A lot of folks have asked me about the Atomic Liquors on East Fremont, just east of the Western Casino.

History - Although the Atomic was opened in the early 50's that area was never really as well developed as the area further west and now contained under the canopy. Currently it has a lot of cheap motels, some populated by the same folks who clean up your dishes at the buffet and do other lower end jobs, some by the elderly on fixed incomes, some “not quite” recovering addicts to most everything from booze to gambling, and some others who are frankly operating on the fringe of the law. Joe and Stella Sobchik opened their Fremont Street bar some 50 years ago when the desert shook from atomic bomb detonations at the Nevada Test Site. Downtown hotels served "atomic cocktails" at rooftop parties as revelers watched the mushroom clouds, and the Sobchiks, swept up in the trend, named their bar Atomic Liquors. I suppose that today the would call it “High Definition Liquors” but I digress.

The bar at 971 E. Fremont Street, a couple of blocks east of the Blvd. Barbara Streisand shot pool there, the pools tables are still there, and it is rumored that everyone from Frank Sinatra to the Smothers Brothers stopped in for drinks over the years. You see it is far enough away from the Strip that even headliners could stop in a be a regular Joe, or Frank or Dean. Several movies, including some westerns and 1995's "Casino," used the bar as a backdrop. Atomic Liquors is one of the oldest continually open bars in Las Vegas still kept by the original owners, and hold liquor license Number 00001. Stella once told me that she used to sit facing the front door and watched the mushroom clouds rise in the distance, that view has since been blocked by buildings.

Down to the Bar Basics - The Atomic is a regular blue collar, neighborhood bar open until 11:00 pm. They serve the standard beers and bar drinks. Cans of Busch Beer go for a buck or you can take a full 12 pack with you for $6.00. Tourists are welcome, in fact I enjoy the taste of home after the noisy glitter of the Strip and the nearby Fremont Street Experience. The Atomic is much like many a neighborhood bars in my home town of Chicago. Like most bars, a quiet place or not depending on the crowd.

The Layout – After you are buzzed in, you walk in the front door, you face part of the L shaped bar running east and west or parallel to the street, with many kinds of booze for sale, some are name brand libations and some come in small plastic bottles filled with inexpensive clear liquor that, although in theory drinkable, is best used to clean engine parts. Also the ever present video poker machines built in the bar. Turn and the left side of the bar runs from north and south. There is a well stocked juke box on that side, as well as the pool tables. See photos. It is that side of the bar that was used for the bar scenes of the film Casino. The bathrooms are to the right of the front part of the bar and sometimes you have to be buzzed in there.

Typical Crowd – Tradesmen, blue collar workers, people on a fixed income, some “not quite” recovering addicts, ladies in waiting and the occasional (usually) quiet crazy person, plus a sprinkling of well informed tourists. It’s a live and let live sort of place. A warm and friendly place filled with people who, once they get to know you, will proudly tell you about their town. Of course, some will do more than that but that is beyond the scope of this review.

How to get there – Plenty of free parking. See photos. If you are on foot, I recommend an early afternoon stroll. and plan to get back before sundown. Consider what you are bringing carefully, At a beer for a buck , you won’t need much money. Always keep valuables out of sight on the street in Las Vegas

Go east on the south side of Fremont, the Fitzgerald’s side, to the corner of Fremont and Las Vegas Blvd. In the distance, you will see the sign for the Western looming up like an angry raised finger. See photo. That is your landmark, aim for it. Take a deep breath and cross the Boulevard. You will walk a few blocks and pass a few shops and the Griffin, the Beauty Bar etc. On the other side of the street you will see the El Cortez and the now closed Ambassador East but stay on the south side of the street. This is the new entertainment district and much cleaner than it once was but you may still be approached by the charming locals selling their wares, just say No Thanks and keep on going.

In a very little time, you will pass the entrance of the Western Casino gaping open like the mouth of a skull with all its teeth rotted out. Don't forget your mission but do stop in if you have a moment you can return after you leave the Atomic if you have the time but don’t get lost in there. As you enter the Western, you enter a far different Las Vegas than the one you see on TV. A true low roller paradise. Check the various reviews. The bar is on the left, its square shaped with a few tall round tables. The gaming there is cheap, cheap, cheap and it will NEVER ever be confused with the Bellagio. Casino security is plentiful and they will be watching out for you. If nature calls, do it in stages with someone on guard over your stuff.

Once you rip yourself for the ominious pleasures of the Western, turn right and continue east past the Western’s sign and you will come upon the Atomic. See photo. Wait to be buzzed in, yes it is that sort of a place.

Around the corner is another fun neighborhood bar, the nearby Bunkhouse Saloon, free live bands most nights, located at 124 South 11th Street, between Fremont and Carson, in Las Vegas. More about the Bunkhouse later.

I hope this clears up some of the questions but feel free to ask any that I may have missed. I hope this will encourage more people will visit this piece of living history which, unlike a museum, has video poker, a good juke box, pool tables and serves drinks.