(keep reading to learn what happened)
Season: 1 | View All Season 1 Episodes
Original Episode Air Date: September 18, 2011
The Bar's Original Name Was: The Canyon Inn
Canyon Saloon Address: 6821 Fairlynn Blvd, Yorba Linda, CA 92886
Episode Recap
The Canyon Inn, later renamed Canyon Saloon, was a Yorba Linda, California bar featured on Season 1 of Bar Rescue.
Though the Canyon Inn Bar Rescue episode aired in September 2011, the actual filming and visit from Jon Taffer took place before that.
It was Season 1 Episode 9 and the episode name was “Bar Fight”.
In this episode, Jon Taffer and the Bar Rescue crew visit The Canyon Inn in Yorba Linda, CA, which is owned by New Yorker and former minor league baseball player Pauly Ambrus.
He bought the bar in 2004.
Johnny, the general manager, says Pauly is a New York thug and an alpha male.
The bar was successful at first, but then Pauly refused to upgrade the bar to keep up with the competition, so business dwindled.
Pauly won’t take Johnny’s advice.
He keeps telling Pauly the customers want something more modern, but Pauly won’t make the upgrades.
Pauly is also reluctant to run specials and deals.
To make matters worse, the regular customers at the Canyon Inn make newcomers uncomfortable.
It definitely has a very “clique’ish” feel to the bar.
Yorba Linda is a very affluent area, so the bar should be able to do very well if it can improve the atmosphere.
Jon’s wife Nicole is with him in the SUV as they stake out the bar.
Yelp reviews of the bar say that customers feel uneasy due to the clientele.
Nicole does recon and notices the bar has two pool tables that can be moved out of the way to create a dance floor.
The bar is horseshoe-shaped.
Nicole orders a Stella Artois and a round of shots for the bar.
Nicole sees that the bar uses disposable plastic cups for shots and notes that it is highly dangerous to do that.
Nicole asks for a cup of soup but is told by the bar staff that the soup is not good.
A male customer continually harasses Nicole and asks her to kiss him, which is obviously a bit awkward.
Nicole Taffer leaves before she punches him.
Once she’s back outside, Jon Taffer apologizes to his wife for what happened while in the bar.
Pauly tells Jon he had no idea about the issue or would’ve taken care of it.
Jon informs Pauly that Pauly is one of the most challenging people Jon has ever worked with.
He then gathers the staff for a meeting.
Jon says he might have to apply a whole new theme and concept to the bar.
They also need a name change.
Pauly gets defensive and tells Jon he can be like him and rescue bars too.
Pauly also doesn’t want Jon to change the name of the bar.
Jon brings in expert bartender Michael Tipps and Chef Eric Greenspan to help in the bar and kitchen.
The expert chef finds frozen food and canned soups in the kitchen.
As has been the trend, Pauly refuses to accept responsibility for the bar’s poor state.
While that’s going on in the kitchen, Michael has the bar staff make basic drinks to assess their skills.
Jon has the staff hit the soup cans with baseball bats.
Pauly says any changes that Jon makes, and he will tear down.
Most bars are happy to get the renovations and equipment from Bar Rescue at no cost, so it’s really odd that Pauly is so against improving the bar.
Training begins, and the liquor bottle now has proper pour spouts.
This practice will help the bartenders decrease over pouring.
By eliminating over pouring, they can reduce wastage and therefore make the bar more profitable.
The staff loves the new items and changes that Jon has made.
Jon did change the bar’s name to Canyon Saloon Spirits and Steaks.
Pauly hates the new name but loves the interior, even though he was so against changing anything earlier in the Canyon Inn Bar Rescue episode.
So – how did things work out for the newly named Canyon Saloon after the episode aired?
Let’s find out what happened next and if the Canyon Inn Yorba Linda bar is still open in 2024 and beyond…
Canyon Saloon Update - What Happened Next?
Now that we’ve recapped the Canyon Inn Bar Rescue episode, let’s talk about what happened to the bar after Jon Taffer and his crew left Yorba Linda, CA.
First off, the bar wasn’t named Canyon Saloon for very long.
