Restaurant Impossible - Pointers Grill (BFE Bar and Grill) Update

Photo - Food Network

Tonight on Restaurant: Impossible, Robert Irvine and his crew are in Waynesboro, Georgia to makeover BFE Bar and Grill. In this ambush episode, the owner Megan reached out to Restaurant:Impossible for help. The restaurant is deep in debt and the state has suspended their liquor license due to not paying taxes.  Besides being behind on taxes, Robert finds they are understaffed, have bad service, and have a bad reputation.  During the makeover he decides to change the restaurant name from BFE Bar and Grill to Pointers Grill at Hancock Landing.

As I normally do with Restaurant: Impossible episodes, I searched around the Internet to read stories, comments and reviews about Pointers Grill to get an idea of how the restaurant is doing since Robert Irvine visited, and here is what I found (note - all reviews are post Restaurant: Impossible):

Positive Reviews:

• "Food was outstanding. Service, not so much. Newly renovated, so I'm sure there are some kinks to workout. I'm hoping they will speed up a bit. I'll go back. "
• "Really good. Love the fried pickles. Great for quick pick up if you work at the plant."
• "Since the makeover this place has improved a lot. I went yesterday and was impressed by the new look, the food was good and the waitress was nice. The owner seemed engaged in making sure things went smoothly. Great job Pointers Grill. Keep up the good work."
• "I came here for lunch today and the food was great and the service was wonderful."
• "I've eaten here several times now and it's been great every time. The staff is cheerful and friendly. The atmosphere (especially since the Food Network treatment) is fun and upbeat with a classy element. The food is excellent and presented well.If I have to say anything bad about the place, it's this:1. It's a bit off the beaten path, unless you work at the nearby Nuclear Power Plant. 2. The parking lot is in a poor state, from years of neglect. I hear that it's on the "to-do" list though. Besides, who goes places to hang out in the parking lot? I certainly wouldn't let it deter you from a visit."
• "We tried the New Restaurant last night and it was wonderful! The food was delicious and came fast! Nice atmosphere and plenty of help! Loved the Mac and cheese and the J fries!!"
• "From out of town and stopped in with a friend who lives in area. I have not been there previously so don't have the feelings about the change that some locals might. I thought the food was really good, loved the decor (seemed a bit out of place for area tho) but the bar stools were SO high, I could barely get up on it. I wish them well with the new makeover, and hope the locals will give it a try. We went on Saturday around 5ish and were the only ones there."

Negative Reviews:

• "To end the long bad review.... It took 3 times for them to get the bill correct. We were the only table in the restaurant and it took 45 mins for the meal the first time. Will not go back!"
• "I ordered a chicken ques. and was very diappointed. The old chicken ques. was awesome, the new one is bland, filled with onions and peppers and very little chicken and cheese. I will not be ordering this again."
• "I was hoping the food got better after Restaurant: Impossible made a visit. The decor is a fantastic upgrade and beautiful (too bad they didn't get to the six booths in the original part of the restaurant). However, the food was not so great. My order was messed up because the cook was yelling at the server, I was told. It was just not the best experience, and the food wasn't that good. It's not worth the drive to get that."

*Reviews from Yelp, Google, Facebook

Other News and Links:

• The Restaurant Impossible makeover happened in January 2016. 
• Here is the Pointers Grill Facebook Page and website.
• Here are some previous restaurant inspections at the restaurant (Link).
• There was a murder outside of the bar in early 2015 where a man was stabbed to death.  Owner Michael tried to intervene with mace, but when that didn't work, he shot the man that was doing the stabbing to try to stop him (Link).  Michael wasn't charged with anything, and a man was convicted and sentenced to life in prison in March 2016 for the stabbing (Link).
• There is a nearby power plant (Plant Vogtle) that employs over 900 people.  As the restaurant location is not in a big city, it will probably be key to get these employees to dine at the restaurant. Click to enlarge picture below (from Tripadvisor) - Purple circles represent places to eat. Pointers Grill is the lone restaurant near the plant. All of the restaurants in Waynesboro are approximately 14 miles away from Pointers Grill.

• A local article said the production company for Restaurant Impossible generated estimated expenditures of $42,600 while in town for filming (Link).

Conclusion:

Pointers Grill has kept their new name given to them by Restaurant Impossible and the reviews are mostly positive.  People seem to like the food, the makeover, and say the restaurant is convenient if you work at the nearby plant.  There are a few complaints about the service and a complaint about a new menu item.

Due to its location,it seems like for this restaurant to survive and thrive, the workers at the nearby nuclear power plant will have to be frequent customers.


*Visit Our Restaurant Impossible Update Page to see all Restaurant: Impossible updates, and which restaurants are open, closed, or have been sold. Also Like Us on Facebook and Follow Us on Twitter