What Happened to The Hammer After Bar Rescue? (Las Vegas, NV)

The Hammer operated in Las Vegas under childhood friends Chris Sarrett and Mitch Watson, who bought the 'blue-collar' bar together in 2010, according to Reality TV Updates and 2paragraphs.com. The business was profitable in its early years, but the partnership frayed after Watson became seriously ill with pneumonia in 2011 and had to step back from day-to-day work; when he returned, he found the bar had declined under Sarrett's management, and the two men's relationship became openly hostile on camera. Jon Taffer's team found the draft beer served warm and foamy, a kitchen with an overflowing grease trap, and staff going unpaid on schedule; a food-safety check also caught meat stored at unsafe temperatures.

As part of the rescue, chef Nick Liberato retrained the kitchen on execution basics like fish and chips, and beer expert Adam Carmer corrected the bar's draft system and pouring technique while training staff on beer-and-food pairings. Sarrett sold his own vehicle to help repay staff he had shorted, a gesture the show credited with helping repair his relationship with Watson. The renovation kept the bar's identity close to the original but shifted its focus toward craft beer, and it was renamed from The Hammer to Hammer and Ales.

According to Reality TV Updates, sales were up substantially in the weeks after the visit, and Sarrett and Watson's friendship appeared to recover. Hammer and Ales continued operating under that name for close to three years. According to a Facebook post from the bar's own page, reproduced by Reality TV Updates, the business's last day was March 31, 2016, following a sale to new owners; 2paragraphs.com independently reported the same March 2016 closure and noted that a new bar and restaurant called Owl took over the space to preserve its gaming license, but Owl itself closed roughly a year later. As of the mid-2020s, a bar called Tailgater Tavern has operated at the same West Russell Road address since 2018, according to both outlets, benefiting from proximity to Allegiant Stadium.