Bar Rescue - The Bungalow Bar Update

On tonight's episode of Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer and crew are headed to Rockaway Beach, NY to rescue The Bungalow Bar.  This is a special Hurricane Sandy episode where they help with the rebuilding of a bar that was damaged during the storm.  As this is more of a renovation type show than the typical rescue, there will be no name change to the bar.

Let's take a look at some reviews and updates of The Bungalow Bar since Bar Rescue came and made all of the changes to the bar (all reviews are post Bar Rescue makeover):


Positive Reviews:

• "Wow.  This place has an incredible view.  The bar area is nice with plenty of standing room and doesn't seem over-crowded...Def worth the trip for the view itself."
• "Oh my Gawd! I absolutely Adored It! Great Place to Chill and enjoy summers sunsets. Ambiance is fun and friendly Seafood good too"
• "I love Bungalow bar it became a family favorite and fell in love with staff who are amazing and have to say there food is so fresh and delish"
• "Bungalow Bar & Restaurant has a great atmosphere. It's a nice place to go in the summer for dinner/drinks with outdoor seating, overlooking the bay."
• "Been here before for drinks, but finally got a chance to eat here a few days ago. I had the fried fish sandwich which knocked my socks off. The slaw on top was DELICIOUS. I just ordered the food at the bar, but was happy with service I received.  I will be coming back to eat soon! Yummy!"
• "If you keep an open mind, this might just turn out to be one of the most fun nights you've had in awhile. This was my first time to the Rockaways and everything about the trip surpassed my expectations in a good way."

Negative Reviews:

• "We walked in, received a friendly greeting from the hostess, and then sat down at the bar. We walked out (beerless) after about 20 minutes of waiting for the bartender to acknowledge us, let alone ask our order. I don't mind waiting a bit if it's a busy night, but the bartender was super quick to fill orders for everybody else at the bar, just not us"
• "2 Stars for the lack of attentiveness from our waitress which made the experience a little less than desirable." 

Reviews from Yelp, Foursquare

Other News:

• Back in January, while trying to restore their bar, The Bungalow Bar had $10,000 worth of equipment stolen from the bar. (Link)
• The Bungalow Bar keeps an up to date Facebook page and Twitter page.
• Here is a video of the damage of Bungalow Bar and the beginning of the rebuilding at the bar:
• A documentary was made about the Bungalow Bar after Hurricane Sandy, but you need a password to view it.  
• Jon brought the owner of Spirits on Bourbon to come along for this makeover.  Spirits on Bourbon is in New Orleans and is one of the most successful Bar Rescue's to date.
• Here is an interview with Jon Taffer and Terence Tubridy on WSJ Live.

Conclusion:

This Bar Rescue episode is a little different than most as it is helping out bar owners that are in need of renovations due to Hurricane Sandy.  The usual Bar Rescue episodes deal with incompetent owners that are struggling for various reasons.

The reviews for The Bungalow Bar since Bar Rescue are pretty much all positive, and most give 5 out of 5 stars.  People like the food, the view and the vibe of the bar, while there were a few complaints about bar service.  The Bungalow Bar was able to open in time for Memorial Day, which is the unofficial start of summer in resort towns.  They should have no problems succeeding if the hurricanes stay away.


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