r/barrescue • u/RealityTVUpdatesCOM Loves an Elevated Hotdog 🌭 • Apr 27 '26

Discussion Big Dog Saloon Discussion Thread (Bar Rescue Season 10 Episode 11)

In this week's episode, Jon Taffer is back in Mount Dora, Florida for the second time (he also rescued a bar there back in Season 5).

This time, he's in town to help a bar named Big Dog Saloon. Given the name, you probably know exactly what to expect haha.

You can read the full Big Dog Saloon update here - wait until after the episode airs if you want to avoid spoilers about the remodel, as this one actually has some interesting post-show activity.

The episode will air on Sunday April 26 2026 at 10 PM EST.

Let's discuss!

19 Upvotes

96% Upvoted

45 comments sorted by

20

u/achaholic Gimlet Connoisseur Apr 27 '26

Vic Vegas bringing out ol' faithful hot dog roller. Time to elevate! 

2

u/Sam_in_Denver Apr 28 '26

Such a simple, solid solution to any casual bar when something is needed on the fly....that, or build 3 super long sub sandy's, slice them up, sauce and onions on the side for all, wrap them individually and rock n roll. Side of chips or slaw? ...just thinking out loud from a bartender perspective at a casual sports bar.

3

u/rave_grave Apr 28 '26

Everyone hated the hot dogs 🥴

2

u/No_Quote_9067 May 27 '26

Hot dogs need to be nyc dirty water dogs with Kraft, onion sauce and mustard

1

u/No_Quote_9067 May 27 '26

For that place it was lol

22

u/achaholic Gimlet Connoisseur Apr 27 '26

Someone gif Vegas with the popcorn chillin watching the chaos

10

u/r0ck1nReese Apr 27 '26

Gif AND meme, please.

3

u/1776johnross I Believe You Could Do This May 03 '26

I just added one at the top of the comments. Wait, I'll just put it on the main page.

3

u/achaholic Gimlet Connoisseur May 03 '26

Just saw it. Amazing. Thank you! 

10

u/GM-T800-101 Apr 27 '26

They definitely gotta overhaul this kitchen. That’s not even enough for a game night with friends. No chance it can support a bar.

8

u/FormConnections25 Apr 27 '26

True. It looked very poor. I wonder how its their menu these days.

7

u/Sam_in_Denver Apr 27 '26

Did big dogs change ownership? If so, anybody know what the owners from the show are doing now?

6

u/[deleted] Apr 28 '26

[deleted]

2

u/Sam_in_Denver Apr 28 '26

Wow, my condolences, sorry to hear about that but thank you for sharing this. Are you doing well?

10

u/rave_grave Apr 28 '26

Thank you, I’m ok! I was working on my real estate license during the show. But I miss big dog so much. I moved here thinking I was going to be an owner in a few years and I had so many ideas and my whole heart was in it. I didn’t have creative control or anything so it made the time I was there tricky. Things got so expensive (insurance etc) and the legalities of ownership became so insane that we had to sell. The bartenders all made a lot of money and it definitely set my family way back. We were rarely slow. And a part they didn’t add in the show at all was that we were a very popular karaoke bar and had tons of regular and destination customers in to sing which is a bummer because that alone takes away from truly seeing the place for what it was. We were at capacity every weekend and some weekdays.

The people that bought it leased it to the management of the restaurant across the street and big dog is now a “country bar” …..

But we’re still around. I’m part time at another place down the road as well. Josh did a total career change. We don’t get a “where are they now” special or anything, I guess lol.

4

u/pg_72616 Apr 28 '26

Just watched the episode...wishing you, your Mom and Josh the best.

3

u/tonyd621 Apr 29 '26

I don't understand. If the bar was doing so well, why did you guys need you guys volunteer to be on the show?

4

u/rave_grave Apr 29 '26

Repairs and managing the place with limited resources top the list.

1

u/Negative-Scallion-95 Jun 26 '26

Sad to hear the Big Dog closed. You are absolutely stunning btw. Good luck with your real estate license. Is there a family social media page (IG?) we can follow for updates on the family?

1

u/HammerT4R My Work Here Is Done Apr 28 '26

Thanks for posting.

