In my most favorite episode of Bar Rescue ever, Jon heads to Houston, Texas, to help a good man in a bad place. Robbie Curry isn’t your typically disengaged, drunken, ignorant bar owner. After spending two decades in the hospitality industry, Robbie moved to Houston to help care for his lifelong best friend, Alan, who is battling brain cancer. The emotional toll has left Robbie depleted and disengaged from his business. Coaches Pub—a once-thriving establishment—began to crumble under his lack of leadership, and Robbie didn’t seem to have the gumption to override long-term customers and employees resistant to change. Cleanliness and consistency fell by the wayside, nothing improved, and the bar’s $240,000 debt grew larger with each passing day, weighing on Robbie, too.

Robbie’s character shines through when he explains to Jon why he moved to Houston: “Alan and I met in 1996. We were always there for each other. We understand each other. We’ve been there when our families didn’t support us being gay men, and so we’ve supported each other through everything.” Alan’s illness is devastating, and Robbie admits, “I put on the face every day, but inside, I shut down.”

This heartbreak sets the stage for an attempted rescue that is about more than just dollars and cents—it is about rescuing a good-hearted man and rebuilding hope. Jon occasionally gets to do this type of rescue (see, for example, “S1E2: Downey’s and Out” or “S8E13: Penalty on the Bar”), and I enjoy getting to see Jon’s compassionate side inspire owners for whom emotional loss has taken its toll. It’s not as exciting as other kinds of rescues, but it’s just as satisfying.

Jon’s initial evaluation of Coaches Pub reveals problems beyond the financial. The bar is dirty, drinks are inconsistent, and food quality is abysmal. Robbie looks like all he can manage is going through the motions. During recon, we are introduced to a Bar Rescue first, sludge that one of the staff identifies as “bar poop.” And, of course, there are fruit flies and roaches. We see that Franscisco the cook bangs the flour off the food at the dredging station by hitting the colander against a residential door where the paint chips fall into the food. Somehow, this seems like a visual metaphor for the entire operation.

Local DJs, Lo and Riggs, are in for a treat as Jon’s recon specialists. Why they agreed to do this is beyond me. Did they draw the short straws? I mean, I’d have to be guaranteed a meet and greet with Jon in order to volunteer to do recon on the kinds of places he is visiting because a free meal and some drinks that I won’t be able to stomach isn’t worth a few minutes of TV fame, even on a Bar Rescue episode that may be broadcast around the globe in perpetuity. I think these are the unsung heroes of the “wars” Jon’s been through on Bar Rescue. You can see how appalled the customers are in the clip below, but how they can be surprised when they know they are sitting in a potential Bar Rescue bar is baffling. Caveat emptor.

The steak is so fatty that it takes eight cuts to get through it, and Riggs has to spit it out because he can’t chew it. A closer inspection of the kitchen from the van shows just how disgusting it is, but then the magic moment hits—that point where Jon just can’t take it anymore and it’s clear that he’s put his recon people in danger of getting sick. Want to guess what throws Jon off his rocker in this episode? Rat droppings in the kitchen, like up on the counter, not hidden away in a corner somewhere. Mmm. Mmm.

Jon goes in and greets Robbie with a smile and a handshake, which is tell #2 that you are fucked. (Jon doing recon himself is tell #1, in case you are wondering.) “I hear you were regional manager for a chicken wing restaurant chain? How many years?”

Robbie tells him “Twenty.”

Jon continues, and I can tell (#3) it’s just a bait and switch routine because Jon already knows the answers to these questions, “So, as a regional manager, then, you would do inspections?” Robbie answers in the affirmative.

“So you would check cleanliness standards? Training? Consistency? All that kind of stuff?”

Again, Robbie answers in the affirmative.

Jon’s smile fades. “Come over here with me.” I feel like I’m watching a horror movie, and I want to scream at the screen, “Don’t do it, Robbie! Don’t go in the kitchen with Jon! Noooo!” But Robbie follows Jon into the kitchen.

In the kitchen, Jon proceeds to narrate what he sees, “That’s rat droppings. Cockroaches walking all over the floor. Let’s keep going. We’re on a roll here. How about the stuff next to the garbage pail? Do you want to eat that? You know health codes. Is this legal?” Then Jon starts looking at the sauce bottles and throwing them on the floor one by one, repeatedly yelling, “How about this one? Not good.” Jon demonstrates how the cook shakes off the flour against the door. “Where do you think that paint went, Robbie? Right into the flour.” Jon called it “material contamination” earlier.

Jon takes Robbie to the bar next. I’ve seen enough Bar Rescue episodes to know that if Jon “might” be coming to my bar, I’m going to at least clean the soda gun nozzle. Jon zeroes in on it and asks them when was the last time it was cleaned. “It’s been a minute” is the reply, which Jon doesn’t find amusing. He then proceeds to tell us what he sees—cockroach legs, feces. Yum. Jon stops everyone from drinking and tells them that nobody should eat anything in there. Yep, that’s why I wouldn’t want to do recon. Check out the look on Lo’s face in the clip above. She must have never watched Bar Rescue.

