Photo by Anthony Mair, courtesy of Flanker Kitchen + Sports Bar
Photo by Anthony Mair, courtesy of Flanker Kitchen + Sports Bar
Cheer, scream, eat, repeat. Fall is the main season for sports in Las Vegas, with the Golden Knights back to defend their Stanley Cup and the Las Vegas Aces hoping to repeat as WNBA champions. The Las Vegas Raiders are starting off the season strong in a big year for football, culminating with the 2024 Super Bowl taking place in Vegas at Allegiant Stadium. That all adds up to a lot of wings and beer with fanaticism bigger than ever in this town. The top picks for the best sports bars in Las Vegas usually come down to food, booze, atmosphere, and that special feeling of not being the only person in a room yelling at a television screen. A few even have easy access to a betting window in case you want to place a last-minute wager.Bar Code Burgers Eastside Bar Code Burgers packs in plenty of charm for a neighborhood sports bar, thanks to touches of brick decor and an outdoor patio that runs alongside Flamingo Road. The burgers are some of the best in Las Vegas, made with 6-ounce short rib and chuck patties and, more often than not, slathered with a messy, sloppy assortment of toppings. Ask about the latest burger of the month, which tends to be more decadent and playful than usual. The wings (regular or boneless) are another popular option, whether you keep things sweet with a PB&J sauce or spicy with mango habanero. Happy hour runs Monday through Friday from 3 to 6 pm with a variety of other specials (depending on the day or the game) offered throughout the week. A Game Day Trio is $25.95 with a choice of appetizer, entree, and pint. How to book: Book a reservation (or place a pickup/delivery order) online or call 702-294-2633 to inquire about the latest details on special events.
Photo by Anthony Mair, courtesy of Beer Park
Photo by Anthony Mair, courtesy of Beer Park
Beer Park Paris Las Vegas As one of the best rooftop bars in Vegas, Beer Park has awesome open-air views overlooking the Bellagio fountains and the neon lights of the Strip. But the real draw is the beer selection, with more than 100 choices, including 36 on draft. At least six wines and four cocktails are on tap, too. The whole place is a mix of indoor and outdoor spaces with picnic tables, a game room, and an in-house betting window to save you the hassle of trying to find the Paris sports book. Ultimately, Beer Park manages to feel like a casual neighborhood hangout while also being a Strip spectacle, which is no easy feat. Scan the QR code on the menu, and you’ll discover a bonus selection of secret treats, including a shareable Patron margarita flight, pizza poppers, and fried pickles. How to book: Book a reservation online. Reservations during games may require money down on a food-and-beverage credit.Born & Raised Multiple Locations As the name suggests, Born and Raised is a place to cheer on the local teams. In the past, that usually meant the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Rebels. These days, there’s a heavy loyalty to the Golden Knights, which inspired the bar to start its own street hockey tournament in recent years. The menu is known for its all-day breakfast, loaded sliders, and wings slathered in scratch-made sauces. The sriracha-glazed option is borderline legendary. The original southwest location has an efficient L-shaped design with video poker at the bar, a few funky couches, at least 16 screens on the main wall alone, and a covered outdoor patio that doubles as a private dining room with its own speakeasy-style entrance. The concept spread to Henderson, North Las Vegas, and a soon-to-open location in Centennial Hills. All look a little different but share a similar locals-oriented vibe. How to book: Just walk in. Inquire in advance about private rooms for birthday parties and other large gatherings.
