Commrow

TERIBLE EXPERIENCE !!! I Sent my employee and 3 youth there for a conference. The hotel y had messed up up our room reservations, they fixed that. But then they CHARGED the rooms on my employee’s personal visa she gave then for incidentals. We have called spoken to several people– we were promised they would correct the charges on her card– DAY 6 no refund. Called accounting and GM — no return calls.

They did a great job getting us set up for a large group. Gave us A+ seats for the band that was playing that night. You guys ROCK!

The rockwall on the outside is really awesome looking. I think that I would need a Depend if I had to climb that MOFO. The inside looks really boring and kinda disgusing. I think that I saw a cool looking buger joint inside but that is about it. Pretty cool but I hope that they renovate the rooms upstairs.

I think it may be fair to say that everyone wants to see Commrow succeed but no one really liked going there. Adding Beach hut was a good idea. I am an avid rock climber but have never really felt compelled to climb here (I don’t know why it looks good but I get my fix else where.) Best of luck I will be showing my support one santacruze on duct crunch at a time.

My review is based on a walk through my friends and I did as we were hanging out downtown. Walking in from outside we saw a family on segways rolling down the street. When we walked into the hotel they were returning the segways (so you can rent them inside).
What drew us in was the rock wall on the exterior of the hotel. Upon entering we saw that there was a Beach Hut Deli being constructed in the front, coming soon. There’s a burger place with an open counter in the middle area which looked very good. Beyond that on the bottom level, there were a few couches and a projector playing sports against the wall.
We went up the escalators to the next level and were impressed the layout! A huge indoor rock climbing structure in the middle, a hip looking lounge off to the side for alcoholic drinks, an enclosed rock climbing room further down, across on the other end was a juice bar, lockers, and I believe an indoor gym area. At the very end was the rock climbing desk where you rent equipment and check in for their outdoor rock climbing.
The attendants were very helpful and let us go outside to view a family that was climbing up the side of the hotel. The wall overlooks the main drag of the street. We were told that you have to have certification to attempt to climb the two higher levels which were very narrow, but everyone else could climb the lower area, which was still VERY HIGH.
We stood in awe of this couple that took turns climbing up and they had their 5 year old daughter harnessed in on the base level just watching. They have a deal for women on Thursday nights and I believe on Tuesdays there’s a buy 1 get 1 free climb. We were amazed that the prices for rock climbing were fairly reasonable, between $ 10 – 12 (additional cost for equipment and shoe rentals).
Overall, Commrow’s health conscious theme is really cool. There’s no clouds of 2^nd hand smoke and slot machine noise, it’s very quiet. Being there motivates you to get your butt in shape so you can partake of the activities. No being a sloth here!
I was really impressed by the lineup of music acts they have coming to perform @ Commrow upcoming including Cali Swag & Slick Rick! I’m looking forward to seeing how Commrow develops further.

Let me be upfront before I start this review — I am not a member of the target demographic for CommRow so my take on it is a bit skewed. I am not a climber, and I am neither hip or young. I do, however, like that this space is being utilized and I really hope that they will eventually get it all put together and make a success of it.
I have been here a number of times — to eat, to gawk, and to attend an event at Cargo.
I want to give CommRow kudos for providing the venue for the State Poetry Out Loud Contest in March. They really did a nice job of giving the kids a really excellent opportunity to compete in a professional venue.
We also had hamburgers at the hamburger counter (stand, bar, station?) on the first floor. The burgers were excellent and the service was quick and friendly. The bartender from the neighboring bar took our beer order and brought them to us so we could stay at one spot and have our burger and beer. I think this was one of the best burgers I have had in Reno. The meat was moist (real ground beef here) and cooked to perfection — slightly pink on the inside and smoky grilled on the outside. The toppings were fresh and generous. The fries were crisp, not greasy, and tasted of real potatoes. I think we would have been able to share one serving as the portions were quite generous.
The space is a bit cold and I am not sure that the video projections are an improvement — not sure I get the point of that. The space is still definitely a work in progress. The ambiance of eating at the counter in that cavernous space is not the most comfortable.
I am looking forward to coming back and watching the progress. For now, it doesn’t have a lot to offer me.

