Big Dog's Cafe & Casino 6390 W. Sahara Ave.
876-3647
This doggy-themed bar got into the microbrewery game long before the craze hit, and they still make one of the best sets of brew in town, from tasty hefeweizens to thick stouts that are worth barking about. Happy Hour: Sun-Thurs. 2 -7 p.m.: $1.50 for all Big Dog's brews, house wine, well drinks, domestic bottles and drafts. Bar munchies from $3.95 Recommended or Specialty Drink: Locally brewed beers from pilsners to stouts.
BJ's Lounge 218 E. Tropicana Ave.
736-9439
In the looming shadow of the MGM lion lies an improbable bar: BJ's Lounge, a character-filled watering hole that, despite its near-Strip location, still manages to suck in a strong flow of regulars. Cheap Buzz: $10 beer buckets (five domestic bottles)
The Blue Ox 5825 W. Sahara Ave.
871-2536
Paul Bunyan might have liked The Blue Ox -- the kind of place where a workingman can sidle up to a stool and bathe his face in the blue light of a friendly poker machine. A warning for all you moonlighters, though: The Blue Ox is very particular about its regulars (particularly its regular gamblers). Cheap Buzz: $2.50 domestic bottles
Bootlegger Bistro 7700 Las Vegas Blvd. South
736-4939
This longtime gem of the southwest valley exudes old-school swank and low-key elegance -- little wonder, considering the place is owned and run by former entertainer Lt. Gov. Lorraine Hunt. Late nights see lounge lizards and Strip professionals crowding the place for impromptu jams. Happy Hour: Weekdays 3-6 p.m., $1.50 domestic drafts, $3 house wine Recommended or Specialty Drink: More than 15 specialty martinis and large selection of wines both by the glass and by the bottle
Brendan's Irish Pub inside the Orleans
4500 W. Tropicana Ave.
365-7111
Brendan's does Irish with a touch of Vegas verve: Sure, it's got the dark wood interiors and dark beers, but the staff is more cheery than you might expect to find in a gloomy Dublin pub. The place hits all the right notes several nights a week, when Irish rockers the Wild Celts take the stage. Cheap Buzz: No cover on weekends
Crow's Nest 3805 W. Sahara Ave.
871-4952
Formerly Shifty's Cocktail Lounge, the Crow's Nest offers everything a neighborhood bar should: 12 TVs, a $2 bacon cheeseburger with fries and reasonably priced package liquor (a 6-pack goes for around $6 and change). Happy Hour: Weekdays 4-6 p.m.: $1.50 domestics
Carmine's Little Italy/Instant Replay 2940 S. Durango Drive
243-7777
One of the most raucous sports bars in town, Instant Replay is known to host more than its share of shouting matches between rabid fans. You name the sport, they watch it here -- taking in plenty of good beer and food specials while they're at it. If you're a sports buff with a helluva lot of team spirit, go cheer at Instant Replay. Happy Hour: Wed. 3-10 p.m.: Martini Night, $3 martinis
The Cellar Lounge 3601 W. Sahara Ave.
362-6268
Okay, so it's not a "hideaway bar" in that momentarily-whisk-yourself-away-from- the-hoi-polloi sense. Instead, The Cellar Lounge is a hideaway at its most literal: an basement-level watering hole that has immense practical value for those of you looking to temporarily give friends, family and co-workers the slip. Standard beer selection, cool location. Cheap Buzz: $2.25 domestic bottles
Chicago Brewing Company 2201 S. Fort Apache Road
254-3333
This microbrewery is a great place for a brew after catching a flick at the nearby Village Square movieplex. The five beers on tap are highly drinkable without sacrificing richness or complexity, making Chicago Brewing Company the perfect place to drag your Bud-addled friends. Happy Hour: Sun-Thurs. 3-6 p.m., midnight-3 a.m.: $2 drafts, half off well drinks and house wine; half off cheese knots, wings and cheese pizza Recommended or Specialty Drink: Bar features eight of its own microbrews
Coyote Ugly inside New York-New York
3790 Las Vegas Blvd. South
740-3660 Coyote Ugly was one of the worst films of 2000 -- kind of like a teenybopper version of Patrick Swayze's Roadhouse (which was one of the worst films of 1989). Fortunately, the bar Coyote Ugly is a lot more interesting. Of course, it maintains the movie's signature bar-dancing, but with its sawdust floors and grungier-the-better dress code, it's really one of the few true juke joints on the Strip. Happy Hour: Sun.-Thurs. 6-8 p.m.: No cover, two for one drinks
The Escape 4213 W. Sahara Ave.
364-1167
Never mind the prison-break theme, after a visit to The Escape you'll be tunneling your way in at the first opportunity. On top of shuffleboard, darts, a karaoke stage and Newcastle on draft, The Escape also has a pretty respectable classic-rock jukebox-which, by the way, features Black Sabbath's We Sold Our Souls for Rock 'n' Roll. Happy Hour: Daily 7 a.m.-7 p.m.: $1 off every drink Cheap Buzz: $1 drafts
Hurricane Harry's 3190 W. Sahara Ave.
253-6013
Hurricane Harry's may be dropping out of the nightclub scene, but it'll still be serving drinks on its seven outdoor patios, where extra-large margaritas made with one of the bar's 40 tequilas always ensure a wild night. Cheap Buzz: $7 48-ounce domestic beers
Kilroy's 1021 S. Buffalo Drive
363-4933
When you've really got a hankering for a grilled clump of beef between two buns, Kilroy's is burger wonderland. Of course, this neighborhood monument also offers a full food menu, but once you've tried one of its trademark half-pounders, you'll never need to look at it again. Happy Hour: Mon.-Sat, 3-6 p.m.: Free appetizers, $1.25 drafts, $2.50 drink specials
Kopper Keg 2257 S. Rainbow Blvd.
