Ellis Island Casino & Brewery (Las Vegas, NV)

Went to Vegas to celebrate me and the girlfriend's first aniversary. Stayed at the Day's Inn, which happened to be across the street from Ellis Island Brewery and Casino. Didn't get a chance to check the place out until Saturday evening -- and it was a total waste of time.

I do not normally mind smoke, but when the place seemingly had a thick fog bank of smoke hanging near the ceiling, it did little to inspire confidence in the facilities. Very dirty and disorganized, as well. It's one thing to drink at a funky bar, or old-style pub, or locals-only tavern.... but it's altogether unappealing to drink (or eat) in a smoky/dirty/noisy casino. And I detest karaoke, period.

The beers were almost exclusively catered towards the BudMillersCoors crowd, with such imaginative names as "Dark" and "Light" -- and apparently not a single significant hop addition was used in any of the five selections available on-tap. I noted that the crowd was drinking mostly mixed drinks, or Bud -- which speaks volumes about the quality of the brewery's offerings.

Service was slow, but to give the bartender some credit, he asked if I wanted just a taste of the "Dark" first, before pouring me a pint -- indicative of the fact that he knew that it was pretty bad.

An infected scab on the body of the otherwise interesting Las Vegas Microbrewery scene.
//TB