When we were at Frankie’s Tiki Room, I was tickled to discover the “Vice Tester” with illustrations by Shag. (You might have noticed that I really dig Shag.)
And the machine revealed to me that my secret vice is…I have no vice! Ha!
Mr. Baseball on the other hand…
Well, to protect the not-so-innocent I won’t reveal his results. So, what would be your secret vice? I suggest you go to Frankie’s and find out—it will only cost you a quarter. That’s gotta be one of the best deals in Vegas! 🙂
In closing the Sin City portion of the Baseball/Tiki Road Trip, we uninentionally saved the best for last. I’d originally intended to visit Frankie’s Tiki Room the night before, but I hadn’t been feeling so hot. (Do I blame that day’s lunch at Trader Vic’s?… I digress.)
In true Vegas style, Frankie’s is open 24 hours, so were able to just drop in on a Monday afternoon. It’s off-Strip and north of the Strat so you’ll need a car or savvy cab driver, but it’s well worth seeking out.
Unfortunately, my photos cannot convey how awesome this place is, but they do show how DARK it gets. Stepping in from the bleached-out daylight, we could not see a thing and had to stumble around for a few minutes until our eyes adjusted.
You could sit at the bar and watch video clips that ranged from Hawaiian variety performances to an amateur tiki-themed porn/horror flick, but we preferred the banquettes under the thatched roof.
I had the Tiki Bandit, a potent concoction of pineapple rum, 151, apricot brandy and blue curacao, and it was absolutely delicious. The drink’s eight bucks on its own or twenty in the take-home slot machine-shaped mug. How could I resist such cleverness?
Again, you can’t really see it here, but the space is just a smorgasbord of art, carvings and design features from an all-star roster of tiki artists. In the corner you can spot the Shag “Vice Tester” machine that I was so amused by, it gets its own post.
In short, I loved Frankie’s and I can’t wait to come back!
Frankie’s Tiki Room
1712 W. Charleston
Las Vegas, NV 89102
702-385-3110
On our last day in Sin City, Mr. Baseball and I had lunch at Cheeseburger Las Vegas in the Miracle Mile Shops. Wouldn’t normally be my first choice for food, but you’ll see why we visited in a moment. I do dig that neon sign, though.
Some of my favorite parts of Vegas are the most Disney-esque, like interiors that are made to look like exteriors! I also like how Planet Hollywood seemed to have gotten lazy with their renovation and just left the Aladdin influences the farther you venture into the old Oasis shops. Anyway, that was our view from the “patio” of Cheeseburger.
The “Mai Tai Bar,” as the sign labeled it, in the middle of the restaurant. Hmm, why not just call it a tiki bar?
On our table was a plastic pineapple mug they were trying to pawn off, but I asked for this little dude instead. Ain’t he cute? (Tiki Farm, natch.) The mai tai he was filled with was not too shabby in my amateur opinion, though each sip was alternately either super sweet or alcoholic.
Does this look like a “five-napkin” burger to you? I didn’t think so. Indeed, Mr. Baseball’s beloved Oldtimer burger from Chili’s is superior. Also, thumbs down for charging extra for fries.
The walls are chock full of tchotchkes, but the vibe is a little odd because it’s a hodge podge of Hawaiian, Asian, Indian and other cultures, plus some tikis and cheeseburger paraphernalia.
It seems to be a common misconception that this restaurant is part of the Cheeseburger in Paradise chain (owned by the odious—to tikiphiles, anyway—Jimmy Buffett). Au contraire! It’s confusing, though because the owners did open a few restaurants under that name in Hawaii, but Buffett sued them so they had to go with something different with the ones on the mainland.
Cheeseburger Las Vegas
Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood
3663 Las Vegas Blvd. S.
Las Vegas, NV 89109
702-735-8600
EDITOR’S NOTE: CHEESEBURGER LAS VEGAS HAS SINCE CLOSED
The Tiki Chick 