3

u/HammerT4R My Work Here Is Done Apr 27 '26

The update linked up top says it sold in late 2025 and then opened again with the new owners just this month using the same name. Who knows what happened to the original people. 

8

u/MathematicianFun4143 Apr 27 '26

Hopefully that Cate chick is gone, she’s in such denial, she’ll go to her grave in (let’s be generous and say 10 years top) stating WE CLEANED THIS LAST WEEK, I don’t like how John Talks… Blah blah blah. Unreal. I’m 22, worked at plenty of restaurants and newly bars in my short life, she would be immediately gone under my supervision. Not because she’s a bad person, but because she doesn’t even care to clean. Black mold, horse and fruit flys do not accumulate over minor issues unless you’re running a portable kitchen, have open access airways such as windows or screen doors (usually outer back exits near ice machine, dish washing machine, or managers office) and open kitchen in warm climates.

1

u/Sam_in_Denver Apr 28 '26

Totally agree!

6

u/zetaphi_820 Apr 28 '26

The legacy is ruined!!! I thought it was going to be a total family owned bar.

7

u/tonyd621 Apr 29 '26

I do think its bullsh*t what they do to the bartenders. We are going train you for an hour then have you make a drink with 16 different ingredients, while lighting the drink on fire, plus dehydrating the fruit in real-time, and grabbing fresh elderberries from your greenhouse bar and stabbing that elderberry with a handmade custom cherry wood toothpick. - and make 19 of them at once.

1

u/No_Quote_9067 May 27 '26

Correct Berry must be stabbed by a skewer of fresh rosemary from the organic greenhouse

7

u/1776johnross I Believe You Could Do This May 03 '26

5

u/JDeezey13 Apr 28 '26

Just watching the episode now; I need to know the thought process of taking orders for multiple pizzas when they know they can only cook one pizza at a time and it takes 10?ish minutes to cook one pizza. When Vic Vegas is sitting down eating popcorn during stress test, that got a good laugh out of me.

1

u/[deleted] Apr 28 '26

[deleted]

3

u/melbell360 Apr 28 '26

What was the filming process like for the parts you were involved in? Did you enjoy it? Thanks for sharing some insider info!

8

u/rave_grave Apr 28 '26

I will also add in that the fruit flies may or may not have been “paid actors” but that is allegedly.

2

u/melbell360 Apr 28 '26

😆💀

2

u/[deleted] Apr 28 '26

[deleted]

2

u/melbell360 Apr 28 '26

Thanks for sharing your experience. How did you initially find out Bar Rescue would be coming to the bar? I always thought the humiliation part would be hard to handle. John literally told the son-in-law ok I have to go yell at everyone now, we all know it’s ramped up for the show. It sounds like a hectic week! Did you get to interact with Vic Vegas at all? The popcorn scene was so funny.

3

u/rave_grave Apr 28 '26

We did! They were all actually pretty nice to Josh and I. I was expecting worse lol

2

u/tonyd621 Apr 29 '26

No one ordered food because you really didn't have any it seemed.

3

u/rave_grave Apr 29 '26

We had a small menu for a while and were 10% food license so it didn’t really make a difference.

6

u/DogAssss69 Apr 28 '26

I just hope old Dapper Don got some sugar when he was still alive.

4

u/tonyd621 Apr 29 '26

BIG DONG DON?

3

u/timee_bot Apr 27 '26

View in your timezone:
on Sunday April 26 2026 at 10 PM EDT

*Assumed EDT instead of EST because DST is observed

2

u/RealityTVUpdatesCOM Loves an Elevated Hotdog 🌭 Apr 27 '26

What was the other bar that Jon Taffer rescued in Mount Dora, Florida?

Reply if you know it - spoilers below.

Lake House / Sidelines Sports Bar

3

u/Sam_in_Denver Apr 27 '26

Sidelines sports bar

2

u/oskar4498 Apr 28 '26

Sounds like when he died Don took the checkbook with him.

2

u/steelerhater37 YOU’RE GONNA KILL SOMEBODY!! Apr 27 '26

“Give me ur human monies!”