Mandalay Bay Happy Hour Guide: The South Strip Oasis

Mandalay Bay is the southernmost major casino on the Strip, which means two things: (1) fewer tourists randomly wandering through, and (2) better happy hour deals because they actually need to attract customers. Unlike the chaos of mid-Strip properties, Mandalay Bay has space to breathe, wide walkways, high ceilings, and a more relaxed vibe.

The property also includes Delano (the boutique tower) and connects to the Luxor and Excalibur, giving you more options within walking distance. This guide covers every worthwhile happy hour at Mandalay Bay proper, when to hit Delano, and which spots are total tourist traps.

The Mandalay Bay Layout: South Strip Strategy

The Setup: Mandalay Bay is built in a long, linear layout. The casino floor stretches from the Strip entrance all the way to the convention center on the far west side. Most bars are on the casino level, with a few upstairs near the restaurants.

Key Areas:

• Strip Entrance Side: More restaurants, more tourists, higher prices
• Casino Center: Best happy hour bars, mix of locals and visitors
• Convention Center Side: Quieter, business traveler crowd
• Beach/Pool Area (summer): Tourist trap central, avoid for HH

Navigation: Unlike Venetian's confusing maze, Mandalay Bay is straightforward. If you get lost here, that's on you.

Flanker Kitchen + Sports Bar (Mandalay Bay), The Big Weekday Anchor

Location: Mandalay Bay, on the Strip-side walkway toward Allegiant Stadium
Happy Hour: Monday-Friday 2pm-6pm
Type: Sports Bar & Kitchen ($$)

The Deal:

• $6 wells
• $5 draft beers
• $8 cocktails
• $8 sliders, $10 wings, $7-12 appetizers

Real Talk: Flanker is the closest thing Mandalay Bay has to a do-it-all happy hour anchor right now. A four-hour weekday window (2-6pm) is generous by Strip standards, the sports-bar setup means big screens and an easy, loud crowd, and the food menu goes deeper than the usual casino-bar snacks. It's not craft-cocktail territory, but for hours and value it's hard to beat on the South Strip.

Must Order: The sliders ($8) and wings ($10) are the workhorses. Drink-wise, the $5 drafts are the value play.

Best For: Game day, groups, and anyone who wants a long window instead of a tight two-hour deal.

Walking Time to Next Stop: A few minutes to the main casino bars.

Rhythm & Riffs Lounge (Mandalay Bay), The Music Lover's Bar

Location: Casino floor, near the House of Blues entrance
Happy Hour: Daily 3pm-7pm
Type: Rock Memorabilia Bar ($$)

The Deal:

• $6 well drinks
• $5 domestic beers
• $6 select drafts (usually Shock Top, Blue Moon, seasonal)
• $7-10 appetizers (wings, nachos, sliders, loaded fries)

Real Talk: Rhythm & Riffs is part bar, part rock museum. The walls are covered with guitars, platinum records, and music memorabilia (some legit, some replicas). The happy hour is solid but not spectacular, it's more about the vibe than the deals.

Must Order: The loaded BBQ fries ($9) are massive and actually pretty good. Drink-wise, stick to beer, the well cocktails are fine but nothing special.

Best For: Groups of music nerds. The decor gives you stuff to talk about, and there's usually live music starting around 7-8pm (after HH ends).

Warning: Gets LOUD once the live music starts. If you want to have a conversation, go during the 3-5pm window.

Walking Time to Next Stop: 5 minutes to Citizens Kitchen & Bar

Citizens Kitchen & Bar (Mandalay Bay), The Food-Forward Option

Location: Near the main casino entrance, by the sportsbook
Happy Hour: Monday-Friday 3pm-6pm
Type: Modern American Restaurant Bar ($$)

The Deal:

• $7 select cocktails (changes weekly)
• $5 draft beers
• $6 wines
• $8-12 small plates (pork belly sliders, truffle fries, tuna poke)

Real Talk: Citizens is more restaurant than bar, but the bar area has a separate happy hour menu that's worth checking out. The food leans upscale-casual, think gastropub, not casino sports bar. Quality is consistently good.

Must Order: The pork belly sliders ($10) are the move. Two massive sliders with pickled veggies and sriracha mayo. The truffle fries ($9) are also solid.

Crowd: Business travelers, convention people on expense accounts, couples doing dinner dates. Quieter and more civilized than most casino bars.

Warning: The HH menu is smaller on weekends, and sometimes they'll cancel it entirely during big convention weeks. Call ahead if you're going Saturday/Sunday.

Walking Time to Next Stop: 4 minutes to Minus5 Ice Bar (if you're feeling adventurous)

Minus5 Ice Bar (Mandalay Bay), The Gimmick

Location: Inside the main casino, near the entrance
Happy Hour: None, but they do "off-peak" pricing
Type: Ice Bar Novelty ($$$)

The Deal: There's no traditional happy hour, but Monday-Thursday before 5pm, entry + two drinks is $35 (normally $45-50). You get a parka and gloves, everything inside is made of ice, and it's literally 23°F inside.