254-4299
The Kopper Keg's drink menu is large and reasonably priced. The draft selection includes Foster's ($1.75) and Newcastle ($2.50), while the bottled stuff dips as low as $1.25 during happy hour. During football games, all drafts are a buck. Did you hear us? A buck! Happy Hour: Weekdays 2-6 p.m.: $1.75 domestic beers, $1.50 drafts (12 oz.), $2 drafts (20 oz.), $1.75 well drinks.
The Lift 3045 S. Valley View Blvd.
364-0306
This funky, tiny little midtown bar draws a crowd of grizzled blue collars and rock 'n' rollers who still hang around the place from when it was doing live music. Cheap Buzz: $1 drafts
Magoo's 5765 W. Tropicana Ave.
368-1515
Even the hopelessly near-sighted Mr. Magoo (remember when he mistook a bear for his hillbilly nephew Waldo?), could have seen the virtue of Magoo's -- a laid-back booze-and-poker joint with a number of locations across the valley. Happy Hour: Daily 3-6 p.m. and 3-6 a.m.: $1 domestic drafts, $2 domestic bottles, $2.75 wells
Meatheads Video Poker Bar 4763 Faircenter Pkwy.
870-4440
Meatheads Video Poker Bar is so bare-bones that it doesn't even serve beer on tap, but if you're more concerned about friendly machines than frothy suds, it's definitely the place to be. Cheap Buzz: $2 domestic bottles
Peppermill Fireside Lounge 2985 Las Vegas Blvd. South
735-7635
While the term ³classic Vegas² has become increasingly meaningless on the Disneyland-era Strip, The Peppermill remains one of the last outposts for old-school retro-cool. Drinks are a little pricey (a cocktail from the well will run you $5.50), but the atmosphere is absolutely killer -- kind of like the bastard offspring of the Rat Pack and Disco Duck. Cheap Buzz: $3.75 domestic bottles, $4.50 import bottles
Pink E's 3695 W. Flamingo Road
252-4666
Hosting old-school rock has earned the club a rep as a place where hair-metal lives on, as does that stoner dude you had in woodshop. Weekends draw a motley crue (nyuk nyuk) of longhairs who drink beer like nobody's business -- the way, of course, it was meant to be drank. Happy Hour: Weekdays 3-6 p.m.: $1.50 well drinks and domestic bottles
Pounders 332 W. Sahara Ave.
385-2121
Even though it bills itself as a sports bar, Pounders may in fact be the only multilingual karaoke joint in all of Nevada. Other pubs fiddle around with karaoke, but Pounders does it every night from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. And as if that weren't enough, the bar caters to non-English speakers with a huge selection of foreign songs (FYI: Monday is Tagalog night). Happy Hour: Daily 1-6 p.m.: $1.75 domestic bottles, $2.25 wells
Sand Dollar Blues Lounge 3355 Spring Mountain Road
871-6651
This small, smoky bar is one of the Vegas's premier blues spots, hosting hot regional acts as well as local favorites. Drawing a crowd of grizzled veterans of love and war, The Sand Dollar is the place to go when you're tired of getting the once-over one too many times at the hipper nightspots. Cheap Buzz: $2 Bud, Bud Light drafts
Sean Patrick's 8255 W. Flamingo Road
227-9793
Sean Patrick's does the Celtic theme with class -- and the beer ain't bad, either: pints of Bass, Murphy's Stout, Harp, Guinness and Caffrey's run $3.75. You're paying for atmosphere, yes, but in this case, it's money well-spent. Cheap Buzz: $2.50 domestic bottles, $2.75 domestic drafts
The Tilted Kilt inside the Rio
3700 W. Flamingo Road
777-2463
You'll rarely find pipers piping or tin whistlers whistling in The Tilted Kilt -- the Scotch-Irish-American alehouse inside the Rio -- but if you're thirsty for entertainment, you can grab any of its 24 draft brews and hunker down to watch the Carnaval-inspired Masquerade Village right outside of the bar's doors. Happy Hour: Daily 4-6 p.m.: $2 domestics, $3 imports or premiums Recommended or Specialty Drink: Smithwick's Irish Ale
Tommy Rocker's 4275 S. Industrial Road
261-6688
It's a rare thing to see a bar owner take the stage, guitar in hand, and do some blazing covers of everything from Aerosmith to Allman Brothers. But that's just what Tommy Rocker does. The owner, a performer at heart, is renowned as a talented showman and a funny guy, too. His friendly bar also features a restaurant and live music on the weekends. Happy Hour: Mon.-Thu. 4-7 p.m.: One dollar off drafts and bottled beers. Mon-Thurs. 2-7 p.m.: free chips and salsa
The Triple Play 1875 S. Decatur Blvd.
364-0808
This cozy sports bar is for the serious armchair QB; the dining room feels like you're eating at Mom's, and all the big-screen TV needs is your dad in a recliner. Its menu is its main draw; in addition to the usual offerings, Triple Play also serves up seafood, pizza, full dinner entrees and desserts. Cheap Buzz: $1.50 domestic drafts
VooDoo Lounge inside the Rio
3700 W. Flamingo Road
777-2463
For one of the best views in Vegas, grab a ride up to the 51st floor of the Rio and have a cocktail on the VooDoo Lounge's outdoor terrace. Be careful to dress nicely, though; the VooDoo Lounge is quite particular about its business casual dress code. Happy Hour: Daily 5-8 p.m.: no cover charge Recommended or Specialty Drink: The Witch Doctor, a mind-bending fusion of four different rums and tropical juices
