Surviving AC: The Tropicana Wants to Get You Drunk

The three-year old Quarter at the Tropicana is one of Atlantic City's two Las Vegas-style shopping complexes. (The Pier Shops at Caesars is the other.) The stores include some A-list franchises--Brooks Brothers, Swarovski and a nearly-open Brookstone--along with some awesomely left field shopping spaces like the Old Farmer's Almanac General Store and a branch of New York City's Spy Shop.

But that's beside the point. From what we've seen, it's definitely the best place to eat and get drunk in Atlantic City. A ritzy food court has franchises of New York's Palm steakhouse and Carmine's, Philadelphia's Cuba Libre restaurant and several others, including a Jeffrey Chodorow Russian-themed restobar with suspiciously little Russian food on the menu.

Nearby is yet another shopping corridor, which makes sense given AC's emphasis on parting folks from their money in every way possible. Although it requires a walk through the casino (see what we mean?), this corridor features a beer bar that's one of the best we've ever enjoyed. Firewaters features 50 beers on tap, with a special emphasis on fruit-flavored beers and stouts. Its an idiosyncratic beer menu, in the best sense of the word, and any place that offers an Aecht Schlenkerla Marzen should be celebrated.

Meanwhile, the nearby Adam Good Sports Bar has the novelty market cornered with $5 40s on offer. And, though it's tempting to recapture college with a 40-ouncer of Budweiser, some things are better left in the past.

The food is also worth a look. Cuba Libre, for one, made a damn fine meal. The restaurant's decor is interesting--almost a Disney World version of pre-revolution Cuba--and the food was good, if not very Cuban. The kitchen has a way with steaks and appetizers, but it was odd to see Venezuelan-style arepas on a Cuban menu. Ditto for what a friend described as an "Americanized" vaca frita.

But with that said, the kitchen is doing a great job of introducing Cuban cuisine to an audience that's most likely never been to Calle Ocho or Union City. Plus the caipirinhas are good. We're thrilled that they've become the official drink of "Nuevo Latino" restaurants--even if they're Brazilian.

Related Stories:
· The Quarter at Tropicana [Official Site]
· Firewaters [Official Site]
· Adam Good Sports Bar [Official Site]
· Atlantic City Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Firewaters]

Comments (3)

Return to » Surviving AC: The Tropicana Wants to Get You Drunk

I guess the Las Vegas Hotels do somewhat the same as the Atlantic City Hotel does... They like to get you drunk so that you are more likely to spend all that you have.

Too bad the Atlantic City Discount Hotels don't do the same. They are way to conservative when it comes to giving away free drinks.

casino hotel in atlantic city for a good deal please help!? i'm turning 30 in june so my wife and i are thinking of going to atlantic city in july. we're both vegans, so restaurants are hard to come by. asian is probably best or basic italian. what casino hotel is the best to stay at? i heard tropicana is selling, so i doubt I'd win anything in their casino. do not want to stay at the borgata. harrah's maybe, is it good? i know they have a total rewards program so i was thinking either showboat or bally's but i have heard some bad reviews on bally's. what if i stayed one night at one hotel and the other night at another. we're going for two nights. monday, and tuesday night. how is the hilton at a.c., is it really too far? i don't mind to walk. i want to go to ripley's believe it or not museum, which one is close? also, we're not into clubbing or anything. some shopping, gambling, pool time and alone time! do any of the basic rooms have bath tubs?

Jaunted

Select a Destination:

Gambling / Surviving Atlantic City / Bars / Nightlife / Restaurants / → All Tags