Is TJ Quills Still Open? Bar Rescue Update (New Orleans, LA)

TJ Quills, a college-crowd bar near the Loyola University area of Uptown New Orleans, came to Jon Taffer's attention in early 2013 because of a reputation for serving underage patrons. Owner Darian Blanchard had bought the bar in 2012 and, alongside a group of fraternity friends, let bartenders drink on shift and wave through customers with fake identification. Recon visits by Taffer's team found bartenders over-pouring, minors gaining entry, and a business already facing city fines and the threat of closure from repeated police raids.

During the stress test, the same lax carding habits and inattentive service resurfaced, prompting Taffer to confront Blanchard directly about accountability for his staff and his own frat-house approach to running the business. The rescue team retrained bartenders on checking identification and portion control, introduced a tighter drink menu, and rebranded the bar as The Annex for its relaunch, aiming to shed the fake-ID reputation attached to the TJ Quills name. Blanchard and his staff went through the new procedures during a stress test before the bar reopened under the new identity.

Sales and revenue climbed in the six weeks following the visit, giving Blanchard room to pay down debt the bar had built up, according to the episode's own follow-up segment. That improvement did not carry over to the name change: Blanchard reverted the bar to TJ Quills once filming wrapped, and it has operated under that original name since, per Bar Rescue fan sites and a 2026 Yelp listing for the 7600 Maple Street address. The Tulane Hullabaloo, the student newspaper covering the Uptown bar scene, reported in 2026 that TJ Quills reopened after a temporary closure tied to a city permitting dispute over its alcohol outlet permit, with the New Orleans Board of Zoning Adjustments later resolving the matter in the bar's favor. As of the most recent Yelp update in March 2026, the bar continues to post regular hours and draw reviews from the Uptown college crowd it has served for years.