Downtown’s Plaza casino is about to unveil its new Carousel lounge, but we can’t wait, so we snagged a sneak preview of the drink menu, because that is how we roll.

The new Carousel Bar opens May 20, 2023. An official grand opening is planned for June 10, 2023.

Here’s a first look at the menu. Well, the front of the menu. It’s called a “tease.” Everything is about instant gratification with you. Try being a burlesque person rather than a strip club person for one minute!

Plaza’s new lounge is sort of a mix between one of the popular outdoor bars along Fremont Street and a lounge.

Carousel Bar has lots of seating, including booths and chairs positioned for people-watching.

The bar also has several video poker machines, just to ensure we visit frequently. As if the slushy drinks weren’t a big enough draw.

Carousel also has a walk-up section, for those who like their beverages to-go.

Here’s our most recent pic of the new bar, but things have been changing daily now, including the removal of construction fences around the bar.

Enough background, you mumble, champing at the bit to see the damn menu, already. We understand your champing, so let’s have an exclusive look, shan’t we?

All we can say is “Let’s go!”

Bonus points for whoever named that beer “Vegas A.F.”

The Carousel menu checks a number of boxes, with signature cocktails in the $14-16 range, along with shareable concoctions and slushy drinks, legally required for any bar on Fremont Street.

The prices are comparable to other outdoor bars on Fremont, and about 20% of the price of similar drinks on the Las Vegas Strip. We kid. But seriously, when did $25 for a simple cocktail become the new $12?

We’ve been told because Carousel is a lounge experience, drinks won’t be comped for video poker players initially, but they’re playing this by ear.

Here’s a better look at the cover of the menu, complete with a fancy showgirl and possible classically-trained ballet dancer.

We would never want to neglect the backside, of course, it’s Las Vegas.

The back of the Carousel menu is full of throwback photos. Plaza is big on history and the part the iconic casino has played in the evolution of downtown as well as “Back to the Future Part 2.” (If you know, you know.)

We’ve heard chatter that next to the Carousel Bar will be a popcorn truck, once located in the Fremont Street Experience. The smell of that popcorn was the greatest marketing tool ever devised.

As we’ve covered previously, Plaza has a number of new offerings in the works, all opening in the next few weeks. Here’s a recent look around.

In addition to Carousel, there’s a Pinkbox Doughnuts, an expansion of Oscar’s Steakhouse and a casino expansion that will be smoke-free.

There’s more to come, but we trust the drink menu has sufficiently wet your whistle. There are few things more uncomfortable than a dry whistle, if you get our drift.

The post First Look at Menu for Plaza’s New Outdoor Carousel Bar appeared first on Vital Vegas.

Some people used to complain our podcast episodes were few and far between. Careful what you wish for, because here’s another six-hour cavalcade of words to stuff into your sound wranglers.™

“Sound wranglers” are like “earholes,” but we had to come up with an alternative we could trademark.

In this installment of the Vital Vegas Podcast, we chat with the President and CEO of Fremont Street Experience (FSE), Andrew Simon. Simon is one of the ringmasters in charge of the circus that is Fremont Street in downtown Las Vegas.

Some may recognize Andrew Simon from his appearance on “Undercover Boss,” his first big splash after becoming President of FSE. See more.

In our chat, Andrew Simon shares more about the recently-announced free concert series at Fremont Street Experience, and deftly fields lots of awkward questions about safety downtown, buskers and volume levels. Simon also provides an update on the SlotZilla zipline, possibly the most successful ticketed attraction in the history of Las Vegas. The ride has hosted more than three million riders and continues to draw crowds of thrill-seekers to downtown’s tourist corridor.

Full disclosure: We worked in digital marketing at Fremont Street Experience for six years, from Mar. 2014 to May 2020. We kicked ass, objectively speaking, growing the FSE Facebook following from 62,000 to 690,000. Yes, we somehow managed to turn a disclaimer into a humblebrag. Do you know this blog at all?

