August 01, 2007 At less than 1 mile from my house, El Carmen is my neighborhood tequila bar. And with over 400 varieties of tequila, I will NEVER get bored with it.

The food is cheap and served quickly. Is it great? No. But it gets the job done. For tequila pricing calibration, I always use Herradura Seleccion Suprema, which is $35 here; but there are some selections that tip the scales at $100 (too rich for my blood).

Like the description says, the ambiance is awesome. Mexican wrestler masks and bull heads line the walls. It can be dark and noisy at times, but never to the point where I am uncomfortable.

Not all the waitresses know their tequila, but the bartenders seem very knowledgeable and willing to offer samples and recommendations. (With 400 varieties, I can definitely use recommendations from time to time.)

Due to the massive selection, fair pricing, knowledgeable bartenders, and fantastic atmosphere, I have to give El Carmen a solid "A" and recommend it to anyone visiting Los Angeles.

 August 01, 2007 Date of review: Saturday, 7/28/07, 11pm

When you break down the rating into numbers, this place gets a much lower score than it really deserves. Tequila Bar is a casino bar at Bally's on the Vegas Strip, and most people that came in while I was there did not order tequila at all. Heck, the guy next to me at the bar was drinking white zinfandel.

The selection is not all that great for a tequila bar. But they did have some of my favorites. For pricing calibration, I always use Herradura Seleccion Suprema, which was $31 here (cheapest I have ever found). The first bartender did rim my glass with salt when I ordered the Herradura Suprema, but I corrected him and I am quick to forgive. (My wife took this opportunity to remind me that I am a tequila snob again)

So what made this place stand out to me? Lou. Lou was fantastic. Knowledgeable about tequila. Made great recommendations. Offered tastes before buying. I honestly had a great time.

I didn't try the food, but the chili smelled good. The ambiance is non-existent. But I will still recommend this bar to anyone in Vegas who appreciates tequila. Just make sure to sit at the bar and talk to Lou. And tell him I said hi.

Without Lou, this bar gets a B-/B. With Lou, it jumps up to an A- easy (as long as you aren't looking for anything too rare).

 August 01, 2007 Date reviewed: Friday, 7/27/07, 8pm.

I really thought, going into this place, that it would be incredibly overpriced. In Vegas, it is not uncommon to see wine mark-up of over 300-400% and I was worried that my favorite tequilas would be too pricey for me to feel comfortable buying. This was certainly not the case. The prices per serving were very comparable to El Carmen in Hollywood (which I find quite reasonable). My standard for calibrating the prices is always Herradura Seleccion Suprema which was $35 here.

The service was excellent and knowledgeable - they didn't appear surprised or taken aback when I asked that the tequila be poured at the table. I did ask that blancos be served in caballitos while reposados and anejos be served in snifters, and I got my first reposado in a caballito. But I forgave her and it was never wrong again and my wife told me that I was a tequila snob.

I was also happy that when I asked them to make recommendations, they were willing to let me taste for free before buying (or not).

Overall I would give this place a B+/A-. The Ambiance is something you would find at any chain Mexican restaurant. We only had tacos and they were fine. And I would have liked to see a bit more selection in brands. Of the 2 tequila bars on the strip, I give this one a slight edge over "The Tequila Bar" at Bally's only because of a slightly better selection. They are both worth hitting up if you are in Vegas, though.