Nightlife

Crazy in kilts: McFadden’s revives its debaucherous reputation at Town Square

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Women dance on the bar at McFadden’s Irish Pub Saturday, July 27, 2013.
Photo: Sam Morris

“We’re kind of the half-ass Irish place,” shouts the DJ, before dropping yet another booty shaker. I’m at McFadden’s, the newly reopened Irish pub at Town Square, and the DJ’s description couldn’t be closer to the truth. Top 40 tunes replace Irish pub rock, and Emerald Isle accents are seemingly nonexistent, but McFadden’s half-assness is exactly its appeal. It’s the bar’s crazy, party-hearty atmosphere that lures you in for a pint of Guinness. Trust me, I know this from experience.

You see, the last time I stepped inside McFadden’s was during its first Vegas incarnation at the Rio, which closed in December 2011. Scantily clad chicks danced atop the bar, bartenders poured shots from the bottle right into partiers’ gaping mouths, and my Vans slip-ons stuck to the beer-soaked floor. As a freshly 21-year-old UNLV student, I felt right at home.

So, if you didn’t sow your wild oats at Kappa Sigma Whateva parties back in college, you’ll be happy to know that McFadden’s signature debauchery has been transplanted to the new location, which celebrated its grand opening July 18.

McFadden's at Town Square

This past Saturday night the bar and restaurant was packed with patrons before the clock even hit 10 p.m., with groups of ladies sharing fishbowl cocktails, pairs of guys clutching beers and fist bumping and gaggles of onlookers cheering friends on during games of beer pong. Strangers met and mingled, and as the night progressed (and the dancefloor scene intensified), those new friends sure looked a lot like new one-night stands (I’m looking at you, White Tube Top!). Did I mention the dude giving complimentary lap dances to any willing female? Cougars migrating from Blue Martini: Where were you?!

Taking a look at the menu, it comes as no surprise that McFadden’s would be packed on a social Saturday night. Prices are low, with beers ranging from $3-$6.50, appetizers from $5.50-$11 and those famous fishbowl cocktails for $25. Two very lucrative happy hours welcome partiers to partake in half-priced drinks and appetizers daily from 4 to 7 p.m. and Sunday through Tuesday from 9 p.m. until close. Pair the discounted drinks with an order of Irish nachos—the cheesy bacon-covered tater tots are exactly what you’ll need after that eighth Guinness.

But also remember to pace yourself. Just before midnight on Saturday, the DJ joked, “Cleanup on aisle five!” and I immediately knew what he meant. McFadden’s is all about the party people—not the party foul.

McFadden's Town Square, 834-4400. Daily, 4 p.m.-4 a.m.

Tags: Nightlife
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