Also in this episode, we are forced under duress to discuss all the chatter around the Oakland A’s possible move to Las Vegas. The latest news: The binding agreement to build a ballpark on the Wild Wild West site has been tossed, now there’s a binding agreement to build on the Tropicana site. The bottom line: The A’s are playing Las Vegas, and our local media, like a fiddle.

Far more interestingly, there’s more about us as we regale both our listeners with a story about the most epic gambling night, ever.

There’s a “listicle,” of course, and since the episode is Fremont Street-themed, we offer up 12 places for fast, cheap eats on and around Fremont Street Experience, including our new favorite sandwich spot, Meatball Hero on Fremont East.

Others may round up our Las Vegas news, but we’re the source, so dust off your whisper wranglers™ and dive headlong into our latest effort to keep you informed while avoiding household chores and adulting.

The post Podcast Ep. 157: Fremont Street Experience CEO, A’s Chain-Yankery and More appeared first on Vital Vegas.

Downtown has an awesome new grab-and-go option, Meatball Hero.

The new offering is a food truck at the gateway to Fremont East. You sort of can’t miss it, and you definitely won’t want to miss the delicious sandwiches.

Meatball Hero is yet another concept from downtown visionary Ryan Doherty, the owner and de facto mayor of Fremont East at this point.

Meatball Hero sits next to his Park on Fremont (which has reopened following a renovation), and he’s also responsible for Discopussy, Lucky Day, Commonwealth (and its top secret Laundry Room speakeasy), We All Scream, Cheapshot and La Mona Rosa (formerly La Comida). He’s also got Peyote at Fergusons Motel, farther east on Fremont East.

The sandwich we tried from Meatball Hero made our eyes roll back into our head. Not metaphorically. There was actual meatball euphoria.

There’s no seating at Meatball Hero, but guests can sneak into Park on Fremont next door. The view is fairly spectacular if you’re into the lights of downtown Las Vegas. If you aren’t, you are weird and reading the wrong blog.

The sandwich was directly in our culinary sweet spot: Hoagie roll, provolone, mozzarella, basil garlic sauce and Parmesan cheese.

For years, Pizza Rock has been the undisputed champ of meatballs in not only downtown, but Las Vegas and possibly the world. Right out of the gate, Meatball Hero is nipping at its heels.

Here’s a look at the modest menu at downtown’s Meatball Hero.

We tried The Hero, but the other sandwiches look tempting as well.

They’d probably serve two people, but the prices are reasonable, so no need to penny-pinch.

Guests can get a meatball slider for just $5 if you’re looking for something petite.

A bartender at Park on Fremont said it was probably good we didn’t order the Great Balls of Fire, as it is spicy even for those who like spicy food. Just the term “Calabrian chiles” makes us uncomfortable, as we are a super-taster and our face would probably melt. You’ve been warned.

If you’re a hippie, Zappos employee or Burning Man fan, there’s the vegan Impossible Italiano, with Impossible meatballs.

The helpful employee at Meatball Hero said his favorite is the Ballin’ sandwich, which we’ll probably try next, we just have no idea what a “creamy burrata cheese” is.

All the sandwiches at Meatball Hero are $12, and there’s also a small selection of beverages including Mexican Coke, which has a similar effect to that shot John Travolta gave to Uma Thurman with a giant needle in “Pulp Fiction.”

Our only qualm with Meatball Hero, which we won’t mention because it’s awkward, is the sign looks like it says, “Meatball Hers.”

If you visit, makes sure to use the hashtags at the bottom of the Meatball Hero menu, including #saucyballs, #meatballhero and, wait for it, #meatstick.

Which was also the name of our band in high school.

There’s a lot going on in the Fremont East district, mostly due to the ongoing investment and creativity of the aforementioned Ryan Doherty.

For us, it was love at first bite at Meatball Hero. Technically, it’s a soft opening, the official grand opening is May 24, but there’s no sense waiting.

At the moment, Meatball Hero is cash only (they’re working on it) and no bills larger than $20 are accepted. You’ll figure something out. Bring a few extra bucks, as there are always pandhandlers in this area, so help them out. Not for them, necessarily, for good luck.

