My reasons for choosing this spot for my two week stay in Vegas probably do not reflect what most folks want when they go to Vegas.
However, age has crept up on me, and I don't much like large crowds or have the stamina to see late night shows.
I don't navigate well.
I get confused easily.
Longhorn strengths for me included:
It was the cheapest in all Vegas.
It was near a Walmarts, so I could get room foods that better fit my diets, or anything I might have forgotten to pack.
I did go off diet for certain meals, but going solo, I would rather just grab something tasty and listen to WRVO NPR in my room.
It had a coin laundry which is luxury compared to my bar of Fels Naptha and a tub or often just the sink.
And coin here is not a euphemism. It took quarters only. A dollar got Tide soap. Another dollar for clorox. Another got dryer sheets. Two got the shortest wash. Two more got a fairly long dry. Two washers, two dryers open 24 hours and everything worked.
It had a tub. Doc says I should soak once a day in oatmeal. These tubs are small with short sides. This is perfect for me because I have trouble getting out of them if they are deep. This one is easier to exit than my jacuzzi tub at home.
It was just steps to two bus routes, Boulder Highway and 202 Flamingo to the strip.
Some of the best VP left in Vegas is along the Boulder highway: Sam's town, Boulder Station, Arizona Charlie's. In addition, a live poker game happens at Boulder Station. 3-6 limit. This turned out to not be so great.
This casino is very small. It is easier for me to negotiate. A walk from room to elevator was short, no winding mazes.
There is not good VP, but I played a Bonus Poker 7/5 with a Progressive royal here that charted out to about 98%. Not great. But with little mobility, sleepless nights, etc. I have to give up something. Also, on Thursdays they have a promotion that matches any royal with the same amount in free play. So, that ups the EV.
There are elevators
The Chuckwagon served delicious, inexpensive food 24/7.
The rooms were clean and there was a flat screen TV, good window curtains, a fine desk for the computer, plenty of drawers and nooks for clothes, and a small refrigerator so I could keep my room food fresh.
There was no clock, but I have time on my computer, a phone with an alarm, and the hotel does wake up calls.
There was no coffee pot, but I bring a little folding water heater and a stainless steel drip funnel. I like to make just one half cup at a time and then the coffee does not get cold.
The same pot makes tea, and unlike doing that in some coffee pot after coffee has been brewed, there are no left over flavors because the coffee is external to the boiling pot. This trip I brought a blend of left over coffee from Denver and bought some San Francisco Kona coffee at Walmarts blend that my nephew ground for me.
I also use the pot to make no salt bouillon with garlic spice and any left over vegetables from the restaurant. Except broccoli. I hate broccoli in soup unless it is a cheese soup. To make soup I bring a soup cup, which is also a fine cup for steeping tea, letting it cool, and making iced tea later.
However, I plugged the hot pot into the same strip that served the television and the refrigerator and clicked the circuit off. It took me a while to get the television back.
After that, I plugged in the bathroom. That makes sense anyway because the water is there.
The rooms were quiet enough, but not like those plush no noise places. I could hear murmurings of conversation as I fell asleep. I think once I heard a television. once I just barely heard a snorer. If there were to be a huge fight in the next room, I'd hear it. However, after my first night, I did not seem to have neighbors very often.
All in all, there is the sense that I had gone back into time here at the Longhorn. This is the Vegas I remember when I started getting basic, inexpensive rooms. With the resort fee and taxes and room charge, it cost me $600 for twelve nights, starting on a Sunday and ending on a Friday.
I booked on booking.com, but I'll book directly next time, so if I do feel unable to get around, and if I choose to gamble here more than late nights and small amounts, I can use the points to pay for rooms. They seem to add up fairly quickly.
I got 500 points just for checking in. Folks who never had a card would get 1000. That is enough for a free strawberry shortcake. Also, they gave me a logo mask that they sell for $7, and a small plastic logo water bottle, a coupon for $2 off $10 at Chuckwagon, some free slot play, and one free drink at the bar.
Doesn't that remind you of old Vegas with her bling?
