Martini Brothers Burger Bar Is Now The Federal — Bar Rescue Update

Martini Brothers Burger Bar was a burger-and-bar concept in downtown Youngstown, Ohio, run by brothers Dan and Joey Martini. On Bar Rescue's "Sour Lemons and Bitter Business," which aired October 25, 2015, the central conflict was with Jacob, the building's landlord, who had also taken an ownership stake in the bar. The episode depicted Jacob favoring an art-gallery vision for the space over running a functioning bar, along with financial friction that included him drawing money from the register while contributing little day-to-day labor, leaving the Martini brothers frustrated with both the business and their landlord-partner.

Jon Taffer's team reworked the menu and bar program and relaunched the business under a new name, The Federal, aiming to reposition it around its historic downtown building rather than the burger-bar concept alone. The Federal has continued operating in downtown Youngstown since the relaunch. It occupies the ground floor of the Knox Building at 110 W Federal St., a fact confirmed on the building's own website, which describes The Federal as a kitchen and bar known for its burgers and craft beer selection -- a description that keeps the original burger-forward identity even under the new name.

Yelp and Tripadvisor listings for the business remain current into 2026, and the Knox Building's own site continues to list The Federal as one of its ground-floor tenants, indicating the relaunch has held for roughly a decade. Unlike some other bars from the same stretch of the season, Martini Brothers Burger Bar did not close after its Bar Rescue visit; it operates today under the name Taffer gave it, tied to the address's downtown Youngstown landmark building rather than the founders' family name. No reporting found in researching this record describes further landlord disputes, ownership changes, or closures at the location since the relaunch. As of the most recent 2026 listings, The Federal remains an active kitchen and bar in the Knox Building, continuing the burger-and-craft-beer focus that defined the business before its Bar Rescue makeover.