Meatball Hero instantly leapfrogged to at or near the top of our quick, cheap eats list downtown. Our hero was nothing short of spectacular, and is on par with our other favorite sandwich in Las Vegas, the pot roast sandwich at Freedom Beat inside Downtown Grand.

Meatball Hero isn’t fancy, but it’s the perfect party fuel for your adventures on Fremont Street and beyond.

The post Downtown’s New Meatball Hero is Downright Fantastic appeared first on Vital Vegas.

We should say up front the folks at Cosmopolitan absolutely hate it when you refer to the Strip resort as “Cosmo.”

So, Cosmo is getting a new restaurant, LPM Restaurant & Bar.

The new restaurant will move into the former Estiatorio Milos space. That restaurant closed at Cosmo on Oct. 25, 2020 and moved to Venetian. They never really said why. Nothing to see here. (It’s usually rent-related.)

Anyway, LPM Restaurant & Bar is coming to Cosmopolitan Las Vegas in fall of 2023.

According to the news release, this is the ninth location of LPM worldwide and its second in the U.S. Most of the locations are in exotic places no American who went to public school could find on a map, including Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Hong Kong, Riyadh, Limassol, Doha, London and Miami.

We are going to share some of the words in the news release, because it’s easier than writing something original and also because news releases are wildly entertaining.

“From London to Dubai and Miami,” the news release says, “LPM has captivated all corners of the map with its relaxed and irreverent vibe harmoniously synced with passionate attention to the detail of its craft. The world-class dining experience emanates the carefree glamour and sophistication of the Cote d’Azur lifestyle where every moment is filled with surprise indulgences and opportunities to create memories from the peak of the day to the fleeting evening hours.”

Not going to lie, a little disappointed it won’t be immersive, but nobody’s perfect.

Here’s more about the “LPM Experience”: “LPM presents guests with unexpected sharable dishes prepared a la minute that will have them reaching across the table for one more tantalizing dip of Warm Prawns in olive oil and lemon juice; enjoying another divine forkful of the Marinated Lamb Cutlets layered with Kalamata olives, Aubergine Caviar and pine nuts; or for dessert, savoring the last bite of our vanilla cheesecake with berry compote.”

There’s a good bit of information about the venue’s bar as well: “LPM’s labor of love equally shines through its destination bar experience featuring bright and timeless cocktails inspired by the Riviera; a specialty menu honoring the life of legendary French artist, writer and bon-vivant, Jean Cocteau; and of course, LPM’s world-famous Tomatini. Thrilling beverage renditions pay homage to the golden age, including levitating cocktails and stylish drinks that will enchant all the senses through creative ingredients, intoxicating perfumes and art deco glassware. Celebrating wines of global repute alongside treasures from lesser-known vineyards with special stories, LPM’s wine program aims to surprise guests with selections they will remember forever. A centerpiece of the collection, LPM’s world-leading rosés are a nod to what is often seen on the tables of the Riviera and a symbol of friendship and good times.”

As for the vibe: “Featuring a vibrant indoor-outdoor atmosphere inspired by La Belle Epoque with striking art gracing the walls, LPM invites guests to an era when fearless creativity was the driving force of daily life. Scents of freshly cut flowers paired with bold color palettes and surprising musical soundtracks will create a refreshing and lively atmosphere for a date night, business lunch or family celebration.”

One thing you won’t find in the news release is what “LPM” stands for. It actually stands for “La Petite Maison,” which is a French term meaning “a love nest or residence maintained for a mistress.”

How the hell do you leave that out of a news release?

We trust the name La Petite Maison was considered too racy (or confusing) for folks in Doha, so it was streamlined accordingly.

Make sure not to confuse LPM for RPM, an excellent Italian restaurant in the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace.

You can find more words about LPM on the official Web site, including these, “This is LPM: music, art, people and bonhomie…exquisite harmony on the palate, outrageous harmony in the room.”

Hey, as long as it’s not as loud as STK, we’re good.

