barBar Rescue · Season 6, Episode 16 · Aired July 1, 2018
The Airliner
Los Angeles, California
Yes. This one is still open.
On the show
Season 6, Episode 16 · July 1, 2018 · bar
Location given as Lincoln Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles.
What happened after
Still operating as a bar/music venue in Lincoln Heights, though under new ownership (chef Vinh Nguyen and Gary Wang acquired it in 2023, away from Bar Rescue-era owner Luiz Quiroz) and a 2023-2025 renovation that added an upstairs music venue.
What happened on the show
A storied Los Angeles music venue had fallen into disrepair while its owner seemed not to care. At The Airliner in Lincoln Heights, Taffer's job was to revive the owner's passion for a room with genuine history, a venue whose decline traced straight back to an operator who had checked out. For the recon he brought in the band American Authors, who later played the grand reopening. The rescue worked to reawaken the owner's investment and restore a music venue that mattered to the neighborhood. Taffer kept The Airliner name through the makeover, a signal that the storied identity was worth preserving once the owner reengaged, betting that rekindling his passion could bring a fading L.A. music room back to life.
After the cameras left
The Airliner is still open, name intact, though under new ownership. It continues to operate as a bar and music venue in Lincoln Heights at 2419 North Broadway, with chef Vinh Nguyen and Gary Wang having acquired it in 2023 from the Bar Rescue-era owner and a 2023 to 2025 renovation adding an upstairs music space. Because the room kept its original name through that ownership change, it is recorded as open rather than renamed, at high confidence. The storied venue survived and kept its identity across a change of hands.
Sources
Confidence: high. Last checked 2026-07-19.
What is there now
Street imagery via Google Maps. Location approximate.