(keep reading to learn what happened)
Season: 4 | View All Season 4 Episodes
Original Episode Air Date: October 19, 2014
The Bar's Original Name Was: Rhythm and Brews
5th And Vine Address: 1674 Richmond Rd, Staten Island, NY 10306
Episode Recap
Rhythm and Brews, later renamed 5th And Vine, was a Staten Island, New York bar featured on Season 4 of Bar Rescue.
Though the 5th And Vine Bar Rescue episode aired in October 2014, the actual filming and visit from Jon Taffer took place before that.
It was Season 4 Episode 3 and the episode name was “Schmuck Dynasty”.
Rhythm and Brews is a bar located in Staten Island, New York.
The owners are twin brothers Steve and Erik Winchow and the pair bought the bar for $50,000 back in 2003, which is over a decade before the Rhythm and Brews Bar Rescue episode.
At first, Rhythm and Brews was a very successful bar.
The brothers hired their younger brother Stu to manage the bar.
However, soon after, a biker gang took over the bar giving it a bad image.
To help save Rhythm and Brews, Jon Taffer brings in bartending expert Kate Gerwin and Chef Josh Capon.
Josh’s wife Lori does the recon for the restaurant.
There is no wine, so she orders a margarita.
The margarita is not made well at all.
The biker gang acts as if they own the bar and take it over.
Anyone can go into the kitchen to cook food, which seems like a huge cleanliness issue (not to mention the general lack of respect).
Chef Josh walks into the kitchen, cooks a pizza, and leaves with both the pizza and the pan, and no one notices a thing.
It’s such a weird situation…
Jon has had enough, and he goes into the bar. Jon tells the staff to close the bar and have the customers gone in five minutes.
Jon discusses what he sees with the experts, such as food covered in freezer burn.
Kate explains to the staff how to taste wine and serve it the right way.
Jon really wants to see the owners step up during the stress test.
The biker gang returns, but they have to be kicked out.
Stu, the manager, tells Jon things are not as bad as he thinks they are.
Jon then meets with the owners and their families.
After talking with their dad, the three brothers realize they must change.
Chef Josh shows the kitchen new recipes, and Kate shows them new drinks.
One drink she shows them is called Three Sons Sour.
Jon goes over the renovations with the owners.
He tells them, “All old behavior changes now!”
As part of the rebranding and relaunch, the bar is renamed 5th and Vine.
The exterior and interior are now extremely classy looking.
The way the bar was built will help bring in more of their target market.
There is a new Center Stage wine system from By the Glass USA.
There are also three new POS machines given to the bar by Revention.
Jon always has to took the bars up with a new POS!
During the relaunch, the staff begins to work as a team.
Customers are enjoying their food and drinks.
The bar is packed with people, not just a biker gang.
Jon thinks this has been a successful bar rescue.
So – is Jon right about the 5th and Vine Bar Rescue attempt? Let’s find out out what happened next and if it’s still open in 2024.
5th And Vine Update - What Happened Next?
Now that we’ve recapped the 5th and Vine Bar Rescue visit, let’s talk about what happened to the bar after Jon Taffer and his crew left Staten Island.
Six weeks after filming, sales at 5th and Vine are up to fifty percent, so it seems like things are going very well for the bar.
However, while business was good, the hygiene and management was not up to par.
To start, the bar was closed by the health department based on an “upgraded inspection” in April 2016.
5th and Vine failed a total of 61 different points, including:
- Evidence of mice or live mice
- Filth flies or food/refuse/sewage-associated flies.
- No handwashing facility near food
- Facility not vermin proof
Here’s a local news article that has more details.
The bar did reopen after failing the health inspection, but it didn’t last.
Is 5th and Vine still open?
5th and Vine closed permanently in November 2016, around two years after the 5th and Vine Bar Rescue episode aired.
This is only a few months after the health inspection temporary closure, so that might’ve played a part in it.