Photo by John Locher, courtesy of Crown & Anchor
Photo by John Locher, courtesy of Crown & Anchor
Crown & Anchor Off the Strip This British pub (with dual locations east and west of the Strip) is open 24 hours a day but really comes alive when soccer is on. That could be in the middle of the night when games are broadcast live from other parts of the world. Crown & Anchor makes a point to show as many Premier League games as possible, giving Brits an opportunity to watch their favorite teams while chowing down on a Cornish Pasty or Jumbo Yorkshire Pudding. The bar also has specials during Golden Knights games (half-off appetizers) and “American football” ($2 PBR pints and five wings for $5). All-you-can-eat English Fish & Chips are served on Mondays after 5 pm. If sports aren’t your thing, there’s always video poker or gossiping about the royals. How to book: Just walk in or place an order via ChowNow.Chickie’s & Pete’s Sahara Chickie’s & Pete’s started as a corner sports bar in Philadelphia and now has a Las Vegas location at the Sahara. It’s already the unofficial local hangout for Eagles fans, with football and other sports constantly shown on 50 TV screens throughout the stylish yet comfortable space. Just make sure to order some of the seafood that made Chickie’s & Pete’s a local legend in the City of Brotherly Love. Lobster is used as a topping on pizzas as well as cheesesteak for a surf-n-turf you can eat with your hands. The restaurant’s famous crab fries don’t actually have any crab but come with a delicious crab seasoning. Chickie’s & Pete’s is also one of the few sports bars in Las Vegas to have its own in-house betting window. How to book: It’s first-come, but check online for big events.
Photo courtesy of Dawg House
Photo courtesy of Dawg House
Dawg House Resorts World When Resorts World opened in 2021, it didn’t want a standard, stuffy sports book, so the hotel basically built a sports bar around it. Dawg House is overloaded with tables, couches, television screens, and beer taps with a centralized stage for live music-usually country, but not always. Sometimes, the best competition isn’t on the screen; it’s the one at your table, where a $150 bucket of wings and tater tots is free if one person can finish it off in an hour (or two people in 20 minutes). Otherwise, order a bite from the Mouse House, a walk-up counter that serves gourmet grilled cheese and other sandwiches. The drink menu is stacked, but if you want to keep things playful, order a bucket of five Kickin’ It Coolers for $30. They’re kind of like a spiked Capri Sun. How to book: Book a reservation online.Flanker Kitchen + Sports Bar Mandalay Bay Flanker Kitchen + Sports Bar offers two things: great food and immediate access to Allegiant Stadium. The new venue, which opened just a few months ago, is next to the exit that leads from Mandalay Bay to the Hacienda overpass that closes to traffic during stadium events. That makes Flanker a hot post-game party spot, but if you stick around, the action is easy to watch on several TV screens and a 30-foot video wall. Executive chef Daniel Ontivero has put together one of the most inspired sports bar menus in Vegas, featuring steaks, seafood, and an overloaded “Madden Bowl” sundae that serves 12 people. The Double Wagyu Smash burger mixes sweet and savory flavors, thanks to a touch of bacon-onion jam. A new brunch launched in time for the NFL season with salmon and cream cheese flatbreads, caviar-topped lobster rolls, and Creme Brulee French Toast with torched bananas. Some items are pricey, but you’ll score a few deals during Late Night Pizza Parties and Taco Tuesdays. A secret karaoke room is perfect for large groups. How to book: Reservations for the dining room or karaoke room are available online.
Photo courtesy of Game On Bar & Grille
Photo courtesy of Game On Bar & Grille
Game On Bar & Grille Boulder Station This just-opened sports bar is adding new life to Boulder Station. It’s big, bright, and has enough wood decor for a fresh “new home” smell. Game On is the latest concept by the team behind Blondies (a great sports bar in its own right at Planet Hollywood) with a large, square bar as the centerpiece, flanks of video poker machines, and a digital scoreboard ticker. Televisions wrap around the entire place with barely an inch between them, making every seat a good one, especially if you’re spreading out in the large, comfy U-shaped banquets. There’s a lot to love about the menu, from the horseradish mayo on the sliders to the choice of two sides included in each of the main entrees (like a New York Steak, grilled salmon, or Shepherd’s Pie). Just like Blondies, Game On has a tempting happy hour: bottomless Modelo, Michelob Ultra, Bud Lite, or well cocktails from 3 to 6 pm for $20. It runs daily, no matter what’s playing on the screen. How to book: This is a walk-in kind of place, but you can always call 702-432-7777 with questions.Guy Fieri’s Flavortown Sports Kitchen Horseshoe Guy Fieri’s presence continues to grow in his hometown of Las Vegas. The longtime host of Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives recently opened Flavortown Sports Kitchen as one of the new restaurants, changing the image of the new Horseshoe resort (formerly Bally’s). As expected, the menu is dominated by calorie-heavy content, ranging from a loaded burger with a sliced donut as the bun to birria-topped quesadillas in the form of a pizza and a stacked pile of cheeseburger nachos. The celebrity chef’s own Santo tequila is put to good use in a series of margaritas as well as a spicy salsa verde, while the mezcal is featured in a surprisingly delicate watermelon salad, proving not everything here has to be indulgent to be appreciated. Overall, the dining room is an open, high-energy spot with dozens of televisions positioned at all angles and a centralized bar. The Horseshoe replaced its sportsbook with a kids’ arcade, but you can still visit one at the adjacent Paris casino or place a wager at a Caesars Sportsbook kiosk. How to book: Reservations are available via OpenTable. Guy’s MVP Retreat, a private room with leather couches and an interactive dining experience with the chef, requires an additional $25 per person.
