NoVi — Restaurant in Reno

Several weeks ago I wrote a fantastic review of this place. Unfortunately my review needs to be updated. I used to go to novi every Friday night. The dancing was awesome, the crowd was lively, the music was superb, the drinks were more than affordable. It was a fantastic place to hang out. During the month of April I was out of town every weekend so I wasn't able to show up for about a month. With my traveling finally in the past and a more relaxed schedule, I was able to head to Novi last night, May 17th. In one word? Wow. I was informed that the DJ that was working is now the new starting DJ on Friday nights and this place just isn't the same. At 9:45pm when the place is always packed, it was dead. The music? Not the best at all. Dancing? Almost non-existent. With the little bit of line dance songs the DJ plays, he blends the songs together so you have no idea if one song is ending or another is starting. Absolutely terrible for line dancing. If you're just looking for drinks, those are still affordable with the red cup special so they still have that going for them. As I left at 10pm due to the less than stellar music and lack of dancing, there was a tad bit of a line outside with mostly people probably waiting for the next DJ to start and turn it into a nightclub atmosphere rather than a country bar. This used to be a place where you could line dance, couples dance, enjoy cheap drinks, and enjoy a lively country atmosphere before it turns into a nightclub later in the evening. Not sure what sparked the change for the start of the evening but it definitely has a noticeable effect with the drop in turnout. ...

Novi has frequent DJs and a small to medium sized dance floor. The $25 unlimited basic drinks Friday night special is a big draw, but the bartender can be hit or miss for the quality of drink. It gets lively starting around 11pm. The music usually consist of country music with regulars repeatedly attending to dance. After 11pm it's a mix of more "club" music.

I haven't tried their food. So no opinion on that. I will update if I try it.

The biggest problem with Novi is during major events like zombie crawl. The line to get in is really long and groups of people will cut the line... Even with security "watching" it, but that isn't the only problem. People will come earlier in the day or leave Novi and receive a stamp that lets them in through a separate/shorter line that has priority. They will also let people cut the line that order bottle service.. Which is understandable... They want money.

The last time I tried attending a major event, I waited for about 2 hours in line. Once I got inside it was over-crowded. You couldn't walk to the bar without squeezing past 80 sardines.. I mean people. It took another 30 to 45min to get a drink because the bar was surrounded by an unrealistic amount of people to serve in a timely manor.

To wrap it up. Daily operation is a pretty chill/a good time with regular dancin scene. I'd probably avoid the major events because the place isn't big enough for the amount of people that...

Great Music, but Bad Bouncers & Dance Floor. I go to NoVi almost every Friday. Why do I go? Well; the main DJ is amazing and plays all the good music. And if you get there early (between 9pm and 10pm) it's pretty nice. But NoVi (at the Eldorado) leaves a lot to be desired, and fixed.

The dance floor isn't polished (not easy to spin on, which can easily injure your knees) and it's often covered in spilled alcohol which causes it to be sticky. Then there's the combination of the Main vs. 2nd Bar, and the bouncers. They focus everyone to buy from the "Main Bar" which sits at that dance floor instead of ushering the patrons to the Second Bar which sits to the left. This means as everyone converges on the Main Bar the group gets bigger and bigger, meaning they encroach on the dance floor until it completely disappears, and those who have bought alcohol spill it everywhere. Additionally; the non-existent bouncer (or inexperienced bouncers) are sitting in the corners instead of keeping the stand-arounds and looky-lou's off the dance floor.

Ultimately; If they were to make the bar on the left side the "Main Bar," get the bouncers to keep the Stand-Arounds at the edge of the dancing area, and polish the dance floor, it would be a 5 Star, Perfect place to make your...