Rockhouse: uninspired but never tired

March 30, 2009 by Jesse Dabney 

Establishment fuses bar, club scenes to create atmosphere

In this town, is it possible to create something new? Or, more accurately, is it possible for us to be surprised by anything new?

The Rockhouse Bar and Nightclub celebrated its grand opening, March 23. Yes, it has been open for at least a year, but the Rockhouse is clearly trying to recreate itself as a Vegas hotspot.

It’s loud, it’s trendy and it’s full of attractive, half-dressed girls. It’s like a club.

It’s located in front of the Imperial Palace. No one goes there.

They offer bottle service. In a bar. How pretentious. 

It’s small and there’s no bathroom. The nearest toilet is across a driveway and through the casino.

There’s a ridiculous tire swing chained to the ceiling which really only works to create a small breeze and clear people away from one end of the bar. The girl swinging less than a foot away from my face was, however, nice enough to warn me that I might get hit.

I didn’t want to like this place when I first walked in, but then it’s loud, trendy and full of attractive, half-dressed girls and at the same time it’s also a bar, full of beer and booze.  I ended up having quite a good time.

There’s a feeling of synergy at the Rockhouse. It doesn’t seem like anything new, but the clubby bar atmosphere is something different. 

There’s a cover, but the dress code is casual. 

They have cheap drink specials, especially for ladies, which means (guys take note) that there’s no sausagefest at the Rockhouse.

There’s a dance floor. They play rock/top 40 stuff, but with the ridiculously loud speakers and a few drinks that dance floor is hard to resist.

And most importantly, they have guitar beers. An 80-ounce life-like plastic guitar full of beer that you carry on your shoulders. There’s not much in this world that’s cooler than a guitar full of beer.

It’s not sliced bread, but the Rockhouse is worth a look. It’s cheaper than a club and much crazier than a bar, but it has the characteristics of both. It survived my cynicism and got me drunk in the process. 

One of those is an accomplishment.

ON THE WEB:

Rockhouse online: myspace.com/therockhousebar