Then Jon confesses to Robbie, “I’m starting to think that if I built you the Taj Mahal, you’d fuck it up.”

Robbie admits to Jon that he’s a failure but proceeds to follow it with a bunch of excuses. Jon calls him on it, nice and loud. “This is such bullshit. All you have to do is wake up in the morning and get the place frickin’ clean and train your staff. Come on! It’s not rocket science. Why do you come in here and not care enough to do something?” Jon then asks Robbie’s manager if she knows how much debt Robbie is in. She doesn’t.

“Robbie, listen to me,” Jon tells him passionately, “If you don’t care, I can’t. If you don’t fight for it, I won’t.” Jon changes gears and gets a little quieter and more weighty, “I’m your last chance, aren’t I? I’m 50/50 walking out of here because I don’t believe in him.”

Kristina the manager says “I think you should give him a chance.”

Robbie tells Jon he’s willing to do what he needs to do.

Jon replies, “If I come in here tomorrow and this place isn’t clean, I walk out of here and you’re done. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

Robbie does, and so does Kristina, the manager. She says that they have all let it get bad because they are supposed to be a team. Maybe she should have thought of that a couple years ago? As Jon points out later on, she doesn’t have much authority in her part-time managerial position, but it doesn’t take authority to clean and set a good example. As a matter of fact, setting a good example is a great way to gain authority.

The next day, the staff gets together with some of the other bartenders that weren’t there when Jon showed up. They talk about what happened, and most of the ones that weren’t there deal with it humorously. I don’t think Jon would find it funny. He walks in and one of the guys yells, “How’s it going?” to Jon like they are long lost buds. I don’t think this level of casualness will fly with Jon, so I’m interested to see what happens at the staff meeting that’s about to start.

Jon begins with Robbie’s story. “I heard a great story of a guy who had a dream to come down here and help a friend.” Then he asks Robbie to tell the staff what happened. Jon paraphrases it, “So you sacrificed the life you had to come down here and be there for your buddy. When I hear that kind of a story, I say, ‘This is a good guy.’” Everyone agrees with Jon that Robbie is a good guy—a “great guy,” as a matter of fact.

Jon has Robbie talk about his debt. He asks Kristina what she does there. She’s a “stupid-visor.” Not a reflection of her, Jon reminds us, but of her supposed position of authority without any authority. It comes out during the discussion that the place is a free-for-all, and the bar is failing because of Robbie. Jon counsels Robbie with some hard truths, “You had a winner, but you made it a loser, and you gotta look into your soul and ask yourself how the hell did that happen ‘cause inside you are two people. There’s that regional manager. He’s still in there, and then there’s a lazy bar owner, and that manager’s gotta hold that lazy bar owner responsible. And you gotta make that happen within you.”

Then Jon asks Robbie what the consequences are going to be if Robbie doesn’t make the change now. Robbie tells us that he will lose everything.

“So, what are we waiting for?” Jon asks, with suspenseful music underscoring the weight of the question.

Robbie thinks for a moment. “Nothing. I have to admit, it is on me. I lost sight. Being honest with you, I can’t remember when it happened. They have recipes back there, but did I hold anybody accountable to continue to read them? Absolutely not. I didn’t stay on top of it, and so I can’t be upset that they are saying that because, no, I didn’t follow up. I did it in the beginning. I did a task, I taught it, and then I let it slide. So I’m understanding and accepting that piece of it. On me.”

Jon’s approach is far from confrontational. He encourages Robbie to open up to his team about his situation and the emotional burden he’s been carrying. Robbie’s heartfelt honesty resonates with his staff, particularly Braden the bartender. He calls himself to account and says that he should have stepped up more and he isn’t feeling good about the way he’s been contributing to the demise of Coaches.

Jon knows everyone there cares about Robbie and the bar. He asks if they’ll step up, and they all say yes. Jon points out that it isn’t about the bar anymore; it’s about Robbie’s life and their futures. Jon’s ability to balance empathy with accountability is what makes him such an effective leader. He doesn’t just berate Robbie for his failures; Jon inspires Robbie and his employees to make a change. He provides the roadmap, the training, and the guidance to reclaim their motivation, confidence, and success, and he joins in, too, “Let’s make it happen, okay? Let’s get to work.”

Jon introduces us to a new mixology expert, Diana Small. In the few hours before the stress test starts, Diana works on consistency with pours and teaches the bartenders how to make their new “upside down margarita.” JoJo the bartender is excited to be trained and admits this is the most training she’s ever had. Chef Brad Miller is brought in to take care of the menu and train the cook. Chef Brad makes a scrumptious looking ribeye. I mean, totally juicy and perfectly charred. Robbie describes it as ten steps above their old ribeye. He also mentions that he’s nervous about the stress test because they have to prove they have the knowledge, spirit, and willingness to be successful.