A lot of potential for a five star review. I look forward to going back in the spring and summer.
started a local birthday party pub crawl off with an extreme sports film showing upstairs. great venue. good bar location and great service. the AV equipment was a little lo-​fi, but the stage and set up would be great for a band or comedy show. In and Out privileges were awesome (sorry, used to SF/​LA/​DC/​NY) and the ability to bring food and drinks in and out was something i sorely missed.
the first floor burger bar was delicious (we kinda skipped a legit dinner after the mountain so my stomach gave it five stars). The service was awesome (and hilarious) and the burger was huge (got the Arch special i think).
the first floor had a lot of potential with the «Orale» tequila bar. Martini bar. and this larger club-​like bar with a DJ.
As for the entrance, I agree with other reviewers, you don’t even know it’s there. Thank you to our local friends for leading the way (because it was FREEZING outside).
The second floor climbing gym is solid. I climb in the city a lot and the bouldering area was pretty respectable. odd base surface, but it works. looking forward to scaling the outside of the building in the spring (supposedly the tallest climbing wall anywhere?)
DEFINITELY going back when this place gets everything in order for the spring and summer.

a surprising oasis in a crappy part of Reno… a bunch of cool looking bars (though they served stale Pacificos at the bar by the door but nice cans of fat tire upstairs)… English Beat was there? huh?! Awesome rock climbing? gorgeous floors… i don’t know what this place is trying to be, but get off that Bogan corner of Virginia street and go inside and enjoy a real attempt at something cool!
* make sure to rub the real piece of Blarney castle stone on the wall outside… if you’re not rubbing anything else…

I was a dancer in a show this past weekend and Commrow was a really fantastic venue to perform.
They treat their performers very professionally, have a great staff for sound check and load in/​out — and will answer all your questions.
Security is tight so no one can sneak into the show, and there is always someone who has their eyes peeled.
Lights and sound were FANTASTIC. Although there was a definite difference between the VIP and general. It was a bit too loud for the general admission crowd.
The backroom of the stage was nice – although I would have preferred a bathroom. We were comped food and drink (pizza, salad, beer) and it was all set out for us before the first set.
Only complaint; I was way too hot in the venue. I have never sweat so much for two 2 hours sets… and I’ve been dancing for years. Tlhe audience complained as well — hopefully they will turn down the heat a bit.
Didn’t get to climb the outside — but next time for sure!!!

Commrow is the work-​in-​progress active-​life mecca in the middle of Downtown Reno, the only early-​January consumer experiences being wall– and boulder-​climbing, a bar and a juice stand in the spacious former Fitzgerald’s Casino & Hotel (1976 – 2008). Gambling is not in the cards for the complex-​to-​be.
The hotel rooms above are to be remodeled and designed to welcome visitors’ dogs, not a unique concept. On my last two visits to Harrah’s, I’ve seen numerous guests walking dogs from the registration desk to East Tower elevators.
Make no mistake, I’d have loved to drink at the bar or try climbing boulders and walls, but before taking a chance and pushing open the unmarked entrance door at the north side of the building, I had been plied with free drinks by the casino across the street, and was already chronically acrophobic and chronologically challenged.
However, easily overlooked as an uplifting activity within these walls is riding The Fitz’s surviving stainless steel, majestically mirrored moving stairways to the colorful second-​floor boulders, and studded walls on the face of the building. And when you’re finished climbing, bouldering or refreshing, you can ride them down to first-​floor bars and restaurants that were roped-​off on my visit.
It’s a pipe dream to attempt a half-​baked project like this in Downtown Reno, a ghost town during a slumping economy, as well as in the last economy you might consider vibrant. The debatably legion rock– and wall-​scaling thrill-​seekers might well find this venue the acme of amusement. I’d return to avidly ride-​ride-​ride the wild stairs.
My greatest fear is that this building’s destiny is demolition, and my only reaction to what the handsome Fitzgerald’s structure has become is a faint inclination to laugh. Otherwise, I’d have to cry.

