Carmine's Italian Restaurant

Carmine's is family-style Italian cranked up to Vegas proportions—massive portions meant for sharing, red sauce everywhere, and the kind of old-school Italian-American vibe that feels like Sunday dinner at your loud uncle's house. Happy hour runs Monday through Thursday, 2-4pm, with $7 beer and $10 martinis. The afternoon timing is weird but works if you're day drinking or need a bridge between lunch and dinner.

The Afternoon Slot

Monday through Thursday, 2-4pm—this is early even by happy hour standards. It's perfect if you're recovering from a late night, killing time before a show, or just embracing the "Vegas has no clocks" mentality. The $7 beer is standard, but the $10 martinis are the move. Carmine's knows their way around a classic martini, and getting one for ten bucks is solid.

Family-Style Chaos

Everything at Carmine's is served family-style, meaning portions are designed for 3-4 people minimum. During happy hour, you can order smaller apps and sides, but the ethos remains: this is food meant for sharing. Bring a group, order a bunch of stuff, and pass plates around like an actual family dinner (minus the dysfunction, hopefully).

Italian-American Classics

The menu is unapologetically old-school: meatballs the size of your fist, chicken parm drowning in mozzarella, baked ziti with enough cheese to clog an artery. It's not modern Italian, not farm-to-table, not trying to reinvent anything. It's the kind of Italian food your grandma made if your grandma was from Brooklyn and didn't believe in portion control.

The Martini Play

The $10 martinis during happy hour are classic—gin or vodka, stirred or shaken, with olives or a twist. They're well-made, strong, and exactly what you want from an Italian restaurant bar. If you're not a martini person, the $7 beer works fine, but you're missing the full Carmine's experience. This is a martini-and-meatballs kind of place.

Vibe & Crowd

It's loud, bustling, and energetic—tables packed with families, groups of friends, bachelorette parties sharing giant plates of pasta. The decor is classic Italian-American kitsch: checkered floors, vintage photos, dim lighting. It's not romantic or quiet, but it's fun in a chaotic, communal way. If you want a chill, intimate happy hour, go anywhere else.

When It Works

The 2-4pm window is niche, but if you're in the mood for day drinking and carbs, it's perfect. Hit it with a group, order martinis and apps, and treat it like an extended lunch. It's not the most strategic happy hour in Vegas, but it's a solid option if you're already at the Forum Shops and hungry for Italian food at 2:30pm on a Tuesday.