I randomly found out about this place when searching for more off beat Vegas "must sees." I knew I had to check it out myself but when the cabbies even ask "What place are you talkin' about?" you know it's gotta be awesome. It took a couple of tries to get to this area off the strip (it's sort of towards the Premium Outlets...a bit of a sketchy area as others have said, including our cabbie out there). My group started harassing me that the place would be lame given the look on the outside. Within minutes of sitting at the bar though, we knew we had a bad ass bartender and were going to be in for a ride with the drink "skull system." The skulls denote how strong a drink is- I don't recall seeing a 1 but I do know we didn't want to mess around and went straight for the 5s. Whoa, Nelly!
Not only was I surprised at the amount of bang for the buck (seriously, 1 drink will have most people on their ass) but the drinks didn't taste like syrupy, fruity crap! Mike (one of the best bartenders I've ever met) not only knew his stuff but changed the way I look (and taste) tropical and tiki drinks. An original Mai Tai? Whodathunk it resembles more of a Long Island than a pineapple drink with lots of rum? As he said, "It ain't a real Mai Tai without a lime and a mint sprig." Good, good stuff.
Not only are the drinks memorable but the decor is totally cool and different. The place itself is smaller than I was expecting (I can't even imagine how packed it gets at night). We went during an odd time in the late afternoon and there were a few people in there but by no means crowded- a very cool and mellow vibe. We intended to only stay for 45 minutes or so but didn't want to leave and even canceled our 5 star dinner reservations that we had struggled to get. Yes...this place is that good.
I could keep going on and on how cool this place was- the drinks, the bartender, the decor, and the crowd- but you really need to see it for yourself to appreciate it. Don't be surprised if no one knows where or what it is when you're trying to get here- just keep an address and/or map handy. Not only will I be back but it will definitely become a regular stop for me when I'm in Vegas...even if the cab ride costs more than the drinks.