Hate the Strip, but don’t give up on Vegas.
Our guide to the best attractions in the anti-Strip alternative of Downtown
AS with all things extreme, Las Vegas inspires extreme reactions. For all the millions of travelers who love spending time in Sin City — having experiences that haven’t stayed in Vegas since the dawn of Facebook — there are a few million others for whom the casino playground is not (ahem) their cup of tea. OK, they hate it. Some really hate it. Maybe it’s the casinos and their acres of flashing, beeping games, or the excess of resorts larger than some European countries, or the blanket permission for visitors to overindulge, or the culture of an “adult Disneyland” (which is to say no culture). Whatever the reason, these people are not interested in Las Vegas.
Which means, probably, they haven’t been downtown.
It isn’t new. Over the past five years, the Downtown — where the city was born, but miles from the Strip — has been evolving from a gritty underbelly neighborhood into a critical mass of fun and funky restaurants, revived watering holes, creatively constructed malls, hotels made over with boutique sensibilities and museums any city would kill to host.
The neighborhood still has its gritty side, but don’t be afraid to venture off the main drag of East Fremont Street (not to be confused with the Fremont Street Experience). And while there isn’t a flurry of new developments (at least not compared with two years ago), Downtown is settling in, maturing, becoming more well-rounded, with places that aren’t going to burn out in a month or two. It’s been described as the “anti-Vegas,” although we like to think of it as the “alternative Vegas,” a legitimate option for all the folks who hate the town (including many who have never been there).
It’s for those people that we’ve come up with a guide to Downtown Las Vegas, our picks of restaurants, attractions and lodging that might surprise even the most
die-hard disliker of all things Sin City.
Here’s what to do in “alternative Las Vegas.”
EAT
1 Triple George Grill: 201 N. Third St., Las Vegas; triplegeorgegrill.com. Selfdescribed as a San Franciscostyle steakhouse, this place is seriously old school — white tablecloths, wood booths, healthy portions — and is serious about meat. 2 Eat: 707 Carson Ave., Las Vegas; eatdtlv.com. Hearty, inventive breakfast and lunch fare, located behind the Downtown Container Park. The shrimp and grits with bacon and eggs is just as jaw-dropping as it might be heart-stopping. Sit at the counter for the show that is the open kitchen. 3 Glutton: 616 E. Carson Ave., No. 110, Las Vegas; gluttonlv.com. If you’re going to be a glutton anyway, leave the celeb chefs (and prices) on the Strip and sample “urban neighborhood cuisine,” from ahi tuna tacos to zucchini Parmesan. 4 Le Thai: 523 Fremont, Las Vegas; lethaivegas.com. Curries, noodles, soups and sauces inspired by the chef’s “Thailand-born mom and grandma.” The dining room/ bar is compact, but most of the best seats are in the beer garden out back — or in the bistro seats out front (best spot for peoplewatching on East Fremont). 5 The Market: 611 Fremont, Las Vegas; themarketdtlv.com. A rarity in Vegas: a friendly, unpretentious neighborhood grocery store with a sandwich and hot-food counter, salad bar and cafe tables for lingering over a light breakfast or lunch. Good for stocking up on reasonably priced supplies.
WORTH A VISIT
6 Downtown Container Park: 707 Fremont, Las Vegas; downtowncontainerpark.com. Small-business incubator complex — with elaborate children’s play area and concert venue — made almost entirely with shipping containers. Among the highlights: Jinju Chocolates (jinjuchocolates.com), Pinches Tacos (pinchestacos.com), Bin 702 wine bar (bin702.com), Big Ern’s BBQ (bigernsbbq.com), Oak & Ivy craft-whiskey cocktail bar (oakandivy.com), San Miguel Trading Co. (sanmiguelcollection.com) and BluMarble (blumarble.com), a shop in which all the goods are repurposed products or are made from recycled materials.
DRINK
7 Atomic Liquor: 917 Fremont, Las Vegas; atomicvegas.com. Said to be one of the oldest freestanding bars in Las Vegas, it was named in 1952 when customers would sip “Atomic Cocktails” during viewing parties for the atomic testing in the desert. Now serves cocktails and craft brews to a decidedly post-Cold War-born crowd. 8 Bunkhouse Saloon: 124 S. 11th St., Las Vegas; bunkhousedowntown.com. Funky Western bar with elevated pub grub, a solid venue for emerging and established bands (local and otherwise), and a laid-back backyard. 9 F. Pigale: 508 Fremont, Las Vegas; fpigalle.com. Quirky, painfully hip lounge where the menu is, essentially, four kinds of fondue, all served with red or white wine. Advertised hours are “From 4 p.m. until the liquor stops.” 10 Beauty Bar Las Vegas: 517-A Fremont, Las Vegas; thebeautybar.com. A satellite in the hip Beauty Bar chain of “martini and manicures” lounges that offers a “casual retro vibe” and two stages for a wide-ranging list of performers and DJs. 11 Downtown Cocktail Room: 111 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas; www.thedowntownlv.com. One of the more relaxed lounges, with an emphasis on “bohemian-chic décor” and craft cocktails that range from “Mad Men” era on up. The understated entrance is on Las Vegas Boulevard, a few doors south of East Fremont Street.
STAY
12 El Cortez Cabana Suites: 651 E. Ogden Ave., Las Vegas; elcortezhotelcasino.com. Boutique-style offshoot of the famous El Cortez across the street, complete with freakishly chic design aimed at a decidedly hip crowd. Worth it to bypass the casino floor at El Cortez. 13 Downtown Grand: 206 N. Third, Las Vegas; downtowngrand.com. A two-tower hotel with boutique aspirations and a hip pool scene that’s less pretentious and half the price of the day clubs on the Strip. Stone’s throw from Triple George Grill (as well as a few others) and across the street from the Mob Museum.
PLAY
14 Inspire News Cafe: 107 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas; inspirelasvegas.com. Practically the Checkpoint Charlie on Las Vegas Boulevard for prisoner exchanges between tourist-trap Fremont Street and the Fremont East District. Modern, airy and metropolitan coffeehouse with “200-plus regional, national and international magazines.” 15 Mob Museum: 300 Stewart Ave., Las Vegas; themobmuseum.org. Vegas’ first world-class museum, built into the old Federal Courthouse and Post Office, is one of the cultural anchors in Downtown. Offers a comprehensive yet approachable take on a complex and sometimes grisly subject that shaped the city. Tour during the day, then come back for nightly Museum After Dark from 5 to 9 p.m. 16 Neon Museum: 770 N. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas; neonmuseum.org. The lobby building of the long-gone La Concha hotel museum is the reception area and gift shop that leads to the winding trail through what used to be called the Neon Boneyard. Book tours in advance, preferably the slot just a bit after sunset. 17 The Beat Coffeehouse and Records: 520 Fremont, Las Vegas; thebeatlv.com. In the same former medical center as the Emergency Arts, a collective of artists, stylists and entrepreneurs. Low-key cafe where you can flip through old vinyl between sips of latte. 18 Street art: Great murals are becoming part of the increasingly artistic landscape in a neighborhood not previously known for beauty. A few of the highlights: Sixth Street, between East Carson and East Fremont; the east exterior wall of the Market on East Fremont at Seventh Street; and East Carson Avenue, between Seventh and Eighth streets, across from Eat. shilton@sfchronicle.com