This is the first big restaurant move since MGM Resorts took over operations of the Cosmopolitan, and Cosmo’s restaurants could use a boost.

Superfrico is great (albeit also loud), but Cosmo’s restaurant collection is mostly O.K. Eggslut and Secret Pizza are widly overrated, Beauty & Essex doesn’t serve Captain Morgan, Scarpetta is consistently meh, same with China Poblano. Holsteins does a proficient burger. The food court has hits and misses, but is mostly forgettable.

Chatter is positive for LPM Restaurant & Bar, so there’s hope for Cosmo’s restaurant scene yet.

We look forward to checking out LPM when it opens, and we hope to share photos of us making faces trying foods we can’t pronounce or afford.

The post Cosmo Gets Riviera-Inspired LPM Restaurant & Bar appeared first on Vital Vegas.

It’s a slow news day, but that doesn’t mean we can’t share something you probably didn’t know about the Las Vegas sign.

You know the sign. You probably have it on a T-shirt or key chain, and it may very well be your tramp stamp. You know who you are.

It’s the world famous “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign.

There’s a lot you probably do know about the sign.

Like the fact there are two of them roadside in Las Vegas, one near Mandalay Bay on The Strip, another on Boulder Highway. There were three official signs, but one was smashed by a bonehead. Long story.

You can actually see Las Vegas signs everywhere in Las Vegas now, as one of the gift shop chains has life-size versions of the sign at its stores. They’re actually awesome, and convenient for photo ops if you don’t want to trek to the official welcome sign.

Anyway, you also probably know the Las Vegas sign was designed by a woman named Betty Willis. The sign was commissioned by a local salesman, Ted Rogich, when Willis worked at Western Neon.

The sign originally cost $4,000.

You may also have heard Betty Willis never copyrighted the sign, so it’s free for all to use, her “gift to Las Vegas.”

You no doubt also know the welcome to Las Vegas sign isn’t within the Las Vegas city limits.

Here’s where we get to the things you may not know.

The distinctive shape of the sign wasn’t original. Willis took inspiration for the diamond shape from the logo used by Goodyear at the time. It was also a popular shape for hotel key tags (also known as “fobs,” used to prevent people from losing keys).

The Las Vegas sign also featured a “Disney star,” used frequently in signs designed in the 1950s.

The Las Vegas sign uses the Googie architecture style, the most Las Vegas of all architectural styles, popular in the 1940s and 1950s, which was all about the Space Age, Atomic Age, car culture and futurism. But you probably know all this.

The word “Welcome” in the Las Vegas sign sits inside silver dollars. This, too, wasn’t a particularly original design element, as Riviera’s sign at the time put the letters spelling out Riviera inside discs, casino chips.

As mentioned, Willis was adamant the sign not be copyrighted, but we’ve always been curious if it could’ve been copyrighted given its elements were borrowed from existing, often copyrighted, designs.

While Willis may have drawn inspiration from popular design elements, the way she brought them together has become an undeniable Las Vegas icon and is unlikely to ever be surpassed as a symbol for Sin City.

Here’s Betty. She passed away in 2015.

There’s a great story about the Las Vegas sign on the Neon Museum Web site, so check it out.

Western Neon was eventually acquired by YESCO, the company that owns and maintains the welcome sign. YESCO leases the sign to Clark County (wherein the sign sits).

Here’s something else you may not have known about the Las Vegas sign. When it started appearing on Nevada license plates, Betty Willis got a vanity plate with this on it: MYSGN.

As if creating the Las Vegas sign weren’t immorality enough, Betty Willis also designed the lettering for Moulin Rouge’s sign, as well as the sign for the Blue Angel motel, among many others.

You can see the Moulin Rouge at the Neon Museum, along with lots of other classic signs. It’s a Vegas must-do, like seeing the Bellagio fountains, playing Wheel of Fortune and getting a lap dance.

The post Surprising Things You Probably Didn’t Know About the Las Vegas Sign appeared first on Vital Vegas.

