I’m Carlos Perez, a local university student who prefers his nights best spent outside in the social culture of Reno, NV. Going out every night in the city is like opening a Pandora's box.
I’ve spent my best night of my life here which involved taking a party bus to each and every bar, drinking practically for free, and finding myself $1000 richer from a solid roulette hit at the Eldorado casino. I’ve also experienced the worst night of my life here, more specifically, in jail. So it’s safe to say this place has left a permanent memory in my head.
Reno’s a special place because it offers something that neighboring big cities can’t, a small town feel. It does this particularly well in its nightlife, because although Reno has a club scene, it's overshadowed by its impressive bar life.
I think there’s a void a lot of people experience when they leave our town, which is a sense of familiarity and comfortability in enjoying Reno’s bar culture. The fact that Reno is not too superficial for you is what I like most.
The bar scene is a collection of different bars which carry its very own personality to which the common bargoer subscribes to and what's great is that nothing stops you from choosing a different scene each night.
Z Bar is a cool place which I regard as the most underrated bar, I mean it's not everyone's first thought, but it should be. They offer pretty much everything you need in a bar: drinks, indoor and outdoor seating, and karaoke. The atmosphere is special because Z Bar you can’t have a bad time there unless you’re looking for it and it isn’t intense or overly flooded with noise which some people might prefer.
Death and Taxes is arguable the coolest looking bar because of its completely black gothic look. I admire that they’ve established themselves to a professional standard of running a bar. Their cocktail list is impressive because they're not stiffing you with a terrible drink, in fact they have drinks there that most other bars can’t offer. Death and Taxes is not the party bar, you’re not there to be loud and indiscrete, you’re there for a solid conversation with friends.
One of Reno’s most unknown bars is RedRock Bar. From first glance, you wouldn’t know it's a two story bar that offers pool and shuffleboard and the best espresso martinis around. My first time going here was when I was a part of a wave of college students who adopted the place for their party needs which didn’t last long. Nonetheless, the place is fairly divey and dim lit, great drinks, great bartenders, and even a bar dog who roams around greeting everyone.
What’s not to love about TLC it’s the bar with a built-in sauna. When you combine a DJ, dancing, and a poorly ventilated venue, you’re going to find yourself sweating. TLC is short for The Loving Cup. The place offers decent outdoor, booth and bar seating. What I love about the place is the live music, dancing, and the fact that it's attached to a pizza place. You never start at The Loving Cup but you always find your night ending there. I’ve never visited the bar outside of a night out but I imagine it to be a typical bar, minus the very accessible pizza.
I discovered the Arlington Saloon later in my college career and found it to be the last place I go after a night of drinking but only because they stay open pretty late and they offer a signature shot called the watermelon loco, a fan favorite. It’s located under the actual Arlington Towers off Sierra street and with a decently sized area to enjoy. They have your typical pool table and some arcade games that I’ve never seen anyone use. Arlington Saloon has their regulars, which you’ll find to be on the older side. It's a moderately loud place but a place where people go for casual conversations or to burn time because they're not ready to go home yet. I like this place because of its proximity to other bars, decent hours, and its signature drink, but other than that, it's not my first choice.
What's cool about Dead Ringer is that they are very music based, and like its neighbor Alpine, they make sure to bring out local artists in the Reno area to allow them an audience to show their talents. The bar service is mediocre but the venue itself is amazing with their best feature being their outdoor patio. Dead Ringer is a very dim bar and the outside is something from an 80s zombie movie. They only open after 5pm so they tend to cater to the night time audience but nonetheless it’s a cool place to catch a concert.