Around two months after the episode aired, Pauly decided to ditch the new name from Jon Taffer and change the name to Canyon Inn Sports and Grill.
I really don’t get it – it’s not an inn! It’s confusing to have inn in the name when it’s a bar.
But what do I (and Jon Taffer) know I guess…
Overall, the reviews have been mixed since Bar Rescue.
People seem to love the low drink prices and the regular music acts, but there are also a lot of negative reviews about the food.
Put the good and the bar together, and The Canyon Inn only has about a 3 star rating on its Yelp page (which is up from 2.5 stars when I originally wrote this update).
A lot of people are also confused about the name because The Canyon Inn isn’t actually an inn and there are no rooms for rent.
I gotta be honest – the name that Jon Taffer chose makes a lot more sense for a bar.
Here’s a sampling of a few reviews that were written after the visit from Jon Taffer…
5 star Yelp review from November 2013:
I love this place.
Pauly the owner is fantastic and I always take time to stop by in the afternoon when I am in the area.
They keep their taps and bar super duper clean.
Which though most people dont notice it, for me its a huge deal (no fruit flies!!)
Yes I did come here after watching them on Bar Rescue breath of fresh air for someone who wants a beer, a good conversation, and to just relax at the end of the day.
The atmosphere isn’t overbearing.
Pauly knows how to run his bar.
Who cares about changing his name back to Canyon Inn.
Bar Rescue helped a bar in Redondo Beach called Breakwall.
They closed their doors beginning of this year. Pauly is the shit and his bar rocks.
This is one of my two go-to bars in this city.
Good time have always been had here, never any issues with patrons or the staff of any kind.
This is an old fashioned bar, where people go to have a beer and a good steak.
3 star Yelp review from September 2020:
After seeing Canyon Inn on Bar Rescue many years ago, I was excited when a group of us decided to support a friend playing there on a Friday.
I could have rated the place two stars, but decided on three since the owner was actually super friendly and I could quickly get a drink on a busy night when I went to the bar.
The biggest negative was the food. Everyone in my group complained about the food.
Dry, overlooked, undercooked, gross, wrong item…I heard many reasons.
In addition to the food, I just wasn’t a big fan of the place and we had trouble getting service at our table.
Would definitely go again if our friend was playing, but no other reason to drive/uber there.
2 star Yelp review from February 2015:
First time here and have always wanted to check this place out due to Bar Rescue.
The place is a dive to say the least, but charges you pub charge on premium spirits.
The was no service, even going to the bar you had to wait forever for someone to serve you.
Granted it was a busy night due to UFC fight, but the most of the crowd was on the way out.
I wish they would at least wipe things down.
Bar was soaked and when the owner just throws the cash at you right in the puddle of whatever.
It for sure isnt going to stay there or go into my wallet.
Restroom was nasty as some poor sap couldn’t hold his dinner and puked in the urinal.
The highlight was the band.
A cover band playing mainly 80’s rock was pretty spot on and the sound was pretty good for such a small place.
Here’s a review from someone who visited both before and after the Bar Rescue episode, which is nice to see the changes:
Some of the negative Canyon Inn reviews seem to be from people who just watched the Bar Rescue episode but didn’t actually go to the bar, so it’s a bit hard to separate the real reviews from the fake one.
Is The Canyon Inn / Saloon still open?
As of 2023, The Canyon Inn in Yorba Linda, California is still open and receiving customers.
It’s doing so under the name Canyon Inn Sports Bar and Grill.
The bar is quite active on its Facebook page, regularly posting events and specials.
Canyon Inn still has live music, as well as lots of sports specials and bar staple events like karaoke.
If you want to see the menu or make a visit, you can go to the official Canyon Inn Sports Bar and Grill website to learn more about the bar and see a menu.
Here’s a picture of the Canyon Inn menu to give you an idea of the prices – it seems fairly affordable:
I also checked out what the Canyon Inn Yorba Linda location looks like now.
Below, you can see the most recent Google Maps street view image for the bar.
The full sign now reads – Canyon Inn Sports Bar & Grill:
Final thoughts on Canyon Inn
Overall, despite not sticking with the Canyon Saloon name that Jon Taffer gave the bar, Canyon Inn seems to be a real Bar Rescue success story.
