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Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell

You may think that building above is Sunset Station. It even says it on the side. But, according to the paternalistic Las Vegas Review-Journal, it is just “a Henderson casino.” This uncommon daintiness from a bunch of self-styled macho men came in the context of a thwarted shooting at the Station Casinos gem. Thanks to our nation’s insane infatuation with firearms, Allison Howlett was able to arm herself with24 (!) guns, with which she motored over to Sunset Station, either intent on killing a lot of people or getting gunned down by police—casino security being no damn help in dangerous situations—or both.

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Happy Hours This Week: July 1, 2026

July 1, 2026 Las Vegas Happy Hours This Week

Three happy hours this week that are all doing something worth talking about right now. New menus, a beloved local coming back stronger than before, and a late night option after the show that makes the Strip feel like your neighborhood. Fresh news, real updates, and one of them you are literally hearing about here first. That is what we are here for.

And if unlimited craft beer samples and live 90s music sounds like your idea of a great Saturday afternoon, our friends at Pub 365 at Tuscany Suites are hosting the 9th Annual Silver State Brewfest on July 11. More on that below.

Happy 4th of July week. Go enjoy something good.

🍝 D’Agostino’s Trattoria Happy Hour | Spring Valley
⏰ Tue–Sun 4–6 PM

D’Agostino’s is the kind of neighborhood Italian that earns regulars and keeps them. Chef Dan just dropped a new personal pizza and Nicole’s summer cocktail menu just landed — which means the $10 happy hour menu you are looking at right now is so fresh you are reading about it here before anyone else has written it up. This is what happens when a kitchen never stops tinkering: fine dining roots, genuine creative instincts, and a happy hour that earns every visit.

The Italian Nachos are the unexpected standout — crispy, layered, and not something you will find on many Italian happy hour menus in Las Vegas. Pair them with a Limoncello Drop and you have a combination that sounds like it should not work and absolutely does. Locals have known about this place for a while. Now you do too.

Order this: Italian Nachos + Limoncello Drop. Then ask about Chef Dan’s new pizza — it just landed and it is worth knowing about.

📍 4155 South Buffalo Dr Las Vegas, NV 89147
🌎 D’Agostino’s Trattoria Website
🍸 Full menu & hours at Happy Hour Vegas

🦪 Hearthstone Kitchen & Cellar | Red Rock Resort
⏰ Mon–Thu 4–6 PM

The backstory here matters to anyone who lives west of the Strip. Hearthstone opened at Red Rock Resort and became a genuine local institution — the kind of restaurant that felt like a neighborhood place even though it was inside a casino. After almost a decade, it closed in 2023 to make way for something new. The replacement did not take. Red Rock conducted focus groups and the message was clear: guests had been missing Hearthstone. So they brought it back.

Executive Chef Jason Janson said the response upon reopening was unlike anything in his 22 years in the business — packed from day one, with a built-in following already waiting at the door. The menu respects what people loved about the original while giving the kitchen room to improve on it.

The happy hour is exactly what it should be: oysters, wood-fired pizza, and drinks all at $12 or under for food. $1 Oyster Wednesdays starting at 4 PM is the weekly special that will make this a standing appointment. $7 Martini Mondays layer on top of the same window. Upscale, accessible, and back where it belongs.

Order this: Show up Wednesday at 4 PM. Order oysters. Order the apple and quinoa salad. Order a drink at $9. That is the Hearthstone happy hour in one move.

📍11011 West Charleston Blvd Las Vegas 89135
🌎 Hearthstone Website
🍸 Full menu & hours at Happy Hour Vegas

🌮 Hussong’s Cantina | Mandalay Bay
⏰ Late Night Happy Hour: 9 PM–Close

Here is the context that makes this happy hour worth knowing: Hussong’s Cantina was established in Ensenada, Baja California in 1892 and is credited as the place where the margarita was invented in October 1941 — bartender Don Carlos Orozco mixed equal parts tequila, damiana, and lime over ice in a salt-rimmed glass for Margarita Henkel, daughter of the German Ambassador to Mexico. The story is on record with the Ensenada Historical Society. The original location is still standing, still family-owned, and still serving.

