Is Bryant's Ice House Still Open? Bar Rescue Update (Katy, TX)
Current status
As of September 2026, Bryant's Ice House is open — confirmed via the restaurant's current website/social account, accessed September 2026.
Last verified
What the source shows: Official Wildcatter Saloon website lists ticketed events scheduled through December 2026 and posts current weekly operating hours, indicating active operation under the post-rescue name.
- Season / episode Season 3, Episode 36
- Original air date
- Address 26913 Katy Fwy, Katy, TX 77494
- Current name Wildcatter Saloon
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What happened after Bar Rescue?
Bryant's Ice House, a biker-frequented bar on a poorly lit stretch of road outside Katy, Texas, was the subject of the April 13, 2014 episode "Taxed Out in Texas." Owner Jeff Simon, a former tax accountant, had invested roughly $1.1 million in the property but had not addressed its remote location or its rowdy motorcycle-club clientele. Recon visits found bartenders serving weak, inconsistent cocktails, a food-truck operator leaving the truck unattended to hand-deliver orders (a food-safety concern), and staff conflicts that escalated into a physical altercation among employees in front of customers while Simon did not intervene. A maintenance worker was found intoxicated and behaving inappropriately toward the show's female observers. During the stress test, bartender Missy struggled to keep pace and could not judge her own drinks because she did not drink alcohol; both she and another employee were dismissed following performance issues uncovered during the visit.
To address the bar's image and location problems, the rescue team renamed the business Wildcatter Saloon, adopting an oil-industry theme intended to appeal to a broader customer base than the existing motorcycle-club crowd, and added exterior signage to help customers find the hard-to-see location. Mixologist Russell Davis retrained the bar staff on cocktail fundamentals and speed, while a food-service consultant restructured the food-truck operation so servers, rather than the cook, retrieved orders. At the six-week follow-up, sales were reported up more than 35%.
Ownership changed hands around January 2017, when Simon sold the business to Justin Whitfield, previously the owner of a different Bar Rescue bar, the End Zone Sports Bar and Grill in Houston. Whitfield kept the Wildcatter Saloon name. In 2018, Whitfield told a Houston-area TV station that Hurricane Harvey had damaged the building and that repairs were delayed after the show's producers discussed, then did not proceed with, a follow-up renovation episode; a Bar Rescue spokesperson attributed the change in plans to host Jon Taffer's illness during the relevant production window. The business's own website lists a calendar of ticketed concerts and events running through December 2026 and posts current weekly operating hours.
Featured on Bar Rescue
- Show
- Bar Rescue
- Season / episode
- Season 3, Episode 36
- Original air date
- Episode title
- Taxed Out in Texas
- What was featured
- Rowdy biker bar rescue, rename to Wildcatter Saloon, oil-worker theme
- Role
- Featured restaurant
- Name on the broadcast
- Bryant's Ice House
Frequently asked questions
Is Bryant's Ice House still open in 2026?
As of September 2026, Bryant's Ice House is open — confirmed via the restaurant's current website/social account, accessed September 2026.
What happened to Bryant's Ice House after Bar Rescue?
Bryant's Ice House, a biker-frequented bar on a poorly lit stretch of road outside Katy, Texas, was the subject of the April 13, 2014 episode "Taxed Out in Texas." Owner Jeff Simon, a former tax accountant, had invested roughly $1.1 million in the property but had not addressed its remote location or its rowdy motorcycle-club clientele. As of September 2026, Bryant's Ice House is open — confirmed via the restaurant's current website/social account, accessed September 2026.
What is Bryant's Ice House called now?
Now: Wildcatter Saloon (formerly Bryant's Ice House). As of September 2026, Bryant's Ice House is open — confirmed via the restaurant's current website/social account, accessed September 2026.
Where is Bryant's Ice House located?
26913 Katy Fwy, Katy, TX 77494. That is the address on the record as of September 7, 2026.
What season and episode of Bar Rescue featured Bryant's Ice House?
Season 3, Episode 36 of Bar Rescue, first aired April 13, 2014. The episode is titled “Taxed Out in Texas”.
Did the makeover last at Bryant's Ice House?
The episode first aired April 13, 2014. Our most recent check was September 7, 2026 — 12 years later —: As of September 2026, Bryant's Ice House is open — confirmed via the restaurant's current website/social account, accessed September 2026.
Every status on this site carries a confidence label and a date, and names the source it rests on. Read the Editorial & Corrections Policy for what each label means and how quickly we act on corrections. The questions above are generated from this record's own published fields — we never publish a question we cannot answer from the data.
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Visit info
- Address
- 26913 Katy Fwy, Katy, TX 77494
- Venue type
- bar
- Official website
- wildcattersaloon.com
- State hub
- TV restaurants in Texas
Businesses change fast. Always confirm directly with the restaurant — call ahead, or check its own current website or social media — before making plans around anything on this page.
Sources
- wildcattersaloon.com — https://wildcattersaloon.com/
- realitytvupdates.com — https://realitytvupdates.com/bar-rescue/wildcatter-saloon-bryants-ice-house/
- realitytvupdates.com — https://realitytvupdates.com/bar-rescue/houston-sports-hub/
See something wrong?
We work hard to keep every status accurate and dated, but restaurants change fast and our sources aren't perfect. If something here is wrong — a status, a name, an address, anything — tell us what you're seeing and where you saw it, and we'll check it.
Record br-056 · last verified .