Post #339650 by ruinthejimi on Sun, Oct 21, 2007 9:34 AM

I just got a report from my parents who visited Trader Vic's Las Vegas last night.

Here's some info on my parent's tiki street-cred
They are both long-time Trader Vic's enthusiasts. When I was a kid, we used to go to the Trader Vic's in Washington DC at least once every 6 weeks.

They are Hukilau regulars and visit the Mai Kai every time they are in Ft Lauderdale. They always visit Trader Vic's when they are in a city that has one. They own all the old TV cookbooks, mugs, and other glass ware.

One more thing before I start, I have very fond childhood memories of Trader Vic's DC and it's what got me into Tiki. I hold Trader Vic's so dear that I often get very frustrated with all of the TV bashing that goes on here at TC. My thought has always been that it's a business and I'd rather have them do what they need to do to survive instead of closing. I've been to TV Atlanta a number times over the years and simply wondered how they can keep the doors open, but I'm so happy they do.

All that being said, it sounds like Trader Vic's Las Vegas is a total tiki-disaster created by people who were more concerned with creating the next hot club instead of a natural extension of a brand that's been around for the past 70+ years. Here's the breakdown:

Decor
They said that if you took away the Menehunes in the drinks, the S&P Shakers, and the place settings, it would look like "any other restaurant". They confirmed it is very bright and there is wacky multi-colored lighting in the white ceiling. They said it was not tropical or polynesian. They said "Ultra-Modern" not "Tiki Modern". They didn't go to the Ultralounge. The patio is "nice" but that's just because its location and view.

Music
My parents are 55 and not experts on modern dance music, but they said it was "loud techno music" and they kept "changing the music" and it was "weird stuff". It definitely wasn't Exotica.

Drinks
The rumors are true, the drink Menu is HALF the regular size. The staff said they anticipated to be "pumping out the drinks" at such a rapid rate that they couldn't support the full menu. Some favorites that were missing were the Peachtree Punch and Molokai Mike. They did drink Mai Tais, Potted Parrots, and Suffering Bastards. The drinks they had were "good" and came with all the garnishes and take-aways.

Food
They reported NO Chinese Ovens. They didn't see them and they said the food didn't taste like it was from a Chinese Oven. They said the Steak was good but it really wasn't any different from a steak you would get at Ruth Chris. Ribs were ok and Crab Rangoon was "different". They also said the food menu was HALF the regular size.

They were with a large party of Vegas residents who had never been to a Trader Vic's before. They all had fun but nobody else said they'd be coming back anytime soon.

I just don't understand how a company that just opened the INCREDIBLE Dallas TV can now open a place that seems to be completely the opposite. I don't care if it's Vegas, it's just a basic branding/marketing mistake.

Our family-business recently opened a Las Vegas office and we were all looking forward to visiting TV LV at least once on every trip (which is like every 2 weeks for my Dad). Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like that's going to be the case.

I do have a trip scheduled to Vegas in mid-November so I'm going to go and see for myself because I don't want to believe it's all true. I'll let you guys know my impressions then.

In the meantime, visit all the Trader Vic's that actually look like a Trader Vic's. Write your Congressman. Maybe we can get TV LV to close for renovations so they can order some thatch, chinese ovens, and add some pages to the drink menu.

Thanks for reading my epic post,

Jimi