(keep reading to learn what happened)
Season: 6 | View All Season 6 Episodes
Original Episode Air Date: March 24, 2019
The Bar's Original Name Was: The Original Hideout
The Original Hideout Address: 3000 S Mission Rd Tucson, AZ 85713
Episode Recap
The Original Hideout was a Tucson, Arizona bar that was featured on Season 6 of Bar Rescue.
Though the Original Hideout Bar Rescue episode aired in March 2019, the actual filming and visit from Jon Taffer took place around 10 months before that in March 2018.
It was Season 6 Episode 28 and the episode name was “Owner on the Run”.
Ramiro Flores, a local lawyer, owns The Original Hideout in Tucson, AZ.
The bar has a long history, originally being founded all the way back in 1952.
In 2008, Ramiro purchased the bars with the help of investors, and within a year, he bought out his investors.
This means he’s been the sole owner for about a decade at the time of the Original Hideout Bar Rescue episode.
Raoul Ramirez, Ramiro’s brother, was hired as the manager.
Both Raoul and Ramiro are very inexperienced and do not know how to run a bar.
Jon Taffer arrives at The Original Hideout with Chef Anthony Lamas and mixologist Jacon Forth.
The camera footage shows the bartenders, Gloria, Summer, and Lisa.
The cook Manuel and the server Patty are also featured in the footage.
Two ladies, Susette and Melissa, go into the bar as Jon’s spies.
The spies order a draft beer, but the bar doesn’t serve that, so they order a tequila sunrise and a margarita instead.
The footage shows cooked and raw chicken set next to each other in the kitchen, which you know is sure to piss off Jon.
They also wash chicken in the dish sink and even leave the chicken sitting on the trash can!
When Jon Taffer enters the bar, the customers applaud him.
He walks into the kitchen to confront Raoul and Ramiro.
Jon admonished Raoul for wasting his brother’s money and time.
He says Raoul doesn’t take Ramiro’s business seriously.
The staff is told to clean the kitchen as Jon leaves.
The brothers then begin to fight, and Raoul leaves with his wife.
From the parking lot, Jon watches this exchange.
The following day Jon Taffer returns, but Raoul is not there.
Ramiro tells Jon that Ramiro is not speaking to him and tells his wife not to.
Gloria admits to Jon the main issue with the bar is the kitchen and that the kitchen stresses Raoul out.
Lisa was once fired by Raoul but rehired by Ramiro.
To prove he is serious about changing, Ramiro fires Lisa.
To prep for the stress test, Chef Anthony shows the cooks how to make tacos.
At the bar, Jacob trains the bartenders on how to make cocktails with tequila.
Raoul’s wife calls during the training to say that Raoul is not showing up.
Ramiro has to step up and manage the bar for the stress test.
The bar starts slow in the stress test, and the kitchen sends out cold food.
After the test, the experts can get down to really improving things at The Original Hideout.
Chef Anthony and the staff make a specialty soup.
Jacob and the bartenders add warm salt and agave to their tequila cocktails.
Jon Taffer asks Ramiro if he and his brother will be okay. Ramiro says he thinks his brother needs some time.
Now, Ramiro has to manage the bar and his full-time job.
While all of that’s happening, Jon Taffer’s crew are hard at work on the bar.
The bar has been renovated and looks very nostalgic.
However, Jon decided to keep the Original Hideout name because of the bar’s long history.
The colors are warmer and brighter, and a small distillery system for a specialty shot.
The relaunch starts, and the kitchen is busy right away.
The staff is now in cowboy uniforms, and the signature shots and selling fast.
Ramiro can keep up with the support of Gloria.
So was the Original Hideout Bar Rescue visit a success? Keep reading to learn what happened next and how the bar is doing in 2024.
The Original Hideout Update - What Happened Next?
Now that we’ve recapped the Original Hideout Bar Rescue episode, let’s talk about what happened after Jon Taffer and his crew left Tucson, AZ.
Business seemed to start off well after the episode.
At the normal six-week check-in with the Bar Rescue producers, we learn that sales at The Original Hideout have jumped by 25%, which ain’t too shabby.
Is The Original Hideout from Bar Rescue still open?
As of 2023, The Original Hideout is still open and serving customers in Tucson, AZ.
In addition to the in-person business at the bar, The Original Hideout also does delivery via DoorDash.
They also seem to be pretty active on Facebook, regularly posting specials and events.
They seem to have live DJs pretty often. In addition to that, they also have karaoke nights.
Here’s an example of a typical event which they seem to run every Saturday:
There are also other ways for patrons to entertain themselves, such as the pool tables.
Here’s a look at the outside of the bar as of April 2022, courtesy of Google Maps street view:
The Original Hideout reviews after Bar Rescue
Customer reviews written after the Original Hideout Bar Rescue visit seem to be good but not amazing.
Overall, it has a 4.1 star rating on Google Reviews, which is where most of the reviews are written.
It also has a 3 star rating on Yelp, though the bar doesn’t have many reviews there.
Here are a few examples…
5 star review from January 2022:
Friendly bartenders and patrons.
Good food.
Fun karaoke and DJ nights.
Drinks are priced right too.
5 star review from May 2022:
I love this place.
Nice dancing, nice people, no drama
2 star Yelp review from July 2019:
I’ve lived in this area most of my life and I have passed by the hideout many times and finally was coerced by my friend to visit with her since they were on Bar Rescue and I have to say I’m going to keep driving by.
We came in and it looks like a regular dive bar nothing really stands out about it.
We sat down and ordered our food.
The wings were good but the bacon burger I ordered was terrible.
The burger was very dry and unseasoned and the bacon was burnt.
I don’t even know why the waitress asked how I wanted the burger cooked.
The service was good, out waitress was friendly and frequently checked on us.
Maybe if you are just stopping for drinks but if you plan on getting food you have been warned eat before hand.
5 star review from January 2022:
Perfect place to go to when you want to go out but don’t really want to go all around town and deal with the 4th Avenue lifestyle
1 star review from May 2021:
Nice decor, good cocktails;although they get smaller after the DJ begins the music.
Music started out well, but then it went downhill pretty quickly.
DJ mostly played requests from twerking female patrons.
And then joined them on the dance floor. Won’t be back.
1 star review from 2020:
Music is nice but bathrooms are to small also they need to be quicker on taking care of everyone instead of people that are in front of them.
So more workers and last don’t leave your drink cause a lil before closing time they go start picking up which i understand you gotta clean up but they don’t make sure your done or your party that your with so i didn’t really care for that.
But if you love to dance that’s your pl lol!!
If you’re in the Tucson, AZ area and you want to check it out, you can learn more at the official The Original Hideout website.
Here are some items from the Original Hideout menu, to give you an idea of the food prices. It seems pretty affordable:
If you want to see some other Bar Rescue Tucson episodes, you can check out my updates for RJ’s Replay / Frozen Cactus and Billy Bar / County Line Lounge. All three Bar Rescue Tucson episodes have been successful so far.
For some other Bar Rescue Arizona episodes, you can check out these posts:
- Havana Cabana / Rocky Point Cantina update
- Gallopin’ Goose update
- George and Dragon update
- Chilleen’s on 17 update
- Brick and Barley / Baseline Sports Bar update
Thanks for reading!
More Information
https://www.yelp.com/biz/hideout-tucsonhttps://www.facebook.com/originalhideout/
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Last updated: 2023-01-29 06:56
Is it me or do the reviews seem nit picky? lol