In the December LVA, we wrote the following:
Bar Oysterette and Center Bar in the Sundry Food Hall at the UnCommons complex (I-215 and Durango Rd.) has a happy hour Mon.-Thurs. from 4 to 6 pm, with $3 beer, $8 wine and cocktails, and $3-$5 appetizers, including $2 oysters.
Two-dollar oysters is something we always review, so we did. Guess what? The oysters are $3, not $2. That’s not a good happy-hour special, although the bartender thought it was, because they’re $4 non-happy hour.
The one good part of the experience was the oysters. They’re served six for $18 and the presentation is beautiful: Three Blue Points and three Arcadians, accompanied by cocktail sauce, a mignonette, fresh horseradish, and lemon.
It’s a good plate, but $3 per isn’t a deal. On top of that, the whole UnCommons/Sundry thing is just plain odd. Despite a trainload of hype and what seemed like a compelling dining program, our experience at UnCommons was uncommonly more bad than good.
Way Out There
UnCommons is located directly across Durango Rd. from Durango Casino about 10 miles west of the Strip. You can get there relatively quickly taking the I-215 freeway or going west on surface streets, but it’s a trek.
Hard To Find
Yes, it’s directly across from Durango Casino, but it’s still almost hidden. Look for a small street off Durango called Maule to access.
Hard To Get In
Bar Oysterette is in the Sundry Food Hall. There’s only one sign outside over the main entrance that’s not on the main street, but faces the parking garage, but it’s fairly obvious which building it is. The problem is getting in. We walked to three apparent entrances (not the main) that were locked, then finally found a small unmarked door that was open. Are they trying to keep people out of there?
Cafeteria-esque
The space looks like a big warehouse. But not a chic New York-style industrial space. More like a big cafeteria.
Not Cool
Maybe we were expecting too much, but for whatever reason, we thought there’d be kind of a hip vibe, with the cool upper-crust of the southwest valley hanging out. No. We were there during happy hour and nothing could be described as cool going on. The bar itself is underwhelming.
Mediocre HH
In addition to the dollar bump on the oysters, the rest of the happy hour is nothing special—$3 sliders, $5 tacos, $4 beer, plus PBR and a shot of Jameson for $11! At Downtown Grand, a PBR and a shot of Evan Williams (the “Joe Special” at Furnace Bar) is $3.50.
New-Age Menu/Ordering
This is another no-paper-menu QR code ordering system. If you’re over 40, you probably don’t like it. Get the whole story on that in this earlier review.
Parking
There’s a garage with two hours free. So that’s good. After that, it’s $3-per-hour up to a 24-hour max of $15. There’s also some street parking, but with 30-minute time limits.
Summary
We’re not sayjng don’t go, we’re simply pointing out what you’re in for if you do. Heck, you could parlay with a visit to Durango Casino, which is worth at least a one-time visit. Park at Durango and walk across the street. But there’s not much reason to go just for UnCommons.
Or maybe there is, at least according to that hype train. The latest buzz is all about the “world’s greatest sandwich shop” from Italy, All’Antico Vinaio, coming to Vegas. It opened yesterday at … UnCommons.
Twice now, the newsletter has described Durango Casino and its environs being “about 10 miles west of the Strip.”
That area may be 10 driving miles from, say, Caesars at center strip. But it’s just 6 miles west of the Strip, not 10.