The Las Vegas location is in Mandalay Place and has been a locals’ favorite since it opened — a multiple-time Best of Las Vegas winner for Best Enchiladas and recognized for Best Mexican Restaurant by the Las Vegas Review-Journal. The late night happy hour is new: after the show at House of Blues, walk down a few steps and order a $10 margarita with $7 street tacos, nachos, elote, or ceviche. Discounted cocktails, beer, and micheladas until close.

Ordering a margarita at the bar that invented the margarita, after a show, late at night, on the Strip — that is Las Vegas doing exactly what it does best.

Order this: The Original Margarita + street tacos + elote. The late night timing makes this the best post-show move on that end of the Strip.

📍3950 South Las Vegas Blvd 89119 (Mandalay Place)
🌎 Hussong’s Cantine Website
🍸 Full menu & hours at Happy Hour Vegas

🍺 Silver State Brewfest | Tuscany Suites & Casino
⏰ July 11 | 3 – 7 PM (ages 21+)

SPONSOR: Pub 365 hosts the 9th Annual Silver State Brewfest inside the Florentine Ballroom at Tuscany Suites & Casino on East Flamingo. All-you-can-drink samples from a wide selection of craft breweries, live music from Bling (the top Top 40 cover band in Las Vegas), air conditioning, and free parking. This is the summer event for craft beer fans in Las Vegas. BUY YOUR TICKETS HERE

Three Happy Hours. All Worth the Trip.

A fresh menu at a neighborhood Italian, a local favorite that came back because people demanded it, and a 130-year-old cantina serving late night margaritas after the show. None of these require a reservation. All three are open this week. Happy 4th of July — go enjoy something good.

👉 Browse the full Las Vegas Advisor Happy Hours directory. 500+ verified happy hours with updated menus, hours, and prices across the valley.

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The Happy Hour Vegas newsletter is free. No fluff, no filler, just curated deals, updated menus, and new finds from the team tracking 500+ happy hours across the valley. New issue with top 3 picks every week.

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Bobby Vegas — To Snag, or Not To Snag, Swag

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


Do you? Snag swag? I know you all find this shocking, but I luv free stuff.

Back in my younger days, I visited my cousins doing 4H at the Dutchess County Fair and went crazy. All those midway and exhibit freebies! Stuffed animals, rulers, farm stickers, toy tractors, whatever!

So I’ll ask, be honest, do you snag swag?

It’s true, I’m a member of swagaholics (not even) anonymous and no, I’m not in recovery. I’m Bobby, an unrepentant swag snagger.

The worst swag? A plastic cup and straw from Zouk nightclub at Resorts World. I ordered a club soda. It was $24. No refills.

My Vegas swagventure started on ACG/MRB/new signup coupon runs, resulting in bags of free T-shirts, playing cards, coffee cups, dice, players cards, coasters, pens, matchbooks, and more. I still have my Aladdin and yes, the Riviera (very unPC) Crazy Girls “No ifs and or …” cups. I also have a SIGNIFICANT collection of Do Not Disturb door hangers. My Stardust “Maid service please” is one of my faves.

When my shampoo selection got low, I thought, “Time for another Vegas trip.” Then the casinos smartened up: bottles mounted on the wall of the shower. Sigh. Then I smartened up: I BYO refillable plastic travel bottles and stock up.
No, I don’t steal towels. But I do still pick up matches, pens, and coasters. The pair of brass coasters from opening week at a very iconic club were a lift, not a snag, I admit.

