8 Explosive Fights From Bar Rescue We Can't Stop Watching

The following article and embedded clips include video or description of profanity, strong language, and physical violence.

There's nothing like watching something terrible but entertaining unfold on a reality TV show from the comfort of your own couch and thinking, "am I glad I'm not there right now." The show "Bar Rescue," debuted in 2011 and now with hundreds of episodes, contains plenty of those moments — explosive fights and shocking screaming matches, all captured by the cameras and edited to a nearly cinematic soundtrack. Host Jon Taffer tells us what truly happens behind the scenes is never staged or scripted, though some participants disagree, stating the shady rule the show allegedly enforces.

The made-for-TV drama produced some some of the best and worst episodes, but countless episodes contain memorable moments of contention, and more than a few confrontations over the course of the series got physical. In every episode except a few, Taffer confronted staff and management about the problems of the business — often leading to those brawls — then brought in hospitality experts to fix what's wrong. By the end, all the hostility was forgotten and gave way to a newly refreshed bar and newly inspired, hopeful owners. Still, let's go back and look at some of the most dramatic fights over the course of the series.

Warning: violence

In the episode "Punch-Drunk & Trailer-Trashed," it's nearly hard to find a moment when there isn't a fight going on. Host Jon Taffer couldn't even enter the bar on the first day of the show because of a fight between the manager and another employee. Later, one of the owners shouted, "I'm a military motherf***er, I will take you out," before running at the other man involved. It's too much even for Taffer, who walked out for the first time ever, refusing to rescue the bar.

Brawling sibling owners of a New York City bar fight by yelling across the crowded bar's dining room. They only stop when host Jon Taffer ran in. "Between the two of you guys, I'm not sure who the biggest [bleep] is," Taffer yelled. "We're too busy pointing the finger at each other that we don't see the whole picture," admitted one of the owners.

In the episode, "Boss Lady Blues," an annoyed customer at Jazz Katz in Southfield, Michigan, asked the bartender why he hadn't been served yet. When the bartender stepped out from behind the bar and appeared to try to intimidate the customer, host Jon Taffer intervened. "You've got an owner losing $88,000 a month, and you're being an a**," he shouted. "It ain't because of me," the bartender fired back. "You're a piece of [bleep] bartender with a lousy attitude," Taffer countered.

Warring staff factions in a Houston bar — and an argument over who a server specifically worked for — erupted into a dramatic fight among owners and staff members in this episode. Things got heated when the two muscle-bound owners nearly attacked each other in their office and had to be physically separated from one another. And all of this drama happened before host Jon Taffer even set foot on the property.

Warning: violence

In an alarming confrontation over food preparation, the owner of a bar in Mount Dora, Florida, slapped his son, a cook. "Let me tell you now for the last time, you're supposed to check this [bleep] before you serve it," the owner yelled, hitting his son. The son's near-complete lack of reaction prompted some social media users to speculate it probably wasn't the first time that happened.

If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic violence abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at the National Domestic Violence Hotline website.

Host Jon Taffer laid into the owner of the Celebrities Sports Grill for his behavior after learning the owner had called a customer a derogatory term. Taffer gave the owner an ultimatum: Apologize to every customer in the bar or he won't come back. Instead, the owner told the woman he'd insulted to "get the f**k out" of his bar, and things got messy when incensed customers followed him back into the kitchen.

Warning: violence

A friend of the owner of Russell City Grill and Sports Bar (renamed Fogline Bar and Grill) was always getting in the way in this episode, hanging out behind the bar and preventing staff from getting their jobs done. The owner let him drink for free and it devolved into an all-out brawl when a bartender finally lost his patience and punched the man after telling him to back away.

Having a good relationship with colleagues at work is essential, but working with too many close friends can go south quickly. That's what happened in this episode, where friends-turned-staff got drunk and started horseplay in the busy bar — quickly deteriorating into fighting. An owner threw a stool at his manager friend, who was getting kicked as he crawled around on the floor. Unsurprisingly, host Jon Taffer was having none of it, and gave the unruly owner a taste of his own medicine.