Episode Recap: Bar Rescue Season 4, Ep 6
Welcome to Alcohol Professor’s weekly recap of Bar Rescue, Spike TV’s reality show that gives desperate liquor purveyors a chance to turn themselves into beyond visitable venues. Hosted by nightlife guru Jon Taffer, this week’s episode, entitled “To Protect and (Over) Serve” features a bar with some tasty drinks, but distasteful brand messaging.
Ha! I knew Jon Taffer had a weakness.
Something about Tom, a former Philadelphia detective with a 27-year tenure and a very sweet, pregnant daughter, really softens Taffer, who barely yells throughout this episode. Tom is the proprietor for Lickety Split, a split level bar with rubbery pizza and cocktails bearing names like “Pink Vagina” and “Blue Veiny Monster.” Mm. Tasty. At least the bartenders are familiar with making cocktails, a novelty on Bar Rescue.
Besides the grotesque drink names, Lickety Split’s biggest problem is Tom. He drinks on the job, makes a lot of sexual remarks (I mean, look at the cocktails), and insults his bar staff. Oh, and the pizza is really rubbery. Wait, there’s also a room filled with overflowing dough. This was probably my favorite part of the episode. There’s something weirdly comical about a room of exploding dough.
Taffer calls in flair bartender Jon Wills and pizza maestro Frank Pinello. Pinello tries to teach the kitchen staff how to make a quality pizza. They say nothing but nod enthusiastically. Wills is particularly offended by The Pink Vagina, so he prepares a set of cocktails that, while fairly similar to the original fare, have appropriate names.
Taffer also calls in a psychologist to speak with Tom about the trauma he’s experienced as a detective. “He doesn’t seem like he’s a great shrink,” I commented while watching the show. My friend made a good point: “Well, you try shrinking someone on television. That’s not really how it works.” Reality TV has really warped my view of what is and is not appropriate behavior.
The bar is renamed Alleged Bar & Pizza, and the upstairs portion is dubbed Second State Lounge. I could not tell apart the before and after. I also liked the name Lickety Split better. Good news, Tom’s daughter gave birth to a healthy baby boy.
Visit Alleged Bar & Pizza:
401 S St
Philadelphia, PA 19147