what about the others?

 

That's exactly what we are going to do in May. Stopping in at Bar 702, Hammer & Ales and The End. Garnett Lounge has closed. As has the gay bar. Bar 702 initially had the best VP in town but changed it relatively soon after the reopened. We thought it would be fun to check them out, I like Taffer.

 

When we were there in September, my buddy was watching the episode for the bar called The Hammer and determined that we had to go there. Bad decision. The place was still an absolute dump. Pulling up, we couldn't even see the sign on the building. The kitchen was already closed by 10pm, but they had a buffet setup that looked like it was out there for like 3 hours... not very appetizing. This was supposed to be a place that specializes in beers on tap and they were serving drinks in red solo cups. The band playing wasn't good at all and people from the crowd were going up and signing.... mind u it wasn't a karaoke night. It was definitely a locals bar where everyone there knew each other and we were definitely out of place. Absolute waste of cab fare.

 

I loved what he did to The End. I watched the Bar 702/Sanddollar episode yesterday. It looked like the vp machines got changed to 9/6 so that sucks they changed them back.

I love him too, last night's new episode was awesome.

I'm trying to remember The Hammer episode. I'm pretty sure I watched it last Sunday on what of our afternoon Spike marathons (if it can't be Cops, be Bar Rescue).

 

I've been to Bar 702. Went shortly after the episode aired. The creepy doctor was playing pool and the co-owner was our bartender. The specialty cocktails were nasty. They had a good choice of bottled beers, though. Husband hit 4OAK on machines. We came for live music. Saw a few local bands. It was a good time.

Also, went to the filming for Kerry's Sports Bar. We were invited back for the unveiling of Bacon Bar, but we had other plans. Service was atrocious during the stress test. We never got our bill despite requesting it 3x. The margaritas were disgusting. We couldn't choke them down if we tried. Food was average greasy bar food. We haven't been back to check out Bacon Bar. It was fun to see it being filmed. Taffer is even more animated in person than he comes off on TV.

 

That's awesome! I do love me some bacon so I'd be curious to try that place. As for Bar 702, I can't get past the bad face lift of the male co-owner. I don't know how I'd react in person.

 

I would like to go to them in their before state where the owners are partying with the guests and over pouring booze.

 

Anthony Curtis wrote a good article on what it was like being part of the in screen cast when he was the gambling consultant for the Bar 702 episode. He was also the one who reported a few weeks after it aired that they changed their VP pay schedules back.

 

Why do so many of these bars bite the dust after the Jon Taffer makeovers? He seems to do a good job for them. Do they just go back to their previous crappy ways afterwards?

What I find amazing is that these places are losing their asses, have no business to speak of, but then at the end of the show it'll say that "4 months later their business is up 20%"...20%? Crap business + 20% is still crap...I'd expect it to say "sales are up 200%" after the makeover...

 

Poor management can't be fixed overnight and many aren't capable of being the leaders that they need to be. Customers that frequented before the makeover feel alienated and it's not enough to keep new comers coming back or coming at all. Many quickly return to their old ways per Yelp reviews. Slapping lipstick on pig is no remedy.

I keep hoping for an episode where Taffer walks.

 

The End, was that the zombie apocalypse bar? Sucks they shut it down, thats probably the only one of the bunch I would have gone to.

Im a big fan of the show, but long as Taffer stays out of Double Down, Dino's, and Stage door, I'm fine. I like my dives extra dive-y.

 

Hammer and Ales is on Restaurant.com (though still listed as The Hammer), which you can find by following the link on the left side of this page.

 

I enjoy the show but sometimes I get sick of all the YELLING ! ! !

Did anyone here see the Pirate Bar in Bethesda, MD......he showed the lady owner she was in the mist of over 20,000 office workers that need a good quick lunch menu and he upscaled her place into a place business folks would frequent. She was broke and living with her husband and 16 year old in her mothers basement...the place looked really good and business spike but she turned back into a horrible pirate bar that served "grog" as their signature drink. It said she continues to live in her mother's basement.

I did consider visiting the Hammer bar in Vegas but when I Googled it for the address and then read several bad reviews they got even after the makeover I decided my time and money could be better spent elsewhere.....ya gotta love Yelp, TripAdviser, etc......if a place doesn't get at least 4 stars I move on....same thing with product reviews.

 

The Bar Rescue episode "Character's Assassination" is our local bar. Its just down the street from us.

They turned it into Moonrunner's ............ lets just say the episode was maybe 15 to 20% accurate of what it was/is like there. We are good friends with the owner and staff after being a regular there for years.

We were there every night of the filming ........... tomorrow when I have some time I'll post a day to day summary of what it was like.

Like I mentioned ............. 80% plus of it was manufactured drama.

 

You should really see the most recent episode.

 

I believe it only moved.

 

Yep... I thought it was the best episode ever!

 

The "O Face Bar" is over in Council Bluffs (where the casinos are for us Nebraskans) where Taffer walked. I've never been to the place, but frankly, it doesn't surprise me that he bailed. That area is a complete and utter waste, so finding less than sane "business owners" there isn't a shock.

 

That was one of my favorte episodes, I'm glad he walked out.

 

We haven't seen the most recent episode (we dvr everything and are always tons behind) but I'm often surprised at what people will sign waivers for to be shown on tv.....