barBar Rescue · Season 8, Episode 21 · Aired May 22, 2022
AJ’s on the River
Gibsonton, Florida
Still going, now under a new name. It now goes by Jerry's Dockside Bar & Grill.
What happened after
Waterfront bar & grill on the Alafia River with live music.
What happened on the show
A riverside Florida bar was struggling to stay afloat under a manager with no experience, a staff that co-mingled on the job, and a menu wildly out of line with its community. At AJ's on the River in Gibsonton, the mismatch between what the bar offered and what its riverfront neighborhood wanted, compounded by weak management, had left the room foundering. The rescue worked to fix the leadership, discipline the staff, and realign the menu with the community it served. Taffer reopened the venue as Jerry's Dockside Bar and Grill, a waterfront rebrand meant to embrace the Alafia River setting, betting that a fitting concept, competent management and a menu that matched the neighborhood could keep a riverside room afloat.
After the cameras left
Jerry's Dockside Bar and Grill stuck and is still operating. The waterfront bar and grill continues on the Alafia River at 9808 Vaughn Street in Gibsonton, with live music as a draw, under owner Jerry Clark, who has held it since 2016, which puts the status at high confidence as a renamed survivor. AJ's on the River survived its rescue and carried the Jerry's Dockside identity forward, landing this one firmly among the survivors, a riverside Florida room that found the fit with its community that had eluded it before.
Sources
Confidence: high. Last checked 2026-07-19.
What is there now
Street imagery via Google Maps. Location approximate.