Bar Rescue: 15 Most Dramatic Episodes

The best Bar Rescue episodes provide the greatest challenges to television personality and entrepreneur Jon Taffer and his staff, who are tasked with figuring out how to turn around failing establishments. Largely known as the creator of NFL Sunday Ticket, Jon Taffer also appears in Face the Truth alongside Vivica A. Fox, and is a veteran consultant in the food and beverage industry. As a business consultant, one of Jon’s specialties is tackling troublesome bars, nightclubs, pubs, and other similar places.

Long-time viewers of the show may remember the O’Face Bar or the End Zone Bar Rescue episode for their dramatic owners and how Jon gave these places a new lease on life. There’s also the Royal Oaks Bar Rescue episode and the obnoxious proprietors of that bar, and the horrible surprise that Headhunters had for Jon and his staff. From terrible owners to rowdy patrons, the best Bar Rescue episodes have left both viewers and Jon dumbfounded and at a loss for words.

15 All Twerk And No Pay Makes Taffer Shut It Down (S5 E16)

Jon Taffer and his team head to Kenner, Louisiana to save the Speakeasy Bar & Grill, run by Keith Bellaci and his wife Amanda. Amanda chooses to twerk at the bar rather than manage it, which could be seen as entertaining but something fake in Bar Rescue. In debt for $250,000 and losing over $5,000 a month, things get dramatic when Jon sends his staff in to do recon. Instead of serving them, the owners buy shots for the staff and twerk around the bar. When Jon confronts the pair about the unsanitary condition of their kitchen and the overall state of their business, Amanda cries and hyperventilates, making it one of the most dramatic Bar Rescue episodes.

14 Put It On Cody’s Tab (S6 E1)

Heading to Arlington, Texas to save GameTime Sports Grill, which was taken over in 2008 by Teresa and Brian, who then placed their failing business in their son’s name. Things are chaotic between the couple and their son, with the father’s behavior becoming increasingly erratic, but that’s what makes it one of the best Bar Rescue episodes. The most dramatic moment happens when Jon confronts the husband after he shoves his wife and tells him he has to leave. This only leads to more yelling, cursing, and shoving on the husband’s end until he’s forbidden to reenter the bar for the night by his son.

13 Thugs With Mugs (S4 E2)

In Yonkers, New York, Jon and his crew look to save Undisputed Sports Bar and Grill, which opened in 2009 and is owned by former boxers Miguel Torres and Brian O’Shea. With the bar losing around $3,500 a month and in debt for about $120,000 – plus the lack of employee morale and safety – it doesn’t seem like things could get worse for the two men. However, after Jon confronts the two men about selling cheap liquor in premium brand bottles, a brawl breaks out that puts the entire crew in immediate danger, making this one of the most dramatic Bar Rescue episodes.

12 Muscle Madness (S3 E38)

Jon and his crew head to Houston, Texas to save The End Zone Sports Bar and Grill owned by Justin Whitfield and his friend, Shawn Machado. With the bar in debt for $200,000, Jon Taffer looks to see where the bar and its owners are going wrong. What makes this one of the most dramatic and best Bar Rescue episodes is when the two owners get into a screaming argument, and the two must be held back from each other by the other staff and their wives. Although half the staff walked out after this, Jon was able to bring the owners together for the sake of their bar and its success.

11 Struck Out At The Dugout (S5 E15)

Jon Taffer and crew take their services to the Windy City of Chicago, Illinois for Bar Rescue’s The Dugout episode. The staff of the bar seemed to be thriving and succeeding with the help of Jon – but Ed Cressy, the owner, seemed to be determined to be a hindrance. In the last minutes of the show, things took a weird turn. Before Jon could show the employees the new improvements, Cressy shows up heavily inebriated, leading to Jon walking off and Cressy’s entire staff quitting. Bar Rescue’s The Dugout episode is decidedly one of the best Bar Rescue episodes for Jon’s patience in handling one of the worst-ever owners he’s tried to help.

10 Empty Pockets (S3 E5)

At Denver, Colorado Jon tries to save the ZanZBar owned by Ami Benari. The bar was opened in 2009 as a billiards bar but has been on the decline since 2011 because of bad service and cheap drink specials, leading to Ami begging people to come into the bar and ruling his staff with an iron fist. The episode takes a turn when Jon begins to tell Ami about the mistakes he and his staff are making that are costing him money. When this doesn’t sit right with him, Ami heads to the kitchen to throw plates at the wall, throwing a temper tantrum that only worsened their budget concerns.

