(keep reading to learn what happened)
Season: 6 | View All Season 6 Episodes
Original Episode Air Date: May 19, 2019
The Bar's Original Name Was: The China Grove Trading Post
The Tipsy Bull Address: 7393 US Hwy 87 E China Grove, TX 78263
Episode Recap
The China Grove Trading Post, later renamed to The Tipsy Bull, was a China Grove, Texas bar that was featured on Season 6 of Bar Rescue.
Though the Tipsy Bull Bar Rescue episode aired in May 2019, the actual filming and visit from Jon Taffer took place around a year earlier in 2018.
It was Season 6 Episode 35 and the episode name was “Big Trouble in Little China Grove”.
China Grove Trading Post is in China Grove, TX – hence the name.
If you’re not familiar with Texas geography, China Grove is located in the suburbs of San Antonio, directly to the east of the city.
The population of China Grove proper is only around 1,000 people, but it’s part of the San Antonio Metropolitan area so there are a lot of people around.
Raymond and Wendy Jenkins bought the bar in 2014.
They have a lifetime of experience in the hospitality industry.
Their daughter Maggen joined them as part of their retirement plan.
At first, China Grove Trading Post was successful.
Soon, Maggen began drinking while working and fighting with her mother.
She is constantly fired and then rehired by her parents.
To make matters worse, China Grove Trading Post is also dealing with over $150,000 in debt.
The bar is only one month away from closing at the time of the China Grove Trading Post Bar Rescue episode.
Chef Tiffany Derry and expert mixologist Mia Mastroianni join Jon Taffer to help save the bar.
The hidden camera footage shows Wendy and Maggen in the kitchen but in flip-flops which is unsafe.
Lisa, Susan, and Cheyenne are all bartenders, with Cheyenne being rude and unfriendly.
A local blogger named Madelyn Mendoza spies on China Grove Trading Post with a friend.
There is no specialty drink menu, and the bartenders do not know how to make the basic drinks they do order.
The spies also order nachos and tacos that the camera footage shows Maggen microwaving in the kitchen.
The food is disgusting, and Maggen refuses to recook it as she is applying makeup.
It’s almost comical. I know it’s reality TV, but it’s still pretty crazy.
Maggen wants to order a shot herself and make it even though she is not a bartender.
She gets loud and vocal when told to step back from the bar.
At that moment, a possum runs into the bar and the kitchen.
There’s also just generally other wildness, such as one of the patrons at the bar…umm “getting to know” a stuffed coyote:
Jon Taffer talks to Wendy, who says the problem is her daughter.
The next day Jon Taffer returns.
First, Jon meets with the family.
He calls Maggen out on her behavior the day before.
Maggen is not happy with Jon’s feedback.
Her father tells Jon he keeps firing her, but Wendy takes her back.
Raymond eventually tells Maggen to leave, and she does.
However, Wendy feels bad for firing her daughter.
Mia is introduced and asks the bartender basic bar questions.
She also shows them how to make margaritas.
Wendy’s son Brandon comes in for training and enjoys learning to cook from Chef Tiffany Derry.
The stress test starts, and drinks are not going out consistently.
Jon Taffer must shut down the stress test because no one has received any glasses.
Mia trains the staff the next day on pretty, attractive, Instagram-able drinks.
Chef Tiffany instructs Brandon on tex-mex meals.
The owners decide not to let Maggen back in until she is ready to be held accountable for her actions.
While all of that is happening, Jon Taffer and his crew are hard at work on renovating China Grove Trading Post.
As part of the changes, he renames the bar to The Tipsy Bull.
The bar is now warmer with a Texas theme.
There are new workstations and POS systems.
A lot of money and time has been put into the bar’s marketing and advertising.
Everyone is happy to see Wendy step up.
The customers love the food and drinks.
Maggen comes to the relaunch to support the bar and is pleased with how things are running.
So was the China Grove Trading Post Bar Rescue episode a long-term success?
Keep reading to learn what happened next and if this Texas bar is still open in 2024.
The Tipsy Bull Update - What Happened Next?
Now that we’ve recapped the Tipsy Bull Bar Rescue episode, let’s talk about what happened after Jon Taffer and his crew left China Grove, TX.
Things seemed to start off well for the newly named Tipsy Bull.
At the normal six-week check-in with the Bar Rescue producers, we learn that sales at the bar are up by more than 20%, which seems like a good sign.
There weren’t a lot of reviews for the bar – I couldn’t find any that were written after Bar Rescue.
But, at least according to the producers, things were looking up.
Unfortunately, the good times at the bar would not last…at least not under Ray and Wendy Jenkins’ ownership.
Is The Tipsy Bull still open after Bar Rescue?
The Tipsy Bull closed in October 2018, which was 7 months before the Tipsy Bull Bar Rescue episode aired on TV (though it was about 4 months after the actual visit from Jon Taffer).
However, all is not lost!
In March 2019, two regulars at the bar, Jim and Sue Sutter, reopened the bar, though under a slightly different name.
The new bar is named Mr. Jim’s Trading Post, which seems like a nod to the original China Grove Trading Post name.
The Sutters purchased the property from the Jenkins, who were the Tipsy Bull owners that you saw on the Bar Rescue episode.
Mr. Jim’s Trading Post still has the same decor and aesthetic that you saw on Bar Rescue.
The new bar has live music on Friday nights and karaoke on Saturday nights.
People can also get barbeque from DeeWillie’s BBQ, a local BBQ joint with multiple locations in the San Antonio area.
As of 2023, Mr. Jim’s Trading Post is still open and serving customers in China Grove, TX.
However, I’m still marking this one as closed because the bar did close for a few months and, even after reopening, it has new ownership and a slightly different name.
If you want to learn more about the new bar, you can check out its Facebook page or the official Mr. Jim’s Trading Post website.
Reviews for Mr. Jim’s Trading Post generally seem pretty good, as it has a 4.6 star rating on Google Reviews and a 4.9 star rating on Facebook.
If you want to see some other nearby Texas Bar Rescue episodes, you can check out my updates for The Base Line / Recovery Room in San Antonio, Country Nights / Madame Dalia’s in San Antonio, and Kiva Lounge / The Morgue in San Marcos.
Or, you can read my full list of all 15+ Bar Rescue Texas episodes as of 2024.
Thanks for reading!
More Information
https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-tipsy-bull-a-texas-bar-and-grill-china-grovehttps://www.facebook.com/thetradingpost/
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Last updated: 2023-04-01 05:13
I knew watching in the first five minutes that this bar wouldn’t last. The more I watch these episodes the more i wonder how much is staged for the show. After showing the possum nothing more was said about it.
I a new broom sweeps clean as they say, but more often than not, old staff that aren’t up to standard should be replaced in most cases and family members that aren’t team players need to go. People don’t change that much in 5 days.
The redesign of the bar was awesome, should have help things get back on track. Not sure what happened, but I feel old habits die hard. Maybe some one with some first hand knowledge will comment on this bar and let us know what happened.
Jim and Sue Sutter, who were actually in the Bar Rescue episode as bar patrons, now own the bar. They are very successful and run Mr. Jim’s Trading Post as a family friendly bar and welcoming atmosphere. DeWillie’s BBQ now runs the restaurant section and is fabulous. I’ve been there on several occasions both at the bar and at the restaurant. I strongly suggest visiting if you have a chance. The outdoor patio is very spacious and fun to visit with friends.
Daughter Maggen = Cow
(apologies to cows)
That’s the truth….gross cow with a crappy attitude.