Looking for “JC Goodbar” at Happy Hour

I’m a first-class bar snob! (Or worst-class, depending on your viewpoint.)

To be considered a “JC Goodbar”:

• It doesn’t allow smoking, or at least has a decent ventilation system if it’s allowed.
• It has good well-priced food.
• It offers bar seats that do not require customers to play video poker. And if it doesn’t have video poker, so much the better.
• It has happy-hour specials (or similar promotions).
• It’s haunted by interesting friendly people (like me!).

Criteria 1 and 3 rule out probably 75% of the bars in Las Vegas — and I’m fine with that; the remaining 25% create a wonderful selection. Besides, video poker bars want video poker players, especially those who don’t understand or care about payback schedules. Just steady players willing to lose $40 a night in exchange for three beers – the vast majority of whom either do smoke or nearby smoke doesn’t bother them.

Quite recently, I discovered two bars (or more accurately, a sports bar and a restaurant with a bar) within walking distance of my apartment that meet the first four criteria and I’ll visit a few more times to see if I like them (and the fellow customers) enough to make them “JC Goodbars.”

Scenic Brewing Company

Two weeks ago, the Scenic Brewing Company (SBC) opened for business at a defunct brewery literally within a stone’s throw from my home. Located just east of Durango on Desert Inn, SBC has a large square sports bar surrounded by extra tables that seat four-six each, a full restaurant, and a couple of dozen TV screens. On opening night (during a Golden Knights game), the place was absolutely packed. Everyone I asked told me that they heard about the opening through social media. Monday-Friday (3-6 p.m.), as well as during Knights and March Madness games, SBC offers $3 beer, $4 wine, $5 drinks, and $6 appetizers.

I’ve been there three times, once taking a colleague to lunch, and the food, including appetizers and desserts, are first rate and well-priced (our lunch tab was $30 with tax and gratuity). Two tips: Kids eat free on Tuesdays and Thursdays and anyone who asks gets a 20% discount card that’s good through the end of May.

Other Mama

I subscribe to Eater Vegas, a free website and daily email newsletter that touts various aspects of the Las Vegas food scene, frequently using headings with the words “Best …” I don’t know much about the business model, but similar to the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s annual best list, I rely on Eater for information and not commentary. In other words, Eater (a national food website that similarly covers two dozen other cities) is a great way to find out about both new (and old) restaurant choices, but personal experience (or the advice of someone you know and trust) is still the best ratings guide and always will be.

Last week Eater Vegas ran “Where To Find the Best Happy Hours in Las Vegas,” listing (and ranking) over 90 restaurants and bars offering low-cost drink specials. Most of the happy hours were the traditional early evenings, but a few ran at odd times like midnight-3 a.m.

The feature I like the most about Eater lists is that each “Best list” comes with a convenient map showing where everything is located. I zeroed in on my neighborhood and discovered that nearby is Other Mama, a highly praised seafood-sushi restaurant offering drink and food specials from 5 to 6 p.m. I walked over and discovered a filled bar (there are only 10 seats and one of the owners was controlling four of them), excellent $5 house wines, and a deviled-egg fried-oyster appetizer. Or you can enjoy $1 oysters and half-off all wine bottles. Though the happy hour runs most days only 5-6 p.m., the same specials are available all day Sunday and Monday.

With my bill was a card asking for my name and email address. Hopefully, I may be hearing from them soon, so I can make the additional visits to see if Other Mama becomes a “JC Goodbar.”