La Salsa

La Salsa brings Mexican casual dining to the Strip with the kind of Americanized approach that works better than it should. The Monday through Friday, 5-7pm happy hour features discounted yard-long drinks and $5 Mexican beers, which immediately tells you this place understands the assignment. Yard-long drinks are peak Vegas excess—absurdly large, photo-ready, and questionable decision-making in liquid form. Perfect.

Yard-Long Drink Reality

For the uninitiated, yard-long drinks are exactly what they sound like—drinks served in a tall tube-like glass that's literally a yard (three feet) tall. They hold way more liquid than a normal drink, they're usually brightly colored, and they come with a straw that makes you work for your alcohol. During happy hour, these get discounted from their already-expensive regular price down to something more reasonable (though still not cheap—think $15-20 instead of $25-30). The appeal is spectacle and volume. One yard-long drink is easily 3-4 regular cocktails worth of liquid.

Mexican Beer Backup

If you're not ready to commit to a yard of margarita, the $5 Mexican beers are your sensible option. Corona, Modelo, Dos Equis, Pacifico—the classics. Cold, crisp, and a better pairing with the food than yard-long sugary concoctions. At $5, they're fairly priced for Strip location and a smart choice if you're actually planning to eat and want to pace yourself. Not everyone needs to go viral on their first drink.

Food Pairing Matters

La Salsa is a Mexican restaurant first, bar second. The food is Tex-Mex casual dining—burritos, tacos, enchiladas, nachos, the hits. Quality is decent for what it is; you're not getting authentic regional Mexican cuisine, but you're getting solid execution of the Americanized versions most people expect. Portions are generous, prices are Strip-casual ($12-18 per entree), and everything pairs well with the happy hour drinks. Chips and salsa are usually free and unlimited, which helps offset the drinking.

The Late Start Time

Happy hour starting at 5pm is later than most spots. This positions it more as early dinner/pre-evening activities rather than afternoon drinking. The 5-7pm window works well for people finishing up day activities and transitioning to night plans. It's also perfectly timed for locals getting off work. The two-hour window is short but manageable if you arrive promptly.

Who Shows Up

Groups looking for fun (the yard-long drinks attract bachelorette parties and birthdays). Tourists wanting Mexican food without leaving the Strip. People who need chips, salsa, and margaritas after a long day. The crowd skews toward fun-seeking rather than serious drinking—this is a let-loose, don't-take-yourself-too-seriously kind of place. The yard-long drinks ensure a certain level of spectacle and photo-taking.

Strategic Approach

If you're doing yard-long drinks, share them. Seriously. They're massive and designed for groups or people with something to prove. Order Mexican beers to start, see how you're feeling, then commit to a yard-long if the vibe is right. The food is good enough to make this a dinner spot, not just drinking. Arrive at 5pm for seating, order food and drinks together, and you've got a solid early evening mapped out.

Reality Check

La Salsa happy hour is fun without being sophisticated. The yard-long drinks are gimmicky but entertaining. The Mexican beers are a solid fallback. The food is good enough to matter. It's not authentic Mexican cuisine or craft cocktail innovation—it's Vegas doing what Vegas does, which is taking something familiar and making it bigger and more excessive. If that sounds fun, you'll have a good time. If you want subtlety, go elsewhere.