‘Bar Rescue’ Takes Over Tropic
Now a Jamaican bar, to be called Montego Bay Beach Club, it's set to reopen Friday.
Montego Bay Beach Club, 518 N. Water St. Photo taken Sept. 23, 2024 by Sophie Bolich.
First, there was Nick’s House; then came Campbell’s Irish Pub. Now, get ready for Montego Bay Beach Club.
Host Jon Taffer and the “Bar Rescue” team have completed their latest redemption mission, seeking to transform yet another tavern in Milwaukee. This time its Tropic, 518 N. Water St., which is being somewhat modified to become a Caribbean-style bar and kitchen.
The reality TV show travels cross-country to struggling bars and nightclubs, typically implementing drastic changes to revitalize the businesses while chronicling the fast-paced — and often drama-filled — process.
Last week, crew members took over a portion of downtown Milwaukee to tape an episode, which is expected to air in the show’s upcoming 10th season.
A limited number of patrons were permitted to enter the business on Wednesday and Friday evening for a sneak peek, though additional details remain under wraps — at least until the end of the week.
As of Monday, the business remained closed for remodeling. It’s scheduled to reopen on Friday, Sept. 27 at 7 p.m.
And though black curtains prevent passersby from looking within, the building’s exterior offers a glimpse of what’s to come, with freshly posted window decals promoting ice-cold beer, tropical cocktails, island fare, reggae music, hookah and good vibes.
Those descriptors, however, don’t stray far from the bar’s original iteration, which opened under Hyacinth Nembhardt in 2022.
According to its website, Tropic emphasized “unique bar bites” including jerk chicken wings, Jamaican patties, dumplings and Tropic pizza topped with mango habanero sauce, pepperoni, mozzarella cheese, green onion and banana peppers. In recent months, Tropic partnered with Twisted Cafe to serve fusion-style brunch through a series of pop-ups.
The bar paired its casual eats with specialty and frozen cocktails such as rum punch, prickly pear palomas and peach blossom martinis.
Nembhardt, who also operates Concoctions at 1316 E. Brady St., has remained tight-lipped about the changes. A representative of “Bar Rescue” did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Paramount Network show has come to Milwaukee twice before. In season four, “Bar Rescue” transformed Packy’s Pub, 4068 S. Howell Ave., into Campbell’s Irish Pub. The establishment later closed.
The show also took on Y-Not III, 1854 E. Kenilworth Pl., transforming it into a 70s-themed tavern called Nick’s House. The establishment operated for roughly 18 more months before it shuttered. The building was leveled entirely shortly thereafter.
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Ya know, I watched a few seasons of Bar Rescue during the COVID, at first getting a kick out of Taffer rolling into town and kicking scandalously inept bar owners’ and managers’ butts. Great fun! But, after a while, I just got that Taffer is simply a big blow hard with an awful track record whose fixes don’t stick. Seriously, how loud does someone need to scream and bloviate until you get sick of ‘em. For me, it turned out to be not that long.
Reality TV…it’s just so darn REAL!
Taffer is a successful bar consultant like Donald Trump was a cunning real estate mogul – just media-created BS that makes acting like a know-it-all a**hole seem like some sort of intelligence.