9 Punch-Drunk & Trailer Trashed (S3 E31)

The O’Face Bar Rescue episode will forever be remembered as one of the craziest. Opened in 2011 in Council Bluffs, Iowa, the O’Face Bar is not only run with questionable morals and ethics, but the bar’s staff is all about partying along with their employers. While on recon, Jon Taffer and his crew witness one of the craziest fights between the manager of the bar and an employee, which happens in the very opening of the O’Face Bar Rescue episode. In the end, Jon decided against rescuing O’Face, making it one of the most memorable and best Bar Rescue episodes.

8 Rock ‘N’ Roaches (S3 E2)

Jon Taffer has taken on some pretty nasty bars over the years, but nothing comes close to the Headhunters bar in Austin, Texas. The reason why it’s one of the most dramatic and best Bar Rescue episodes is the fact that Headhunters was riddled with roaches and fecal matter, a health hazard to customers, employees, the owners, and Jon and his crew. Jon Taffer should’ve walked out of this bar. Despite the insect infestation, the owner Steve couldn’t care less and finds every excuse in the book to justify the uncleanliness – and the fact he doesn’t pay his employees. Jon chooses to stick it out and remodels the bar and trains the staff.

7 Grow Some Meatballs! (S3 E35)

Jon Taffer helps out the family-run bar and staff of The Tailgate Sports Bar in Santa Clarita, California. With a feuding family, this is one of the most dramatic Bar Rescue episodes, with the establishment being in a rapid state of decline and in desperate need of Jon’s help. Unfortunately, the stress test proved to be too much for the team. After a mistake on one of the employee’s end, a grease fire breaks out in the kitchen that leads to the stress test being shut down, making it one of the most dangerous and worst Bar Rescue episodes.

6 The Mother Of All Failures (S7 E16)

Jon and his team head to Phoenix, Arizona to rescue The Armadillo Grill. The bar has a debt of $450,000, with the owner Brenda borrowing money from her father and children just to keep the place afloat. Apart from the nearly half-a-million dollars this business owes, Brenda’s attitude of ignoring mistakes throughout the bar’s over 20-year history makes this one of the best Bar Rescue episodes in terms of the sheer challenge that awaited Jon. He not only has to train the bar’s staff but also the bar’s oblivious owner, before the doors close for good.

5 Blowing Royal Smoke (S4 E34)

The historic Royal Oaks may be the oldest bar and barbecue restaurant in Youngstown, Ohio, but the feuding brothers who own it are threatening to drive customers away and destroy the establishment’s legacy. This is undoubtedly one of the best Bar Rescue episodes for showcasing Jon Taffer’s ability to handle even the most dysfunctional proprietors. It also becomes one of the most dramatic Bar Rescue episodes when insults are thrown across the room in front of customers, while one of the owners laughs behind the bar.

4 Critters And Quitters (S3, E32)

At KC’s Bar and Grill in Shawnee, Texas, Jon faced a different opponent in one of the most dramatic Bar Rescue episodes. Typically, the bars and nightclubs Jon Taffer rescues are under questionable management, and KC’s is no different. However, it’s also in this bar where not only was a pool table being used for a buffet, but a raccoon actually runs across the bar and even relieves itself on the floor. It’s also interesting how Jon decides to turn the place into a speakeasy to turn its weaknesses into a strength – after taking care of the critter problem, of course.

3 Yo-Ho-Ho And A Bottle Of Dumb (S1, E1)

This is one of the best Bar Rescue episodes for how it pits Jon Taffer and his wife Nicole against a band of scurvy pirates. At the Piratz Tavern in Silver Spring, Maryland, the customers themselves complain about the horribly tacky decor, and the pirate theme seems to have extended to the staff and management’s attitude. One of the employees actually quit during the episode because he didn’t want to keep talking like a pirate. This establishment kept its childish theme intact and rejected Jon’s changes, making it a rare bar Jon Taffer walked out on.

2 Owner On The Run (S6, E28)

In Tucson, Arizona, two brothers own and operate The Original Hideout – but only one of them is in debt for $300,000. As usual, Jon Taffer pulls no punches in terms of treating owners and staff the way they treat the establishment. What makes this one of the most dramatic Bar Rescue episodes, however, is how one of the owners simply runs away during filming due to the sheer stress of what was going on. This is definitely one of the best Bar Rescue episodes in terms of showing the raw emotions behind indebted proprietors who’ve clearly bitten off much more than they could chew.

1 Don’t Mess With Taffer’s Wife (S3, E11)

What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas – unless it was filmed during one of the best Bar Rescue episodes. The Sand Dollar bar in Las Vegas was once a well-known spot for listening to blues and rock in the city, Jon Taffer set off to put it back on the right path. However, after one of the owners hits on Nicole, Jon’s wife, even Jon can scarcely control his reaction, resulting in one of the most dramatic Bar Rescue episodes. What makes this episode even more dramatic is that it’s not streaming on Paramount alongside the others because of a related lawsuit.