THE VALLEY villain Jax Taylor's bar has been almost empty on weekend nights, as locals say it's no longer a popular spot in Los Angeles.
Exclusive photographs obtained by The U.S. Sun show the Bravo star's watering hole, Jax's in Studio City, full of empty tables on a recent Friday evening.
Jax, 45, opened his sports bar in October 2023, along with help from his now-estranged wife, Brittany Cartwright, 36.
The Vanderpump Rules alum has had a tough season on the Bravo spinoff amid his nasty divorce and his trip to rehab for cocaine addiction and other issues.
Despite time in treatment, scenes on The Valley have shown him admitting to spying on his ex through in-house cameras and recording devices.
Fans have called for him to be dropped from the show, but it appears show execs are eager to keep him on for ratings, according to sources.
It seems supporters are now abandoning his bar, judging by recent scenes.
"There is no buzz at Jax's anymore, it's pretty dead most nights," one visitor said.
"Fans would often go to try and get a glimpse of him and Brittany but she's barely there now, and people aren't impressed by him at all.
"Rocco's Tavern next door is a popular sports bar and it's often packed with people spilling out into the street."
EMPTY BAR
Jax's Studio City shares a kitchen with Rocco's Tavern, and they are linked through ownership.
On Friday, June 13, drinkers were seen leaving Jax's and heading to Rocco's before ordering as only two or three tables were filled and the bar was almost silent past 11 pm.
A second drinker said: "Being a fan of the show, we went to check it out, but were surprised by how empty it was, and the staff didn't seem too attentive."
The Valley season 2 premiere ratings down by nearly 40% from last year’s first episode despite Jax and Brittany divorce
Fans have been mocking Jax for the fact that his bar just appears to be an extension of another more popular spot.
"Jax wishes he opened a bar," one user wrote. "It's a borrowed temporary space on the patio of Rocco's Studio City. Menus, staff, drinks etc are all Rocco's."
It may not come as too much of a surprise as Bravo fan account @nosmokenomore rounded up some bad Yelp reviews on X just months after it opened.
"Holy s**t! The reviews for Jax and Brittany's sports bar are so bad," the caption read.
"Came for the beer cheese and was really disappointed. This is just Rocco's menu with meemaw's chunky beer cheese added to it," one critical review read.
"Even the to go boxes said Rocco's so it's obvious Jax doesn't own this place. Don't know what I expected but for the price I paid I expected the food to at least be edible."
Another post read, "Jax is having to push his bar because of lack of customers. Flag for me was picnic tables, not a place to dress nicely & hang out. Food is ok, but nothing to write home about."
BAD REVIEWS
"The beer cheese was disgusting. The 'bar' is just a covered tent in a backyard," a third critic complained.
The U.S. Sun previously revealed there had been multiple complaints made by customers to the Department of Public Health last year.
One alleged that "Jax Taylor, owner of Jax's Studio City" was "changing baby diapers on top of a bar where food and drinks are served."
This launched an investigation, which was conducted on April 16, 2024.
Once complete, the inspector wrote: "The complaint was not observed. No one in the facility was changing diapers in the bar at the time of the inspection.
"Discussed with owner that employees and customers are not allowed to change baby diapers in the bar counter or on tables.
"It is the owner's responsibility to enforce this. Owner demonstrated understanding."
The complaint has since been closed and no further action was taken.
Despite this, a video did emerge of Jax and Brittany in the background of a video changing their son Cruz's diaper at the bar - which was shared by The Valley star Jasmine Goode.
Jax previously revealed he didn't invest in the bar and merely worked with the owners to give his name to the project when he was more popular on TV.
He recently opened up about wanting to do a remodel and has pulled in Vanderpump Rules alum Tom Schwartz to help with promotion as he focuses on his sobriety.
"I've cut back a lot," he said on his podcast, In the Mind of Jax Taylor. "I was there all the time and now I’m going through this new journey in my life. I've really limited myself there."
He explained that fans often visit the bar with the hopes of “seeing somebody there,” so he tries to make appearances.
Schwartz then said: "If you see me, I’m helping promote once in a while, here and there, I’ll pop in and help you out. I know you need to step away more often."
He thanked Schwartz for his help and added: “I appreciate you stepping in and helping out. Until we figure out what we're going to do, I think my goal is to get you a little bit more on board, hopefully, in the future if that's something you're interested in."