In the most recent chapter of the seemingly never-ending Oakland A’s relocation saga, the team now says it will build a ballpark on the site of the Tropicana resort.

Previously, it was announced the ballpark would go on the former Wild Wild West site. Now, not so much.

The Tropicana would presumably be demolished, and Bally’s Corp. would build a new resort next door. We trust the new casino resort would be called Bally’s Las Vegas. The former Bally’s is now Horseshoe. There will be a quiz.

A few days before this news, it was shared the A’s were back in discussions with Rio as a possible location for the team’s new stadium.

The Las Vegas Festival Grounds were out of the running awhile back, as we heard the owner, Phil Ruffin, was insisting he get the revenue from concessions and parking, which would be a serious no-go for an MLB team.

The Rio made a lot more sense than Tropicana for a lot of reasons (including the owners, Dreamscape, offered the land for $1).

But common sense doesn’t drive decisions in Nevada when it comes to professional sports. It’s professional sports!

Choosing the Tropicana site does significantly lower the amount of money the A’s would be asking for from taxpayers, so there’s that. They were previously looking for $500 million, now, it would be a mere $395 million. (Bally’s Corp. would rent the site, not sell it. The A’s would pay $10.5 million a year under a 50-year lease agreement, according to the Nevada Independent.)

While it’s bittersweet Las Vegas could lose a classic casino relatively few people visit, the plan appears to be for Bally’s to build a new “1,500-room hotel-casino across from the stadium.” How it would be “across,” we have no idea. Excalibur is across from the Tropicana (across Las Vegas Blvd.), ditto MGM Grand (across Tropicana). We assume they mean on a portion of the Tropicana site, as was the plan at Rio.

The A’s say they’ll start building the ballpark in 2024, with a tentative completion date of 2027.

This all has a dog-chasing-its-own-tail vibe to it, but it appears the A’s have landed on an actual deal this time.

As with the Wild Wild West site deal, which was reported as “binding,” that term is used differently than most would interpret it. The deal with Red Rock Resorts was apparently contingent upon the A’s getting public funding, and we’re pretty sure they’d have that same out in the Tropicana deal.

We don’t care all that much about where the A’s end up, as long as they move to Las Vegas, because then our 2021 Tweet would be deemed prescient and we would be carried around on the shoulders of cheering sportsball fans.

Still trying to get used to the sound of "Las Vegas Athletics."

— Vital Vegas (@VitalVegas) March 17, 2021

Soon, Las Vegas will have all the sports (an NBA team is likely to go to the Oak View project in the works south of The Strip), other than having a professional croquet team, but we’re fairly sure somebody’s working on that, too.

As we are not a sports person, the more sports, the less interest we have in Las Vegas. Sports are pushing out the things that make Las Vegas Las Vegas, and Las Vegas social media streams are so full of live Tweeting sports, there’s hardly room for anything good.

We don’t begrudge sports fans their sports, we just wish they could enjoy it to themselves. Casinos need no sports zones, and no TV zones, and no high-fiving zones. It’s all fun and games until somebody puts an eye out.

Everyone seems excited for the Oakland A’s move to Las Vegas, except for people who actually pay attention to baseball and realize the team, and owner, we’re getting.

We asked a top executive of a major Las Vegas casino to share his thoughts, he said, “You can never have too many imaginary stadium sites.” He added, “The A’s are not particularly well run.”

Should this deal proceed, it appears the Trop’s days are numbered, so visit while you can. There’s been no date given for a potential closure of this Strip casino, but things move quickly in Vegas when sports are involved. (If you blinked, you may have missed the massive F1 headquarters being built.)

People lost their minds when Hard Rock said it would be dismantling the Mirage volcano. They really should be mourning the loss of that glorious stained glass ceiling above the casino floor at Trop.

Las Vegas is all about change. As long as we get a new casino, we’ll let the A’s move to town. Having a winning record would be a good thing, too, thanks.

The post Tropicana Could Be Demolished for Las Vegas A’s Ballpark appeared first on Vital Vegas.

If you needed further proof the off-Strip Ellis Island is wired differently, you’ll want to check out its new high limit room.

