The Pub at Monte Carlo Las Vegas

Location:
Monte Carlo Resort and Casino
3770 Las Vegas Blvd. South
Las Vegas, NV 89109
Contact The Pub at Monte Carlo: 877-2-DINELV
See their website

Cuisine at The Pub at Monte Carlo: American Pub Food

Reservations at The Pub at Monte Carlo: Suggested

Price Range at The Pub at Monte Carlo: $10-$20

Hours at The Pub at Monte Carlo: Sun.-Thurs 11 a.m.-11 p.m.; Fri.-Sat. 11 a.m.-3 a.m.

Attire at The Pub at Monte Carlo: Casual

The former Monte Carlo brew pub has lost its brewery but gained a wider variety of beers on draft. With the steel brewing vats gone the space feels more wide-open, with couches in front of big-screen TVs for watching sports, and comfortable nooks for drinking and eating with groups of friends on a balcony or outdoor patio. Service is casual and friendly; ask your server to explain the story of Gus, the fire-blowing whale who appears on the pub's logo.

I suppose The Pub's motto -- "Food You Can't Forget. Drinks You Can't Remember" -- is meant to echo Vegas' reputation for excess, though I find it a big incongruous for a place where the drinks are supposed to be a big part of the appeal. We always enjoyed this space when it was the Monte Carlo's own brew pub (and sold big growler jugs of beer for takeout), so we were a bit bummed when we found out that the brewery part of the operation had been shut down.

Our server explained that the change allowed The Pub to get untied from selling a limited number of house brews and offer a broader selection of beers on tap -- 50-plus at last count. It's a trade-off that's hard to argue with, even if the place loses a bit of originality in the process. So it goes, especially in an ever-changing place like Las Vegas.

The Pub is big on burgers -- diners are invited to "Be the Burgermeiser" -- and portion sizes in general are huge. We were amused by the "Vampire Slayer" burger (rare ground "stake" and garlic aioli) but chose instead to save our arteries with an excellent spinach salad with sweet cranberries and a flatbread pizza topped with melted fontina cheese, chicken and asparagus. The toppings were fresh and flavorful -- just one of a variety of pizza combinations available -- though New York pizza snobs probably would like their slices a bit thinner and crispier. We'd recommend The Pub for a casual meal when there's a game on the TV or when you want to sample some unique beers with your buddies, maybe not so much for dinner with a date or the family.