Real Talk: I'm only including this because it's unique and people ask about it. It's a gimmick, fun for 30 minutes, stupid expensive, and the drinks are mediocre at best (frozen vodka cocktails). Do it ONCE if you want the experience, then never again.

Best For: Bachelorette parties, first-time Vegas visitors, people who need Instagram content.

Skip If: You care about drink quality or value. This is 100% about the novelty.

Aureole (Mandalay Bay), Wine Tower Spectacle

Location: Upstairs, near the convention center side
Happy Hour: Monday-Friday 4pm-6:30pm
Type: Wine-Focused Restaurant Bar ($$$)

The Deal:

• $8 select wines by the glass
• $10 cocktails
• $8-14 small plates (cheese board, oysters, charcuterie)

Real Talk: Aureole is famous for its four-story wine tower (yes, really, women in harnesses fly up to get your bottle). The happy hour is pricey compared to other Mandalay spots, but if you're into wine, the selection is legit. The $8 glasses are usually solid mid-tier options, not bottom-shelf garbage.

Must Order: If you're going upscale, get the oysters ($14 for six during HH). They're fresh, properly shucked, and come with mignonette. Pair with a crisp white wine.

Crowd: Business dinners, anniversary dates, wine snobs. Not a casual hangout.

Warning: Dress code is business casual. They won't kick you out for jeans, but you'll feel underdressed in shorts and a t-shirt.

Walking Time to Next Stop: You're kind of isolated here. It's a destination, not a crawl stop.

Della's Kitchen (Delano), The Delano Option

Location: Inside Delano (connected tower), first floor
Happy Hour: Daily 5pm-7pm
Type: Modern Southern Comfort Food Bar ($$-$$$)

The Deal:

• $8 cocktails (bourbon-forward menu)
• $6 draft beers
• $7 wines
• $9-15 Southern apps (deviled eggs, fried chicken sliders, pimento cheese)

Real Talk: Delano is Mandalay Bay's boutique tower, quieter, more sophisticated, smaller casino. Della's Kitchen is their main restaurant, and the bar area has a solid happy hour if you want to escape the main casino crowds.

Must Order: The fried chicken sliders ($12) are legit. Proper crispy chicken, pickles, comeback sauce. The bourbon selection is extensive, and the bartenders can make a proper Old Fashioned.

Crowd: Delano guests (who paid extra for the quiet), couples, solo business travelers working at the bar.

Walking Time to Mandalay Bay Casino: 7-10 minutes through the connector. It's a trek, so only go if you're staying at Delano or specifically want the quieter vibe.

Red Square (Mandalay Bay), The Vodka Specialist

Location: Casino level, center (look for the headless Lenin statue out front)
Happy Hour: Monday-Thursday 5pm-7pm
Type: Russian-Themed Vodka Bar ($$$)

The Deal:

• $8 select infused vodkas (chilled, 2oz pours)
• $7 Russian beers
• $10-14 Russian appetizers (caviar service, blinis, beef stroganoff)

Real Talk: Red Square has 200+ vodkas and keeps them in a frozen ice bar at -5°C. It's a cool concept (literally), and the happy hour lets you try some interesting stuff without spending $18 per shot. But it's very niche, if you don't like vodka, skip it entirely.

Must Order: Try one of the house-infused vodkas (horseradish, dill, bison grass), they're unique and actually well-done. Skip the caviar unless someone else is paying.

Crowd: Vodka enthusiasts, Russians, people who think Moscow is exotic.

Warning: The frozen bar is cold to touch. Don't rest your arms on it for long periods unless you enjoy minor frostbite.

Walking Time to Next Stop: 2 minutes to other casino bars

The Mandalay Bay Bars to SKIP

Save yourself time and money:

Any Beach/Pool Bar: Daylight Beach, Mandalay Bay Beach, these charge nightclub prices year-round. $16 beers, $22 cocktails, zero happy hour deals. Only worth it if you're actually swimming.

Fleur by Hubert Keller: Fancy restaurant bar, no HH, $20+ cocktails. Skip unless you're eating there.

Border Grill: Mexican restaurant in the casino whose happy hour is unconfirmed and reportedly hit-or-miss, so confirm current specials with the venue before counting on it. Citizens Kitchen is the safer bet.

House of Blues Restaurant Bar: Separate from the music venue, middling HH deals, nothing special.

Sports Bar: Generic, overpriced, nothing special. TAP at MGM Grand does the same thing better.