The ultimate snag? A corporate event in Encore’s five-star tower. A 6,000-square-foot three-bedroom two-story villa, a mere $5,000 a night. Told my client I’d be sweeping the swag as part of my compensation. Those villas are replenished twice a day. I snagged. They refilled. I literally loaded down a suitcase — loofah sponges, Wynn/Encore slippers, high-end soaps and lotions, etc. They made great gifts.

And that’s a postscript; it’s not all about collecting. At Christmas I made up bags of soap, shampoo, pens, etc. and gave them to the shelters. In my work years at trade shows, I collect pens, squeeze balls, etc., then gave them away at Halloween for my pirate theme, “Treats and Treasures.” Wanna see a deliriously happy kid? Give them a free squeeze ball. Or “Hey kid, wanna pack of Vegas playing cards?”

“Sure Bobby!”

My swag collection stimulates great trip memories.

How about you? Got any good swag stories to share? I know one of my heroes does. When Jean and Brad Scott lived in a condo in Vegas, they parked their car in the lot, so they could fill their entire one-car garage with casino collectibles. Talk about a Vegas merch museum! Logo jackets, shirts, T-shirts, sweats and sweatshirts, ball caps, keychains galore, carafes and decanters, plastic slots and roulette wheels, fridge magnets, tote bags, commemorative chips, socks, signs, posters — you name it. Jean and Brad ushered visiting kids of all ages into the garage for their pick of the litter. Heaven for casino aficionados.

To snag swag or not too snag, that is the question. Do you? Tell us of your merch adventures.

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Latin Dancing On The Strip

Chef Ray Garcia has built his reputation by blending Mexican traditions with the flavors of Southern California. Now, his Resorts World restaurant, Viva! by Ray Garcia, is adding another influence to the mix: the sounds and energy of Latin America.

For visitors looking for a nightlife experience that’s not a traditional club or casino lounge, Viva’s Thursday Latin Nights offer an evening built around live music, dinner, cocktails and dancing. Held on the restaurant’s patio from 6 to 11 p.m., the weekly event transforms the space into a lively open-air gathering that feels worlds away from its Las Vegas Boulevard location.

“The idea is for people to come have drinks, dinner and dancing,” says Rodrigo Guzman, owner of Corazon Entertainment, the company that produces both Latin Nights and Viva’s popular weekend Latin Party Brunches.

The entertainment starts with a five-piece band made up primarily of Cuban musicians, while DJs keep the energy going between live sets. The goal, Guzman says, is to create an experience that appeals not only to Latin audiences, but to anyone looking for an energetic night out on the Strip.

One of the evening’s most distinctive touches is the presence of professional “taxi dancers.” Early in the night, they lead an introductory dance lesson before circulating through the crowd, inviting guests onto the dance floor and helping beginners feel comfortable trying a few steps.

“A lot of the time it can be intimidating just sitting there,” Guzman recently told the Food & Loathing podcast. “We’re trying to have these key players going around the space and really bringing everybody in.”

That welcoming approach makes Latin Nights as appealing to curious first-timers as experienced salsa and bachata dancers. Guests can spend the evening on the dance floor or simply enjoy the spectacle of practiced footwork, effortless spins and flowing dresses while listening to live music over dinner and cocktails.

Travelers visiting over the weekend can find a similar atmosphere during Viva’s Saturday and Sunday Latin Party Brunches. Those daytime events feature live music, choreographed performances and the same festive spirit, though they focus more on dining than dancing.

Whether you want to polish your salsa moves or simply add something unexpected to your Las Vegas itinerary, Viva’s Thursday Latin Nights offer a refreshing alternative to the city’s typical nightlife scene.

Find more on Viva! by Ray Garcia and a list of more fantastic Resorts World restaurants on the Neon Feast app or website.

Hear the full interview with Rodrigo Guzman on the May 29, 2026 episode of the Food & Loathing podcast.

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A Life Changing Event

Bob Dancer

On Mother’s Day, my wife Bonnie suffered a stroke — meaning a blood clot to her brain. Fortunately, she was at a church service with her daughter and sister, and they rushed her to the ER.

