‘Like a time warp’: Longtime Vegas pub staying the same despite new owners

“We are the biggest Philadelphia Eagles bar in the city. At 10 a.m. on game day, 150 people are waiting to come in,” said Kristopher Morahan, co-owner of the pub, on West Lake Mead Boulevard near North Jones Boulevard. “This is home away from home if you’re from Philly, a slice of Philadelphia in Vegas. That’s a staple of this bar.”

Torrey Pines Pub has other staples: paneling and other polished woods, bar top gaming, sports memorabilia (Eagles and otherwise), yearslong regulars and classic pub grub, including Philly cheesesteaks, of course.

For more than three decades, since he opened Torrey Pines in 1991, Bob Bonner was a staple, too. But in July, the Philadelphia native sold the pub to Morahan and his business partner, Cornelius Radan.

In a city often criticized for regularly throttling its history — where the shock of the new is no shock at all but a way of life — Torrey Pines reminds us that longtime bars and restaurants significantly contribute to the food and drink culture of Vegas, sustaining a part of that culture in an always-changing city.

The new owners said they weren’t going to mess with Torrey Pines history.

“We don’t see the need to make major changes,” Morahan said. “We want to keep it as exactly as it is. Like a time warp.”

Neighborhood feel

Bonner could easily have sold Torrey Pines to one of the corporate groups that owns pubs across the valley. But he decided to go with the new owners.

“I think Bob saw in me a younger version of himself,” Morahan said. That connection partly fuels the way the owners approach their new spot.

“We feel a big responsibility to keep this place the neighborhood bar that it’s been since 1991,” Morahan said. “We’re excited to continue the traditions.”

A hot dog is a sandwich

The changes that have been made at Torrey Pines are small, Morahan said, and don’t affect the character of the bar. The staff now wear branded shirts. The audiovisual systems have been upgraded. Keno has joined video poker on the bar top in recognition that “the new generation of gamer is very much keno-driven,” Morahan said.

New dishes might be considered for the menu, but nothing even remotely off-message. (So, don’t look for hamachi lemongrass blini anytime soon.)

Cheesesteaks, Philadelphia’s most famous dish, take pride of place (in four styles) at Torrey Pines. What’s the secret to a great cheesesteak?

“The bread,” said Scott Mall, who has worked as a cook at the pub for 23 years. Torrey Pines uses the proper bread, aka rolls from Amoroso’s, the Philadelphia bakery open for 120 years.

One burger option is heaped with housemade chili; another is blanketed by spiced and sautéed onions. The 10 or so sandwiches on Da Good Ol’ Boys section of the menu includes a beef dip, a triple decker club (a fine old standard) and an all-beef hot dog (yes, at Torrey Pines, a hot dog is a sandwich).

“A lot of bars have gotten away from these dishes to be more trendy, but our crowd wants that, so we’re happy to do it,” Morahan said.

Getting ready for games

Torrey Pines (6374 W. Lake Mead Blvd.) features standard tables, banquettes and high-tops. Big screens are arranged around the room so games can be seen from anywhere in the bar. As the NFL season begins, Morahan is preparing for the crowds of fans on Eagles game days (and for fans on days when the Eagles aren’t playing).

“If the Eagles can make it all the way, great. If not, we become fans of other teams who have made it,” Morahan said.

And no matter which team takes the field, cheesesteaks are on the menu.

Contact Johnathan L. Wright at jwright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @JLWTaste on Instagram.