Coyote Ugly

What is it?

A raucous party bar, based on the movie of the same name, where the female bartenders give as good as they get (often while dancing on top of the bar).

Where is it?

At New York-New York on the South Strip.

What kind of crowd does it draw?

Mainly guys who soak up the faux-abuse from the hot chicks behind the bar.

What are the prices like?

Cover charge is not outrageous and if you go during happy hour they have some pretty good drink specials.

When is the best time to go?

As mentioned above, happy hour between 6 and 9pm.

Why should I go here?

Because you want to see a hot chick dance on a bar.

What else do I need to know?

The movie was actually inspired by a New York City bar called Hogs & Heifers – and yes, there is one of those in Vegas, too.

What’s the bottom line?

Pretty good if you just want to go and have a wild, good time.

If you are a young, straight, male with an appetite for rowdy bars, loud music, beautiful women, and lots and lots of booze you’re going to love Coyote Ugly. I am almost none of those things and yet I still thought the place was a hoot.

If you haven’t seen the movie of the same name let me bring you up to speed on the concept. In the film, Coyote Ugly is the name of a raucous roadhouse style bar in New York City where beautiful, female bartenders twirl bottles, blow fire, spray water, sing along with the jukebox, and dance on the bar creating a wild non-stop party.

In perhaps one of the most brilliant cross-promotional concepts since dinosaurs ruled the toy stores, Coyote Ugly is an actual place in Las Vegas at New York-New York (and other locations around the country) and they’ve done a great job of capturing the spirit of the fictional version. Although it may help to have seen the film first, you don’t really need it because the concept is pretty apparent from the minute you walk into the place.

It’s on the mezzanine level of the hotel, just above the main casino and it’s not as big as you’d expect a theme place to be. It’s just one big room, scuffed wooden floors, and a bunch of southern roadhouse décor (street signs, aluminum siding, exposed beams, etc.) filling out the space. There are bars on either side and big empty areas in between for you to stand around and take in the show, or dance along if the spirit moves you.

And what a show. These women bartenders are not beautiful in the classic Vegas showgirl style. No, they are more like that girl Tanya you knew in high school… the one who smoked and drank and drove her boyfriend’s Camaro faster than he did and probably would’ve kicked your sorry butt if you had tried to ask her out, which you probably wanted to because she was pretty hot.

I think you know the type.

As such, their hooting and hollering and carrying-on both behind and on top of the bar is not at all affected or staged, but rather a bunch of good-old gals having a rip-snorting good time. They scream at the customers, spray them with water, encourage them to drink more than they probably should, sing along to Billy Idol and Pat Benatar, and dance while serving drinks at the same time. It’s pretty impressive from just a coordination level if nothing else.

Unlike the film, which showed a clientele of all ages, races, sexes, and types frequenting the fictional Coyote Ugly, most of the crowd at the real version was the aforementioned young, straight, white male. But I think just about anyone could have a good time here if you go into it with the right attitude and don’t worry about getting your hair mussed. If nothing else it’s a welcome relief from the “trendy casual” BS of most of the nightclubs in this town.

Cover and drink prices are reasonable and the staff was friendly but obviously not willing to put up with any crap from anyone. In other words, if you think you can down a few dozen shots and get up on the bar to dance with one of the bartenders you’re going to find yourself in a hammerlock faster than you can say “Dad, can you bail me out of jail?”

To sum it up, I have to go back to that word I used in the first paragraph: Coyote Ugly is a hoot.