CommRow is currently a climbing gym and a bar.
Until they are done renovating, that’s it. They also did a craptacular job of letting you know where to even enter the building. Thankfully a nice homeless man was able to tell us where to enter the building.
I understand the first floor is being renovated (wasn’t it just finished?) so you’re left with the second floor. This place is still Fitzgeralds in most cases. Once you get up there it looks cool, you have the small climbing walls and crash pads. There is a bar, a desk for getting setup to to the climbs and some kind of juice bar.
Sorry if I’m being too critical but I just don’t get how this place will continue to exist. I imagine some investor threw enough money at it to purchase the building and then the budget for the rest was about $ 500.
The concept holds promise but currently, the execution, sucks.

We were visiting the Reno/​Tahoe area for the holidays and with out any snow we went urban treking. Of course one of the first things that any tourist has to see in Reno is the «arch». Well as my wife was looking at the arch she exclaimed «there is someone climbing on the side of that building». Sure enough there was a climbing wall the entire height of the hotel beginning on about the 3^rd floor. This was our introduction to Commrow. We are climbing gym fans but have been out of the game for awhile so this was a very intriguing opportunity.
As some of the other posters have mentioned it is pretty difficult to find the entrance and to also know if they are open. Once you are inside on the ground level you must find your way up to the climbing level with out any way signage. I can understand the frustrations of others which is why I have only given it four stars, hopefully upon completion it will be much easier to navigate.
The staff was über friendly and extremely engaging. There is a definite looseness to the place and it is pretty much up to you to make the experience what you want. The staff helped us every time we asked questions but if you did not have experience with some of the equipment it could be difficult to feel comfortable.
All in all it is a great concept and with a little more infil once the facility is complete this could be a awesome.

While, yes, this place does have a few things to work out it seems every time I go there something has been fixed which is nice that they’re acknowledging their problems and looking to fix them.
That being said the premise behind CommRow is awesome and very original, it’s cool that somebody had the motivation to get something like this going, that is all ages and species (there’s a dog area). on the first floor there’s a ton of things going on, in the center there are a few restaurants: a greek, Italian, mexican, and the tartar bar.
So far i’ve tried the tacos and the tar tars and both were amazing, the tacos though were probably the best i’ve ever had including trips to Mexico. The Tartar bar also serves wines and vodkas, i think they have sake too? on the other side there is a coffee shop with amazing doughnuts and cheap coffees and specialty drinks, haven’t tried the drinks yet but no comment there. then there’s a good ‘ol american bar with bourbons, whiskeys, and domestic beers. Next is the Tequila bar which claims to have over 100 different tequilas and looking at the wall I do not doubt that, not a tequila fan though so I don’t visit this place much. then in the back you have Centric with an AWESOME LIVE DJ, the videos and music he plays is incredible, nice décor and very comfortable seats/​couches. Bottle service is pricey but still cheaper than any other club i’ve been to.
The second floor is pretty cool. in the middle they have indoor bouldering which was a challenge enough for me and i’m in good shape, (maybe it was the alcohol kicking in?) anyway there is another bar up here with pretty much anything you want. on the other side there is a juice bar, everything looks really fresh and yummy; and then there’s the outdoor wall that everyone can’t help but stare at as they go by, it’s enormous!
Overall I like the place, the layout is nice, very original, and the food is AMAZING.
The place is huge so even with the amount of people a bar like Brew Brothers, Imperial, or Wurk need to look slammed makes this place look not so busy but still tons of fun

