11 Best Bars in Las Vegas, Nevada

This nightclub–concert hall hybrid at Mandalay Bay was the seventh entry in this chain of successful, intimate music clubs. As if the electric roster of performers taking the stage almost nightly wasn't enough (past acts include Carlos Santana, Billy Idol, Social Distortion, Joe Walsh, Slash, Dropkick Murphys, and Seal), the decor is lusciously imaginative. (Our favorite decoration isn't inside, though—it's the Voodoo Mama statue greeting you outside.) The Gospel Brunch on Sunday is on an irregular schedule, so check the HoB web site for dates. Buy music, books, hot sauce, and T-shirts at the souvenir shop, where an expansive, remarkable collection of colorful folk art decorates the walls.

Don't let the name deceive you: Backstage Bar & Billiards and Fremont Country Club is one location, albeit with separate venues. Live music is a constant at this adults-only hot spot on the southeast corner of 6th and Fremont Streets. Genres range from rock and metal to honky-tonk and rap. As the name suggests, billiards is a big part of the appeal. Optional table service includes cut-the-line passes and a spot near the stage.

Don’t be deterred if you walk through the door and see a few guys in barber chairs getting haircuts. Just head to the “janitor” door in the back of the room and pass through. The next room—gorgeous and high-ceilinged with crystal chandeliers—reflects Las Vegas’s current fascination with speakeasies, though they were seldom this opulent. There’s bottle service, shooters, and “spiked juices” such as the Bonnie & Clyde, which is Bulleit rye, Cointreau, Aperol, and lemon juice and serves two in a souvenir flask. And if you want to, you really can get a haircut, shave, or facial.

This fun throwback is the brightest sign of a comeback for the faded Commercial Center (especially given what seems like the permanent disappearance of its most famous fixture, Lotus of Siam). This restaurant and club with a stylish retro vibe offers not just one, but two live entertainment venues: the larger showroom and the cozier Tavern Stage lounge. The roster embraces everything from classic-rock and Motown tribute bands to veteran Vegas crooners and jazz ensembles.

Tucked into a grungy strip mall behind Blueberry Hill diner lies a real treat, a dedicated jazz club, which is rare enough in Las Vegas, but even more valuable for folks who want to hear live music before the late evening: the bands start at 7 pm nightly (Thursday–Monday). The club caters to its performers, with a stage spanning the width of one wall and a real grand piano for musicians, who often play on nights off from their "real" jobs on the Strip. The food menu leans heavy on sushi, so those who come hungry or aren’t fans of sushi might want to dine elsewhere. A $25 minimum ($40 on weekends) can be applied to both drinks and food. Lately, Maxan has also been opening for lunch, without the live music.

Head to the Silverton's frontier-themed, salt-of-the-earth casino (or its sensational, museum-like hunting-fishing Bass Pro Shops), where it's well worth stopping by for a drink and taking a long look at the gigantic, sharks 'n' all aquarium. The aquarium holds 117,000 gallons of salt water and is home to more than 4,000 fish and as many as eight mermaids at a time (yes, really). There's live music spanning a variety of genres on Friday and Saturday, with no cover.

This festive room with an "outdoor piazza" vibe is a worthy Italian restaurant in its own right (it has family ties to Nora's a block or so away). But what really sets it apart is the live entertainment on weekends. The place turns into more of a cabaret, starting after the dinner rush at 8:30 pm. The house songstress is co-owner Naomi Mauro, but likeminded jazz vocalists and trios round out the calendar.

This comfortable venue is versatile enough to be closed off for ticketed concerts or opened up to host free lounge acts and casino promotional events. Sight lines are great, and it's really the only game on this side of town for a diverse range of local and mid-level concerts that range from rock to country and just about everything in between.

If you're looking for some live entertainment to soundtrack the sipping of craft cocktails, this intimate venue with plush VIP booths mainly features tribute bands in addition to the occasional comedy show and UFC fight viewing party. Although not exactly worth a trip from the Strip in and of itself, if you're already at the Red Rock Resort, it's a fun place to hang out.

For decades the home of off-Strip rock and blues, this Las Vegas institution lies tucked away in an office park so bland as to be invisible by day. Its fortunes have risen and fallen over the years, but the place is riding high enough now that it has a second location Downtown, inside the Plaza. Once a pitch-black joint where you could choke on cigarette smoke, The Sand Dollar is lighter and brighter these days, with a friendly center bar separating the “pool table side” from the “music side.” The music gets going at 10 pm and the bands vary by genre, but the larger umbrella is the “Austin sound” of rootsy blues and rock. Good pizza helps soak up the craft cocktails and beer.

The concert hall long known as The Joint is now just The Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas. During the makeover, the 4,000-plus capacity venue was spruced up with new seating and some changes, like moving a VIP area to the ground-floor level. Upgrades were welcome, as the venue was always better known for the big names it hosted than for the room itself, a big box, which jams seated fans into folding chairs and puts the versatility of its seating configurations ahead of comfort, aesthetics, or design. While leaving the biggest names (and highest ticket prices) to the Strip, The Theater has booked a steady flow of acts, from hard rockers Danzig and Meshuggah to Latin acts such as Alejandra Guzman and stand-up comedians such as Ali Siddiq.