This Pop-Up Bar Is Designed Like a Blockbuster With Drinks Named After ‘90s Movies
A pop-up bar in Las Vegas is recreating the experience of browsing a 90s video rental store, complete with aisles of movie cases on shelves.
The twist: each case lists cocktail ingredients inside, and customers bring their pick to a bartender who makes the corresponding drink.
“Back 2 The Video Store: A 90s Speakeasy Bar” runs Wednesdays through Sundays from March 25 through May 17, giving visitors a roughly eight-week window to check it out before it’s gone.
The concept was first reported by the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
How the Pop-Up Bar Works
The space is designed to look like an old-school video store — the aisles, the shelves, the movie cases — evoking the feel of renting from stores like Blockbuster and Hollywood Video.
But instead of checking out a VHS tape, you’re ordering a cocktail.
Each movie case on the shelf lists the cocktail ingredients inside. Customers pick a case, bring it to a bartender, and that bartender makes the drink.
It’s part speakeasy, part immersive set piece, and built for the kind of photo-ready moments that tend to travel fast through group chats and social feeds.
Bucket Listers created the concept. The company is also behind Mariah Carey’s Holiday Bar at Park MGM and the Malibu Barbie Cafe at Area15.
The concept already had sold-out pop-ups in New York City, Chicago, Miami and Los Angeles.
If you’ve seen either of those on social media, you have a sense of the production value — polished, themed environments designed with visual storytelling in mind.
The Cocktail Menu Reads Like a 90s Movie Marathon
The drinks are inspired by 90s movies, and the menu reads like a trip through a decade of quotable cinema. A few of the cocktails that have been highlighted:
- Mean Girls — vodka, lemon juice, watermelon syrup, and cotton candy
- Happy Gilmore — vodka, sweet tea, lemon juice, and simple syrup
- The Big Lebowski — vodka, vanilla extract, coffee liqueur, and shaved nutmeg
Each cocktail ties directly to a movie case pulled from the shelf, making the ordering process part of the entertainment.
For groups, it’s easy to imagine everyone fanning out across the aisles, grabbing different titles, and comparing what lands on the bar top. That interactive element sets it apart from a standard themed bar where you’re reading off a printed menu.
The bar serves food, too. Options include:
- The Mighty Ducks Quesadilla, made with beef brisket or chicken
- The Mystic Pizza
The themed food names carry the 90s movie thread throughout the experience, from walk-in to last bite.
The bar hosts trivia nights, bingo nights, karaoke nights and live DJs throughout the week. Depending on which night you visit, you could be walking into a totally different atmosphere.
A Wednesday evening Bingo session is a different experience than a weekend night with a live DJ.
Location, Dates, Hours and Cost
The bar is at PKWY Tavern, 4930 W. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas. The W. Flamingo Road location sits about three miles off the Strip, so you’ll want to factor in a rideshare or rental car.
It works well as a first stop before heading to a Strip dinner or show, or as a deliberate detour for groups who want something outside the main tourist corridor.
The pop-up runs Wednesdays through Sundays, March 25 through May 17. If your trip falls outside those dates, this one won’t be available — it’s a pop-up, not a permanent installation.
General admission starts at $17.80 per person, which includes 90 minutes of open seating and one cocktail or mocktail. Additional drinks are available for purchase. At that price, it’s a relatively low-commitment add to a trip budget, and the included drink brings the per-person value up.
Reservations and more information are available at bucketlisters.com.
Given the limited run and the social media buzz these types of pop-ups tend to generate, booking ahead rather than trying to walk in is the smarter approach — especially for larger groups or weekend visits.
Production of this article included the use of AI. It was reviewed and edited by a team of content specialists.
