The Man-Cave: Minus 5: the “Coolest” bar in Las Vegas

All work and no play makes Mr. Man-Cave a dull boy. So after countless posts of movie, book and wrestling PPV reviews, it’s time for a review you can truly use…if you ever venture to the sultry Las Vegas strip.

Minus 5 is an ice bar located just inside the Mandalay Bay resort’s front entrance, to the right once you get off the second floor. Now, when I say ice bar, I mean the bar is actually made of pure frozen water, sans the door to bar's entrance and the floor. The name Minus 5 comes from the fact that the facility is minus-5 below Celsius (23 degrees Fahrenheit), so you have to purchase a package to make sure you can easily adjust your desert wear for the sunny Strip into one more suitable for Arctic conditions.

Now if you want to go all out and get the most of the experience, I highly recommend the middle tier package, which offers you one free cocktail along with a fur coat upgrade, hat (to keep as a souvenir when you leave!), boots, and gloves. Trust me, after hanging in there for about 15 minutes, you will be glad you went with the fur coat. Plus, you’ll look just like “Nature Boy” Ric Flair except for the bleached-blonde hair. WOOO!!

As I said, everything in the joint is made of ice: the benches, the walls and the tables. There is a also a giant polar bear sculpture, an Eskimo sculpture where you can stick your face through and an ice luge of a naked lady for you to down your shot! Your glass is completely encased in ice, so you do not feel the alcohol once it hits your throat, and these bartenders are not stingy with the alcohol. The fact that you do not feel the alcohol can be both dangerous and a blessing because it will sneak up on you and grab ya good! But you’re within the confines of an ice bar locked away from the real world outside, so who cares, right? Having a good buzz is really trippy especially with the bar's interior lights changing the colors of the room and the mood as a result by reflecting off the ice every eight to ten minutes.

I always try to help you all with your wallets so you can have the best possible time without having buyer’s remorse as result…so here’s a tip for all you Man-Cave readers…if you are in Vegas and do want to go to Minus 5 (and you certainly should), keep in mind that it is pricy like everywhere else in Vegas. When you get into town, look for those coupon books they have floating around every lobby and taxi. Inside, there is guaranteed to be a free shot coupon that you can use when you head down to the bar. Now the bartender (at least the one I had) is pretty generous with booze in the drinks, so your admission price comes with a drink, and you now have a free coupon for a shot as well. So by the time you actually have to pay for your next drink of around $12, you’re going to be pretty blitzed. It won't take you much more than that to be in the zone.

Upside to this place is everything from the atmosphere to the drinks…except for the whole photography issue. The only problem that I had was that everyone is forbidden to bring in any photographic devices. Why? Is it to save your equipment from weather-related damages? No. It is because they have a professional photographer that goes into the bar in order to snap a generic shot or two of you and then wants you to pay $25-$40 bucks to take home your “souvenirs” when you leave. It is like being forced to buy those pictures after you go swimming with the dolphins or go to Disney. It is simply price gouging the customer and after you pay anywhere between $35-$75 bucks (depending on your tier package) just to walk into the place, they could let you snap a couple of shots with you and your pals.

Serious talk aside though…if you are in Vegas and want to try something different and unbelievably awesome…set your temperature to Minus 5! You have not fully lived until you experience the coolness of an ice bar. Haha..."coolness" of an ice bar. See what I did there?

Of course I wasn't there when three of my favorite Fantasy show girls were there! Surprised they did not melt the ice. But maybe they will be in attendance if you decide to check it out.