15 Things We Didn’t Expect to Miss About O’Sheas
There were things we knew we’d miss when O’Sheas casino closed back in April, in fact we made a list of them. We knew we’d miss the beer pong, the free entertainment and block parties.
But there are others we didn’t expect to miss so much. Here are 15 of them.
1. Lucky’s Spiel
The portrayal of Lucky the Leprechaun, the O’Sheas mascot, by Brian Thomas was one for the ages. Luckily, if you’ll pardon the expression, we captured his popular sales pitch on video during a live chat toward the end of his reign.
2. Gringo Loco
This blog is no linguist, but we’re pretty sure the name of this place meant “The Crazy White Dude Taco Shop.” We miss it, anyway.
We both miss and are somewhat offended by you, El Gringo Loco.
3. The Oxygen
Yes, there was a kiosk at O’Sheas that sold oxygen. We don’t have to understand it to miss it.
Oxygen stands are everywhere in Vegas, so we're not going to say anything bad about them.
4. Justin the Tattoo Guy
We knew we’d miss Vince Neil Ink, but didn’t suspect we’d grown so fond of Justin, the gentle giant whose laser-like precision created art out of human flesh. See what we mean.
Justin could crush human skulls with his bare hands. But chose not to most of the time.
5. The Burger King Frog
The frog statue inside the former Burger King at O’Sheas was just so random, so adorable and so, well, O’Sheas. Let’s hope he went to a good home.
Such a great spokesperson for the health benefits of fast food.
6. Cigarette Girls
Yes, that’s what they call them, “cigarette girls.” Why? They sell cigarettes. And there are no boys that do this gig. Luckily, you can still find Tina (below) and friends roaming the casino floors of Flamingo, Bill’s and Planet Hollywood, among others.
We also miss having ready access to bunny ears and giant sunglasses.
7. Kilts
When O’Sheas closed, the Las Vegas Strip’s best excuse to wear a kilt went with it. We haven’t seen, or worn, a single one since.
Without O'Sheas, we just don't feel com-pleat.
8. Bambu
This model, dancer and actress was featured in the show “Freaks” at O’Sheas (yes, we miss that, too), and we bumped into her later hawking tickets to the Dirk Arthur magic show. She was featured in a Las Vegas Weekly story recently, so at least we know she’s doing OK.
You could always kind of pick Bambu out of a crowd.
9. Kitties
Speaking of Dirk Arthur, we miss his kitties! Dirk and his feline family are doing fine, we’re happy to say. The magician informs us that he’s doing gigs at Harrah’s Laughlin until he finds another home for his show on the Strip.
We'll never get that close to carnassial teeth again, whatever those might be.
10. Psychic Universe
Yes, everyone knows psychic readings are flim-flammery, but they can also be a hoot if you’re in the mood. The Psychic Universe shop at O’Sheas made it easy to get a tarot card or palm reading on the fly. We hear the folks at the O’Sheas shop have taken their business online. We’d give you the domain name, but you should just be able to sense it.
Bonus points if you didn't even know this was in O'Sheas.
11. Go-Go Dancers
It wasn’t the most glamorous of gigs on the Strip, but they acted like it was. And we miss them for that.
New Vegas slogan: "Leave no elevated platform un-go-goed."
12. The Dealers
The dealers at O’Sheas were cut from a different cloth and made a visit to O’Sheas unlike any other casino in Las Vegas.
It's not envy. It's O'Sheas flair.
13. The Giant, Dusty Pretzel
It’s weird the things you miss.
Yes, this list is dragging on a little too long. Don't get bent out of shape about it.
14. The Shamrocks
Where else could you see such a high concentration of shamrocks on the Las Vegas Strip, we asked rhetorically?
Well, that did it, we're getting all weepy again.
Shamrocks, of course, are a symbol of Ireland the same way a rose represents England and a leek represents Wales. Man, Wales got the short end of that stick, didn’t it? Anyway, shamrocks were everywhere at O’Sheas. And we mean everywhere.
That might not be a shamrock, but you get the picture.
15. Moose
Honestly, we miss the people we met at O’Sheas more than just about anything else. If you sat five minutes at the Dublin Up bar, you were guaranteed to meet someone from a far-flung state or country, and within five more minutes, you’d feel like old friends. (Thanks, cheap shots of hooch.) We miss Moose, below, and all the other Mooses we met at O’Sheas. They were some of the most fun-loving, warm, wacky and unforgettable people ever. You’ll still find them in Vegas, you just can’t find them all in one place.
See you when we see you, Moose.
What do you miss about O’Sheas that you didn’t expect to miss? Was it edible? Was it loud? Was it sticky? We’re right there with you.