I had been “investing” until about six in the morning and wasn’t at church with them. I got a phone call as soon as she was checked in. We all agreed that spreading out the visitors was better than all three of us being there at once, and that I would come later in the day to relieve them. My daughter-in-law wasn’t at all sure Bonnie was going to survive this. I started crying when I heard this.

Two hours later I got a call and was told that the nurse said I should get there fast.

SHIT!

I pulled myself together as best as I could and got to the ER. They are trying to get a blood sample from Bonnie, and Bonnie is thrashing around, loudly screaming in gibberish. Bonnie’s full name is Bonita, meaning “pretty” in Spanish, but now she is ugly. Her face is contorted in pain/rage/confusion. I hold one arm still while a nurse draws blood. While I outweigh her 2-to-1 and can easily immobilize one of her arms, this is the first time in our relationship that I have used my strength to overpower her and it bothers me a lot. But for now, at least, it is necessary.

They wanted to do tests, such as an MRI of the brain and CAT scans, but Bonnie is thrashing around so much that they would have to sedate her to do this. She has “Do Not Resuscitate” and “Do Not Intubate” medical directives on file and if they slightly over-sedate her and she goes into respiratory or cardiac arrest, they would not be allowed to revive her. So, they are hesitant to give her tranquilizers.

On the spur of the moment, I decide to bring out my iPhone and start playing “Could I Have This Dance” by Canadian pop-country artist Anne Murray. This is “our song.”

Although the song was in the soundtrack of the 1980 movie “Urban Cowboy,” and has been played at many thousands of weddings over the years, it’s the song I had used to teach her to waltz thirteen years ago. The waltz has become Bonnie’s favorite dance, and whenever we are out dancing, we request this song. We claim the song is ours — although many other couples make the same claim.

When the music started, Bonnie immediately quieted down. She started to sing the song, off key and in gibberish, so I began to sing along with her, also off key, but not in gibberish. When the song ended, I played it again.

After three or four repetitions of Anne Murray, I switched to some of her other favorite songs. She remained quiet and relatively docile. The nurse was amazed and told the powers that be that Bonnie was now quiet enough to get the MRI and CAT scans. I accompanied her to the room where they did this, playing songs on my phone. For safety reasons I was removed from the room when the machines were working, but my phone remained, playing songs, and Bonnie remained quiet enough for them to get accurate readings.

From the ER, they transferred Bonnie to an Intensive Care Unit, where each nurse has only two patients to monitor. While she was 1000% better the following day, she couldn’t remember anything that happened the day before after going to church.  And although ICU was no longer necessary, they kept her there for the remainder of her hospital stay because there was no available “next level down” hospital room.

It was an actual stroke, albeit a relatively mild one, and brain damage was done. Her memory is perhaps 90% of what it was, and she doesn’t recognize people as well as she used to. But she’s alive and functioning at a reasonable level. There is some follow-up therapy that needs to be done.

Although I have help, I am Bonnie’s chief caregiver — and she needs more now. This means I have to re-prioritize how much time I spend away from the house. We ordered her a medical guardian unit to wear so she can call for help if she needs it. She’s good about wearing it every day, and sort of good about having her cell phone with her most of the time. When I go over plans for the current day and upcoming days, I know I will have to go over these plans two or three times.

Although we expect she will recover a little and eventually have nearly the same amount of energy she had before, when brains get damaged, they don’t regenerate all that much. 

While there is no doubt in my mind that I will be with her, helping her, for as long as we both shall live, both our lives have changed. I’m now spending more time at home. I’m not gambling nearly as much. This may change eventually. I don’t know.

It’s not what I foresaw. It’s not what I wanted. But it’s the right thing to do now and both of us are doing the best we can.

