Happy Face: Is Whiskey River a Real Bar in Texas?

In ‘Happy Face,’ a married mother of two, Melissa Reed, finds herself in the spotlight after the identity of her father, Keith Hunter Jesperson, AKA the Happy Face killer, becomes public knowledge after years of secrecy. Subsequently, Melissa must navigate the challenges of her father’s notoriety and the dangers it may pose to her husband, Ben, and her two kids, Hazel and Max. Further complications arise when Keith confesses to an unknown ninth murder connected to a local town in Texas, drawing Melissa back into his life as the authorities want her to get to the bottom of the mystery. After a brief investigation into the affair, the protagonist discovers an important clue that could spill the beans on the victim’s identity. However, it all leads back to a bar in the small town neighborhood – Whiskey River.

Whiskey River is a Fictional Bar With Loose Ties to Reality

Although ‘Happy Face’ is inspired by the experiences of Melissa Moore, the real-life daughter of serial killer Keith Hunter Jesperson, a large chunk of the show’s story is fictionalized. As such, a variety of characters, places, and events described within the Paramount+ series are fictional in conception, including Whiskey River, a bar in Jefferson, Texas. It was conceived by the show’s creator, Jennifer Cacicio, as the primary working place for Heather Richmond, the fictional ninth victim of the Happy Face Killer in the series. While the bar may not exist in reality, there are a contingent of real-life spots sporting the same name across Texas. They include Whiskey River West in Richmond and Whiskey River North in Houston, two nightclubs with a Western and country-inspired theme.

The locales mentioned above touch upon some of the same aesthetic interior vibes in the fictional bar. However, they are distinctly different from one another as the Whiskey River bar in the show is situated in a more remote region of Jefferson, Texas. It is also described as a more rural destination frequented by residents and visitors alike. Thus, while it shares its name with numerous other leisure spots in the state, it remains separate from all of them. During filming, the production team lensed key scenes for the show in different areas of British Columbia. For instance, New Westminster doubled up for Texas, with some scenes being recorded at the New Westminster City Hall. A modified establishment is likely utilized for the scenes featuring the Whiskey River bar.

In the show, Whiskey River plays a particular role narratively, particularly in connection with Heather Richmond’s storyline. After hearing Keith’s confession, Melissa and Ivy conduct an investigation of their own, trying to piece together the truth behind the Happy Face Killer’s words. Eventually, Melissa remembers that her father gifted her a guitar pick from around the time Heather was supposedly murdered. The guitar pick leads her to the Whiskey River bar, which is where Heather used to work as a bartender before Keith allegedly killed her. Therefore, the bar serves as connective tissue for different aspects of the drama, gluing the internal and external as Melissa tries to overcome the trauma left behind by her father’s egregious crimes. Still, despite its prominence within the narrative, the bar remains a fictional creation that cannot be found in the real world.