Rock & Rollers brings new life to a former Rat Pack haunt in Las Vegas
Rock & Rollers blends old-school roller-skating with new-school comfort foods and cocktails. The eatery and rink at the Sahara Event Center is hosting live bands, a nod to the 1960s when the the Doors and the Grateful Dead performed on stage.
The restaurant (upstairs) and rink (downstairs) a few miles east of the Strip hopes to recapture that ambience with a 21-and-older mix of locals and tourists.
Menu options at the new eatery, which opened Nov. 26, include small bites, such as pulled pork sliders ($9) and poutine ($9) as well as sophisticated entrees such as cinnamon-rubbed pork chops ($19) and almond-crusted salmon ($20). Visitors also have access to a full bar.
The common space offers Duckpin bowling, darts, pool tables and board games. Also, there’s free live music Friday and Saturday nights, with an emphasis on local performers.
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Back in the early days, the upstairs had a restaurant and lounge that served as an away-from-the-Strip retreat for big-time celebrities.
“… [T]he restaurant was a frequent stomping ground for the Rat Pack in the early ’70s,” according to the Center’s history page. “Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr. and the boys would all come upstairs after their show at the Sahara Casino and spend the late night partying with friends and showgirls.”
Now the downstairs ice-skating rink is open to roller skaters. Open skating is available 4 to 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays for all ages, and until midnight for adults. The cost is $10 per person, and skate rentals cost an additional $5.
A wall plaque shares the stellar list of bands who performed there, including Buffalo Springfield (1968), Carlos Santana, the Grateful Dead and the Doors (1969), Jethro Tull (1970), and Sly and the Family Stone (1973).
Rock & Rollers at 800 E. Karen Ave. is open daily 4 p.m. until 2 a.m.
Info: Rock & Rollers, (702) 754-0038
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