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Visitation Hops, Strip Vaults

May was the sort of month of which casinos dream. Although tourism to Las Vegas was flat with last year, a 14.5% boost in conventioneers helped carry Sin City. Attendance overall was up 2% despite what have been reported to be sky-high room rates ($198 a night, on average). Vegas could use that convention business, as visitation has been down in the past year more often than not. Tourists may not be coming back in droves but neither are they deserting a favorite playground.

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Foul Bawl

Our long national nightmare is over. Crybaby QB Brendan Sorsby is set to spend the 2026-7 season where he ought to: on his degenerate-gambling ass. His dreams of cashing in on his football skills came crashing down last week, at the hands of the NFL. Given that his chances of scoring $5 million playing for Texas Tech (his third college team) were looking dim, the solipsistic Sorsby got it into his head that the NFL should hold a supplemental 2026 draft for him and him alone. (And he might have found one taker, the truly desperate Cleveland Browns.) But the stench of Sorsby’s gambling activities was too much for the league, which punted his professional dreams into the 2027 draft. That is, provided he can keep his nose clean in the interim, which is no sure bet, pardon the pun. The Canadian Football League was quick to second that emotion.

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The Magician’s Study

The Magician’s Study
Secret Location, South Strip
Thurs.-Sun. 7 and 9:30 p.m.
$99-$159

Large-scale magic shows used to be a fixture in Vegas — David Copperfield, Siegfried & Roy, Lance Burton … That scene is still around to a lesser degree with Cris Angel, Shin Lim, Mat Franco, and Penn and Teller, but a much more intimate experience is offered at the Magician’s Study — part speakeasy, part magic show, and part stand-up comedy.

The performance itself, roughly 90 minutes, is an up-close show, with a lot of sleight-of-hand and card tricks, mixed in with a little mentalism and a couple of traditional show-stopper tricks.

The room seats only about 50 people and VIP tickets (which I sprung for) get you in the front row, where you will become part of the show. If you’re shy, I wouldn’t recommend the VIP seats, but that doesn’t guarantee that you’ll be left alone. There’s a lot of audience participation and plenty of acerbic wit from the host directed at the crowd.

The VIP tickets were $159 each, and I’m glad I got them, but you’ll enjoy the show just as much from the “regular” seats, which go for $99. Tickets can be purchased only with a code word at the beginning of the ordering process (fill out the form on the home page and if there’s availability, you’ll receive the secret password that allows you to unlock the ticketing page). In addition, the show is held at a secret location, which is given to you on the day of the show, along with another password to gain entry (for purposes of planning your evening, I’ll tell you that it’s somewhere on the South Strip).

Note that The Magician’s Study has a strict no-photography policy, which is why I couldn’t provide any pictures of the show. Also, you must be at least 21 to attend.

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Three Happy Hours to Beat the Heat This Week ☀️🍸

Las Vegas Happy hours this week - June 24, 2026

It is hot outside. The kind of hot where the right move is indoors, air conditioned, and in front of something cold and worth drinking. Las Vegas is built for exactly this. This week’s list has an indoor adventure park with a retro bar and arcade games, a fresh seafood happy hour served anywhere in the restaurant you want to sit, and an all-day sushi happy hour run by a chef who trained at Nobu and Yellowtail at the Bellagio. All three are verified. The AC is definitely on.

👉 See all verified Las Vegas happy hours at Happy Hour Vegas →

🕹️ Spy Ninjas HQ Retro Bar: West Sahara (Summerlin)

Mon, Wed, Thu, Fri 4–8 PM · 7980 W Sahara Ave

Spy Ninjas HQ is a 53,000 sq ft family adventure park — zip line, rock wall, trampoline zone, aerial net, the whole operation. The Retro Bar sits on the second floor with a direct view of all of it. Neon lights, 80s and 90s hits, classic arcade games, and a happy hour menu that makes the whole afternoon make financial sense.

