Head to Downtown Vegas for Super Sunday’s best bets (and snacks)

If you can’t be at the University of Phoenix Stadium for Super Bowl XLIX on Feb. 1, downtown Las Vegas has you more than covered. With its celebrated “old Vegas” charm and an array of hotel-casinos boasting ultramodern sports books, lounges, bars and restaurants in which to watch (and maybe wager on) the big game, gridiron fans can savor every touchdown, downtown.

The historic and luxurious Golden Nugget Las Vegas, downtown’s largest casino, will be Super Bowl Central. Drink specials abound at its many bars, including the Cadillac Mexican Kitchen & Tequila Bar, Rush Lounge, Stage Bar, Ice Bar, Bar 46 and H2O. Championship-worthy deals will include five for $18 select beer buckets, $8 shot and beer combinations, $4 Jim Beam and Coke, $6 Sauza Blue margarita and $8 Pinnacle Bloody Mary. There will also be a free Super Bowl viewing party at the Golden Nugget showroom. www.goldennugget.com

Bier Garten, the Plaza Hotel & Casino’s German-inspired indoor/outdoor eatery, is offering a free beer with any of their Signature Sausages on Super Bowl Sunday. Don’t forget the giant pretzels! www.biergartenlv.com

At the El Cortez, Sin City’s longest continuously running hotel and casino, the NFC vs. AFC action will be centered upon the property’s comprehensive sports book, which features cutting-edge wagering technology, 24 LCD TVs and $2 Budweisers and $1 hot dogs on Super Sunday (10 a.m. to 6 p.m.). For the tech savvy, download the Sports Connection mobile app, register at the El Cortez Sports Book and you’ll be able to bet on the Super Bowl from your Android or Apple phone. www.elcortezhotelcasino.com/gaming/sports-book

Over at the renovated and reenergized D Las Vegas Casino Hotel (formerly Fitzgerald’s), Longbar lives up to its name with the longest bar in Nevada, stretching the entire length of the casino. With nine beers on tap, wall-to-wall flat screen televisions and more than 30 seats with personal multigame playing machines, Longbar is perfect for multitasking NFL nuts.www.thed.com

Bar Prohibition at Golden Gate Hotel Casino is a classic casino bar once frequented by the likes of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. With its rowdy-yet-retro vibe, signature Dancing Dealers and cocktails served in inconspicuous coffee mugs (just like during the “dark days” of moonshine and smuggling), Bar Prohibition features an edgy, freewheeling 1920s twist. However, all their viewing facilities are completely modern, allowing for a 21st century Super Bowl experience. www.goldengatecasino.com/drinks

-Paul Rogers, Brand Publishing Writer