J R.
Yelp
Holsteins Shakes & Buns used to be on the Strip inside the Cosmopolitan. It closed in July 2024 after over a decade of business. Now Holsteins is the new shiny in the Arts District.
Thanks to OpenTable I was able to make a 4:30pm reservation on the first available day, 29 May 2025. Which turned out to be 30 minutes before the actual open time of 5pm on that day, oops. Nevertheless I was made very welcome, given a seat at the bar, all the menus, water, and a comped drink.
Glass of Wycliff Brut Champagne ($5, Happy Hour; comped): Since my first drink was on the house, I selected pretty much the cheapest to not take advantage. The pour was impressively liberal.
Fried Pickles ($6, Happy Hour): Ten slices, excellent crispy batter, very good ratio of pickle to fried dough, perfect on-bite size. Dip was decent.
Mustard Muse ($16): A weird cocktail. Slightly bitter, slightly sour, very subtle mustard undercurrent if one concentrated really hard.
Gold Standard ($22): Patty almost a smashburger with its crisped edges, but also at a perfectly juicy medium-rare. Bacon curls at crunchy-chewy doneness; arugula fresh; cheese lent a subtle funk. Might have liked a bit more of the tomato as those bites were particularly zingy. Top bun buttery, bottom bun gave me some anxiety as to its durability but actually held up to the last bite.
Crinkle-cut Sweet Potato Fries ($10): Came in a branded metal fry box; size between a medium to large Mickey D's. Fluffy insides, outside a yielding crispiness, seasoning giving a very low-level spiced contrast to the inherent sweetness of the potato.
I had considered ordering the Not Your Father's Root Beer Float as dessert, but opted instead for the
Donutella ($16): As soon as the Donutella was put in front of me I realized what a tactical error I had made. This shake was enormous; I felt (even more) stuffed just looking at it. After a few sips I asked if I could have the rest put in a to-go cup. Whereupon I discovered that, because the Donutella had booze in it, it could not be removed from the premises. Well, shoot. I tried to finish the shake, as it was a delicious coffee-hazelnut delight, but I lost that battle.
Value: Pretty killer for the amount of tasty food and drink.
Service: Over the top hospitality from beginning to end. Excellent service from primary bartender Kate, but the rest of the crew and floor were on-the-spot attentive as well.
Atmosphere: Upscale saloon in warm-toned earth colors. Curved leather(?) banquettes had its own cow mascot watching over them; smoked glass; tan brick; wee crystal suspended lamps. Place got busy in short order but not overwhelming.
etc
Happy Hour was listed as running from 3pm-6pm Monday through Friday, at the bar.