Murphy’s Law Irish Pub

We were in the area and had remembered that a bar close by was on bar rescue. So we googled it and found it and could not figure out if it was called Murphy’s Law or Money Bar since the two signs were out front. We walked in right when happy hour started on a Saturday… We were in shock that it was completely dead. We were the only people. The place looked nice but as we sat down by the pool table my boyfriend noticed the outlet was hanging out with wires exposed. I also walked into the bathroom and it was gross and not re done which I had expected it would have been since bar rescue came in. I am giving it two stars because the food was good and service was alright not amazing. It’s safe to say that we will not be coming back.

In town for Ribfest. Went to check it out. It’s Sunday and it was totally dead. We didn’t even go inside because it looked closed. Dark and creepy. We left. Gave 3 stars because I had to give something.

I like Murphy’s law (even before it became Money bar) I love Steve star who is there for Karaōke on weekends. I wen’t there a couple weeks ago and this girl bartender was not good at all (Blonde) she was not attentive and gave me super attitude and the drinks were so whimpy. The owner came and introduced himself (Which I have never had happen in the many time’s I have gone there) and he was really nice I liked him :) I would go back but I want NELLIE this new bartender no way…

This is a great place to catch a great prices drink and if I get a few too many (which happens more than you would think) can always walk home!!! Win-​win!!!

As much as Jon Taffer tried to make these people look like the dumbest a-​holes ever, this is not a bad bar. Morgan was very nice on my recent visit and the bar was clean and decent. I will try the food next time!

I’ve lived in reno for 20 years and have been to almost every bar in town. This by far is the worst in town. The owner of this bar better have a lot of friends, because they are not getting any new business with the way they operate. If you are going to gamble don’t count on getting a comped drink. Got better service at a convenience store. Money bar how ironic. That’s what they do, take your money. Will never be back and I don’t expect it to be open too much longer. 1 star is too much.

I don’t know if this is Money Bar or Murphy’s Law, they’ve got both signs on the outside!
Anyway, the inside is decorated nicely. Our waitress informed us that the kitchen was closed (this is a Saturday, doesn’t make sense to me) and that they had no drink specials. Service wasn’t great, our waitress was a sourpuss and seemed to disappear after our first round of drinks. We didn’t really feel welcome and definitely won’t be back. We were the only ones there at about 10pm on a Saturday.
It should tell you a lot though, just knowing that the people that own/​run the place thought it was a good idea to change the name back to Murphy’s before their episode even aired on TV. That’s where all your business is going to come from! Anyway the only way I would ever go back with my friends was if the drinks were free.

If I could give the place zero stars I absolutely would.
They changed the name back to Murphy’s Law. Presumably because the owners are too stubborn and sick in the head to see how poorly they truly are unable to run a business. The karaōke is awful, too loud, and annoying. As a matter of fact the man running the karaōke apparently had a running open tab for no particular reason. When the bartender questioned him about it, he basically used physical intimidation to get his way. There doesn’t seem to be ANY leadership or order in the bar whatsoever. The managers were drunk and downright disorderly.
This place is a disaster…

They changed the name back to Murphy’s Law Irish Pub on June 16, 2015 before the Bar Rescue TV show had even aired. From Facebook it seems Maria is still in charge. I wouldn’t touch this place with a ten-​foot pole and Bar Rescue shouldn’t have wasted their time and money.

This bar is not named after the book Money by brilliant English writer Martin Amis, about a bitter, commercially unsuccessfully writer who tries to undermine the career of someone who has become a commercially success writer, albeit a complete idiot of a writer. None-​the-​less, the theme is apropos here, because this bar was recently made over by the show Bar Rescue which tries to turn commercially unsuccessful bars into commercially successful bars. How does it do this? There is the obvious answer of getting your books in order, fixing broken things, cleaning up the place, giving it a shiny new modern décor, and improving publicity, mainly by fault of just being on the TV show. But if you pay attention, Taffer and crew follow a certain theme for all of their bars. They promote corporate craft cocktails. They do not promote obscure craft cocktails made from local distilleries. They do not promote craft beers. They do not promote wine or mead or any obscure liquor. Their main strategy is craft corporate cocktails. I imagine it’s corporate, because their show runs corporate commercials and has corporate sponsors. Martin Amis, I must imagine, also grapples with the same dilemma of deciding whether to be an independent-​minded, artistically pure writer with little commercial appeal or a commercially successful superstar writer.
Bar Rescue also tends to condescendingly play up whatever theme they come across at the bar or in the location of the bar. For instance, one time they came across a bar owned by a family of fire fighters. Low-​and-​behold, they took the front face of a fire engine truck and stuck it behind the bar. It’s Disney-​fying the place. Likewise, Taffer and crew, realizing they were in a gambling town born from the 30’s Depression, have not only filled this bar with kitschy gambling and 30s themes (bar tables that look like poker tables), but also called the bar itself Money. It’s corny. Speaking of corn, it’s like going to Iowa and creating a corn-​themed bar and then calling the bar «Corn.»
Fortunately, craft cocktails are big these days. Believe it or not, Reno was ahead of the curve on this one. The old Chapel promoted craft cocktails well before Vegas. Unfortunately for Duncan, most customers swilled Olympia and PBR. Today, Vegas has jumped on the craft cocktail bandwagon and predictably given it the old Disney-​fication treatment as well as stocked the place full of corporate spirits. At $ 9.50 a cocktail, it’s a bit steep for Reno especially outside a popular neighborhood like downtown or Midtown. They also have a secret cocktail that only comes out when the place is packed and only for 15 minutes. It’s a lot of kitsch going on. The thing about being a customer is that you don’t want to feel like you’re being manipulated, and gimmicks like these feel manipulative. Just imagine this gimmick at Chapel with Duncan hiding a secret cocktail behind a wall that only comes out if the place is packed. You don’t need gimmicks if you provide solid service, great drinks, and great atmosphere. But remember, this is Bar Rescue, and the whole show is a Hollywood gimmick.
What I do like about the place is that they took out a wall and expanded it last year. There is a small stage and they have karaōke on Friday nights. They did a good job with the décor minus the ecdemic infusion of kitsch. They have a small kitchen with a growing menu. The service is significantly better than the anemic bartenders at Wild Beaver nearby. Amis writes, «We are all stomped and roughed up and peed on and slammed against the wall by money… we’ll already have our suicide notes, pain notes, dolour bills — money is freedom. That’s true. But freedom is money. You still need money.» But I would argue, money is not the focal point, and once it becomes the focal point, it loses all appeal and meaning, you lose freedom and become its slave. Focus on service, quality, authenticity, and atmosphere, and money follows, it doesn’t lead.