"Fine" Dining5 Helmi 2025

Hooter Bowl 3: The History of the Worst Hotel in Las Vegas feat. Alexander Poncio

Hooters Casino Hotel was meant to be a game-changer—bringing its busty brand of mediocrity to the Las Vegas Strip. Instead, it became one of the biggest disasters in Vegas history. A casino so bad, it made Circus Circus look classy. So... what went wrong?

For my third annual Hooter Bowl Spectacular, I had to go big. So I spent 19 hours trapped inside the Hooters Casino Hotel (now OYO), enduring its busted elevators, depressing ambiance, and suspiciously sticky carpets—all for the sake of history.

Along the way, my guest Alexander Poncio and I uncover the shocking history of this cursed Las Vegas casino—including its mob ties, multiple bankruptcy scandals, and an abandoned attempt in the 1980s to become Vegas' first LGBTQ-friendly resort.

"Fine" Dining is now on video! Head on over to my YouTube to WATCH this episode!

💬 What's the WORST hotel you've ever stayed at? Drop it in the Discord!

📢 SUPPORT THE SHOW & JOIN THE COMMUNITY:
🚨 Support the show & unlock exclusive content! 🚨

🍔 Bonus episodes – including deep dives into underrated chains like the most recent monthly exclusive: Dan's Hamburgers (Austin, TX)
📢 Extended Yelp from Strangers segments – with even wilder reviews
🎶 Download exclusive music – including all 7 tracks from our Olive Garden musical!

👉 Join us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/c/finediningpodcast
👉 Hop into the Discord! https://discord.gg/6a2YqrtWV4
👉 All links in one place: www.linktree.com/finediningpodcast

🎵 Music by: James McEnelly (@Ramshackle_Music)
🎶 Theme Song by: Gabe Alvarez (@spooky.gabe)
🎙 Segment Transitions Voiced by: Sandy Rose

Patreon Producers: Joyce Van, & Sue Ornelas

Follow Alex on Instagram @ponciosa

⚡ Like, Subscribe & Share if you enjoy deep dives into the weirdest chain restaurant history!

Tämä jakso on lisätty Podme-palveluun avoimen RSS-syötteen kautta eikä se ole Podmen omaa tuotantoa. Siksi jakso saattaa sisältää mainontaa.

Jaksot(180)

Raising Cane's: Reviewing the Whole Menu, the Insane Drive-Thru, & No Knives!

🐔🍟 Raising Cane's Review: Amazing Sauce, Terrible Sandwich, and Where Are the Knives?! 🍟🐔 This week, D'Angelo Reyes and I finally put Raising Cane's to the Chili's Test. We order literally everyt...

15 Heinä 51min

Raising Cane's: Named After a Dog, Assumed to Fail, and Post Malone

🐔🎣 Raising Cane's: The Dog Behind the Name, Post Malone, and Velvet Elvis 🎣🐔 This week, D'Angelo Reyes (@dangelo1260) joins me to explore the history of Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers, a restaura...

8 Heinä 40min

Smashburger: Good, But Not Smashed Enough!!

🍔🥔 Smashburger Review: Incredible Hot Tots, Garlic Fries, and the Elderly Invade! 🥔🍔 This week, Bennett Cohen (@bennettrcohen) and I put Smashburger to the Chili's Test. As the No. 7 seed in Sept...

1 Heinä 58min

Smashburger Comes From Fast Food Royalty

🍔🥩 Smashburger: McGriddle Meets Quizno's, The "Smash Pass," and False Advertising 🥩🍔 This week, my wonderful guest Bennett Cohen (@bennettrcohen) joins me to dive into the history of Smashburger,...

24 Kesä 45min

Fazoli's: Mom's Spaghetti, GOATed Breadsticks, and Sh*tting with my Shirt Off

🍝🥖 Fazoli's Review: Breadsticks, Nostalgic Pasta, and the Trader Joe's Restroom 🥖🍝 This week, Sabrina Carmichael (@brina711) and I finally put Fazoli's to the Chili's Test. Between "unlimited" bre...

17 Kesä 59min

Fazoli's: Fast Food Italian, Wayne Gretzky, and a Roving Breadstick Bus

🍝🥖 Fazoli's: Admitting they Can't Compete with Pizza, the "Breadstick Express," and Dr. Lee Zagna 🥖🍝 This week, Sabrina Carmichael (@brina711) joins me to explore the history of Fazoli's, a resta...

10 Kesä 42min

MOOYAH: Eat Here ASAP

🍔🥔 MOOYAH Review: They Sure Know Their Way Around a Potato...and Beef 🥔🍔 This week, Sandy Rose and I put MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes to the Chili's Test. I'm not lying when I say that all of t...

3 Kesä 41min

MOOYAH: A Funny Burger That's Expensive But Delicious

🍔🔥 MOOYAH: Better Burger Boom, Secret Menus, and Bird Poop 🔥🍔 This week, Sandy Rose joins me to break down the history of MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes, a burger chain that emerged from the "bet...

27 Touko 38min