The Airliner Bar & Grill
The Airliner Bar & Grill in East Alton, Illinois remains open as of October 2026 — 1 year and 6 months after its Bar Rescue episode first aired. 55% of the 141 rescued bars with a recorded closing date did not last as long.
Google listing checked Oct 29, 2026: active.
The episode
| Status | Still open (as of October 2026) |
|---|---|
| Episode | "The Airliner is Grounded" |
| Season | Season 9, Episode 31 |
| Originally aired | April 20, 2025 |
| Original name | The Airliner Bar & Grill |
| Location | East Alton, Illinois |
| Address | 573 E Airline Dr, East Alton, IL 62024 |
| Yelp | View on Yelp · 3.8★ |
| Google reviews | Read reviews on Google |
Key dates
- April 20, 2025Bar Rescue episode “The Airliner is Grounded” airs — Jon Taffer's rescue of The Airliner Bar & Grill, filmed earlier.
The rescue
Jon Taffer kept the name The Airliner Bar & Grill for the relaunch.
The Airliner remains open in East Alton under the family ownership it had held for over 25 years. Reviews are mostly positive, with praise for the food.
What happened next
The Airliner Bar & Grill had been family-owned for more than 25 years when Spike Mendelsohn led its rescue, filmed in July 2024. Owner Richard Tite had run the bar until his death in 2020, when it passed to his wife Sherry; their daughter managed the business. The bar mainly kept its name, with the tagline changed to 'The Airliner: Neighborhood Diner & Bar', and kept the signage installed for the show. It remains open in East Alton, retained a base of avid regulars, and posts infrequently on Facebook, although a post about its episode drew more than 35 comments and 147 shares. Reviews were mostly positive, with particular praise for the food.
By the numbers
| Season | Season 9: 6 of 40 bars have closed (15%). |
|---|---|
| Illinois | One of 12 rescued bars in Illinois; 5 still open. |
Sources & evidence
Every status on this page is checked against named sources. Where sources disagree, the disagreement is shown rather than hidden.
| Yelp | Yelp listing for this bar. |
|---|---|
| Google listing | Google listing matched to 'Airliner Bar & Grill' at 573 E Airline Dr, East Alton, IL 62024 — Operating Status: Active. |
| Tracker | Reality TV Updates — Episode write-up with post-show updates and status tracking for this bar. |
| Tracker | Reality TV Revisited — Open/closed status listing for this bar. |
Quick answers
Is The Airliner Bar & Grill still open?
The Airliner Bar & Grill in East Alton, Illinois remains open as of October 2026 — 1 year and 6 months after its Bar Rescue episode first aired. 55% of the 141 rescued bars with a recorded closing date did not last as long.
Where is The Airliner Bar & Grill located?
The Airliner Bar & Grill is located at 573 E Airline Dr, East Alton, IL 62024.
Sources: Reality TV Revisited · Reality TV Updates · Yelp · Wikipedia episode list. Compiled October 2026; cross-checked against local reporting and each bar's own web presence where available.
More rescued bars nearby
The closest other Bar Rescue bars to The Airliner Bar & Grill: