About Old Vegas Tavern
Old Vegas Tavern is East Las Vegas’ go-to neighborhood sports bar and gaming lounge, a step above the dive, where friends gather for great food, cold drinks, sports on big screens, and 24/7 video poker fun. We’re proud to carry on the legacy of this historic spot at Desert Inn & Sandhill.
The Rich History of Our Building
Our location has been a cornerstone of East Las Vegas since the 1950s, originally built as the Town House Cocktail Lounge, a classic bar and restaurant serving locals and visitors alike.
In the 1970s, it was renovated and renamed the Desert Inn Bar, becoming a popular hangout for video poker enthusiasts and casual drinks. Around 1963, the space evolved into the Cavalier Lounge, embracing a true old Vegas dive bar vibe: walls lined with Rat Pack memorabilia, affordable drinks and food, a loyal crowd of regulars (ages 30–70+), and that gritty, unpretentious charm that defined neighborhood spots back then. It operated as the Cavalier for decades, surviving changes in laws (like smoking bans that shifted focus to gaming) and remaining a 24-hour staple until the early 2000s, when it closed and sat vacant for years.
In 2014, new ownership acquired the Cavalier Lounge and invested in a major renovation. The goal: honor the building’s heritage while modernizing it, cleaning up the dive elements, adding contemporary flair, expanding sports viewing with 8 big screens and NFL Ticket, enhancing the menu to restaurant-quality bar food, and keeping the doors open 24/7. It reopened in 2015 as Old Vegas Tavern, blending nostalgia with today’s expectations: vintage decor nods to the past, but with friendlier service, better eats, and an energetic, welcoming atmosphere.
Today, we’re the evolution of that legacy, a place where “Vegas of the Past” lives on through stories, memorabilia, and community, while we create new memories with awesome bartenders, fun crowds, and great times.
Whether you’re here for the games, the gaming machines, or just good company, thanks for being part of our ongoing story!
