Sammy's Beach Bar opens at Bally's in Atlantic City
Bikini clad servers Melissa Leitch and Morgan Napoliello.
ATLANTIC CITY - Although Sammy Hagar wasn’t in attendance yesterday to launch his new enterprise at Bally’s, Sammy’s Beach Bar, the Red Rocker’s ambiance was all over the former Bally’s Bikini Beach Bar as it opened for the season.
As Hager explained in an interview earlier this month with Atlantic City Weekly, “It’s going to be the best food and drinks in the most casual environment with some rock ’n roll thrown in.” Hagar is expected to drop by several times in the course of the summer.
Fans of Bally’s Bikini clad servers will be happy to know that the bikinis are back. The servers managed to keep smiling even with the mid-sixties temperatures at the opening.
The joint was packed when I dropped by to check out the Sammy-sized specialty drinks and the Mexican-themed bar food. According to Bally’s rep Chris Jonic, the beach bar had been busy since it opened in the early afternoon.
Now about those drinks. I decided to try one of the 10 signature drinks, the Wabo Rita, which comes in a filled-to-the-top 24-ounce souvenir glass. The Wabo Rita features Cabo Wabo Reposado tequila, Triple Sec, fresh lime, sour mix and a splash of Blue Caracao that gives it a lovely blue tint. The drink was delicious and since it was so big, the $13 price tag is more than reasonable. Other specialty drinks include an Atlantic City Sunset (Malibu Coconut rum, Southern Comfort, Amaretto, Sierra Mist, sour mix and grenadine); the Naked Bather (Cruzan Banana rum, Cruzan Raspberry rum, pineapple juice and cranberry juice) and the Can’t Drive 55 (Cabo Wabo Blanco tequila, Grand Marnier, peach schnapps, Triple Sec and pineapple juice). There are also nine different frozen cocktails and 10 specialty cocktails. And, if you are feeling really adventurous, you can Sammy-Size you specialty cocktail to a 24-ounce Red Rocker Guitar 25 glass.
The munchies include the usual bar favorites like burgers and wings, a Caesar salad and soft- and hard shell tacos. With a DJ blasting out some classic rock tunes, Sammy’s Beach Bar started the summer season off on the right note.
To see video of the opening go here.
Beach bars have been a seasonal boon to a casino property’s bottom line since they first appeared, and sort of foreshadowed the need for Atlantic City to expand its tourist options before that need became critical. Revel has plans for a 45,000 square-foot outdoor adjunct property called the HQ Beach Club, but thus far has kept the club’s open date under wraps.
Sammy’s will be open the weekend of May 18-20, in tandem with Hagar’s band Chickenfoot playing the House of Blues that Friday night, May 18, then the Wailers will kick off Sammy’s summer season and daily schedule through Labor Day with a special Friday, May 25, performance at 8pm.
There was a swirl of controversy surrounding the decision to allow bars on Atlantic City’s beaches for what seemed like at least a decade, the keynote complaint being that bringing alcohol onto the beach might compound criminal activity. ...
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1. Rick M said... on Jun 1, 2010 at 02:34PM
“drinks were outstanding!!! We ordered the tacos and they were delicious, but order was not correct. I had ordered 2 anejo chicken and 1 beef, and my wife had ordered 2 shrimp and 1 fish and I got all 3 chicken and she got all 3 fish. still very good. Expect it to be better soon, It was Friday and the Grand Openeing. Our bartender Paul was new and wasn't familiar with the drinks but still made them correct!!! TY. Be Back soon!!! Oh and by the way no Sammy/Chickenfoot/Montrose/Van Hagar tunes by band or DJ”
2. Anonymous said... on Jun 2, 2010 at 10:52AM
“The trash on the beach, overflowing trash cans surrounding the beach bar and trash washing away in the tide, was disgusting. Atlantic City is trying to rebrand itself and focus on its attractions, and all the people who went out to see the new beach bar are greeted by this. It's the little things that AC can't get right but that make a huge difference in the eyes of a visitor. I'm sure plenty of Bally's employees saw this as well, but chose to just leave it all rather than taking 30 mins with two workers to empty the trash and clean the beach at least in front of their own casino.”
3. Chris V said... on Jun 2, 2010 at 06:09PM
“My favorite new spot. The drinks were good, the atmosphere was laid back and the view, with all of its natural beauty, could not have been more beautiful. Sammy got it right.”