My Review of Trader Vic's Vegas

We didn't know what to expect when we arrived at the new Trader Vic's in Las Vegas. From what I've read online the new location was supposed to be a departure from that "old school" look of past days.

Located in front of the new Planet Hollywood Casino and Hotel, the outside of the restaurant is pretty plain. There is no semblance of any A frame, Tiki torches or anything else to make one aware that it's a Polynesian themed restaurant inside. All you see is this huge TV sign when you approach:

To enter the restaurant you need to come in through the mall. To the left is the hostess stand. The cabinet on the right contains various TV collectibles like mugs and glassware. I was told a gift shop would be coming soon. Two large Tiki idols stand guard on either side of the entrance. Shockingly, the gray moai in the center is styrofoam!!! WTF?!

The bar is fashionably modern, but sadly lacks the bling of what you would find in other TV locations. An extremely low Tipsy factor to say the least. All they really had hanging from the ceiling were these fishing floats over the bar. Kind of boring.

There is an upstairs lounge. Unfortunately it wasn't open while we were there. I was told that it features a DJ. I wonder if they play any Martin Denny?

There is an outdoor patio. But again, no Tikis or torches outside. Sadly, it appears that they are trying to attract a younger, more mainstream Paris Hilton wannabe crowd. Although, while we were there, most of the patrons in the restaurant were people in the 40-60 age group. Baby Boomers essentially. Why they aren't marketing to this age group is beyond me? Aren't they the one's with all the money today?

The two large Tiki idols in the main dining area were impressive:

My thoughts? Honestly, I was disappointed. This was supposed to be one of the highlights of our Vegas trip. Being in Sin City I was expecting something impressive. Instead, the place was more disco than Tiki bar/restaurant. Take down the Trader Vic's sign and it could easily be any other restaurant in any city in the USA.

I love Trader Vic's and I really wanted this place to be good. And it pains me to say it was a disappointment. Nevertheless, I hope they take note and put a little more into it as this location deserves to be better.

As a consolation, if you're in Vegas, check out Tahiti Joe's. It's a new Tiki Bar Restaurant located inside the Tahiti Village Resort, which is about two miles south of the main Strip. Good food and drink and an impressive Tipsy factor. A fun and friendly staff too. Definitely worth visiting.

On 2007-11-04 16:43, Tikinaut wrote:
We didn't know what to expect when we arrived at the new Trader Vic's in Las Vegas. From what I've read online the new location was supposed to be a departure from that "old school" look of past days.

...you knew exactly what to expect...especially after reading it here online.

good pics though overall...now we can all witness the shame....

That's a shame/sham. I was trying to keep an open mind to what they might do. Looks pretty homogenized. Looks like my hopes for a new place to hang in Vegas are dashed. I won't give up my regular seat at "Quarks" bar, the "Warp Core Breach" is the best way to start the day when in Vegas.

...tahiti joes looks like a good place to start...check out the pics on another thread...

Check out Tahiti Joe's for great Tiki although the menu is small. Cheeseburger in the mall at Planet Hollywood, (where TV is), has mucho Tiki kitsch & great cheeseburgers, not to mention their own kool Tiki farm mug! Stay away from that hapless TV!

Decor is very disappointing, however I will say I was impressed with the 3 drinks we sampled there as well as the 3-4 appetizers we had. The dipping sauces were great, and the crab rangoon and the ribs were excellent. The poke was just average though.

Wasn't cheap either, but we did enjoy ourselves, and would go back if we had the money for nice drinks on the strip.

I am heading to Vegas in a few weeks and will probably hit TV's for my birthday dinner. I have only been to one other and that is the one in Scottsdale, Az. about a year ago. I know the food, drinks, and staff were great at that one. Will hopefully have time to hit the other spots mentioned here on my trip as well.

Heading to PMA and WEVA January 29 - Feb. 2. Any other TC'ers going? I will try and hit all of the spots I can and might even try and broadcast some of them on http://www.justin.tv/bohemiann.

Heading to PMA and WEVA January 29 - Feb. 2. Any other TC'ers going? I will try and hit all of the spots I can and might even try and broadcast some of them on http://www.justin.tv/bohemiann