Photo by Rob Kachelriess
Photo by Rob Kachelriess
McMullan’s Irish Pub Off the Strip Vegas has its share of Irish pubs, but McMullan’s is the complete package. Just west of the Strip on Tropicana, it’s convenient for both tourists and locals without any parking headaches to worry about. The bar is also across the street from the Orleans casino, where you can place a bet when inspiration hits. McMullan’s has an easy-going neighborhood vibe and several rooms (none of which look quite the same) for handling overflow crowds to watch all sorts of games day and night. The pub is loyal to Liverpool but shows Premier League games from all teams. It’s also your number-one spot in Vegas for Australian rugby. Whatever you’re watching, it’s even better with a shot of Irish Whiskey, a pint of Guinness, and an Irish stew of braised lamb and roasted potatoes. How to book: Call 702-247-7000 or email to ask about reservations. You can also arrange private events in the banquet room.Redtail Resorts World While Dawg House has the feel of a country saloon, Redtail is more “nightclubby” with a lounge vibe, giving sports fans at Resorts World two distinctly different options for watching the latest game. There’s bottle service, a DJ booth, and a long stage for hosting special events, rallying the crowd, or staging fun stuff, such as a chicken wing eating contest. It’s a large layout with leather couches surrounding coffee tables and three private karaoke rooms. Feel free to get up and move around, whether to play a game of giant beer pong, shoot some hoops, or scope out the secret entrance to Zouk nightclub, which is run by the same management team. The menu has nearly a dozen burgers to choose from but focuses on shareable snacks like cheese curds, nachos, pretzel bites, and fried calamari. Bring your losing sportsbook ticket to “Sip Happens, Pour Decisions” on Mondays to redeem a $20 bottomless draft beer deal. How to book: Make a reservation online.
Photo courtesy of Sporting Life
Photo courtesy of Sporting Life
Sporting Life Southwest Sporting Life originally built its reputation as a sports bar for foodies, and while the menu seems more streamlined these days, you can still have fun with cool stuff like a tender marinated skirt steak, the vegetable lo mein, or churro fries. There’s also plenty of space, a casino-style digital odds board, a bar made with wood from a 1920s basketball court, and individually controlled TVs so you don’t have to watch the Lakers if you don’t want to. The bar takes pride in its craft beer selection, and the mac ‘n cheese is made with brown ale from local brewer Tenaya Creek. Sporting Life is the party headquarters for Ohio State fans and alums, but it also draws big crowds for trivia nights, poker tournaments, and any big sports event. A second sister location, Sporting Life Home Field, is west of the Strip on Sahara with a more reserved menu. How to book: No reservations, but ask about private events. Stadia Bar Caesars Palace Stadia Bar proves it’s possible for a sports bar to also be an upscale cocktail lounge. There’s a dedication to premium spirits with a choose-your-own-adventure highball cart, barrel-aged whiskey exclusives, and fun infusions, such as Tito’s vodka with blueberry and mint. The sports theme is relatively subtle, although the floor is made from old basketball courts and leather-wrapped domes (as opposed to booths) are modeled after football helmets with private TV screens. Stadia Bar is located in the Forum Food Hall, an ambitious food court at Caesars Palace that generally avoids familiar chains in favor of more intriguing concepts, such as a burger counter by Bobby Flay and the only Di Fara pizza outside Brooklyn. Guests are welcome to bring in food from Stadia’s neighbors or order directly to have the same bites delivered to their seats. How to book:Reservations are recommended and have a food-and-beverage minimum for big events. Call 866-733-5827 for questions or group reservations.
