Category: Living Local

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Our Favorite Las Vegas Happy Hours of 2025, According to the Happy Hour Experts

Top Las Vegas happy hours of 2025

It’s officially 2026, but before we race ahead to what’s next, we wanted to take a moment to look back at the happy hours that defined 2025. From longtime favorites to standout finds we couldn’t stop talking about, these were the spots we returned to again and again.

We leaned on a trusted circle of food writers, hospitality insiders, and local voices who know where the value really lives. The happy hours that delivered on flavor, value, and experience in a year that reminded us why this ritual matters. Here are their favorites plus, the top happy hour categories our audience couldn’t get enough of last year.

1. Basilico Ristorante Italiano – Southwest Vegas

Expert pick: Al Mancini, NeonFeast.com
Al Mancini didn’t just like Basilico’s happy hour — he practically moved in. Offered daily from 4–6 p.m., this Southwest standout delivers refined Italian comfort at happy hour prices. Mancini’s go-to? The Cavatelli with Sausage Ragù and Sottocenere cheese for $10 — plus the kind of Wednesday-only $1 oyster deal that makes you cancel other plans. Classic, consistent, and quietly one of Southwest Las Vegas’ best-kept secrets.
👉 https://happyhourvegas.com/happy-hour/basilico-ristorante-italiano

2. Lotus of Siam – Flamingo Road

Expert pick: Anthony Curtis, LasVegasAdvisor.com
When Anthony Curtis calls a happy hour a value, people listen. Lotus of Siam’s weekday happy hour (Mon–Fri, 3–5 p.m.) offers some of the restaurant’s most beloved dishes for $7, plus $4 sake. Curtis notes that a recent visit for two rang in at just $49 — proof that world-famous Thai food doesn’t have to come with Strip pricing. This is elite-level cuisine hiding in plain sight.
👉 https://happyhourvegas.com/happy-hour/lotus-of-siam

3. Rebellion Pizza – Anthem

Expert pick: Bob Barnes, Food & Loathing
Rebellion Pizza earns Bob Barnes’ loyalty for two big reasons: serious New York–style pizza and an unmatched commitment to local beer. The Anthem location boasts the largest selection of Southern Nevada–brewed beers in the Valley, and its weekday happy hour (2–5 p.m.) seals the deal with $5 massive slices, $7 drafts, and half-off appetizers. It’s neighborhood-friendly, fiercely local, and exactly what happy hour should be.
👉 https://happyhourvegas.com/happy-hour/rebellion-pizza-happy-hour

4. Herbs & Rye – Off-Strip

Expert pick: Rachel “The Real” Diehl, Hospitality Insider
For anyone who’s ever missed happy hour because life got in the way, Herbs & Rye is the answer. Rachel Diehl loves that happy hour runs all day, every day, eliminating clock-watching entirely. Expect half-priced full plates of pasta and steak paired with one of the most creative cocktail programs in Las Vegas. Show up when you’re hungry — the deal is always on.
👉 https://happyhourvegas.com/happy-hour/herbs-and-rye

5. Nacho Daddy – Downtown Las Vegas

Expert pick: Shelley Berkley, Mayor of Las Vegas
When a happy hour earns its own city proclamation, you know it’s doing something right. Mayor Shelley Berkley is a fan of Nacho Daddy’s $5 happy hour margaritas — so much so that December 18 was officially declared “Nacho Daddy Day” in Las Vegas. With daily happy hours from 11 a.m.–6 p.m. and again from 9–11 p.m., this Downtown staple proves that fun, flavor, and value never go out of style.
👉 https://happyhourvegas.com/happy-hour/nacho-daddy-downtown-vegas

6. Echo & Rig – Summerlin

Expert pick: Andrew Morgan, Happy Hour Vegas
Echo & Rig is my personal go-to because it nails the sweet spot between quality and value. Where else can you order one of everything on the happy hour menu for about $15? Summerlin’s weekday happy hour (3–6 p.m.) features $3 cocktails, $4 steak & eggs, and a butcher-driven menu that feels indulgent without the indulgent price tag.
👉 https://happyhourvegas.com/happy-hour/echo-rig-happy-hour/

Popular Happy Hour Categories of 2025

Beyond individual venues, our audience made their preferences loud and clear in 2025. These were the most-visited happy hour categories on HappyHourVegas.com and a reflection of how people were actually dining and socializing in Las Vegas last year.

