Mint Tavern Takes Inspiration from Classic Casino and It’s Glorious

By Scott Roeben, on January 09 2018
2 min read 26 comments
Las Vegas Las Vegas Bars

A new tavern just off The Strip is turning heads with its signage, a throwback to earlier times in Las Vegas.

The venue’s sign was inspired by a classic casino, The Mint.

Mint Tavern Las Vegas
You sort of can’t miss it.

The Mint opened in downtown Las Vegas in 1957.

In 1988, the casino closed and became part of Binion’s. Guests visiting Binion’s will note a slope in the casino floor, an indication of where Binion’s ended and The Mint began.

Mint Tavern Las Vegas
Did we go back to get a photo during daylight hours, too? You betcha.

The Mint Tavern sits in an unassuming strip mall that features the Golden Steer steakhouse, just west of the ill-fated Lucky Dragon.

The venue was formerly called Red Label Bar & Lounge.

Here’s a look at the original Mint casino.

Mint casino
We want to lick you like a stripper pole. Which, upon reflection, might not be particularly wise, but urges are urges.

The Mint cocktail lounge on Sahara is still a work-in-progress, as evidenced by a sign outside.

Mint Tavern Las Vegas
Winning.

The bar has about a dozen video poker machines, and not much else at the moment. That includes (gasp!) no Captain Morgan.

Given the retro cool of the sign outside, though, we’re willing to overlook that transgression for now.

Mint Tavern Las Vegas
In 1971, Hunter S. Thompson stayed at The Mint hotel during his first visit to Vegas, the same trip depicted in his novel, “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.”

The Mint’s original, distinctive sign was created by someone with whom Las Vegas fans are very familiar: Betty Willis.

Willis is also the designer of the “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign.

Mint Lounge
When The Mint was a thing, it boasted three miles of neon tubing. This sign has a tad less.

Perhaps the best-known story about The Mint involved Lee Marvin. Marvin stayed at the hotel in 1966 during the shooting of “The Professionals” (a Western). The actor got hammered and started shooting arrows at the nearby Vegas Vic sign, claiming his “Howdy Podner!” greeting was making too much noise.

Vegas Vic spoke again in the 1980s, but then was silenced for good.

Mint Lounge
The star atop the sign at the original Mint was 16 feet tall and could be seen 30 miles away.

Kudos to Mint Tavern for creating such a lovely homage to a beloved part of Las Vegas history.

We’re pretty sure Binion’s owns the Mint trademark, but hopefully the new sign won’t cause a legal kerfuffle.

The Mint Tavern’s sign is sure to become a must-see photo op for Las Vegas devotees.