Super cheap shrimp cocktails are back in Las Vegas, but only for a month

A bit of Old Vegas is back. It’s orange and white, it has a tail and it likes cocktail sauce.

During August, Boulder Station is celebrating its 30th anniversary with $1.99 shrimp cocktails at Game On restaurant and sports bar. Cheap shrimp cocktails were long associated with Vegas, and although that’s no longer the case, the dish is a mainstay of the city’s culinary history.

In 1959, the Golden Gate in downtown Las Vegas began serving a shrimp cocktail for 50 cents, drawing crowds. Post-World War II advances in refrigeration and shipping made possible a steady supply of the ocean crustaceans in the desert.

Over the decades, the shrimp cocktail spread throughout the city, becoming a signature dish. Until the Vegas food revolution began in the late 1990s, 99-cent shrimp cocktails were as plentiful as buffets.

The Boulder Station promotion, while a buck more than 99 cents, is still a deal compared with today’s Vegas shrimp cocktails, which routinely fetch $12 or more. The property is also offering $1 frozen margaritas at all casino bars in August to mark its anniversary.

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