This review is just for the Base Camp portion of Commrow:
I absolutely love coming here! Maybe because it’s brand new, but I think that it’s awesome. Super friendly staff, and they always have the jams playing.
Base camp is located second floor. If you’re a college student you can climb and rent gear for $ 10, year pass for $ 150. I can’t really recall the other prices, but you can find them online. When you get to the top of the escalator you see the huge bouldering walls and notice the whole floor is a gigantic crash pad. SO AWESOME. There’s also the slack line and an area to work on pull ups and abs. When you go outside you can top rope, or sport climb. There’s even a couple auto belays, just in case you’re a lone wolf for the night. I haven’t made it to the very top, but all you have to do is get multi-​pitch certified at Reno Rock Sport to do it. I think sometime this month they’re opening the kid bouldering room also.
It’s kind of funny that there’s some lingering Fitzgerald decorations, but they’re still getting the building together. They’re open everyday at 8 a.m. and they close at 11 p.m. Sunday-​Thursday, 12 p.m. Friday– Saturday.
If you’re not a college student, head in on Monday night after 9 for $ 10 climbing.
CHECK IT OUT!

Went to explore a fraternity party last week and was impressed with the overall look and idea!!! CARGO room had a great turnout and was filled with plenty of security to monitor the dirtbags. I had no time to try the variety of food they offered, but look forward to trying something different.
They idea of doggy friendly is great, but I don’t see it working well right outside of a club or by the eateries. They have a lot of decorating to do, but nonetheless the idea is something to look forward too!!!

Excellent service! Great bartenders! I am not sure what this place is supposed to be so I am only going to rate the awesome staff behind the bar!

Finally had the chance to check it out, first attempt (after checking their website to see what their operating hours were) culminated in getting to peer inside at darkened empty building from locked doors. This go around the doors were unlocked, although my companion voiced concerns that it looked closed.
This was Sunday night, around 930ish. Hours listed on their website is that eateries are open until 12am on Sundays. Nothing was open or staffed except for the tequila bar. The center island eateries were shut down and cleaned for the night. The café had a sole employee putting chairs up for the night. lights out everywhere else. The doggie area (how is this sanitary in an eating establishment?) smelled dirty.
Went upstairs to check out bouldering area. couple teens bouncing off the couches but no staff to assist in case we wanted to spend some money there.
It’s brand new and already showing age in it’s cheap construction. A lot of the original Fitzgeralds signage is still up and everything else has a very cheap unfinished look to it.
I really don’t get it.

3 stars just because I can not figure the place.
Went in even though the doors were filthy and it looked closed from the street.
I do not get it…
It must not be done as nothing was really open except a bar or perhaps two.
The place looks as if they just decided to put stuff in there with little thought to how it will look or work. The place is not good looking in any way.
As I said I think it is not done, but if it is not done, why is it open? All it gives is very unfavorable impression.

Ack — and I wanted to be the first to review. Oh well.
Ended up here about 9:30 pm on Saturday night. $ 2 shots of blue kamikaze’s upstairs. Nice! Friends were killing piles of PBRs.
Got a good intro to the place… like the other reviewers said, there are some kinks to be worked out. I wonder if they left some of old Fitzgerald’s stuff up to be ironic? Need more bouldering upstairs… I saw the original plans and the reality left something to be desired.
Tried the Greek Stand downstairs as well. They don’t quite get the whole rotating kebab meat thing, so our gyro was little dry. The tzaziki sauce was phenomenal on our fries. Highly recommend. But this is about as close to Euro-​style street food as you’re going get in these parts.
There were about 5 million things going on at CommRow, and as my friend put it, «I don’t get it». But the atmosphere is friendly and I commend the owners for just doing it. I suspect that due to the plethora of bars and cheap food, this will be a hit with the UNR kids. I am just so glad that the visual blight that was Fitzgerald’s has been transformed into something really unique.
As a side note, I just wonder how long it takes before the fights break out, ala the Freighthouse District. When I went last weekend, CommRow was full of people who were just cruising to check it out. So I hope that security stays tight and the douchebags stay out! Let’s keep something nice, nice.