7. Weekend Happy Hours

Happy hour isn’t just for weekdays anymore. Weekend happy hours surged in popularity as locals and visitors looked for flexible ways to socialize without committing to full dinners or late nights. Brunch-adjacent, pre-show, and early-evening deals ruled 2025.
👉 https://happyhourvegas.com/weekend-happy-hours/

8. Reverse Happy Hours

Late nights deserve love, too. Reverse happy hours typically after 9 p.m. became a go-to for hospitality workers, night owls, and anyone who prefers cocktails after the crowds thin out. Vegas is a 24-hour town, and our audience clearly drinks accordingly.
👉 https://happyhourvegas.com/reverse-happy-hours-las-vegas/

9. Happy Hour Deals

Value matters. With rising menu prices everywhere, our readers gravitated toward clearly defined deals. Dollar oysters, $5 cocktails, half-off menus, $3 tacos and more. The kind of offers that feel like a win the moment the check arrives.
👉 https://happyhourvegas.com/happy-hour-deals-las-vegas/

10. Rooftop & Foodie Happy Hours

Views and flavor closed out the top spots. Rooftop happy hours let people soak in the skyline without paying nightclub prices, while foodie happy hours attracted diners chasing chef-driven menus, seasonal ingredients, and creative small plates. In 2025, people wanted experience and taste, not just a cheap drink.
👉 https://happyhourvegas.com/rooftop-happy-hours/
👉 https://happyhourvegas.com/foodie-happy-hours/

Looking forward to 2026 Las Vegas Happy Hours

Happy Hour Vegas now tracks 500+ happy hours, organized by category, location and menu, making it easy to explore and discover the right happy hour for any location or occasion. If 2025 taught us anything, it’s that happy hour isn’t a trend, it’s how Las Vegas eats, drinks, and connects.

And, as we move into 2026, we’re excited for new menus, new chefs, new experiences, and plenty of new happy hours worth discovering. Las Vegas never stops evolving, and we’ll be right there tracking the deals, tasting the bites, and sharing the spots that are doing it right. We look forward to raising a glass with you and bringing you along for another great year of happy hours in Las Vegas. 🥂🍸

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5 Great Oyster Happy Hours

Oyster happy hours Las Vegas

You can find them year-round, but oyster “season” is currently in full swing – and will be through April. And while they can be pricey, Las Vegas still has some great deals on the little mollusks, many of which are limited to Happy Hour menus. They shuck, and you suck – but at least the bill won’t.

Basilico (6111 S. Buffalo Drive) – This Italian restaurant located within the Southwest Valley’s Evora apartment complex has a great Happy Hour, seven days a week from 4 to 6 p.m. But Wednesdays are special, because that’s the day they add $1 oysters. There’s a 6-oyster minimum on the deal, which will still leave enough room in your belly for the salads, pastas, flatbreads, beer, wine and cocktails of the everyday Happy Hour menu, all of which are priced between $5 and $10.

Palate (The Arts District) – A sister restaurant to Basilico (above), Palate also offers $1 oysters every Wednesday, as an addition to their usual Happy Hour menu, which is available Wednesdays through Fridays from 3:00 to 6:00 and Saturdays from 4:00 to 6:00. Other deals include $5 beer, $8 wine, $9 cocktails, and small bites from Chef Sterling Buckley from $7 to $10.

Proper Bar at Proper Eats (Aria) – Proper Bar, adjacent to Aria’s Proper Eats Food Hall, is the only part of the food hall that offers a Happy Hour promotion, and it’s a good one if you like Oysters: Blue Point oysters for $2 each and specialty oyster enhanced cocktails from $9 to $16 each. Try the Mezcal Kicker (Fresh Blue Point Oyster, Mezcal, Grapefruit Juice, Lime Juice, Agave Nectar, Jalapeño, Sea Salt) or keep it simple with a half-dozen oysters for $2 bucks-a-shuck. You can take advantage of the Oyster Happy Hour promotion every Monday through Friday from 4 to 6 p.m.

Momofuku (Cosmopolitan) –Celebrity Chef David Chang’s Cosmopolitan flagship is known for combining Korean, Japanese and American influences with signature dishes like bao buns, ramen and a large-format roasted duck. From 3 to 5 p.m., seven days a week, their Social Hour Menu has ten items priced at $10 or less, including a half dozen
oysters for $10. You’ll also find draft beer for $8, Highballs for $10 and wine or sake for $12.

