The Best Bars in Las Vegas as Chosen By Locals
Las Vegas is famous for providing free drinks at the casinos while you gamble, and its high-end clubs with bottle service, but where do you go when you want to kick back and relax with a delicious cocktail crafted by a talented bartender or you want to enjoy a local beer? Here’s a list of some of the best bars in Las Vegas as chosen by locals.
The Underground at the Mob Museum
Take a step back in time at The Underground at the Mob Museum. This bar is a working distillery and speak-easy that brings you back to the days of Prohibition. The distillery brews its own moonshine made from corn mash. If you want to try it, order either the Moonshine Mash or the Ginger Jake. The bar also serves Prohibition-era craft cocktails, such as the giggle water, named after one of the nicknames for illegal alcohol. The drink combines fruit-infused vodka with Lillet and sparkling wine. The Gem is another drink worth trying. It’s a mix of vodka, grapefruit juice, egg whites, and Elderflower and is named after The Gem Saloon in the red district of early Vegas.
You’ll find The Underground in the basement of The Mob Museum, where you can also explore artifacts from the 1920s and take a tour of the distillery. It has a working copper still that produces the moonshine.
Lucky Day Tequila & Mezcal House
Lucky Day is a cozy 3,000 square foot bar that features a canopy made from over 15,000 LED lights. The whole space comes to life with the lights programmed to the Latin music. The menu features cocktails made from small-batch tequila, such as the Smoke Rita, made with Mezcal, Tequila, lime, orange, crema, agave, and charred pineapple, or the Mi Amor, made with Aperol, rum, strawberry puree, lime, and Sprite. The Spicy Pepino is another excellent choice. It has tequila or mezcal, jalapeños, cucumber, orange crema, Ancho Reyes Verde, agave, and the house sour.
There’s no better place to go when you want to celebrate National Margarita Day in Las Vegas than at Lucky Day or you can make it your weekend stop for one-of-a-kind cocktails and great music.
Velveteen Rabbit
Velveteen Rabbit in downtown Las Vegas in the heart of the Arts District is another local favorite. It has a unique cocktail menu that is constantly changing, and the bar also has a unique selection of craft beers with 12 taps that continuously rotate. This is the place in Vegas where the locals go, and it has a very different vibe from the typical Vegas cocktail bar. The space features local art, vintage furniture, and a pink outdoor patio designed for any type of event.
The mystic menu features cocktails, such as the black moon Lilith, made with sage-infused vodka, Lapsang souchong honey, lemon, ginger ale, and lavender bitters. You can also try the moon in Aries, made with pasilla pepper-infused rye, green chile vodka, and banana cordial, or the witch queen of New Orleans, which has dark rum, overproof Jamaican rum, Ciciaro amaro, peanut cola orgeat, orange juice, lemon, and angostura. Some of the beer you might find on draft include English cider, 60Min IPA, I love Nevada amber lager, and Las Vegas craft lager.
Commonwealth
Head to Commonwealth on East Fremont Street to experience a night during the pre-Prohibition era. The large cocktail bar features a décor that brings you back in time and serves cocktails from a bygone era. The room features dark woods and exposed brick with incandescent lights to brighten up the space. The 20-foot bar is the perfect place to hang out if you want to talk to other locals, or you can tuck yourself away in one of the alcoves. In the back, there’s a speak-easy with a secret entrance, and upstairs, you can sit out under the stars at the rooftop bar that overlooks the city.
The cocktails are as unique as the décor at the Commonwealth. Make sure to try the pleasure fist, made with light rum, black rum, fresh lime juice, orgeat, and orange liquor, or the Willy Wonka’s hangover, made with apple brandy, mezcal, fresh lemon juice, ginger, and egg whites. The shamrock mule is a unique twist on the Moscow mule and contains Irish whiskey, fernet Branca, fresh lime juice, and ginger beer.
Four Kegs
Check out Four Kegs when you want to have a beer and watch the game. This local bar has several TVs set up all around the bar, so there is never a bad view. Not only can you get good beer, but the food at Four Kegs is also delicious. This place was even featured on the Food Network as one of Guy Fieri’s favorite places to hang out when he was in college. He claims they have the best Stromboli ever. You’ll find your favorite beers on tap, including Bud and Coors Light, and you can also choose from an excellent selection of bottled domestic and imported beers and house wine.
Head to Four Kegs on a Saturday night or Sunday afternoon and cheer on your favorite team. You can hang out at the bar or bring your friends and grab one of the large tables in the back.
Herbs & Rye
Herbs & Rye is just far enough off the strip that you can see the action but not be right in the middle of it. This place is not only a great bar, but it’s also a steakhouse. The drink menu features pre-prohibition cocktails, such as the Blood & Sand, and if you don’t know what you want, just ask the bartender. You can let them know if you like sweet or sour, what type of alcohol you like, and if you like it strong, and they will come up with the perfect drink.
Our team at Las Vegas Jewelry and Coin Exchange think that these are some of the best bars in Las Vegas. You can always drink at the casinos, but if you want a local favorite, check out some of our favorites. Give us a call and let us know what you think.
Image via Flickr by mkorcuska