The tallest artificial climbing wall in the world! And plenty of other stuff. :)
Commrow is a bold statement. In this economy, they turned the old Fitzgerald’s Casino into a complex that fitting for a place as entertaining as a casino, or a Dave and Buster’s. They just went for it and good for them.
The first hint to me about Commrow was rumors that they were doing to turn the old Fitzgerald’s into the tallest climbing wall in the world. Months later what used to be a casino now has its own visionary idea birthed into material existence. The sign at the front says «Meet Eat Play Stay» and the instructions on other signs say «No Smoking. No Gaming. No Whining.» (I’m not sure that’s the proper order).
They still have some Fitzgerald’s signs and a piece of the actual Blarney Stone. It’s on the east façade near the southeast corner of the building.
Inside what used to be the main floor of Fitzgerald’s is this compartmentalized group of businesses with multiple lounge areas (not bars, just the lounge parts of what might be bars elsewhere), a few lounge style bars, a coffee shop, a few restaurants (in square areas with steel counters, food prep occurring inside the squares), a caberet stage with a full bar, enclosed by its own windows, signs pointing you up to the 2^nd and 3^rd floors with the juice/​smoothie bar, special event center, and climbing/​bouldering area.
They opened 8 days ago on Saturday, October 1^st in a big event with thousands of people.
I stopped by last Friday because I was like, «Hey, what’s this place?, Guess they finally got around the opening the climbing wall and other stuff…» It took me a little while to wrap my mind around it because there were so many choices as to what to do. Should I go home, get more appropriate clothing and check out this climbing area? Should I get a drink (or three)? Should I order some food? Wander around?
I ordered food and then explored. The whole layout is very attractive. It’s modern, stylish and very open (it felt empty within only 100 or so people). Nice color combinations, lots of steel fixtures, just kind of a cool design.
You walk in the Virginia St entrance and see signs giving you their motto and instructions for use. Then there’s a big sign that says Ruh Roh! and explains that dogs are not allowed past the signs. There are restaurants in the center of steel squared off areas in the center with low walls so you can see your food being prepared and you sit along the perimeters. In the corner on the right and in the center past the restaurants you have another lounge seating area. On the right and left central areas you find a few bars as well as the fish, ceviche bar TAR TAR BAR. In the center at the other end is Centric, the caberet stage with a full bar. To the right halfway in is the hotel registration and all the way into the far right corner are the escalators to the 2^nd floor.
It’s as overwelming as creating a mental picture of a space just reading some words, just massive.
In my opinion it’s a wonderful replacement for a casino. Much to do, eat and drink. The no whining makes me laugh. I hope when they get complaints that a staff member shakes his head, says «uh uh unh» and points to that part of the sign. That’d be great.
So, combining a cool-​looking small music venue with a few different bars, including a tequilleria (which pales in comparison to Café Arroyo nearby in terms of selection and niceness of interior), fine food and a climbing area is what you get here.
I found the foor at Lemoni a little unsubstantial and overpriced whereas the food at Tar Tar Bar was a better value with more flavor. Expect to be initially overwelmed by so many small choices filling such a large space that is so different than typical Reno fare. There’s a lot to explore so here’s a list to help you on your way:
CheckOut: Coffee, Tea, Dessert
Specialties: Espresso, flowering teas, pastries
Da Stand: Italian Beefs
Specialties: Italian beefs & sausages, dunk bread, homemade giardineria
(reminiscent of cheesesteaks)
Lemóni: Mediterranean Grill
Specialties: Souvalaki, gyros, tabouli salad, Greek fries
Lucky Lane Lounge: Cocktails
Specialties: Old-​school cocktails, American whiskeys
Órale Fine tequilas
Specialties: Choice tequilas, specialty margaritas
(selection vastly inferior to Arroyo Café, 5 minutes away on Evans near 2^nd, right by the Aces ballpark)
QuÉ Tacos y Gorditas
Specialties: Gorditas, tacos al pastor
TarTarBar Tarteres and Libations
Specialties: Tartares, ceviches, sparkling libations, class
Twisted Sweet Treats
Specialties: DIY desserts, soft serve, popcorn
Up Body Fuels (2^nd floor)
Specialty: Brain food, body fuel, juices, smoothies
V15 View Reno
Specialties:Beer, wine, views
Basecamp: Climbing and Bouldering (2^nd floor)
Cargo: Special Events (3^rd floor)
Hold: (guessing same as above)