Sugarcane (Venetian/Palazzo) — Located on The Venetian/Palazzo Restaurant Row, just across from the Voltaire Theater, Sugarcane offers modern American food with global influences, with a heavy emphasis on their raw bar and sushi offerings. Their two weekday Happy Hours, which run from 3 to 6 p.m. and again from 10 p.m. to midnight every Sunday through Thursday, include a few Spanish dishes, but lean heavily into the seafood side of the menu. That includes Chef’s selection oysters for $2.50 each. Wash them down with one of four $7 craft beers, or a nice selection of cocktails and wine for $8 apiece.

Discover more oyster happy hours at Happy Hour Vegas.

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The Wizard of Odds at the Sphere

Bob Dancer

I rarely go to movies and don’t remember if I’ve ever recommended a movie in my blog, but here goes a rave review. 

After hearing several positive things about the experience, Bonnie and I decided to go to the Sphere and see The Wizard of Oz. The Sphere is a big ball, just east of the Palazzo on Spring Mountain, and the entire inside of the big ball is the movie screen.

While this is the original 1939 movie, it was color enhanced sometime along the way and shortened by a couple of songs so they could have back-to-back shows in the same day, the experience at the Sphere is immersive and different from anything I’ve previously witnessed. 

I suppose I should offer a spoiler alert here — but this is an 86-year-old movie, with a couple of sequels out there, and I’m guessing most of you are generally familiar with the story. 

The first and last scenes, in mid-19th-century Kansas, are in black and white — actually brown and white. When the tornado strikes, the theater rumbles, lights flash, and wind blows. Thousands of leaves (actually paper) fly around the theater. This kind of multisensory experience is what the Sphere was built to deliver — and it delivers it well.

While I was enjoying the spectacle, Bonnie was squeezing my leg. She was actually scared while the tornado was going on! In her own way, she was getting more out of the movie than I was. I suspect small children may also be frightened by the tornado, and later by the Wicked Witch.

After the tornado, when Dorothy wakes up in Oz, the colors are spectacular — all the more so because it was black and white previously —- and the colors cover the entire sphere above and around you. 

Just before Dorothy and the scarecrow meet the tin man, apples fall from trees. In the VIP seat area, foam apples fall from the “sky.” Many get sold on eBay for prices as high as the tickets to the show! 

There was one thing about the show that puzzled me until I slept on it. The Sphere seats around 18,000 people — and there were areas on the side that were totally empty! Tickets are in high demand, so why did they leave thousands of unsold tickets?

I think the answer was that we were in a 5:00 p.m. show. The show lasts 90 minutes, and there was also an 8:00 show scheduled for the same night. I’m guessing the logistics of emptying and cleaning the theater before the next show was such that had they sold those extra 3,000 or 4,000 tickets, they couldn’t get it all done. 

The biggest “problem” with the Sphere, in my opinion, is the location. While it is walking distance from a few casinos, it’s not a short walk. We went on Wednesday, October 15, for the 5:00 show and it was cold. While Vegas is warmer than many places in the country, it’s going to get colder through the winter months.

There is parking on the site for $20, which might be the best option. There were many thousands of Uber, Lyft, and regular taxis involved in getting so many people in and out. I was walking briskly to our car, feeling underdressed because it was so cold, and I didn’t stand around and watch how the taxi and ride sharing worked. I suspect it worked pretty well — the whole affair was run efficiently — but I can’t testify to that from personal experience.   The show is scheduled to run through April, at least. I suggest you check it out.

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Bobby Vegas: Plaza, Rio, and Downtown Grand

Bobby Vegas: Friends Don’t Let Friends Play Triple-Zero Roulette

The 2025 MRB offers some enticing hotel discounts. These also lead to even better casino offers.

I recently stayed at the Downtown Grand for eight nights, followed by four nights at the Rio, for a total hotel cost of $400.

It’s not hard to get comped at DG. I get two free nights a month as well.

Of course, each has different values, depending on your tastes, goals, and preferences.

Downtown Grand’s MRB coupon is good for waiving the resort fees. This is very valuable, saving $40+ a night, especially for your first stay. You also get daily in-room coffee and water.

I prefer the Gallery Tower right over the casino. The room rate is a little higher, but access is key, at least to me. Everything is close: the free Parking, casino, restaurants, new food court at the Fremont across the street, and Fremont Street is one block away.

Be sure to use your check-in coupon for up to $50 matchplay and your MRB matchplay. And with just $50 coin-in at video poker, you get 50% off on a great selection of entrees including breakfast, a great burger, and prime rib.