We are declaring it the “Smallest High Limit Room in the World,” until proven otherwise.

The new high limit slot room has nine machines, and it’s absolutely adorable.

We were invited to the high limit room opening to make the honorary first bet in the space. Our ass was promptly handed to us, but there were cupcakes, so there’s that.

Leading up to the opening of the high limit room, we made several suggestions for naming the space. Our favorite was “Petit Salon a Haute Limite.” Basically, a fancy way of saying “teeny high limit salon.” We also suggested “Vital Vegas Memorial High Limit Slot Salon and Broom Closet.”

They went with “High Limit.” Hey, whatever works.

Here’s an exhaustive walk-through of the new Ellis Island immersive high limit slot parlor experience. Don’t blink.

Ellis Island is a smaller casino, so space is at a premium. The casino doesn’t have a huge number of whales, as it’s more known for value than high-rolling gamblers. Big players often demand amenities Ellis Island simply doesn’t have. There’s no steakhouse or show or spa or pool. There’s great BBQ and karaoke, and they only have the latter because they refuse to take our advice.

We love Ellis Island, and it loves us back.

On certain days, if you acquire 50 players club points, you get cookies. Just about every visit, the players club gives us a free sandwich at Via Focaccia. The free play flows generously, the drinks and food are dirt cheap and parking remains free.

There has been a cavalcade of new high limit room openings or re-openings (renovations) in Las Vegas recently. We just hit a new space at Aria (the casino has two high limit slot rooms now), Harrah’s has a gorgeous new high limit lounge (a phrase we never imagined we’d be typing) and there are several others we won’t be sharing here because that would involve “remembering where they are” or possibly even “research.” Not happening.

The new high limit room is just one of the new offerings at Ellis Island.

The casino recently unveiled some fancy new restrooms. Yes, some of the pips on the wallpaper are awkward (4 and 3 can’t sit side-by-side), so we definitely aren’t going to mention it. After this. Probably.

Ellis Island’s fancy new restrooms debut tomorrow (the casino bar is moving to where the temporary ones are, the former brewery), and they look great, so we are not going to make it awkward by pointing out the pips. pic.twitter.com/A9enUkarM1

— Vital Vegas (@VitalVegas) April 21, 2023

At the high limit room opening, there were balloons, including one shaped like a die. The pips on the balloon were also awkward.

We are also not going to mention the pips on another piece of artwork at Ellis Island.

But this isn’t about our OCD, this is about the new high limit room at Ellis Island! (Read more about the Las Vegas dice pip problem.)

The biggest bet you can make is $250, so get right on that!

There was a handpay within five minutes of the opening of the new high limit room, a friend of ours and the boyfriend of one of the Ellis sisters. No bitterness here whatsoever.

Ellis Island is one of our top three places to play in Las Vegas, and while we don’t suspect we’ll play in high limit too often (there’s just the one Top Dollar machine), we’re glad Ellis Island keeps changing things up.

Rumor has it the casino’s center bar will be moving into the former brewery space, so that’s something to look forward to. Here’s a security breach to tide you over.

Also new at Ellis Island is their “fast pay” system, called “Keys to Credit.” Your host can sign you up—you provide your drivers license and social security number up front—that way, when you hit handpays, you can just enter your code and keep playing. It’s a fairly common system in Las Vegas casinos, under various names, but Ellis Island recently entered the fray.

Big thanks for Ellis Island for inviting us to make the first bet in their new high limit room!

Ellis Island is a unique Vegas casino with a throwback feel, some of the lowest table minimums in town and more colorful characters per square inch than any casino on or around The Strip. See you there.

The post Ellis Island Opens Most Adorable High Limit Room, Ever appeared first on Vital Vegas.

The former Imperial Palace (IP) sportsbook has been in a state of suspended animation since 2014.

When Imperial Palace closed, the mid-Strip casino was rebranded The Quad for a minute, now it’s The Linq. Long story.

