A hip sports bar out of L.A. opens at UnCommons in southwest Vegas

Every development with ambitions for its food and drink needs a sports bar. Yes, it needs an Asian restaurant and creative Mexican and modern Italian and a steakhouse and fun culinary knickknacks (like reimagined junk food or what have you), but it also needs a place for folks to gather, watch the game and tuck into reliable standards.

This is especially true in Las Vegas, which has become the sports capital of the U.S.

And so it is that UnCommons, the mixed-use development in southwest Vegas, has General Admission, a sports bar — marketing: sports lounge — by way of Los Angeles that opened quietly in January.

“Whether out for a drink, quick bite, date night, family time or to catch the game, there is something for everyone,” said Kamran Pourkazemi, one of the partners in General Admission.

On the menu, at the bar

Any sports lounge (let’s go with the preferred term) worth its name must be a room with a view — for every seat. To that end, General Admission offers almost 40 large screens, including two on the terrace and a 163-inch screen behind the bar.

The menu features uplifted bar staples. Crisp tater tots are given a Japanese twist with nori, togarashi and a spatter of sesame seeds. Mozzarella sticks, made in-house daily, touch down with San Marzano marinara. Hummus, also made daily, is studded with crisp chickpeas and joined by pita and seasonal crudités for dredging.

There’s made-to-order sushi, including a Godzilla crunch roll provisioned with spicy tuna, salmon and pickled ginger. Rigatoni and sausage heads alla vodka, but in a spicy style, with garlic streusel. Steak butter and garlic confit anoint a 12-ounce Black Angus striploin. Oozy chocolate molten cake provides a sweet finish.

The bar offers two dozen drafts, including three rotating local brews; 200 spirit options; craft cocktails like a Hail Mary made with Zing Zang Bloody Mary Mix (tangy, without too much tomato); and bottle service (because Vegas).

Happy hour with $5 drafts, house wines, mimosas and well cocktails, and with $8 to $10 food specials, runs 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. weekdays.

Hey, Mr. DJ

Inside, General Admission encompasses almost 5,000 square feet, with 160 seats in the main dining area, a 16-seat bar (overhead: LED “sculptures” shaped like basketballs), and a turntable DJ emplacement with VIP booth. A terrace with heaters and seating for more than 60 checks in at almost 2,000 square feet.

The opening of the sports lounge comes at a busy time for UnCommons, with the debut of Wineaux on Saturday and the announcement that Rare Society steakhouse is opening this year.

General Admission, at 8548 Rozita Lee Ave., Suite 105, is open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and 8 a.m. to midnight Fridays and Saturdays. Weekend brunch runs from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Visit uncommons.com/restaurant/general-admission or follow @generaladmission.lv on Instagram.

Contact Johnathan L. Wright at jwright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @JLWTaste on Instagram and @ItsJLW on X.