submitted by “Frank”
After working for four years as an auto mechanic I decided it was time for a vacation. I quit my job and headed west during the summer of 1976. I was a single man and twenty-four years old. One of my stops was Las Vegas. A new found friend Jim worked for Otis Elevator, a skilled laborer’s dream job in Vegas! He took me to the 4 Mile Bar for a couple of beers after work one day and it turned into a ritual Thursday and Friday thing. I remember one day we were cooling off from the desert hundred degree plus heat by drinking our “ice cold frosty Budweiser’s” (Mike would be proud of me – MM… MMM) and Jim proceeds to tell me the Anheuser-Busch headquarters is located in Los Angeles?!?!?! “You dumb ass… you don’t tell someone from St. Louis ignorant stuff like that!”
Vegas was a mystical and foreign place to me, being from the Midwest. Jim explained to me that there was the “glitzy” Vegas and the “down home” Vegas. The natives stayed away from the “strip” except to take advantage of certain deals like cheap breakfasts. The 4 Mile Bar was solely frequented by the natives and I was amazed at how relaxed the place was in the midst of such a notoriously busy town. Of course, I asked the question that only a newcomer would ask, “so, why’s this place called the four mile bar?” The bar tender studies me and says, “cause it’s four miles down the road from the downtown casino center.” We were there really late one weekend night and I thought we’d close the place down. I saw the clock was straight-up two o’clock…I asked the bartender “so what time does this place close?” He looks as if he’d never heard that one before and says, “when everybody leaves.” I had to ask Jim what he meant by that because I didn’t realize that most bars in Vegas were open 24 hours a day and would only close if there was no one to serve. This bar was a very friendly place and also very comfortable. I remember knotty pine paneling and a lot of things to look at. There were several slot machines and some wagering going on at the pool tables.
I remembered the jukebox played “Fooled Around And Fell In Love,” by Elvin Bishop, more than any other tune. One day a couple of girls walked by and Jim asked them if they would go home with him… they quickly turned him down. Jim pleaded, “come on I’ll have you screamin!” They both laughed and loved it! That scared the crap out of me! “That line would get you hurt where I’m from man!” Everyone laughed…it was great. This was truly a different world.
I ran a Google search and low and behold the dive is still alive and well. The reviews are right on, although in 1976 – “cowboy chic” and “karaoke” would not have applied!
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Below is a review from David Hofstede Four Mile Bar in Las Vegas, NV – AOL City Guide
As saloons on the Boulder Strip go the Four Mile Bar wont win any design awards, but its a fun place to lift a few after a days labor, or to test your pipes on karaoke nights. The dcor is cowboy chic that has seen better days, but with places of this kind dilapidation is just part of the ambiance. Theres usually room to pull up a stool and enjoy reasonably priced well drinks and domestic pitchers, or to dine on steaks, sandwiches and other bar & grill favorites. But the place gets busy on Friday and Saturday nights during karaoke, where country-western is the most frequent music of choice. On Sundays during football season, the Four Mile Bar is a haven for Denver Broncos fans, and offers free drinks and other special promotions for anyone wearing Bronco-friendly attire.
sent in by Frank “The Wildman” W.
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