Published on: February 27, 2026, 07:21h.
Updated on: February 26, 2026, 04:42h.
EDITOR’S NOTE: “Vegas Myths Busted” is published every Monday, with an additional Flashback Friday edition. Today’s discussion within our series first appeared on February 3, 2025.
- Atomic Liquors admitted that its claimed founding year of 1952 was rooted in illicit cocktail service.
- The bar updated its website title after evidence was presented regarding its actual grand opening in 1954.
- Studies verified that the Arizona Club, not Atomic, holds the title of the city’s first standalone bar.
Atomic Liquors stands as the oldest freestanding bar in Las Vegas; however, like the Golden Steer, it has misrepresented its age. It actually opened in 1954, raising the question—why does it claim to have begun in 1952? This article marks the commencement of debunking these myths to the point where even our subject ceased its propagation.
Understanding the Myth
In 1939, Virginia Barrett inherited a parcel of land located between 9th and 10th streets on Fremont Street from John Busteed, a philanthropic Nevada judge she had worked for as a housekeeper.
In 1944, Barrett opened a gas station and garage at 927 Fremont St. A year later, at 917 Fremont St., she and her spouse, Jack, constructed a café to provide food for travelers stopping to refuel.
To manage Virginia’s Café, Barrett called upon her daughter, Stella, along with her husband, Joe Sobchik, from upstate New York.
On April 22, 1952, Joe and Stella embraced the latest trend in Las Vegas, serving “atomic cocktails” on their rooftop deck, where guests could witness the mushroom clouds from nuclear tests at the nearby Nevada Test Site.
The stickler here—apart from the normalcy of this behavior—was that Virginia’s Café operated unlawfully, lacking a general liquor license or any for beer and wine.
By 1953, their illegal beverage sales skyrocketed, prompting the couple to cease food service—an activity Joe despised—and fully transition to a (legal) bar.
They secured a liquor store license for part of their establishment and successfully advocated for the city’s first tavern license, allowing them to serve alcohol outside a restaurant, hotel, or casino, which was issued to Atomic Liquors for the bar they established in the rear.
Atomic Liquors officially opened on April 17, 1954. Check out the Las Vegas Review-Journal ad announcing its launch on the left. (Thanks to the Vintage Las Vegas X account for bringing this to our attention!)
Clarifying the Records
When we prompted Lance Johns, who acquired Atomic Liquors in 2012 alongside his brother Kent and Derek Stonebager, about the factual inconsistency, he stated that the bar’s landing page was “entirely accurate” since it only claims “serving Vegas since 1952.”
That’s technically correct but certainly misleading.
“As per the City of Las Vegas, Atomic Liquors opened in 1954, even though Joe and Stella began serving ‘atomic cocktails’ in 1952,” Johns elaborated in an email. “Clearly, that’s how Joe and Stella adopted the name Atomic Liquors.”
However, this explanation does not clarify why the website’s title—viewed through a Google search—assigned it as “Atomic Liquors | Las Vegas’ First Bar, Est. 1952.”
Aside from its heritage, did you notice another embellishment?
Atomic Liquors isn’t even close to being Las Vegas’ first bar. That distinction belongs to the Arizona Club, established in 1906—just a year after Las Vegas itself was founded—on Block 16, the exclusive district where alcohol could legally be served outside hotels at the time. (Back then, liquor was served without the specific licenses required today.)
Setting the Record Straight
Within two days of our follow-up inquiry to Johns about the misleading title on his website, it was modified to reflect the accurate information as we understand it today.
As of now, it states “Atomic Liquors | Las Vegas’ Oldest Freestanding Bar.”
This marks a milestone wherein, for the first time across 130 columns, a real-world correction occurred due to a myth we debunked!
We recognize that our emphasis on this issue may seem exaggerated. There are far more critical matters confronting our world than trimming two fabricated years from a bar’s history.
Moreover, it’s likely that Atomic Liquors might revert its website title next month.
But considering that this is our niche, please afford us this moment of exuberance. After three years of tirelessly combating the flood of misinformation surrounding Las Vegas, it’s refreshing to see a small victory.
Additionally, our mother continues to hold a grudge over our choice to forgo law school, and we’re hopeful this earns her approval of the path we’ve chosen in life.
Stay tuned for “Vegas Myths Busted” every Monday on Casino.org. For previously debunked Las Vegas myths, visit VegasMythsBusted.com. Have a Vegas myth you think needs investigation? Contact us at [email protected].