Look What ‘Bar Rescue’ Did to a Colorado Restaurant
TV shows sure have been sweet on The Sweetheart City. "Restaurant Impossible," "Food Paradise," and "Bar Rescue" have all been in town recently.
I think the headline might have been, 'Look What Bar Rescue DIDN'T Do to CJ's...' but I can get into that, later. I visited CJ's on Tuesday, June 14, 2022, to see how Jon Taffer and his team had changed the longtime Loveland restaurant.
In early June we let you know that the town was abuzz about "Bar Rescue" being at CJ's Patio Grill. The staff had to sign non-disclosure agreements to keep things on the down-low, but it was pretty clear that the show was in Loveland. The question was, "What will they do to change CJ's?"
Let's take a look.
A LOGO CHANGE
The top photo shows the 'former' logo for CJ's; the main entrance to CJ's now sports the new logo. There's also a lot of lettering across the front of the building. They must have seen that area as a 'wasted opportunity.'
NEW FENCING AROUND THE PATIO
The restaurant had had that iron fencing (above) dating back to when Cactus Grill occupied the premises. This new [wood] fencing brightens up the patio.
MORE: 20 Photos of Loveland's New Coffee Shop & Brewery 'Mountain Cowboy'
THE ADDITION OF CURTAINS
Taffer and his team introduced curtains to the front of the restaurant. They do soften the atmosphere, a bit.
NEW BARSTOOLS
Though I can't show you a picture of the former barstools, these new, leather ones look very comfy. 'Yes, I think I'll have another pint, please.'
NEW TABLES ATTACHED TO THE BAR
This is a new trend that I've seen, putting tables at the corners of the bar. These tables have a little 'notch' cut out so that they meld into the bar.
CHANGES TO THE EAST AND WEST WALLS
Above, you see the former west wall at CJ's. This new 'paneling' (for lack of a better description) add character, for sure.
THE SAME, BUT DIFFERENT: The Main Dining Area
You may notice new tabletop coverings, but things generally remain unchanged. Aside from that big poster in the middle of the wall:
The big framed poster in the middle of the south wall highlights new menu items that you'll find at CJ's, including the $25 ribeye. I can hear Jon, 'You have to have some signature items that boost your bottom line!' I stuck with the chicken fried steak ($15,) it was delicious. Those specialty drinks, however, sound tasty and are priced right.
Our server that night told us that we'd see her in the "Bar Rescue" episode when it airs,
I cried...
THE ONE THING THAT 'BAR RESCUE' DID NOT CHANGE:
They did not change or modify the name of CJ's Patio Grill. Nearly every time Jon comes in, he has the bar/restaurant change its name. Our server said the owners really stressed how much they wanted to hang onto the name, so Jon relented. That's pretty cool.