The bar also had pretty average reviews, though not horrible. I’ll share some real example reviews below.
Erik, one of the owners, posted the following:
This Saturday night is the last night to party down with the cast of 5th & Vine.
Don’t miss out on the memories
For a time, the old 5th and Vine Staten Island location was occupied by a new bar called The G.O.A.T., short for The Greatest of All Time.
However, as of early 2022 that bar was also closed and the location was empty as far as I could tell.
A real estate entry on the MLS listed the bar’s location as for sale for $225,000.
It seems like that sale gained traction, as the location is now occupied by a bar called Cypress Hall.
A Google Maps street view shot from August 2022 shows the coming soon sign for Cypress Hall, but I believe it’s now open in late 2022.
If Google Maps updates, I will update this post. But yeah – it seems like the old 5th and Vine Staten Island location is now Cypress Hall.
Cypress Hall offers “American European Fusion” and seems to have good reviews so far, with a 4 star rating on its Yelp page.
5th and Vine reviews after Bar Rescue
At the time that 5th and Vine closed, it had a 3.5 star Yelp rating on 26 reviews.
That’s not horrible, but also not amazing.
Here’s a sampling of reviews that were written after the visit from Jon Taffer…
4 star Yelp review from January 2015;
We stopped in for a quick drink before dinner as we were eating nearby and had seen the Bar Rescue episode so figured it was worth checking out.
The bar itself is nice, good wine selection, interior has been nicely redone (I had never been in the former iteration but say from the show and the reputation) and it seems clean.
We sat at the bar and enjoyed our wines by the glass, as we talked with Stu, one of the owners, who is featured on the show — he was chatty, welcoming and funny.
Being there from around 730 to 830 on a Saturday night, it doesn’t bode terribly well that there were very very few other patrons there, but this place really does fit into a gaping hole in the SI drinking scene.
…[review continues]
1 star Yelp review from November 2014:
No one greeted us as we walked in and the first thing the owner asks us was “you guys saw the show?”.
He wouldn’t stop talking about it, it was very awkward.
The sliders were hockey pucks, you could smell the burnt ends with congealed cheese on top (menu said there would be 4. We received 3).
We were given paper plates and no utensils.
The owner told us after we ordered that he needs to run a credit card to hold the order to prevent theft?
He said Jon Taffer told him to do that.
I’ve never heard of that before.
It’s very clear that no one cares in that place.
We couldn’t wait to leave and finished our night at Liberty Tavern.
The vodka bacon pizza was the silver lining.
That was delicious
3 star Yelp review from July 2016:
In April 2016, I suggested this venue as a first date place since my date was driving about an hour and a half from nj.
I made the mistake of not checking and assumed we could enter at 6pm when my date arrived however it opened at 7pm.
To me, this is an odd time to open.
Stu, the owner was kind when greeting us.
The lighting in the front of the bar was on and gave a half open feel to the place.
That and we were the only people in the restaurant for at least an hour or so.
There was a juke box we tinkered with in the front.
We ordered the charcuterie plate, which came out looking like very basic grocery deli cheeses and meats; salami, chorizo, no prosciutto or cappicola.
It was a hefty portion but not worth 15$.
Stu said they were expanding their menu next week.
He offered us free shots and free rounds for being the only patrons and then a really nice regular, Michael, bought us a round.
I let Stu pick my wine which was good, had a lot of bubbles on top and maybe it’s because of the system installed by Bar Rescue to airate it.
It was a great experience getting to know Stu and his regulars.
…review continues
Finally, here’s a picture of a lengthy 4 star review from January 2015:
Overall, 5th and Vine is definitely not a Bar Rescue success story, as it only survived for a couple of years after Taffer’s visit.
Still, I’ve seen some bars do worse, so it’s not horrible.
As far as I’m aware, 5th and Vine was the only Bar Rescue Staten Island episode.