The Mandalay Bay Happy Hour Crawl: Optimized Routes

Route 1: The Casino-Floor Crawl (1.5-2 hours)

For: Best bang for your buck, prioritize quality

• 3:00pm: Start at Rhythm & Riffs, grab a beer and loaded fries
• 4:30pm: Walk to Citizens Kitchen, cocktail + pork belly sliders
• 5:45pm: Done, or head to Red Square for one vodka flight
• Budget: $30-40 per person with tip

Route 2: The Food Tour (2.5 hours)

For: Actually hungry, want to make a meal of it

• 3:30pm: Citizens Kitchen, cocktail + pork belly sliders
• 5:00pm: Rhythm & Riffs, beer + an app while the room is still quiet
• 6:00pm: Aureole, wine + oysters (arrive before HH ends at 6:30pm)
• Budget: $50-60 per person with tip

Route 3: The Delano Detour (2 hours)

For: Want the quieter, boutique experience

• 5:00pm: Start at Della's Kitchen (Delano), bourbon + fried chicken sliders
• 6:15pm: Walk to Mandalay casino, catch the last of happy hour at Rhythm & Riffs
• 7:30pm: Done, or stick around Rhythm & Riffs if live music is starting
• Budget: $40-50 per person with tip

Insider Intel: Mandalay Bay Happy Hour Hacks

Best Day: Wednesday or Thursday. Mondays can be dead, weekends are unpredictable, but midweek hits the sweet spot.

Worst Day: Sunday. Several spots don't do HH on Sundays, or they cut the menu/hours. Always call ahead.

Parking: Free self-parking for Nevada residents (show ID). Out-of-state is $15-20 unless you have M life Gold or higher. Valet is $28.

M life Rewards: Mandalay is part of MGM Resorts, so your M life card works here. Even minimal play gets you free parking and occasional HH comp invites.

Convention Season: Mandalay has one of the largest convention centers in Vegas. During big shows (CES, SEMA, etc.), happy hours get MOBBED. Check the convention calendar before you go.

The Tram: Free tram runs between Mandalay Bay, Luxor, and Excalibur, an easy way to extend your crawl to the neighboring properties.

Summer Heat: The walk from the parking garage to the casino is partially outdoors. In summer (June-August), it's brutal. Use valet or prepare to sweat.

What Mandalay Bay Does Better Than Other Properties

Space: Mandalay has ROOM. Wide walkways, high ceilings, not claustrophobic. You can actually breathe here.

Quality: The bar program here punches above its weight for the price, with genuinely generous weekday windows like Flanker's four-hour deal (2-6pm).

Crowds: South Strip = fewer random tourists. The people here are either staying at Mandalay, attending conventions, or locals who know. Less "bachelor party chaos" than mid-Strip.

Variety: From dive-bar vibes (Rhythm & Riffs) to upscale wine (Aureole) to Southern comfort (Della's Kitchen), there's range.

The Real Talk: Is Mandalay Bay Worth It for Happy Hour?

Short Answer: Yes, if you're already on the South Strip.

Longer Answer: Mandalay Bay's lineup runs from Flanker's long weekday window to solid mid-tier options (Citizens, Rhythm & Riffs, Della's Kitchen) plus some niche picks (Red Square, Aureole). That's more range than a lot of Strip properties.

The downside is location. If you're staying mid-Strip, it's a 15-minute Uber to get here. But if you're already south (staying at Mandalay, Luxor, Excalibur, or Aria), this is absolutely worth hitting.

Who It's Best For:

• Anyone staying at Mandalay Bay (no-brainer)
• Convention attendees (you're already here, skip the overpriced hotel bar)
• Anyone who wants range without mid-Strip prices
• People who want to avoid mid-Strip crowds

Who Should Skip:

• If you're staying north Strip and don't have a car (the travel time isn't worth it)
• If you want the "Vegas energy" chaos (Mandalay is chill, not wild)
• If you're hunting dirt-cheap wells and domestics (downtown Fremont is cheaper)

Quick Reference: Mandalay Bay Happy Hours at a Glance

Spot	Days	Hours	Best Deal	Vibe
Flanker Kitchen + Sports Bar	Mon-Fri	2-6pm	$5 drafts, $8 cocktails	Sports bar & kitchen
Rhythm & Riffs	Daily	3-7pm	$6 wells, live music	Rock & roll casual
Citizens Kitchen	Mon-Fri	3-6pm	$10 pork belly sliders	Upscale-casual
Red Square	Mon-Thu	5-7pm	$8 infused vodkas	Vodka specialists
Aureole	Mon-Fri	4-6:30pm	$8 wines, wine tower	Wine lovers
Della's Kitchen (Delano)	Daily	5-7pm	$12 fried chicken sliders	Quiet Southern

The Bottom Line: Mandalay Bay is one of the most underrated happy hour stops on the Strip. Skip the beach bars, start at Flanker or Citizens, explore the others based on your vibe, and enjoy the fact that you're not fighting tourist hordes at the Linq. You're welcome.