An Ely classic along Route 50 featuring a lively casino floor and a legendary steakhouse where guests dine inside faux jail cells.
Jailhouse Motel & Casino, opened in 1980 on Fifth Street in Ely, Nevada, offers a classic, kitschy slice of Great Basin hospitality. Positioned just a block off Aultman Street, which carries travelers along the historic US Route 50, the property has long stood as a playful counterpoint to its historic neighbor, the Hotel Nevada. While the exterior hints at a correctional facility theme with its mock stone accents, the interior is divided between a lively 9,950-square-foot gaming floor and a quiet, comfortable 60-room motel. The casino floor is packed with over a hundred slot machines and video poker terminals, humming with the mechanical chimes and neon glow characteristic of traditional Nevada joints.
The defining feature of the property is Hector's Cellblock Steakhouse, a themed restaurant that brings the jailhouse motif to life. While local legend sometimes confuses the motel rooms with actual cells, the true lock-up experience is reserved for dinner. The steakhouse is designed with individual, faux iron-barred jail cells serving as private dining booths. Once seated, guests are playfully locked in by their server, who slides the heavy metal doors shut and delivers cocktails, appetizers, and massive cuts of beef directly through the bars. The menu embraces the theme with dishes like the Gunslinger (a thick New York strip), the Bounty Hunter (a skewered beef brochette), and prime rib, alongside classic sides like twice-baked potatoes. For more casual fare, the property also hosts Smash N Grab, a spot dedicated to quick, satisfying burgers.
For overnight guests, the motel provides a straightforward and clean refuge from the neon hum of the casino floor. The 60 guest rooms are divided between the main motor lodge and the quieter West Wing, which features keyed entry for added privacy. Unlike the theatrical steakhouse, the rooms are designed for simple comfort rather than incarceration, featuring standard amenities like flat-screen televisions, small refrigerators, coffee makers, and comfortable queen or king beds. The unassuming decor offers a peaceful contrast to the thematic intensity of the rest of the property, making it a reliable base camp for travelers exploring the nearby Great Basin National Park or the historic Nevada Northern Railway Museum.
Book a booth at Hector's Cellblock Steakhouse to eat your prime rib inside a faux jail cell, complete with iron bars that slide shut.
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