The quintessential Downtown Vegas bar crawl would never be complete without a stop at the joint that started it all...
Just a few years ago, the Griffin was PACKED. To the HILT. It used to be a veritable swamp of human hipstery flesh that you had to wade through on any given Friday or Saturday night. While a lot of people still make the Griffin their alkie home, with the addition of other nearby bars you can actually walk through the Griffin now like a semi-normal barhopper.
Every single employee here, from sweetheart bouncer/security guy to amazingly chill bartender, has super impressed us. Yes, drinks were slightly more pricey than we imagined they'd be, but they were also strong as all get out. The Griffin still makes one of my favorite Washington apple martinis in the world. :)
Great place to start (or finish?) your Fremont Street/Las Vegas Blvd bar scene tour... ambient fireplaces, dark brick walls adorned with old fashioned art, great cocktails and even greater company :)