TV Restaurants

Who Runs The Brixton Now? Bar Rescue Update (Austin, TX)

New owners reported

As of September 2026, lowdownlounge.com reports The Brixton changed ownership; reviewed by our team, not yet independently confirmed.

Primary source
lowdownlounge.com ·
Secondary source
realitytvupdates.com ·

Last verified

What the source shows: Low Down Lounge's own website, accessed 2026-09-07, shows an active weekly event lineup and Instagram posts dated into 2026 at 1412 E 6th St, the former Brixton address; the tracker site Reality TV Updates (last updated 2023-03-29; unverified beyond that check) documents The Brixton's March 2020 closure and the sale of ownership stakes that led to Low Down Lounge opening in the same space.

  • Season / episode Season 3, Episode 4
  • Original air date
  • Address 1412 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78702
  • Current name Low Down Lounge

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What happened after Bar Rescue?

The Brixton was a punk-themed corner bar on the less-developed east end of Austin's Sixth Street, bought by newlyweds Tim and Sara Lupa in hopes of saving it from closing under a previous owner. By the time Jon Taffer arrived for "Tears for Beers," the couple was being pulled under by more than fifty nearby bars competing for the same foot traffic, a drab exterior, and inconsistent bartending from Tim himself, whose brusque manner during recon drove off customers seated nearby. A stress test exposed the same gaps: overwhelmed bartenders, no cohesive drink program, and a visible rift between Tim and Sara over how to run the floor.

Taffer's expert, Peter O'Connor, spent the following day teaching the staff a set of signature cocktails, and Taffer renamed the bar Rocket Room 6, hoping a clean break from The Brixton name would help shed its reputation. Tim resisted the new name out of attachment to the original, but Sara and the staff talked him into going along with the rebrand for the relaunch, which drew a large crowd on reopening night.

The new name did not last: Tim changed the bar back to The Brixton soon after Taffer left, while keeping the cocktail program and other operational changes. Under that reverted name, The Brixton kept trading on Sixth Street for roughly seven more years, drawing largely positive reviews through the mid-2010s. According to Reality TV Updates, the bar closed in March 2020, when Tim and Sara sold their ownership stakes to fellow co-owners Tyler and Emily Van Aken, who partnered with additional investors to open a new concept, Low Down Lounge, in the same space. Low Down Lounge's own website and Instagram feed, active with posts into 2026, show the bar still operating at 1412 East 6th Street with weekly DJ nights and happy-hour service. Tim and Sara went on to open a separate Austin bar, Little Drinks Lounge, after leaving The Brixton behind.

Featured on Bar Rescue

Season / episode
Season 3, Episode 4
Original air date
Episode title
Tears for Beers
What was featured
Owner-couple conflict, weak drinks program, competitive Sixth Street location
Role
Featured restaurant
Name on the broadcast
The Brixton

Frequently asked questions

Is The Brixton still open in 2026?

As of September 2026, lowdownlounge.com reports The Brixton changed ownership; reviewed by our team, not yet independently confirmed.

What happened to The Brixton after Bar Rescue?

The Brixton was a punk-themed corner bar on the less-developed east end of Austin's Sixth Street, bought by newlyweds Tim and Sara Lupa in hopes of saving it from closing under a previous owner. As of September 2026, lowdownlounge.com reports The Brixton changed ownership; reviewed by our team, not yet independently confirmed.

What is The Brixton called now?

Now: Low Down Lounge (formerly The Brixton). As of September 2026, lowdownlounge.com reports The Brixton changed ownership; reviewed by our team, not yet independently confirmed.

Where is The Brixton located?

1412 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78702. That is the address on the record as of September 7, 2026.

What season and episode of Bar Rescue featured The Brixton?

Season 3, Episode 4 of Bar Rescue, first aired March 3, 2013. The episode is titled “Tears for Beers”.

Who owns The Brixton now?

As of September 2026, lowdownlounge.com reports The Brixton changed ownership; reviewed by our team, not yet independently confirmed. We name individual owners only where a source we cite names them.

Did the makeover last at The Brixton?

The episode first aired March 3, 2013. Our most recent check was September 7, 2026 — 13 years later —: As of September 2026, lowdownlounge.com reports The Brixton changed ownership; reviewed by our team, not yet independently confirmed.

What do reviews say since Bar Rescue?

Under that reverted name, The Brixton kept trading on Sixth Street for roughly seven more years, drawing largely positive reviews through the mid-2010s. We summarise what dated sources report; we do not publish our own rating.

Is The Brixton still using the Bar Rescue menu or branding?

Tim resisted the new name out of attachment to the original, but Sara and the staff talked him into going along with the rebrand for the relaunch, which drew a large crowd on reopening night. Anything newer than our last check on September 7, 2026 may not be reflected here.

Every status on this site carries a confidence label and a date, and names the source it rests on. Read the Editorial & Corrections Policy for what each label means and how quickly we act on corrections. The questions above are generated from this record's own published fields — we never publish a question we cannot answer from the data.

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Visit info

Address
1412 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78702
Venue type
bar
Official website
lowdownlounge.com

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