917 Fremont St.
Las Vegas, NV
http://atomiclv.com/
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Food: No
Live Music: Yes
Hours: Reopening June 20th, hours vary.
What to Drink: An Atomic Cocktail
Why You Should Go: To sit at the same bar as the Rat Pack and enjoy some authentic Las Vegas history.
Opened in 1945, the same year the Atomic bomb was invented, Atomic Liquors was THE bar to go to during Las Vegas's heyday - a title it looks to reclaim in the near future.
Located at the end of Fremont St.--the original Las Vegas Stip--the bar was initially called Virginia's Cafe and later changed it's name in 1952 to Atomic Liquors. The name change occured after it became a regular event for patrons to take their Atomic Cocktails, head up to the roof, and watch for mushroom clouds created by the Atomic testing that occured less than 50 miles away. Imagine being able to do that today.....would you have wanted to be that close?
The bar was also a long time favorite among the local casino workers, performers and celebrities of the 1950s and 60s. Some of the most notable acts that stopped in to enjoy a cocktail before and after their shows included Barabara Striesand, The Smothers Brothers and the Rat Pack--including the King of Vegas himself, Frank Sinatra. The bar itself has even gained its own celebrity status after being featured in movies like Casino and The Hangover.
Atomic Liquors eventually fell on hard times as the area went from the place to be in Vegas to the place to avoid and was entually shut down after the owner passed away in 2010. Luckily a few local businessmen saw the diamond in the rough and have painstakingly refurbished the bar to its original glory. It reopens June 20th of this year and is a not to be missed spot on any trip to Vegas.