Las Vegas offers an endless array of options for whatever you’re in the mood for, and that includes Downtown. To help you get the most out of your time there, our staff has compiled some recommendations—everything from where to eat to what to see.
Nostalgic Nights
Welcome to Old School Las Vegas. Though Oscar’s has only been open since 2011, it’s nailed that nostalgic feel. Somehow, Oscar’s, known as “The Happiest Steakhouse in the Universe,” has captured everything right about former Las Vegas mayor Oscar B. Goodman, who was known as “the Happiest Mayor in the Universe.” (Its tagline is “Beef, Booze, Broads”!) Start with Johnny Quinn’s crab cakes. The fresh lump crab meat is front and center with stone ground mustard and pepper remoulade for dipping. For the main event, the surf and turf is a platter to be reckoned with. The meat is a tender and rather large ribeye cap, while the turf element is comprised of stuffed shrimp, here again with that high-quality crab. Plaza, opens at 5 p.m. daily, lounge opens at 4 p.m. daily. 702.386.7227
Pouring the Past
Drink in the history while drinking a classic cocktail at Las Vegas’ oldest freestanding bar, Atomic Liquors. Recent design upgrades and a cool aesthetic will impress. Also impressive is Atomic’s attention to craft beer served on tap. Last year, the joint expanded its offerings by opening The Kitchen at Atomic, serving New American fare, and it recently introduced the weekend brunch with live jazz. 917 Fremont St., 702.982.3000
Line Up
Fremont Street has been closed to vehicles from Las Vegas Boulevard to Main Street for more than 20 years, but for over four years it’s been possible to travel from Neonopolis to the Four Queens by zipline. The first zipline attraction was meant to be temporary, but proved so popular that it eventually led to the construction of SlotZilla.
The zipline’s takeoff platform is 74 feet above the ground and the zoomline launch pad rises 40 feet higher to enable guests to hurtle horizontally for 1,750 feet. The lower level places the rider in an upright, seated position that can rotate, but the upper level is a head-first experience that essentially turns the guest into a guided human missile cruising only a few feet below the famous Viva Vision canopy. Now that’s a rush! Fremont Street Experience, 1 p.m.-1 a.m. Sun.-Thurs., 1 p.m.-2 a.m. Fri.-Sat., $20-$25 for lower zipline, $40-$49 for upper zoomline. vegasexperience.com