Featured all the way back on Season 1, the bar is still open and thriving more than a decade later, which is more than you can say for a lot of the other bars on the show.
In fact, Canyon Inn is one of the longest-lasting bars from the show.
The only other bar from Season 1 that’s still open is Champs Sports Pub in Burbank CA.
While the episode did generate some strong feelings about the owners, it’s great to see a bar survive for this longer after the visit from Jon Taffer.
If you want to see some other nearby California Bar Rescue episodes, you can check out my updates for The Olive Pit / OP in Orange, Second Base / Extremes in Orange, and Rack’s Billiards / Angel’s Sports Bar in Corona.
You can also check out my post that lists all 48+ California Bar Rescue episodes, along with status updates for each bar.
👉 Read other Season 1 updates:
- Next episode – Angry Ham’s Garage update
- Previous episode – Champs Sports Pub update
Thanks for reading!
More Information
https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-canyon-inn-yorba-lindahttps://www.facebook.com/CanyonInn/
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Last updated: 2023-03-22 07:13
The name is stupid and I think pauly got hit in the head to many times with a baseball. His arrogance serves him well. Taffer has encountered a few fruit cakes like pauly.
I concur! You can’t change the stripes on a Zebra. #egounlimited
Exactly, an Inn is like a motel.
If anything the name should be lounge!
This owner is lucky he’s still in business with his mental attitude, but probably not for much longer.
Fix your time on your PC or what ever your using?? That time has’nt arrived yet!!
Opps!!Sorry, something wrong?? My time is showing P.M too!! Im watching Bar Rescue now and obviously Pauly has’nt changed, can’t see why people still go there and your review will stop me from even attemting to go there Thanks
The most arrogant, unappreciative bar owner ever who, like so many others, just USED Taffer for his own purposes. The new name was PERFECT; the old one was STUPID. It’s not a damned INN, it IS a Saloon.
IDIOT, you did not deserve being rescued, and I am amazed you are still open at all.
Learn to LISTEN to experts. Moron.
Very disappointed that Taffer didnt walk away right after his wife returned to the car.
Pauly didn’t deserve the updated effort that Taffer gave him.
I couldn’t agree more. He was unbearable. I wouldn’t have given that punk one red cent
Fact. Some people are Stupid and Can’t Be Fixed. 😏
Once a dumb a$$ always a dumba$$!!! This clown is a perfect example. Bet you look up stupid in a dictionary and there a pull out poster of this dumb a$$!!!
Should have kept the name it was way better than canyon Inn so stupid. I think some people just use the rescue to get stuff for free. People like that are what hurts the people that actually want to change and needs help.
That guy was an idiot, your bar was failing you asked for the help and when they give you the tools to be successful you spit on it and go back to that dumb name. They should have bought you a dictionary to look up what an INN is. When these bars get rescued and go back to the old names and old ways what happens? They should be charged and all the perks repossessed…lol
Haha read my comments below RevDrW
I agree. If these bar owners change what Jon Taffer does they should have to pay it back!
Should have walked away, the guys a fool.
Pauly deserves to lose another $100k, his ego is obviously larger than his bank account. Some people deserve to fail, but they never learn anything from it. Never saw such arrogance for receiving such a gift.
The Owner did not deserve to be bar rescued and I hope it goes under for good.
The most arrogant hard headed stubborn bar owner ever!!!
No bar should be named after a hotel.
If you can’t get the food right, he should just change it pub or an inn & charge $39 for a night, $9 an hour for a cot.
If you can’t understand that, you don’t understand business.
I hope to see the Owner the next time I go to McDonald’s.
Just watched that brain dead owner Pauly in action:the quintessential arrogant narcissistic dickhead whose ego is so big he refuses to acknowledge his blatant failure (he’s the only one in the whole room who doesn’t see it)resists and blocks the incredibly patient and tolerant efforts of a WORLD RENOWNED expert who’s struggling to make this shithead MONEY and when everything goes perfectly from the rescue, like some little stubborn brat he changes the name back to a stupid moniker, his original INN. You can surely imagine the morale of the staff suffering from this petulant punk’s imbecilic behavior and bitch attitude. He’s not even a bush league owner-sure didn’t have the skills as a player!
