Gold Rush Saloon (Tumbleweed Grill) - Bar Rescue Update

In this week's episode of Bar Rescue, the show is in Apache Junction, Arizona to rescue Tumbleweed Grill.  Jon Taffer will not be there for this rescue and has appointed hospitality expert Dustin Drai to do this rescue. During recon, they find that the bartenders cannot make basic drinks such as an Old Fashioned and have to Google recipes.  The owners have no experience in operations, design, or service, so Dustin will have to teach them these skills in hopes of turning the bar around.

During the Bar Rescue makeover, the show decided to change the name of Tumbleweed Grill to Gold Rush Saloon and they quickly changed it back to Tumbleweed Grill. Let's take a look at some information, reviews, and updates for Gold Rush Saloon/Tumbleweed Grill since Bar Rescue came and made all of the changes to the bar (All reviews are post-Bar Rescue):

Positive Reviews:

• "Tumble into the Tumbleweed and you'll find fine food, friendly folks, and fun, all served up in a pleasant and lively atmosphere. A full bar, attentive service, a varied menu, and sports on the TVs all await. Tumble-weird burger, while overcooked as per the order, was tasty. Patty Melt was perfect. Tater Tots were delicious with a crispy exterior and soft interior. First-time visitor for lunch and will be back to try dinner."
• "Tried the Tumbleweed for breakfast this morning. I thought the remodel was very nice & liked the new booths. The staff was very friendly and we ordered right away. Our food came out timely and was good. We will definitely go back."
• "Fun place. Live music on a Thursday with audience stepping in. Good meal, good drinks. Bartender was waiting tables, stretched thin."

Negative Reviews:

• "Food below par. Service iffy. Had a server who would not give a detailed print out of costs. Came back twice with different total. That was it. No sense in telling a rude owner. We tried to support but we have 4 couples who also refuse to ever go back. Pity"
• "Who knows?! Hours online says they're open. Doors are locked, lights on. Apparently closed? Just looking for food. Guess I'll pop over to the Handlebar grill where all the cars are!"
• "Terrible food! They are not consistent. Service is absolutely horrible you may get your food but they never come back and prices are ridiculous. There are so many other places with quality food and cheaper!"
• "I stopped in to look at the menu today as I am gluten intolerant and have an employee party coming up at this place. Looking at the menu was no help and when I asked the server she said she had no idea if anything was gluten-free. I said I would probably have to skip the party she was rude and said "OK bye" not in a friendly manner at all. This place will not last long here."
• "Local sports/dive bar. My patty melt had a 1/4 pound pre formed patty with barely toasted rye. Asked for my Tator tots to be extra crispy, again disappointed. Service was average. Looks like floor hasn't been swept for a couple of days. Beer was cold."
• "One person serving, busing tables, working cash register. We came for breakfast but didn't want the buffet. Waited 30 minutes to be served. Eggs were hard and cold and probably from the buffet. The pancake was good. Waited 20 minutes on coffee refill after asking. Do NOT eat here unless you get the buffet."
• "I wanted to check out their new look. Bar Rescue should have done a better job! The "saloon" is only partially finished. Both outside bar area and back rooms need serious reorganization and decor to match front. The business does not have an inviting flow from one area to another. If I had not been told there were other rooms, I was left clueles. Signage would help. Back room is sparsely furnished and bland, not very welcoming. Service was sub-par,"
• "We understand that you are busy. A simple "I'll be right with you" is all that is needed. But to completely ignore customers is disrespectful and speaks volumes. We left. Your loss."

*Reviews from Yelp, Google

Other News and Links:

• The Bar Rescue for Tumbleweed Grill happened in October 2023.
• Here is a preview video of the episode from the Bar Rescue YouTube page
• Here is the Tumbleweed Grill/Gold Rush Saloon Facebook page and their website now has a expired domain.
• While their Facebook page has Tumbleweed Grill and Gold Rush Saloon in the title, all of their advertisements use Tumbleweed Grill, so they went back to their old name.
• In a Facebook post a few weeks after the makeover, they posted, "Our Tumbleweed sign originally went up one year ago today. Our name was changed when we recently received a surprise makeover but today our Tumbleweed sign is going back up. Seeing this pop up in my memories today confirms we are doing the right thing."
• Here are the reviews for Tumblweed Grill from Yelp and Google.
• Tumbleweed Grill/Gold Rush Saloon closed on April 19th, 2024, about six months after the Bar Rescue makeover and before the episode first aired in June 2024.  They posted the following message on their Facebook page, which said, "We are sad to announce that Tumbleweed Grill will be permanently closed as of Friday, April 19th, 2024. We want to thank our loyal staff for being part of this incredible journey with us. Thank you to all our loyal customers for the support and friendship over the past couple of years. It has been an honor to serve you and we will truly miss all of you."

Conclusion:

Bar Rescue decided to change the name of Tumbleweed Grill to Gold Rush Saloon, but the bar quickly changed their name back to Tumbleweed Grill and put up their original sign.  The reviews for Tumbleweed Grill were pretty negative with a lot of 1-star reviews and complaints about service.  Tumbleweed Grill ended up closing six months after the Bar Rescue makeover and before their episode first aired, so they were unable to take advantage of the publicity of being on the show.  Tumbleweed Grill/Gold Rush Saloon has been marked as 'Closed' on the Bar Rescue Updates page.

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