Cheese Curds $8.50 · Quesadillas $11.50 · Chips, Salsa and Guacamole $5. Cold beer, wine, and signature cocktails at happy hour prices. There is also a Cocktail Claw Machine — yes, it is real, and yes, everyone wins. Watching your kids tackle the zip line two floors below while you play Donkey Kong with a $7 cocktail in hand is a specifically Las Vegas experience that does not exist anywhere else. This is a happy hour designed for parents who also want to have fun. It delivers.

Order this: $7 signature cocktail + Cheese Curds + a turn on the Cocktail Claw Machine. The view of the park from the bar is the real happy hour bonus — free of charge.

Where: 7980 W Sahara Ave, Las Vegas (West Sahara / Summerlin area)

👉 Full menu & hours at Happy Hour Vegas

🐟 Bonefish Grill: Town Square & Summerlin

Daily 3–6:30 PM · 5:30 PM close on Sundays · Two Las Vegas locations

Bonefish Grill calls their happy hour “Social Hour” and they mean it — this is one of the few happy hours in Las Vegas where the discounted menu is available at the bar, the dining room, and the patio. You pick where you want to sit. Same menu, same prices, anywhere in the restaurant.

Cocktails from $7 · Wine from $6 · Shrimp Toast $9 · Beef Cheddar Sliders $9. Two Las Vegas locations — Town Square near the Strip or the Summerlin location on the west side — means there is almost certainly one close to you. Both run the same menu at the same prices with the same upscale casual feel that makes this one of the most consistent happy hours in the valley. Fresh fish, cold drinks, real patio if you want one.

Order this: Shrimp Toast + a cocktail. The no-table-minimum, sit-anywhere policy is the hidden value here — come for drinks, stay for a proper happy hour meal without being cornered at a bar stool.

Where: Town Square Las Vegas (near the Strip) · Boca Park, Summerlin

👉 Full menu & hours at Happy Hour Vegas

🍣 Pier 215: Southwest Las Vegas (Durango)

Weekdays 11 AM–5 PM · 7060 S Durango Dr

The backstory matters here. Chef Ted Jung was the Master Sushi Chef at Nobu in Caesars Palace and then at Yellowtail at the Bellagio — two of the most recognized sushi programs in Las Vegas. He left to open his own place in a strip mall off the 215. That decision tells you something about the food.

Pier 215 specializes in high-quality seafood, sushi, and oysters at prices that have nothing to do with their Strip-level pedigree. The happy hour runs from 11 AM to 5 PM on weekdays — not a typo, and not a short window. The Waikiki Roll (Chutoro Carpaccio and Japanese Snapper Crudo) is $11 and was described by one HHV subscriber as “the bite that will set you free.” That is a strong endorsement and an accurate one based on what reviewers consistently say about the fish quality here.

Locals have known about this place for years. The Durango Casino opening across the street brought more traffic to the neighborhood. Easy off the 215, cool room, serious kitchen, all-day happy hour pricing that makes it worth building your afternoon around.

Order this: Waikiki Roll $11 · Spicy Tuna Roll (happy hour priced) · Ask your server what’s fresh. Chef Ted’s background means the fish sourcing is taken seriously — the answer will be worth following.

Where: 7060 S Durango Dr, Suite 101, Las Vegas · (702) 586-3311

👉 Full menu & hours at Happy Hour Vegas

Three Happy Hours This Week. All Air Conditioned. All Verified.

An adventure park bar with arcade games and a zip line view. A seafood chain that lets you sit wherever you want. A strip-mall sushi restaurant run by a former Nobu chef with an all-day happy hour. None of these require a reservation. All three are open this week. When it is this hot outside, a cool happy hour is not a luxury it is a plan.

👉 Browse the full Las Vegas Advisor Happy Hours directory: 500+ verified happy hours with updated menus, hours, and prices across the valley.

Want verified Las Vegas happy hour deals in your inbox every week?

The Happy Hour Vegas newsletter is free. No fluff, no filler, just curated deals, updated menus, and new finds from the team tracking 500+ happy hours across the valley. New issue with top 3 picks every week.

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