Just before the stress test, though, Robbie is thrown a curve ball. Franscisco the cook works two jobs and was on the schedule for his other job. If he didn’t show, he’d be fired, so he had to make a choice to do what was best for him, but Robbie doesn’t have a cook now. Jon asks who could do it. Robbie is the most qualified because he’s done it before and he was there for training. Kristina is going to be the manager on the floor. Sam the bartender is going to help Robbie in the kitchen. Jon approves this plan and is proud of Robbie for stepping up.

The stress test seems more energetic than usual, probably since covid. The music is upbeat and the place looks packed. It doesn’t take long, though, to see that things aren’t up to speed. Everyone looks like a novice. Drinks are under-poured, tickets pile up at the bar and in the kitchen, ticket times for food are 20 minutes or longer, steaks are literally on fire. Basically, chaos reigns.

Despite the mishaps Robbie’s willingness to step up and take responsibility impresses Jon, and Robbie tells us he is actually looking forward to training. “This is the guy I needed to see,” Jon says, acknowledging Robbie’s effort even amidst the chaos. The staff, too, showed resilience. Bartenders Braden and Kristina struggled to keep up with orders but remained determined to improve. Kristina’s willingness to step into a stronger leadership role earned Jon’s praise: “You’re more than just a supervisor. You’re ready to be a real manager.”

The days following the stress test are a whirlwind of training and transformation. Behind the bar, Jon’s expert mixologist introduces the team to precise pour counts using the “siren technique.” Braden, who admitted he’d never had formal training before, embraces the opportunity, saying, “This is the most I’ve ever learned.” There’s a new challenge drink, the Bucking Bronco, with Thai chilis, spicy bitters, lime juice, ancho chili syrup, triple sec, whiskey, and garnished with a lime wheel and thia chili skewer. In order to win the challenge, the customer has to eat the Thai chili first. Robbie loves the whole concept!

In the kitchen, Chef Brad Miller introduces a revamped menu centered around quality and simplicity. The new signature dish, a perfectly seasoned ribeye, is a far cry from the tough, fatty, flavorless steak served during recon. “This isn’t just about food—it’s about giving customers a reason to come back,” Chef Brad explains.

Jon has a touching one-on-one with Robbie to help figure out why Robbie lost himself. Robbie tells Jon he doesn’t talk much about it because vulnerability is a sign of weakness where he’s from. He tells Jon that when everything was going down, he withdrew but that seems to have just compounded his emotional shutdown. Jon reviews Robbie’s current situation. He’s got Kristina to back him up now, a trained staff, great food, a fantastic cocktail menu. Jon tells Robbie to look him deep in the eyes and say that he deserves all this, that he’s helped a lot of people in his life and he deserves this.

I imagine fans that tune in to see Jon raise hell with folks squirm at this section of the show and probably think Jon is over-reaching, but it only takes one look at Robbie as he becomes emotional to see that Jon has stepped in to help ease the heaviness in Robbie’s heart and give him some hope. Robbie seems inspired and committed by the end of his talk with Jon, hopefully realizing Jon has his back and that really means something.

After a montage of construction work, it’s time for the reveal. There’s a large crowd gathered, and Robbie tells Jon he’s nervous and excited. Jon points out that Robbie is more energized now, and gives a shout out to Kristina, who said on recon night that Jon should give Robbie a chance. Robbie captures his delight in Jon’s renaming his bar to Midtown Pub with a quaint, yet poignant expression, “Holy shit!” Then he gets teary-eyed.

The once-dated interior is now sleek and inviting. Jon says it’s classier, and, of course, he’s right. The new interior has new lighting, updated seating with barstools that remind me of a steak house, which is no surprise since the sign also says “Steaks & Sports.” A revamped bar setup maximizes efficiency with two wells. The addition of two POS systems streamlines operations, and Robbie says he loves it all; it’s seems bigger, brighter, more open and inviting. All the usual little touches are perfect; the TVs were upgraded, marketing improved, and Jon even had the refrigeration overhauled to make sure it will keep the food safely.

Robbie’s reaction is emotional: “I feel like I’ve busted out of a dark hole. This isn’t just a bar anymore—it’s a new beginning.” His story is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit, and Jon’s role in this transformation is a reminder of his unparalleled ability to bring out the best in people. This episode harkens back to “S1E2: Downey’s and Out,” where Jon helped Dominic Centofanti find his way after losing his brother. Just like Dominic, Robbie wasn’t lazy or apathetic; he was simply burned out by life’s sorrow. And just like Jon did for Dominic, he reignited Robbie’s passion for hospitality, setting him up for a future filled with promise.

As the season closes, I’m reminded that Jon’s brilliance lies in his ability to see the potential in people like Robbie and refuse to let them waste it. He pushes, he prods, and he transforms, turning a health hazard into a thriving pub and a defeated owner into a leader ready to reclaim his life. As Jon often says, and rightfully so, it’s not just about rescuing bars—it’s about rescuing people, a feat only someone as illustrious as Jon can achieve.

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I invite you to consider and share your answers in the Comments: If you were in Robbie’s shoes, do you think you could open up to Jon with the same raw honesty and vulnerability?