Kingwood Neapolitan Kitchen & Bar (Nico's Bar & Grill) - Bar Rescue Update

In this week's episode of Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer and crew are in Kingwood, Texas to rescue Nico's Bar & Grill.  The owners have neglected both the bar and the staff over the years. While Jon is doing recon, he finds the owners hanging out at the bar and drinking.  If they want Jon to makeover their bar, they will have to stop drinking or he will leave.  The bar also doesn't have a cocktail menu and the tables are wobbly and sticky.

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

Positive Reviews:

• "I was thrilled that Nico's made all the changes and have a great menu. We have been there several times and enjoyed it. The staff is courteous and helpful. The beer is cold. We were there recently and again enjoyed the food. My only issue with Nico's is there apparent choice to air Fox "News" on two of their many TVs. A bar is a place for relaxation and enjoyment, not a place for politics."
• "The new decor looks great. Amazing staff and the food is great."
• "Very welcoming staff. Great atmosphere and amazing food. The Nachos are my favorite. And the XX is cold and good"
• "We love this spot for the great food, good drinks and the different activity nights like Singo Bingo and Karaoke! The staff is always friendly and the food quality is far above your average bar food. It’s so good to have a great local spot in Kingwood! Well done!"
• "Nachos were huge! Great service. 100% recommend for a bar food setting"
• "Went there now that it’s called Kingwood Neapolitan Kitchen because I wanted to try the “wood-fired pizzas” they advertise on the window. The staff were super friendly and accommodating for me with my 1-year old despite not having high chairs. The pizza was amazing and the waitress even offered to cut up the meatballs for my daughter. Definitely recommend!"

Negative Reviews:

• "First off, this place isn't named Nico's anymore. The place advertised outdoor seating and they do have it but it's not what you would expect. This is not a restaurant it's a neighborhood bar. This rating here must have been inflated artificially. The true rating should be 1.1 as it was awful in every sense of the word. Nothing good about this place."
• "We used to enjoy this place alot. The make over is really nice. Unfortunately the bartender working Saturday, July 6th was not at all friendly, never smiled and barely acknowledged us and acted very put out when we would ask her anything. We have experienced the same treatment from her when we had visited prior. This is a shame because the food is great. Definitely won't be going back if that person is working."
• "It's obvious the bartenders HATE it there. Girlfriend worked there recently so it's first-hand knowledge. The manager is employed there only because she gets to drink for FREE. The juke box doesn't work! Cooks Hate it as well and close kitchen before 6pm....been there for years from what I've heard"
• "First time there after the BIG makeover. Didn't see anything special. They serve food, but i haven't tried anything yet. The drinks were still strong, and the bathrooms did not get the makeover."
• "Very limited menu & very slow service. The A/C vents drip water on you so don't wear nice clothes."

*Reviews from Yelp, Google

Other News and Links:

• The Bar Rescue for Nico's Bar & Grill happened in the March 2024.
• Here is a preview video of the episode from the Bar Rescue YouTube page
• Here is the Kingwood Neapolitan Kitchen & Bar website and Facebook page. 
• Their Facebook page still says Nico's Bar & Grill and the advertisements for upcoming events mostly say Nico's Bar and Grill.  They do use Kingwood Neapolitan Kitchen & Bar in some advertisements and you can see from videos of bands that they still have all of the Kingwood signage inside the bar.  So, they definitely still use both names for the bar, but they have kept the changes done by Bar Rescue.
• Here are the Facebook pages of Greg (owner), Emmy (owner), George (chef), Stephanie (bartender)
• Here is a local message board with people discussing the makeover while it happened and what it looked like after it happened. 
• Here is also a thread on the same message board with people discussing Kingwood Neapolitan Kitchen & Bar after the makeover which has mixed reviews.
• Here are the reviews for Kingwood Neapolitan Kitchen & Bar from Yelp, and Google. 
• The bar takes the time to respond to their online reviews.
• Chef George no longer works at the bar and left on May 30th to launch a catering company. (Link)

Conclusion:

Jon Taffer decided to change the name of Nico's Bar & Grill to Kingwood Neapolitan Kitchen & Bar and the bar has kept all the signage, but uses the name interchangeably online and in advertisements. The reviews for Kingwood Neapolitan Kitchen & Bar are mixed with people liking the new decor and food, while there are some complaints about the bartenders and staff. Chef George is no longer at the bar.

*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.