Friday Night at LAX Nightclub

It’s Friday. It’s Vegas. You want to make this a weekend to remember, and you want to hit the ground running. It’s a club night, but let the other people line up and wait forever at the newer hot spots: you’re set for LAX, the huge spot at Luxor that still draws a hot crowd to a sexy dance floor and plush bottle booths.

We need to build up to that, though. Luckily, there’s a lot going on at the infamous pyramid and its sister resort, Mandalay Bay. If you’re not ready to play the odds, there’s some good last minute shopping in the connecting mini-mall Mandalay Place, whether you want to get stylish at Elton’s, find something fun at Urban Outfitters or get ready for the get down at Frederick’s of Hollywood. If it’s just time for a drink, well, get ready for the funkiest bar crawl you can imagine, starting with the ice-lined bar Minus 5, moving to authentic Irish pub RiRa, then the huge beer selection at Burger Bar and legendary Margarita joint Hussong’s Cantina.

Did we mention tequila? Oh, yes. And if you’re serious about the stuff, you also need to check out T &T, a more modern-style Mexican spot on Luxor’s second level, with sexy servers and a crazy selection of the blue agave spirit. Among the many other bars in Luxor, two other favorites are the semi-secret Saville Row, with great mixology cocktails, and the bar at Tender for Scotches and such. Want to catch the game? Find Public House, where you can do it in comfort, with a good selection of beers and some fun share plates.

When hunger hits, staying at T and T is a good call if you’re in the mood for Mex (solid carnitas plate), Burger Bar for a gourmet ground round, or RiRa for the fish & chips. Need a more serious sit-down? Tender is really the call then, a steakhouse that may not have a celebrity name attached to it, but is dedicated to serving an impressive selection of meats and very good veggies as well. It might be the Strip’s most underrated restaurant, in fact.

Now, one of the great things about LAX is that the entrance is very well set-up, so you won’t endure a lot of nonsense getting in. And once you do, luckily the dance floor is big and there aren’t a lot of people telling you where you can’t stand. This is a place to actually enjoy yourself.

Time to wind down? Both Public House and Slice of Vegas are good spots to grab a late night bite. And in the morning, head back to T&T for the Mariachi Brunch. There is definitely nothing else like it in Vegas—and probably not back home either!