However, if you want to see some other nearby bars, you can check out my updates for Artful Dodger / P’s and Q’s Autobody in Huntington, Undisputed / SoYo Craft Bar in Yonkers, Bungalow Bar in Rockaway, and Jack’s Fire Dept / Jack’s Ale House in Sunnyside.
Thanks for reading!
More Information
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Last updated: 2023-02-05 08:17
I live on Staten Island and whenever I watch this episode, I always think about how Jon Taffer severely misunderstood what it means to run a bar or restaurant on Staten Island.
All the data in the world for what works in ‘Normal Town USA’ will not apply to Staten Island.
For one thing, Staten Islanders hate Staten Island. So, they want a local neighborhood joint that they can rely on for consistent faces, food, and alcohol….in their own neighborhood. Traffic on the island is obscene and it keeps people from crossing over into other neighborhoods.
But there is another problem. Staten Islanders get bored. So, no matter what Jon Taffer did, in 1 year the bar would have to renovate again to offer something new, even if the name did not change. Restauranteurs on the island bounce around starting restaurants and closing them every 2-3 years or so. Only neighborhood leaders get to keep a place open for many years, and still they have to make changes to prevent boredom.
Finally, Staten Islanders like to own the places they hang out in and make it their own. The “biker gang” in the show is quite harmless. They could have easily built a concept around it and kept that steady traffic. Most Staten Islanders have a loud bark, but they never bite because we all live on this tiny island, went to HS together, and interact constantly.
I talked to people who went to the 5th and Vine opening night. They told me in true Staten Island fashion, “I don’t get it.”
Staten Islanders are truly bizarre people. I don’t think Jon Taffer spent enough time here to know exactly why.
Maybe go read why they closed. Has nothing to do with the concept and the customers
Interesting. I live on Staten Island. None of what you said applies to me or my friends…Maybe you’re just a spoiled bitchy brat?
Oh and the reason the bar closed had nothing to do with staffer. You’re from NY and you never learned to read?! Dumbass
Nah! I just finished watched the episode. All three brothers never had a backbone. Sons of Anarchy took over their bar and they let them do it. That’s why there were $700k in debt and why one brother was sleeping in the bar. Plus they never recovered from the 61 code violations! Staten Islanders being bored had nothing to do with the business failing. I don’t live in New York, but it’s NEW YORK. There is always something to do. It must be nice living in that $600k income/living demographic! That’s why YOU are bored.
I left a comment on Facebook: It was pretty simple. Jon should’ve renamed the bar The Three Putzes. Never have I ever witnessed on Bar Rescue, 3 ‘males’ with No balls/no spine. Those wannabe’ bikers?! 😆At least they told the truth in that they stated these 3 would fail anyway. Pathetic.
Those awkward scenes with the non-twin brother talking about “he’s not just going to get a studio… he’s going to get an apartment”
It reminds us all heroin is a hell of a drug
don’t do it.
Hence the bars imminent demise
Strong suspicions there was more to the story
Okay, I can’t be the only one who was laughing his ass off as Chef Capon walked past his wife while holding that pizza! I’m not sure if anyone else caught this, but she gave him the dirtiest look ever as he walked out with that pizza!
The camera angle was from behind their backs so I don’t know where you got the idea that his wife gave him a dirty look..
That was the worst part of the episode aside from the manic brother
Of course they didn’t question the guy with the camera pointed at him walking in and making a pizza
I am dying to know if homeboy got an apartment or not? Why has that not been updated?????
Taffer reacted like my Mom to a beard. As if it means you are either Lucifer or were just found under the overpass w a rusty needle in your arm. Beards =eeeeeeevile. Hair plugs and shoe polish hair dye, Mens Wearhouse 99. Blue sportcoat, untailored, Professional!
Different generation.
Shameful. They didn’t have the guts to keep the place clear of rodents. How basic is that? I knew they weren’t the sharpest knives in the draw, but they had to be stupid not to succeed because of heath conditions. They had it all, and blew it.