Sunday, October 18, 2009

Badda Bing! (Las Vegas, Nevada) - CLOSED

Before I starts this review, I'd like to recommend watching this YouTube clip from club owner Rick Belcastro. I have no affiliation with Badda Bing and have never met Belcastro, but I strongly agrees with many of the sentiments in the video and appreciate Belcastro's candor and big balls. I wishes that all club owners in Vegas would adopt a similar mentality.

Quality of dances (12.5/20) – I was pleased with the level of contact from dancers. I consistently scored full contact in both directions during standard dances and strongly suspect that private dances offer more. To be sure, few women will dig for your peter on the club floor, but that’s to be expected in an upscale joint like Badda Bing.

Quality of dancers (6/10) – In terms of dancer talent, Badda Bing hasn’t yet reached the level of its Vegas counterparts, but you certainly wouldn’t turn your nose up at them. Vegas is Vegas, so you’re bound to find at least a few women in your wheelhouse.

Number of Dancers (7/10) – Again, when compared to the rest of Vegas, Badda Bing is a little light on dancer numbers, but it’s solid when juxtaposed with the rest of North America. I saw at least a dozen dancers working on a relatively slow night.

Variety/Diversity of dancers (3.5/5) – A little heavy on Caucasian women, which is to be expected. Plenty of body type variety. I found myself a curvy seductress while my friends hung out with her leaner peers. Could be better, but certainly could be worse.

Answer me this, please: Why does every Vegas club suffer from a serious dearth of Latina women? It’s in the southwest United States; clubs should be overflowing with beautiful senoritas. I don't get it.

Attitude of dancers (6.5/10) – Dancers were very friendly and chatty, if perhaps a little clingy. Most ran the slow game and it was nice to hang out and drink without immediately being hounded for a dance. This score may have been higher if my group hadn’t been on their way out just as they met the club’s coolest dancer.

Value (6/10) – $7 beers and $8 mixed drinks (which were pretty weak) aren’t awful prices for Vegas, but that shit adds up very quickly. Dance and stage value are about average. Of course, there’s no cover if you follow the Peter Tips Guide to Vegas, so that jumped the score above the mid-point.

Dance Setup (1/10) – Regular dances occur right on the floor, as is typical at many Vegas clubs. Readers of this site know that I have much higher standards than this.

Club Setup (7/10) – The club is relatively small, but there’s plenty of seating both near the stage and in more private corners, making it feel a little bigger than its square footage. Above the bar is a clear circular walkway upon which the women dance, a feature that I definitely appreciated. Don’t get me wrong; I consider it pretty creepy to sit at the bar and stare up at a woman’s nethers while enjoying a beer, but I appreciate Badda Bing’s originality and think the stage is aesthetically pleasing even without the dancers.

Club Atmosphere (6.5/10) – Definitely a nice, chill vibe to this place. Great lighting, good music and not an asshole in sight. Anyone should feel comfortable here. I suspect that on busier nights, they fire it up in there, so you should tailor your visit times to your desired experience.

Club Accessibility (4/5) – It’s Vegas-accessible, meaning that you sure as shit aren’t gonna walk there, but it’s a short cab/limo from pretty much anywhere on the Strip.

Overall – Badda Bing was the most pleasant surprise of my recent jaunt to Vegas. Expecting a mediocre joint, I was treated to one of Vegas’s hidden gems. As this club evolves and fine-tunes its business, I imagine it will grow to be one of Vegas’s hot spots. The challenge for current club management will be to maintain Badda Bing’s intimate atmosphere and chill vibe as it grows more popular; it’s very easy for a sweet club to transform in to a douche factory staffed by hustlers (see Treasures over the last several years).

TOTAL SCORE = 60