Photo by Eugene De La Cruz, courtesy of Sticks Tavern
Photo by Eugene De La Cruz, courtesy of Sticks Tavern
Sticks Tavern Henderson Sticks Tavern in Henderson’s rejuvenated Water Street district is named in honor of its proximity to Lifeguard Stadium, where the Silver Knights play minor-league hockey. Chef Jordan Camacho’s food menu is better than ever, with newly added options for tacos and dirty fries. Sticks also brought back its poutine with Wisconsin cheese curds and added some mac ‘n cheese to the list of side dishes. Mary’s Organic Chicken is used for the wings-flats only for a higher meat-to-bone ratio. Ask for your smash burger “Wolverine-style” for a whopping nine ounces of beef. Sticks is teaming up with Downtown’s HUDL Brewing Company for “HUDL Up” viewing parties during NFL games with two or three HUDL beers on tap and $8 appetizer specials. Brunch runs on weekends. Try the “Redeye” Eggs Benedict with coffee added to the Hollandaise for extra zip and flavor. How to book: Seats are generally available on a first-come basis. You can also order online for takeaway orders.Tailgate Social Palace Station Tailgate Social works best when you bring friends. Much of the food is designed to be shared. Most notably, the Tailgate Nachos (with the option to sub fries for chips), wood-fired pizzas, and a platter of wings, quesadilla, pretzel bites, and chips. The beer list is huge. Get a free shot whenever the Raiders score and nibble on a $10 pizza during Monday Night Football Games. Located in a tight corner of the Palace Station casino, Tailgate Social is bright and spacious for sports bar standards, especially with a long wall of floor-to-ceiling windows welcoming plenty of natural light during daytime games. A few distractions are on standby, including pool, foosball, video poker machines, and a vintage Midway arcade machine, in case whatever you’re watching on one of more than 30 televisions turns out to be a dud. A new brunch now runs from 9 am to 3 pm on weekends. How to book: Book a reservation online.Want more Thrillist? Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube.
Rob Kachelriess is a full-time freelance writer who covers travel, dining, entertainment, and other fun stuff for Thrillist. He’s based in Las Vegas but enjoys exploring destinations throughout the world, especially in the Southwest United States. Otherwise, he’s happy to hang out at home with his wife Mary and their family of doggies. Follow him on Twitter @rkachelriess.
Photo by Louiie Victa, courtesy of Basilico Ristorante Italiano
Photo by Louiie Victa, courtesy of Basilico Ristorante Italiano
You can’t be all things to all people. Yet a new Italian restaurant strikes an intriguing balance between authenticity and inventive touches while helping to shape the identity of a new community in the booming Southwest Valley of Las Vegas.
Basilico Ristorante Italiano is now open at Evora, a master-planned apartment development still under construction that won’t be finished for at least five years. The 160-seat restaurant follows the vision of chef Francesco Di Caudo, a Sicily native who draws on his heritage and experience throughout Italy to build a compelling menu based on traditional techniques and modern ingenuity.
“I come from a country where farm-to-table is nothing new,” says Di Caudio, while emphasizing the importance of ingredient sourcing and simple, straightforward flavor combinations.
Photo by Louiie Victa, courtesy of Basilico Ristorante Italiano
Photo by Louiie Victa, courtesy of Basilico Ristorante Italiano
Just look at the appetizers. Americans are used to eggplant parmesan that’s breaded and fried without restraint. Di Caudo sticks to a traditional Sicilian recipe with the vegetable sliced thin, sizzled in a pan, and layered with tomato and basil. No mozzarella. On the other hand, the Smoked Cigar is destined to be a signature showstopper. Duck, foie gras, and porcini mushrooms are packed inside a thin, cracker-like shell, presented in a box, and dipped into a glass ashtray. The “ash” in the centre is a black sesame and truffle mix. Don’t be shy about double dipping.