THIS!!!!
Rev you hit it on the head!!!
Once a dick always a dick!
Taffer should have walked away, when he calls back begging, offer him pennies on a dollar and put him out of him misery!
Perfect comment!!! Jon should buy it hire dumb ass as a bar back so hopefully he can learn something!!! It Mr. know everything about nothing is to stupid to learn cause he already knows it all! WRONG
I wouldn’t care what the name is I would have checked it out and if I didn’t like it I would have never came back and I would not have came back and I would not have told anyone your an idiot dumbacrat stupid!!!!
Pauly is a loser in everything he has tried. Want bad food? Try this place.
This owner is a complete idiot. Jon Taffer needs to stop rescuing bars that have owners that act like this. I would have left after the first encounter. What a waste to spend all this money, and time for someone who could care less. He knows so much but is in the hole … where he deserves to be.
Absolutely correct!!! Can’t believe someone so closed minded & stupid even owns a business but he’ll be in debt before he realizes he’s hundred of thousands in debt and has to close down. Why Jon Taffer waste his time & money who you know is a loser after the 1st night is a great question. There are a lot more deserving than this waste of time! He will never change he thinks he’s to smart fail. Great comment C A
Needs some brain imaging done. “[said on the show] If I change the name on the sign, it will be admitting that I failed…” WTF? First of all, the two are unrelated. Businesses under new management or rebranding change the name all the time. And second, The failure is obvious in the financials of the business and his management style. If he can’t see that and has impaired memory for the comments from his staff, get a second brain scan to check for damage. My gf watched this and said, “wow, what a p***y he is!”
Its Amazing he hasn’t been sued for False Advertisement saying hes a INN and he not one. That wouldn’t fly here. I should go on a trip head that way get there with my Family. I could use extra money hmm do i want a new Truck or RV .
guys, in all those rescue episodes the problem was the owner, they saw what was wrong, they had money at first, they did nothing to fix it, that’s why they always fail or stay the same, if owner doesn’t want to change nothing will help.
What puzzles me is why this show wasted so much money on stubborn people who doesn’t deserve a chance, some of them are good people but bad business owners and don’t deserve a chance… what a waste of money and effort.
I’m not talking about this owner only, they’re all the same in the core, stubborn and stupid, this guys just has more attitude
I’m currently watching the show with canyon inn! Unbelievable is all I can say about Paulie is it? I can see 1/2 way thru the show he will FAIL! I see why he never made it to the show!!! He is a jock that worried about sports and not education. But his stupidity only shows when he opens his mouth. Me before Paul thinks he’s so smart I’m a 9th grade dropout went in the military and got a education got discharged started trucking. Did it 5 years to learn the industry bought my 1st truck. Now 40 years the company has over 50 trucks I’ve given the business over to my daughter and retired kinda. Every once in awhile I’ll hop in my truck for something to do. I’ve been retired since I was 54 Paulie will still be wondering why he’s broke!!!
Since the early days of the United States an Inn was always a place to get a hot meal and a room to rest for the night. If you want to sell alcohol the name Saloon- Pub – Bar are the names that make sense and tell what you sell. When you call in the Premier Bar consultant person in the country , listen to him . Give his way at least a year. A year of your best effort w/o being a pig headed ” I want it my way” kind of owner. Apparently your way wasn’t cutting it or you wouldn’t have called for help. Your bar play is as professional as your minor league baseball play!
All I can say is WOW! Can’t believe he is still open, I even bet he hasn’t put anything back into the business that Mr Taffer created for him. What he says about a name change admitting failure is funny to me, HE DID FAIL! How much are the rooms buddy?
Owner is an idiot
He was a sh!tty teammate too. One of the worst dudes I ever played ball with.
One of the only reasons that Jon helped somebody that doesn’t deserve the help, is that, Jon is a very patient individual that has learned how to forgive and forget. Assholes like Pauly are just a test for Jon’s patience level. Patience is a virtue, and Jon has patience.
