A Retro Chic Lounge Debuts in Downtown Las Vegas

Way back in 1948, the Thunderbird became the fourth hotel on the Strip with the largest pool in Nevada at the time, cowboy murals, and a sign with namesake bird clutching it with its talons. By 1992, it went through name changes to the Silverbird and then El Rancho, when it closed.

Now the name gets a new use with the new Thunderbird Boutique Hotel. Inside, the Thunderbird Lounge led by hospitality veteran Kelley Jones of Kelley Jones Hospitality in partnership with Todd Parmalee.

The lounge features bar top gaming, a retro-chic vibe, beers on tap, a pool table, beer pong, and a “beat the clock” happy hour from 3 to 7 p.m. daily with specials on select domestic draft beer, well cocktails and house wines by the glass.

Diners can order daily from 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and until midnight Friday and Saturday. Breakfast dishes include steak and eggs; a hangover breakfast burrito with scrambled eggs, sausage, scallions, and cheddar cheese topped with salsa; pork belly sliders with Asian barbecue sauce; a shrimp po boy; a steak and potato wrap with flank steak, tater tots, and cheddar cheese; street tacos; and a veggie burger. Flatbreads come with sausage, pepperoni, bacon, mozzarella, and tomato sauce or traditional Margherita and pepperoni. Beer-battered fish and chips, pasta primavera, and chicken parmesan round out the menu.

Some of the classic cocktails include 1948 Cocktail with Woodford Reserve Straight Rye Whiskey, Aperol, vermouth, and chocolate bitters; the Hemingway daiquiri with Atlantico Blanco Rum, Luxardo, grapefruit liqueur, and lime juice, or the Pink Squirrel with Crème de Noyaux, white crème de cacao, and cream.

The hotel features 100 guest rooms at 1215 Las Vegas Blvd. S., along with a wedding chapel and a showroom. The site north of the Stratosphere was home to the Aruba Hotel.

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