The risotto is bound to be another conversation piece. The recipe uses Carnaroli rice, a starchy grain from North Italy that produces a creamy texture, balancing the saltiness of a parmesan broth with a sweet splash of chestnut honey. The real surprise is the inclusion of Lavazza espresso, manipulated to crackle in your mouth like Pop Rocks candy.
Photo by Louiie Victa, courtesy of Basilico Ristorante Italiano
Photo by Louiie Victa, courtesy of Basilico Ristorante Italiano
All pastas are made in-house, from a parsnip cavatelli to a lamb and thyme tortellini in a broth filtered from braised prosciutto. Some dishes have a subtle Asian influence, including a hamachi crudo with pomelo (similar to yuzu), Hokkaido scallops with oxtail, and a planned octopus braised in dashi. The flavours come to life inside a sharp, contemporary dining room with deep red chairs and stone, wood, and marble touches. The wine collection is dominated by Italian labels, with a few California and Oregon picks thrown in to round out the list. Bottles are on display near the front entrance and inside illuminated square shelves. “It looks like a fancy restaurant, but when you sit down, I want you to have fun,” adds Di Caudio.
Photo by Louiie Victa, courtesy of Basilico Ristorante Italiano
Photo by Louiie Victa, courtesy of Basilico Ristorante Italiano
The bar is the heart of the restaurant, ready to serve up to 16 people inside and dozens more via accordion-style windows that open wide to a covered patio. The outdoor space, temperature-controlled with overhead fans and heaters, effectively extends Evora’s open-air plaza with dramatic water and fire features. It’s a natural spot for tastings and special events with a covered stage for live music. Evora is rolling out in four phases, with the first 342 apartments ready by fall. There could be as many as 1,400 when it’s all said and done. Rent begins at around $1,800 for studios and one-bedroom units and goes up to $4,000 for two-story top-floor residences with a loft and Strip views. The community will include swimming pools, pickleball courts, a putting green, a dog park, firepits, EV charging stations, and pavilions equipped with audio and video features.
“Basilico matches the demographic for our apartments,” says Danny Sorge of Digital Desert Development, the company behind the community. “The term ‘youthful sophistication’ has been thrown around about the restaurant and Evora as a whole. It brings something new to the area.”
Rendering courtesy of Evora
Rendering courtesy of Evora
The development follows a deliberate strategy to have the commercial tenants in place before the first residents move in, occupying a stand-alone building that strikes a commanding presence on the corner of Patrick Lane and Buffalo Drive. Lemon Tree Cafe & Market is already open as a European-style grocery store with plenty of room to sit down with a sandwich and glass of wine. Keep your eyes peeled for Taps & Barrels (a self-service beer hall), Tachi Ramen, and EVOQ hair salon in the months ahead, with more businesses to come. The timing couldn’t be better. The Southwest Valley is on fire right now, with the Durango hotel and casino and UnCommons mixed-use development taking shape as new attractions in 2023. The Bend, a long-promised shopping and dining district, has been in a holding pattern for years but holds promise in an area where everything is getting bigger and better.
Meanwhile, the team behind Evora is staking a claim with Di Caudio running the kitchen at Basilico. The chef’s recent collaboration with Chef Oscar Amador helped Anima by EDO score a recent James Beard Award nomination and reputation as one of the best new restaurants in Las Vegas. Di Caudio first came to Las Vegas to work at Zeffirino at the Grand Canal Shoppes-a gig he expected to last about six months before returning home. Instead, he stuck around and continued to build his reputation at culinary destinations like Sinatra at the Wynn and Ferraro’s off the Strip.
Ultimately, Basilico will be a restaurant to keep an eye on as it develops under Di Caudio’s guidance. The menu will shift and evolve based on the chef’s preferences and the availability of seasonal ingredients. Di Caudio is also planning a smaller menu and social hour for the bar area and a reasonably priced tasting menu with around 10 dishes served family style.
Rob Kachelriess has been writing about Las Vegas in Thrillist for more than nine years. In addition, his work has appeared in Travel + Leisure, Leafly, Supercall, Modern Luxury, and Luxury Estates International’s seasonal publication. Follow him on Twitter @rkachelriess.