Dealing with Pauly is like dealing with a spoiled little child that likes to throw things and have temper tantrums. Jon is a grown-up, unlike many of the owners and managers that he has had to deal with over the years. Pauly might know how to adequately run a bar, but he doesn’t know how to act like a humble human being.
Probably did too many steroids when he was playing baseball. Might still be doing them even now? Pauly is an A-type individual. I think that the A stands for Arrogant Asshole. I guess that makes Pauly a Double A-type. Jon is a good guy that will do anything to make the bar business fluorish.
The only reason that people will go to the Canyon Clown bar is because Jon Taffer rescued it, and the people respect Jon Taffer and his extensive knowledge of running bars successfully. Not because Pauly the Prick runs it.
Pauly is the perfect example of arrogant stupidity. He’s failing and is fighting with an expert in the business who is just trying to save his ass. Obviously he doesn’t understand the “cost of being right” when he clearly knows he’s wrong. Definitely some childhood issues there. The guy has never grown up. He will constantly go through a mediocre life and never reach his full potential because he’s always got to be right. I would never go to his bar and reward his arrogance.
I believe that they serve alcohol to minors and know it!!!! poor kid died after drinking here and still after the fact mult tagged photos on their ig show under age kids there.
Every time I see this BR episode all that comes to mind is ‘Pauly the scrotum head’.
I’m wondering if Pauly and Dave from Black Light are related. They look like they could be cousins, and their unbelieveable arrogance and stupidity seems to be a genetic match.
I can’t understand Pauly’s objection to the name change. Going from “Canyon Inn” to “Canyon Saloon” should not be a big deal. Since it is not an Inn, Taffer was correct in changing the name from Inn to Saloon.
Some of these comments are so obnoxious and remind me of the fake Yelp reviews that show up after watching episodes of the show.
The owner was arrogant for sure, but Tapper is equally arrogant, and in 2023 he just yells a lot at everyone, at least back in season 1 (2011) he was a little more humble.
That being said, two alpha-males who believe they are right most of the time, is all this amounted to. I would call it passion!
Like this owner said “I believe i am an expert, but I can admit am wrong 30% of the time” then he said Tapper who was a virtual unknown during season 1, said he was an expert as well, but didn’t admit to being wrong ever.
A little comment on that statement is, we have certainly seen some bar rescue failures (maybe more than 30%) in name or theme or decisions, so the owner had a pretty good gut feeling on this.
I love Jon Tapper and this show, and I think the owner of this dive bar may have been more accurate than the commenters here give him credit for, after all the bar is still open all these years later.
It’s Taffer, not Tapper.
JohnQPublic👍🏻
Lotta Stan’s in here. Creepy.
Just one local’s opinion- but I did not care for the name change. I get everyone’s point about the dictionary definition, but the place has been around a long time as The Canyon Inn and no local is confused by the lack of hotel piece. Also doubt that anyone who is NOT local shows up here as it is off the beaten path-unless it is to gawk at the place because of Bar Rescue (in which case they already know it’s not a hotel). That it survived the pandemic says it is filling its niche in the community. Just need to be more diligent about not serving minors-that is never OK
Canyon Inn? 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Since when is a bar called an Inn? Does he not get it?
Not one comment about Nicole Taffer’s hotness?
Pauly is still an ass if your not female, or God forbid beer was flat and complain, only good reason to go is bands, everytime see the sign I laugh so that’s a plus, I laugh until inside waiting for band. Only ordered a burger once and was so bad I haven’t ordered anything in years, I felt shamed returning it, it was like hockey puck and wanted med rare
Clearly 90% of the comments here are from the same person under different names.
It’s a TV show, dude. It’s for entertainment. Hate on the owner all you want, but the guy was just acting. And look up the definition of “Inn” before you run your mouth.
Its interesting that you label this a “Bar Rescue” success just because it’s still open. On this bar’s segment on a “Back to the Bar” episode, Jon labels it a “failure”, in part because Pauly changed the name back. Pauly, on the other hand, would say that he is still open IN SPITE of Jon Taffer, not because of him. Thoughts?