TV Restaurants

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

Closed verified

As of September 2026, The Hammer has closed — confirmed via the business's own closure notice, March 31, 2016.

Primary source
realitytvupdates.com ·
Secondary source
2paragraphs.com ·

Last verified

What the source shows: Reality TV Updates reproduces a Facebook post from the bar's own page announcing March 31, 2016 as its last day following a sale to new owners; 2paragraphs.com independently reports the same March 2016 closure date.

  • Season / episode Season 3, Episode 19
  • Original air date
  • Address 3990 W Russell Rd, Las Vegas, NV 89118
  • Current name Hammer and Ales

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What happened after Bar Rescue?

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.

Featured on Bar Rescue

Season / episode
Season 3, Episode 19
Original air date
Episode title
Beer and Loathing in Las Vegas
What was featured
friendship strained by illness and debt, craft-beer rebrand
Role
Featured restaurant
Name on the broadcast
The Hammer

Frequently asked questions

Is The Hammer still open in 2026?

As of September 2026, The Hammer has closed — confirmed via the business's own closure notice, March 31, 2016.

What happened to The Hammer after Bar Rescue?

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. As of September 2026, The Hammer has closed — confirmed via the business's own closure notice, March 31, 2016.

Is The Hammer permanently closed?

As of September 2026, The Hammer has closed — confirmed via the business's own closure notice, March 31, 2016. We publish a closure only with a dated source behind it, and we say plainly when it has not been independently confirmed.

What is The Hammer called now?

Now: Hammer and Ales (formerly The Hammer). As of September 2026, The Hammer has closed — confirmed via the business's own closure notice, March 31, 2016.

Where is The Hammer located?

3990 W Russell Rd, Las Vegas, NV 89118. That is the address on the record as of September 7, 2026.

What season and episode of Bar Rescue featured The Hammer?

Season 3, Episode 19 of Bar Rescue, first aired September 8, 2013. The episode is titled “Beer and Loathing in Las Vegas”.

Did the makeover last at The Hammer?

The episode first aired September 8, 2013. Our most recent check was September 7, 2026 — 13 years later —: As of September 2026, The Hammer has closed — confirmed via the business's own closure notice, March 31, 2016.

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
3990 W Russell Rd, Las Vegas, NV 89118
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

  • realitytvupdates.com — https://realitytvupdates.com/bar-rescue/hammer-and-ales-the-hammer/
  • 2paragraphs.com — https://2paragraphs.com/2017/09/bar-rescue-the-hammer-in-vegas-closed-replaced-by-owl/

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