Photo: QueensPost
Oct. 31, 2014 By Christian Murray
The Spike TV show “Bar Rescue” will be featuring a Sunnyside bar when it airs this Sunday.
The show, which stars Jon Taffer, a tough-talking nightlife expert who helps struggling bars come back from the brink, will focus on Jack’s Ale House at 39-46 Skillman Avenue.
Taffer and his crew were at Jack’s for a week in August putting the show together.
The bar is owned by Sunnyside resident Brian McGowan and his two brothers, Jimmy and John. The three are all firefighters (although John has retired) who have deep roots in Sunnyside.
However, the brothers have squabbled over the years and the show hones in on this.
In fact, the promo for this Sunday’s show reads:
Three loud-mouthed firefighting brothers struggle to keep their Queens bar afloat. Can Taffer calm the sparks before this family implodes?
In August, Brian McGowan said the show was well worth doing. “It’s been amazing,” he said. “It’s brought our family back together again. Many family issues have been resolved as a result of the show—from how we run the bar to past money issues.”
McGowan said that Taffer is the tough-talking person you see on the show. On the first night “He ripped us all a new A-hole and then walked out of the bar,” he said. However, he added, Taffer has a “heart of gold.”
This Sunday, Jacks is holding a party in at 8pm to celebrate the airing of the show.
Details:
Sunday, 9pm
Taffer talks to the McGowans
Featured Events
33 Comments
They need to remove the active driveway parking sign that they have up. It is not an active driveway. I’m curious to know if anyone received a ticket for parking there.
That show was extermely hard to believe. In all the times I was there, I never saw the wives behind the bar. Also they took stuff off the walls and made it look like it was run down. I never saw the brothers in there acting like that. They were always nice and would say hello. I wish them all the luck but that show was bs.
Anyone else up for that grilled cheese challenge?
Let’s not assume everyone with a negative comment is a “hipster” (catchall term for young person, it seems) or a yuppy. I think you can find snobby attitudes amongst the entire demographic. But anyway, get lost snobs. If Jack’s Alehouse is not your cup of tea, keep your stupid mouth shut. Simples, innit? Joe, not all of the new influx want to be here at the expense of the existing community and we’re grateful you have worked hard to keep Sunnyside what is it is through the hard times.
My wife and I went to the viewing Party last night at JFD and we had a great time! all types of people were there to enjoy the festivities . I wish the McGowan family nothing but the best it was a Nice large well behaved crowd you could not ask for a better evening.
Tow was the star!!!!!
Yes!!! Tow Downes was the special guest star! I screamed laughing every time I saw him! 🙂
I watch the show, my brother always watches and called me since I once lived in Sunnyside, it was a great show, I lived in Sunnyside years ago and now in Rockaway. I know the Bungalow Bar also a great place. I am going to come off to your place this Friday night can’t wait to see it in person it looks so great on the show.
Again it was a great show and your a great family, say strong!!!
I am so sick of hipsters, yuppies, and MRRs (Manhattan Rent Refugees) such as “a.bidge” moving into our neighborhood and casting aspersions about the long time blue collar residents who stayed during the bad times and kept it from becoming a ghetto. The McGowan Family has worked harder, and given more to this city and this community, than any of you judgmental, snot-nosed punks ever will. Please do us all a big favor and stay at your overpriced “high class” bars in Manhattan and in Williamsburg. Better yet, go back to Ohio, or Indiana, or wherever it is that you scumbags originally came from.
My word you Americans are so Hostile we in Britain are so much more civilized.
Can’t you just send your best wishes and support a local business instead of being so negative. If you don’t care don’t read the article or comment on it!
How about you stop being so intolerant and embrace the diversity of opinion allowed by the comment section!
How about following up on how the old guy who got mugged is doing? This is booooooring!
Loved this place when it was the OutPost back in the 80’s but then moved away – can’t wait to see how the place looks now. It was a dive bar back then but great friends made it a great place we would meet.
How many articles are there going to be about this nonsense? Who cares?
it’s a fine establishment been there since the re-opening enough with the negative comments.
Every smart pants wants a trader joes in sunnyside. Fact is these organic concepts have been tried before. Sunnyside cannot afford a trader joes. Stop writing checks your derriere can’t cash.
That site has been a bar for over a hundred years i believe keep the awill flowing
I lost my virginity at that bar. I’m happy to see it still up and running. Good luck to the bar as well.
plow it, can we fit a trader joes on that site?
its in a shady hellhole of a location… with this being said it needs a couple shiny poles and some rockin girls.
The bar sucked before and after. Bet the show leaves that small detail out.
Isn’t there a fire these guys should be out fighting? Went here a couple times after it was rescued, what a waste of $ place sucks.
Hope you never need a fire put out, that’ll be a waste…
they’re retired fire fighters
Awesome great for the Brothers!!!! BQ
who cares
Then don’t comment if you don’t care!
Just checked the TV listings, this episode is entitled, “Jackasses on Skillman”.
Liar
I’ll be watchin’!
You are full of shit, Dana. The title of this episode is “Anything You Can Yell, I Can Yell Louder”.
Oops my bad. You were right