The IP sportsbook sat idle for years, but like so many things in Las Vegas, is has now been demolished to make way for something new and shiny.

We snagged exclusive photos of the current state of the future “DiscoShow” theater, dubbed the Glitterloft, at Linq.

It’s helpful to have something to compare the current space to, so let’s step into our Internet time machine and see what the sportsbook looked like back in the day.

The gutting of the IP’s sportsbook began in March 2023, and apparently the dusty features of the room weren’t bolted down too tightly, as the room is now completely bare.

Here’s another exclusive look inside the Glitterloft at Linq.

“DiscoShow” is set for a summer 2024 debut, which is a ridiculously long time to wait, honestly.

“DiscoShow” comes from Spiegelworld, the company that produces “Absinthe” at Caesars Palace, “OPM” at Cosmopolitan and “Atomic Saloon” at Venetian.

Here’s a look at the demolition.

We just saw “OPM” again, and it’s pretty much unrecognizable. We should probably write about our experience, but we’ve written enough about Spiegelworld this month already. See also our story about the new No Pants burger at “Absinthe.”

Anyhoo, here’s the official description of the upcoming show at Linq: “The live show will be unlike any other entertainment in Las Vegas. The audience will be invited to step inside the action with the characters who were there at the birth of disco; into their lives; on the streets; at the club; encouraged at every moment to lose themselves in the music and on the dance floor.”

If it’s a Spiegelworld show, it’s pretty much guaranteed to have a limbo dancer or sword-swallower or scantily-clad contortionist doing something amazing, accompanied by disco music. Pretty much our dream show, honestly.

“DiscoShow” is a bit far off to start talking about it, but we’ll take any exclusive we can get! It’s going to take some time to air out that musty space at Linq.

Spiegelworld’s shows are some of the most successful in Las Vegas at the moment, and there’s no reason to think “DiscoShow” will be any different.

The post “DiscoShow” Makes Quick Work of Imperial Palace Sportsbook Demolition appeared first on Vital Vegas.

Las Vegas has a metric hell-ton of great burgers.

There’s a new contender for best burger on The Strip, and it’s served in the last place you’d suspect a contender for best burger on The Strip would be served.

It’s not even a restaurant. You can find the burger at a show called “Absinthe.” Technically, it’s outside “Absinthe,” but please don’t muck around with our narrative.

It’s a burger served from a shipping container, actually. It’s a place called No Pants.

No Pants is yet another quirky offering from the lovable weirdos at Spiegelworld, the team behind “Absinthe” at Caesars Palace, as well as “OPM” at Cosmo and “Atomic Saloon” at Venetian.

The No Pants shipping container kitchen is in an area dubbed the Green Fairy Garden. The Green Fairy is a character in “Absinthe,” although we aren’t entirely sure why.

Until recently, we figured this whole courtyard was just for ticket-holders, but it’s open to the public, which is awesome, because the Green Fairy Garden has two shipping container bars and a new speakeasy, the Pier 17 Yacht Club, which we probably should’ve taken photos of, but we aren’t omnipresent.

No Pants has exactly three things on its menu. Two kinds of burgers (one made of plant life) and tots. That’s it. No Pants is the perfect place to grab a bite if you suffer from decision fatigue. Which actually afflicts people in Las Vegas often.

The burger is extraordinary and much, much better than it has to be given it’s basically part of a snack bar for a Las Vegas show.

As you saw in the photo above, the burger has lots of things which would normally make us run in the opposite direction (massive pickles and onions, for example), but a P.R. rep for Spiegelworld ended up paying for the burger, so we had to try it. (As always, our opinions are our own. We have never done a sponsored post, nor do we have any partnerships with any casino, restaurant, show or other entity in Las Vegas.)

For whatever reason (we are not a foodie), the flavors were amazing together. The pickles, although giant, didn’t overwhelm the taste of the meat (juicy and succulent).

Our only gripe was that the onions are grilled into the burger itself. The burgers benefit from the flavor of the onions, but it’s weird having long, stringy onions in one’s burger meat. It’s really a texture and vanity thing with us, like not wanting to eat spaghetti on a first date. We asked the crew at No Pants, and they said they could make it without onions, which is how we’d order the burger next time.

