The swirl of excitement generated by the NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament absorbs all focus from fans. From teams to follow and viewing venues to point spreads and wagers, there are decisions to be made that use up enough concentration to make ordering food and drinks effortful. Choosing venues and preplanning with menus can go a long way in reserving cerebral energy for games.
The SuperBook is a no-brainer choice for habitués of Westgate Las Vegas. The sprawling, state-of-the art sports book with a 20-foot-high video wall becomes Hoops Central Thursday through Saturday, offering options for guest such as premium seating, VIP high top tables, plush booths and recliner seats. Certain chairs in the poker room have good sightlines too, but all options have access to VIP bottle service and an impressive selection of draft beers.
Golden Circle Sports Book at Treasure Island has a lower ceiling for a more intimate feeling but similar square footage that accommodates a variety of party sizes and desires. Comfort food is complemented by beer buckets, You-Call-It cocktails and the Grid Iron Margarita featuring Patrón Silver and Patrón Orange.
Orange dominates the color palette at Carousel Bar in front of the main entrance at the Plaza in Downtown Las Vegas. Built beneath the iconic canopy of the property’s porte-cochère, the bar offers outdoor atmosphere and a streetside bar where specialty cocktails such as Money in the Bank (Patrón and hot honey) and Jameson-based Soggy and Sandy can be ordered in take-along cups.
Close by is Stadium Swim at Circa Resort & Casino, also outdoors but with pools, daybeds, cabanas and owners’ suites facing the 140-by-40-foot giant screen. Specialty drinks are seasonal, but it’s a good bet that vodka-forward Uncle Tito and cucumber-flavored Effen Spa can be ordered year-round. For a good, tall mai tai and indoor-outdoor options, Sammy Hagar’s Cabo Wabo Cantina is a choice destination in the middle of South Strip action at Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood. The second-level bar will likely be one of the most raucous scenes on Las Vegas Boulevard if enough Cabo Wabo tequila is served.
The Still at The Mirage is all-indoors for its Buckets and Brews days. The “ultimate man cave” provides 8,000 square feet and 50 craft beers for sports junkies. Specialty drinks include cucumber mint and mango martinis, the spicy Golden Boy tequila cocktail, gin-based Aviation and intriguingly titled Power Play Paloma, featuring Patron Silver and St-Germain mixed with lime, strawberry and grapefruit flavors.
For one of the less frenetic March Madness experiences in Vegas, head south of the Strip to Silverton Casino Lodge, where bracket action can be taken in at Shady Grove Lounge. Twelve screens show the games, while a repurposed Airstream houses mini-bowling, and an indoor North American Aspen tree helps set the relaxed mood. This might be the place to focus on brews, as Shady Tree proudly serves Pacifico Beer by the pint. It may, in fact, be one of the only Vegas venues where a beer can be considered the house specialty drink.
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