Welcome to Reilly’s world. He runs it; we’re just living in it. And if we have the luck of the Irish on our side, he’ll bestow upon us one of those nifty black eye patches with a clover on it.
The life of fictional character Reilly is on display at Rock & Reilly’s, a popular Irish pub that has three outposts in LA, along with locations in Park City, Utah, and New York City. The new Las Vegas incarnation is situated in the Hawaiian Marketplace on the Strip, across from CityCenter.
Reilly, who could be considered the Irish Chuck Norris, has led quite a life. According to the pub’s website, “The first day of his life, he lost an eye, took a man’s life and developed an insatiable appetite for whiskey.”
Yes, Reilly might be Ireland’s version of the Most Interesting Man in the World. The evidence adorns the walls where fellow members of Reilly’s “Black Eye Society” show their loyalty with pictures of themselves with that trademark eye patch. And all of these people are famous rock musicians, from fellow Irishman Bono to New Jersey half-Irishman Bruce Springsteen.
Approximating the wry Irish wit, signs hang everywhere with quips on them. On the way in, a wall is painted with the expression, “It’s Ireland somewhere.” Inside, a hanging picture reads, “When I die, bury me under this pub. Then my husband can come visit me seven times a week.”
It’s the outdoor patio that brings the new bar together, fusing the Rock & Reilly’s experience of fun food and spirits with the joy of Strip people-watching. If Reilly was real, this would be his spot.
Rock & Reilly’s at 3743 Las Vegas Blvd. S., 702-605-3959; 24/7.
