Freemont
Taxi’d up to Freemont. Traffic was bad, probably a knock-on from the I-15 closure due to the hit-and-run killing of two police officers.
We’d booked the Mob Museum package which included a firearms simulation and distillery tour – a well thought out combination!
The Mob Museum is worthy of your time. It’s pretty thorough in its details – quite graphic actually. Gives a really good insight into the history of Vegas, prohibition, organised crime, right through to international crimes and current day law enforcement practices.
The firearms experience was clever. You are guided through a series of rooms by a retired police officer. In the first room all your phones etc are locked away. In the second room you are provided with a replica SIG Sauer P320 standard issue US police fire arm. It’s weighted to be accurate replica and uses a co2 canister to simulate recoil and has a laser unit to record your “shots”.
The next room is a target practise where they talk about centre mass shooting and avoiding limbs or headshots. We shot the targets in single rounds, double shots and four shot bursts. It felt fairly realistic. We passed and went into the next rooms.
These are interactive videos which present a liquor store robbery with civilians and bad guys – make sure you shoot the right ones! Plus a home invasion/burglary.
The final room is a live interaction, trying to talk down an irate women armed with a baseball bat and a firearm.
It was only 15-20 minutes, but was entertaining and interesting.
Next up was the distillery tour in the basement. This covers the process of making moonshine, plus gives an overview of the prohibition dodging drink options! Rum runners, boot legged, moonshiners. You are provided samples of the different drinks available and also get to try the Mob Museums own spirits.
Again, it was well done and we bought a few samples afterwards!
We finished the tour off and headed across the street towards Freemont.
Freemont has a slightly edgier vibe than the strip. When it’s busy it actually feels better than it did this evening. It was quite quiet and therefore the number of weirdos, panhandlers, “entertainers” and con artists seemed to make up the majority of the crowd!
We checked out the “D” which is showing some signs of needing a refurb since our last visit. It had a certain old school glamour last time. Now it felt tired.
Onto the Four Queens.
One of the original casinos and it’s had a hard life! It’s cheaper than the strip. Drinks, comps, pay tables are all far more competitive. But we prefer the strip!
However, it does have Hugo’s Cellar.
I don’t think this place has changed in 60 years!
Ladies are given a rose on arrival which is placed into a vase on the table. Table side made to order salads, bread selection, pallet cleansing sorbets, chocolate dipped fruits are all part of the theatre.
The staff all have somewhat ill fitting tuxedos. They do look like mobsters with second jobs as waiters!
We had starters of French Onion Soup and Lump Crab Cake.
The food presentation is average, but the flavours are great. Portion sizes are generous too.
Our salads…
We both opted for the (small) 16oz Slow Roasted Prime Rib. There is no way these were 16oz. They were bloody huge.
I eventually managed to put a sizeable dent into it…
The thought of dessert was off putting to say the least. The chocolate coated strawberries etc arrived but we declined an actual pudding. But they sent over a molten chocolate cake with a candle as it was Jus’ birthday!
We paid and staggered out of the place. Grabbed a taxi and headed back to the Strip. Too full to contemplate further gambling or drinking. Gaviscon and sleep were the priority!