Once you’ve stayed and played, call casino reservations. They might give you up to 50% off your resort fee and the max room discount.

I cashed in on the Rio, with its no resort fee as well. The resort fee here is $56 a day, so this saved me $250. I stayed Monday-Friday for $107 total. No kidding.

Since I’m old school, I like the Masquerade Tower with a bathtub. It’s also less expensive than the new tower and self- parking is very close. No in-room coffee, but a fridge is comped. They also have room service, which tickled me. Great views, food hall, and pool too.

Check out the 9/6 JoB by the Sports bar. Hop over to Gold Coast for good VP, low-limit table games, and Ping Pang Pong. Then use your 50% or 2-for-1 at the Palms Buffet, including the Wednesday and Thursday lobster nights (a $79.99 saving). And I hear the Wow show is spectacular.

Finally, the Plaza. The MRB coupon is good, but the real deal at the Plaza is bingo.

Every month they have two-day $160,000 bingo that’s $160 to enter and is good for two lunches four nights Sunday through Thursday for $40 a night! And that includes the resort fee. The North Tower rooms are nicer, but noisier, facing the Fremont Street Experience. The South Tower’s are old-school with a tub, but quiet and very close to the free parking for guests.

Plaza has $15 single-zero roulette, excellent VP, and lots of food options where you can also use MRB coupons, from pizza to steaks. Pink Box donuts and Hash House A Go Go are also on the premises. Plus, fire up the positive expectation video poker at the Sand Dollar lounge with great comedy on Wednesday. A.C. and others love the new Mavericks show.

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Culinary solidarity; Diversity in danger

Culinary solidarity; Diversity in danger 4

In the end, it wasn’t even close. 95% of Culinary Union members voted to authorize a strike (no date set) against 22 Las Vegas Strip casinos. Was a different outcome expected? Frankly, no. Mind you, casinos have no one but themselves to blame for the overwhelming plebiscite. Big Gaming used the Covid-19 pandemic as a catchall excuse to downsize service and employees, while simultaneously upsizing profits—which they weren’t shy about publicizing. To say that didn’t sit well with Culinary members would be an understatement. Add the casino industry’s complicity in the Las Vegas Grand Prix fiasco, which is making life miserable for the average Las Vegan, and you have all the makings of a “yes” vote on a potential labor action. That being said …

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Since You Asked —Taking Photographs

After making more than 50 trips to Las Vegas, which add up to more than a year of my life spent there, I’ve ventured far off the beaten path. In this post, I’d like to offer some tips on some of the best places in the Valley to take great photographs.

It may seem obvious and it’s most certainly not off the beaten path, but one of the best places to pull out your camera is the Bellagio Conservatory. The displays change seasonally, so you’re almost always likely to see something new, and the Bellagio artists do beautiful things with flowers. I’ve got tons and tons of great pictures of the conservatory; these are just a couple of favorites.

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Since You Asked — The Rat Pack Is Back

Usually, when a show bounces around from venue to venue, it’s a bad sign. It can mean that attendance is insufficient, or the casino isn’t promoting it well, or the space doesn’t work for the show. None of these reasons is usually overcome by moving to another venue — if the show actually does move. More times that not, when a show closes, the producers state that they say they’re “looking for a new home.” Then, it’s never heard from again.

One exception is The Rat Pack is Back. Before the shutdown in mid-March, it ws playing at the slightly off-Strip Tuscany. Previously, it appeared at the Plaza and the now-defunct Greek Isles, among other places. If that doesn’t seem like a stellar resumé, don’t be misled. It’s a really fun and enjoyable show.

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Since You Asked — Wings Over Vegas

I’m a wings aficionado. It’s my favorite food by far. I once flew from New York City to Buffalo and back in one day, just to go to the Anchor Bar and have wings for lunch. Then I married a girl from Buffalo! Even before I did, I spent plenty of time there, so if you’re from Buffalo, I submit the following to establish my street cred:

  • My favorite wings are Big Tree Inn, Buffalo Brew Pub, and Amherst Pizza and Ale House. 
  • I prefer Anchor Bar to Duff’s.
  • Bleu cheese. Period. Don’t even mention ranch.
  • Wings shouldn’t be breaded or baked. Those might be wings, and they might be chicken, but they’re not wings.
In Buffalo, NY, they have their priorities straight.

Las Vegas has lots of great food, but sometimes you’re just looking for good wings. They’re there, but you have to know where to find them. Here are my reviews and recommendations.

Best Wings on the Strip

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