TV Restaurants

What Happened to Libad's Bar & Grill After Bar Rescue? (New Bedford, MA)

Closed verified

As of September 2026, Libad's Bar & Grill has closed — confirmed via fun107.com, February 22, 2021.

Primary source
fun107.com ·

Last verified

What the source shows: FUN 107 radio reported in February 2021 that Libad's Seaside Tavern (578 Brock Avenue) had been listed for sale, attributing the closure to pandemic-driven economic pressure on South Coast Massachusetts bars.

  • Season / episode Season 3, Episode 18
  • Original air date
  • Address 578 Brock Avenue, New Bedford, MA 02744
  • Current name Libad's Seaside Tavern

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What happened after Bar Rescue?

Libad's Bar & Grill operated in New Bedford, Massachusetts under siblings John and Jessica DeMelo, who had used money from their father Barry's retirement savings to buy the business, according to contemporary coverage of the episode. By the time Bar Rescue visited, the bar had struggled to build a consistent identity or service standard, and the show centered its rescue narrative on rebuilding both the operation and the space around New Bedford's identity as a historic fishing port. Trade outlet Bar & Restaurant News covered the visit under the episode's own title, framing it within Bar Rescue's typical approach of sending in unannounced patrons to test service and drink quality before introducing hands-on staff retraining.

As part of the renovation, Jon Taffer's team reworked the bar's menu and retrained staff, and physically remade the interior and exterior, including converting an existing mechanical bull attraction into a mechanical whale to better fit the seaport theme. The bar was renamed from Libad's Bar & Grill to Libad's Seaside Tavern as part of the relaunch.

The rebranded tavern operated for nearly eight years after the episode aired. It also gained a secondary claim to fame as a filming location for the 2019 movie Jungleland, according to FUN 107, a local South Coast Massachusetts radio outlet. However, FUN 107 reported in February 2021 that Libad's Seaside Tavern, at 578 Brock Avenue in New Bedford's South End, had been listed for sale, describing the closure as tied to the broader economic pressure the COVID-19 pandemic placed on area bars and restaurants; the listing included the full liquor license, inventory, and several props from the Jungleland shoot. According to Reality TV Updates, the former Libad's space was later occupied by a different, unrelated business, 3 C's Bar and Grille, as of 2023. Reality TV Updates' coverage gives no indication that the DeMelo family reopened the business elsewhere after the 2021 sale.

Featured on Bar Rescue

Season / episode
Season 3, Episode 18
Original air date
Episode title
A Bar Full of Bull
What was featured
family-funded bar, mechanical bull, seaport-themed relaunch
Role
Featured restaurant
Name on the broadcast
Libad's Bar & Grill

Frequently asked questions

Is Libad's Bar & Grill still open in 2026?

As of September 2026, Libad's Bar & Grill has closed — confirmed via fun107.com, February 22, 2021.

What happened to Libad's Bar & Grill after Bar Rescue?

Libad's Bar & Grill operated in New Bedford, Massachusetts under siblings John and Jessica DeMelo, who had used money from their father Barry's retirement savings to buy the business, according to contemporary coverage of the episode. As of September 2026, Libad's Bar & Grill has closed — confirmed via fun107.com, February 22, 2021.

Is Libad's Bar & Grill permanently closed?

As of September 2026, Libad's Bar & Grill has closed — confirmed via fun107.com, February 22, 2021. We publish a closure only with a dated source behind it, and we say plainly when it has not been independently confirmed.

What is Libad's Bar & Grill called now?

Now: Libad's Seaside Tavern (formerly Libad's Bar & Grill). As of September 2026, Libad's Bar & Grill has closed — confirmed via fun107.com, February 22, 2021.

Where is Libad's Bar & Grill located?

578 Brock Avenue, New Bedford, MA 02744. That is the address on the record as of September 7, 2026.

What season and episode of Bar Rescue featured Libad's Bar & Grill?

Season 3, Episode 18 of Bar Rescue, first aired August 25, 2013. The episode is titled “A Bar Full of Bull”.

Did the makeover last at Libad's Bar & Grill?

The episode first aired August 25, 2013. Our most recent check was September 7, 2026 — 13 years later —: As of September 2026, Libad's Bar & Grill has closed — confirmed via fun107.com, February 22, 2021.

Is Libad's Bar & Grill still using the Bar Rescue menu or branding?

As part of the renovation, Jon Taffer's team reworked the bar's menu and retrained staff, and physically remade the interior and exterior, including converting an existing mechanical bull attraction into a mechanical whale to better fit the seaport theme. Anything newer than our last check on September 7, 2026 may not be reflected here.

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
578 Brock Avenue, New Bedford, MA 02744
Venue type
bar
Official website
None found

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

  • fun107.com — https://fun107.com/new-bedford-libads-for-sale/

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