The Laundry Room — Restaurant in Las Vegas

Get your popcorn ready for this one. Nobody likes doing laundry. But it's something you have to do. The Laundry Room, on the other hand, is somewhere you should avoid. Why? Here's my experience so you can judge things for yourself.

The Laundry Room is not a laundromat. It's a speakeasy. And one that requires reservations, even on weekdays. When you make a reservation online, you have to agree that you will be charged $25 as a cancellation fee if you're a no-show. Are we starting to see a trend here?

I made a reservation for two for a Monday night at 10:15. Once I arrived, the bouncer informed me that my friend could not get in because he was wearing "athletic shorts." He was not in fact wearing athletic shorts. I know what athletic shorts are and they did not fit the bill. And while I hate to do this, it is important information. My friend is African-American.

After talking to the bouncer about the situation (he said his name was Darrell though I wouldn't be surprised if he gave me a fake name), I could tell things weren't going anywhere. I asked to speak to a manager and was told that there was no manager present that night. I then asked to speak to whoever was making decisions for the evening and was told that I could text a number instead. I texted the number three times and received no response.

Have you ever experienced a bar or restaurant that tells you to text them when you're at the establishment and refuses to speak to you person-to-person. This is also an establishment that doesn't have a phone number you can call. It's email only. Are you seeing a trend here?

I then asked if I could go in alone and the bouncer told me that I couldn't because the reservation was for two people and they didn't want to leave an open seat. And that I would be charged the $25 fee even though I didn't cancel. I told the bouncer I would take a picture of him and then he freaked out and went inside. I saw him hiding behind the front door, trying to avoid being caught on camera.

Given my experience, it's pretty clear how this business operates. Here's one last piece of information: they require a two-drink minimum per person, they require you to buy their popcorn, and they charge 25% gratuity automatically. Seriously? These are the policies of a speakeasy that treats their customers in a certain way, exploits people to make a buck, and creates fake hype for themselves. I'll do my laundry...

Call me uncouth and unsophisticated all you want. But this was not what I was expecting. And to be honest I had no idea what I was actually expecting, except an exceptional experience due to the mystery and exclusivity of this bar.

I remember stumbling around here last year and wanting to go in but having to make a reservation maybe 2 weeks in advance and finding the whole thing intriguing. Then my dad was in town and we don't have a great relationship as we always fight so I just ignore him. But that hasn't been working out well either so I decided to take him out on a dad date. Just me and him. So we can really communicate. I wanted to find a place that was nice, high end, with good atmosphere.

I was looking at the Legacy Rooftop bar or Laundry Room since they have such a exclusive reputation, 2 drinks minimum, etc. I was surprisingly able to get a last minute reservation on a Monday and we went. I don't know. I was a little disappointed with the inside. It was in this run down, really old, kind of ugly sort of tiny bar.

Sorry to not be cool but I was not impressed with the crayon drawn over glass doors and this really old, musty, 200 years ago vibe. I guess I'm just not sophisticated like all these other yelpers on here.

The drinks were great though. Very tasty and well made. I'm not cocktail connoisseur but I did really enjoy the drinks I tried.

Also like that they don't allow photos or phone out. It's nice. But it was my first dad date and would have been nice to take a photo and it was too hectic outside. Maybe next time.

The hostess said there's a $6 mandatory popcorn but it was unlimited. I don't eat popcorn. But I didn't have dinner and the popcorn was covered in butter/salt or chocolate syrup and was really tasty. So I ate a bunch. She said it was unlimited so I asked for a refill and they charged another $6. So why say it was unlimited if you charge for each refill? Are there places that WON'T refill it? Even if you pay for each order? The explanation was misleading. Mandatory 25% tip. So I think it was $120 or so for us. Not the end of the world but not the best money I've ever spent either.

P.S. I'm still salty about the...

This could have easily been 5 stars. Really cool, reservations only, backroom, true-to-form speak-easy. There are two things that happened that brought this to a 3 star rating. Very similar feel to The Library in Portland. Upon arrival at Commonwealth, the bouncers check you in and then they bring you into the bar to wait by a wall at the end of the main room. They are supposed to inform the host inside the Laundry room of guests arrival. Waited for 20 min before she walked out and was completely surprised. She was unfortunately not informed at all. Then the host brings you in through a private, keypad entry, fake door, backroom area. She gives you a brief rundown, walk you into a private bar area, and seats you. After being seated at the bar, the bartender is doing his usual cocktail prep. I ended up sitting there for another 20 min before even being looked at and addressed by him. Once engaged, he discovers that the host had not provided a menu to look at all this time ( which is quite extensive and now requires another 10 min to peruse and choose). After deciding and discussing, it takes him another minimum 10-12 min to make. If anyone is doing the math, you’ll see it took over an hour to get the first drink. Now I feel rushed because they tell you when you walk in that you only are allowed 90 min there, have a two drink minimum, and gratuity is included). The second drink shows up at the 90 min mark, but I was ready to go and kind of unimpressed at this point. They had an off-the- cuff patron piano player that played a few familiar notes quite artistically, and the vibe was really unique and laid back. That was enjoyable for sure. So even though the bartender is cool and creative, the drinks were very good, and the host was sweet and personable….the lack of attention, lack of communication, and therefore lack of efficiency upon check-in and arrival arrival dropped an easy 5 star down to a 3. Hope they can smooth out those key ingredients for a perfect cocktail experience for folks...