The tots are also delicious, although they’re definitely much better if you’re drunk. Allegedly.

The prices at No Pants aren’t too steep, at least in the context of restaurants on The Strip.

If you want to try the burger for free, you can: 1) be a member of the media, or 2) attend an upcoming event where the burger will be free if you aren’t wearing pants. No, really. Date TBA.

You’ll want to gird your loins for the drink prices. Again, not unusual for drinks at Las Vegas shows, but several “Absinthe” guests have been treated for sticker shock over the years.

Speaking of “years,” “Absinthe” recently celebrated its 12 anniversary at Caesars Palace, and remains the must-do show in Las Vegas, despite our name being on the ads for “OPM” saying that’s the best show we’ve ever seen. We’re seeing it again tonight just to make sure.

Here’s a look at “Absinthe” on its 12th anniversary. If you watch closely, you will see the aforementioned Ross Mollison, sans pants. Again, girding recommended.

Some of the acts have changed, but “Absinthe” is still rowdy, bawdy, offensive and fun as hell. The ladies on poles alone are worth the price of admission.

Before or after, No Pants.

Our go-to for best burger on The Strip has always been Gordon Ramsay Burger at Planet Hollywood, but No Pants is going to give Ramsay a run for his money. Nusr-Et at The Park also rates a mention.

Downtown, try the burger at Oscar’s at Plaza, or the all-time most-recommended burger in Vegas (especially at the price) at Binion’s Cafe.

You can grab the No Pants burger without seeing “Absinthe,” but why would you do that?

Don’t take our word for how great the No Pants burger is. Give it a try and let us know what you think. If you don’t agree, keep it to yourself or start your own blog. Good luck with that.

The post No Pants: A New Contender for Best Burger on The Strip appeared first on Vital Vegas.

Never has a new Las Vegas retail offering benefited more from a slow news day than “Stranger Things: The Official Store.”

The new retail store, featuring all things “Stranger Things,” opens May 26, 2023 at Showcase Mall on the Las Vegas Strip.

Typically, we don’t care about retail stores opening. We’re here for fun, and retail stores are sort of the opposite of fun. You know, like cigar smoke or sex with Criss Angel. However, we’re a relatively big fan of the original “Stranger Things,” so here we are.

Here are some words from the official news release: “The store will provide a unique retail experience in a space packed with exclusive merchandise and interactive photo moments. New merchandise collections unique to the Las Vegas store will launch for the first time including the Pool Collection with ‘Stranger Things’ character Billy Hargrove’s essential products and a one-of-a-kind Las Vegas capsule collection.”

If you haven’t watched “Stranger Things” on Netflix, that was heaping helping of word salad.

If you are a fan of the series, you’ll be thrilled to hear the store will feature lots of photo ops, including nods to iconic “Stranger Things” locations, a Demogorgon, Joyce’s living room, Starcourt Mall, Hawkins High, the Palace Arcade and Vecna’s attic, all of which we have vague memories of, because “Stranger Things” originally aired in 2016.

The whole point of all this is to sell merch, of course, so get ready for a slew of branded apparel, games, toys, candy and accessories.

“Stranger Things: The Official Store” has also existed in New York City, Los Angeles, Paris, Dallas, Chicago, Miami and Milan. The Las Vegas location will be the best, however, because Las Vegas.

The Vegas store will also be the largest “Stranger Things” store, so there’s that.

Showcase Mall is on The Strip, not far from MGM Grand, and features Hard Rock Cafe, World of Coca Cola and the M&M’s Cavalcade of Calories.

Parking at Showcase Mall isn’t cheap, so make your selections, get your photos and move your ass.

While “Stranger Things” may not be your thing, fans will surely love the place and this new retail shop on the Las Vegas Strip will no doubt turn their world upside down.

Like you didn’t see that one coming.

The post “Stranger Things” Store Coming to The Strip appeared first on Vital Vegas.