Jonathan Fine Spins Red Label Bar into Mint Tavern

An unassuming video poker bar located a short walk from Flock & Fowl and the Golden Steer Steakhouse has a new owner and design inspiration from lost Las Vegas.

Local operator Jonathan Fine, whose portfolio also includes PBR Rockbar & Grill, Rockhouse and the PKWY Taverns, has taken over the 3,240-square-foot corner Red Label Bar & Lounge and re-branded it The Mint Tavern. The new concept is already up and running, pouring around the clock and promising future live entertainment.

Explicitly taking its cue from Fremont Street’s Mint Las Vegas casino and hotel that existed from 1957 until 1988, the Mint’s enduring fame is solely due to Hunter S. Thompson’s vivid descriptions within his 1972 novel, “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.”

While changes are in the works, The Mint remains a Dallas Cowboys fan bar and still features bar top gaming machines.

The remodeled interior blends “Sinatra-era class, with a lively pop of modern culture” and features a “twist on classic cocktails.” The Rat Pack-era might be the visual inspiration, but the music selection is described as an “eclectic blend of classic and modern funk, rhythm and blues, expressive contralto vocals, rock, hip hop and soulful house music.”

• Every Restaurant and Bar That Opened in Las Vegas in 2017 [ELV]