Ever since I first stepped foot inside Red Dwarf, I’ve wracked my brain for the proper words to explain it. Sure, I could use keywords to describe the friendly Midtown joint—“tiki,” “punk rock,” “dive bar,” “cocktails,” “craft beer,” “pizza”—but they wouldn’t convey how it feels to walk into Red Dwarf, grab a seat at the bar and settle in.
Thing is, you have to do it to feel it. It’s an intangible thing that makes hours seem like minutes, encourages you to introduce yourself to the bartenders and possesses you to begin describing the place as “my local.”
Maybe it’s the booze. Red Dwarf offers 20 craft beer taps from local and regional brewers—Juxta Nomad, Modern Times and Pizza Port, among others—in 13-ounce pours that are priced to move. The house lager, Astronomy Aleworks’ super-drinkable and unfortunately named Dwarf Piss, is only $4, but on a recent visit no beer on the list cost more than $7.
And the tiki-inspired cocktails—expertly-made takes on the Mai Tai and Painkiller, and a smooth mezcal/ginger beer/Crème de Cassis sipper called the Mexican Diablo—are a steal at $10.
Could also be the pizza. Red Dwarf’s pies ($12-$16), Detroit-
style with a chewy crust and a thick stack of toppings beneath the cheese and sauce, are rib-sticking, immensely satisfying affairs. You can get yours with anything from mushrooms and peppers to pepperoni and brown sugar-glazed ham, with a choice of red or white sauce. The possibilities are vast, and as near as I can tell, there’s no way to do it wrong. Pair your pizza with wings—mild, hot, hot barbecue or spicy garlic honey—and make a righteous meal of it.
Or it could be the feel of the place. One wall is wallpapered with flyers from classic Vegas venues—the Huntridge, Calamity Jayne’s—and the bartop is lined with vintage record sleeves. Local bands squeeze onto the corner stage, and amongst the crowd you see people you know and like, or strangers you’d like to know better. In any case, whatever strange magic is animating this place, it’s working. Red Dwarf is our local. That’s all there is to it.
RED DWARF 1305 Vegas Valley Drive, 702-640-0496, reddwarflv.com. Daily, 11 a.m.-1 a.m.
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