Oh, on some booking sites it said the wifi came with a charge. Basic wifi does not. It is included in the nightly resort fee
unless you need something more advanced.
Here is printed clarification:
“The Longhorn Casino & Hotel on Boulder Hwy. charges $7.90 ($8.93 after tax) resort fee per night. It covers pool, hot tub and wifi. This info came from an email from the property. “
I usually make some conversation in Vegas, but it is hard with masks and distance.
I miss that because then I really am solo.
There were quite a few Spanish speakers, but it went too fast. even when it was not mask muffled, for me to comprehend much.
There were some young people, especially later at night. However, it was generally filled with old codgers like me.
In reviews I read some reports of security being abrasive to guests.
I did not see any of that. What I saw was security laughing and joking with some the regulars, holding doors for me, asking me if I needed anything, and in general being both professional and friendly.
But then I don't often break rules.
I saw one, who when patrolling our hallway, lightly pushed on each door to see it was fully latched. The doors latched well, but it was good to pull them and check. Once I left mine ajar to wait for help with my television, and security was there asking why it was ajar.
There were also in reviews some reports of poor wifi, and the desk clerk agreed that it sometimes happens, especially to some laptops.
I called ahead and told the clerk it was important to me, and she figured a room on the second floor would be my best bet. 228 was my room. I had full bars. A few times it did not load right away or there was an interruption in service, but for what I do, it was just perfect and better than some I have experienced in pricy places, including the house we rented in Denver.
The television had a huge selection in channels and did not have that annoying stutter that sometimes comes with modern sophisticated systems. I had that verbal stutter at the fancy Monarch in Blackhawk, CO. And the remote is a retired, one eyed guy's dream. Very simple. Change channel, change volume, mute, turn on, turn off. I want one of these for home.
Uni it was called. I can't find it on the internet. There were no numbers on the remote, and there were not a million buttons to confuse me.
There was a televised chart in the system that posted which channels were on which numbers and I just would scroll to them.
I dislike most television, and no commercials. However, I love TCM, and they had it. That is rare in Vegas. Sadly, I have watched TCM so often during lock down at home that I've just about seen everything in the 30's or 40's. I watched one I had seen while I unpacked, but not much after that.
There was at least one other channel without commercials, and I watched the end of Mrs. Doubtfire on it, but I don't know the number or name.
FOOD AT THE CHUCKWAGON
menu:CHUCKWAGON RESTAURANT – Your Vintage Vegas Destination (longhornhotelcasino.vegas)
In reviews of cheap eats in Vegas the Chuckwagon at the Longhorn is sometimes mentioned. More often it is completely ignored.
I think it probably overall is the cheapest place to eat in Vegas.
And the food is good and available 24/7.
I ate the $9 porterhouse steak quite a few times. There was a choice of potato and I picked the mashed. It came with some brown gravy. The vegetable once was a mixture of green beans and other bits and it was very good. Once it was a corn mix. Once it was a broccoli but that was not my favorite.
I had a turkey casserole and it was good, but not spectacular.
I had the steak and lobster. It was good, but the steak was tough in some sections. I liked the porterhouse better. Of course, the lobster tails, coming in frozen, are not as good a fresh lobster from Maine, bought live and cooked at home. But I liked a taste of their lobster just the same.
The service was excellent. There was a 30 minute to an hour wait time because it is a popular place for locals. Some meals can be take out, and that goes more quickly, but the porterhouse cannot.
It was not a quiet retreat, but it was not overly noisy. Conversation was easy. There may have been some light music from the casino, but it was not what I experience everywhere I go to eat. There were no annoying sports televisions in my face.
I asked for medium rare, and that is what I got each time. It even had that little plastic marker to indicate how it was cooked. Since my first steak was not a really thick steak, I marvel that a chef can get this right. I am often in restaurants where they don't.
Served with the steak was Heinz 57 and A1 sauce. I use neither.
I just drank water and it was refilled in a timely manner without my needing to ask, but always with my option to say no.
I found the second steak a bit thicker. That might explain that this one picked up more grill flavor as it must have cooked longer to get it to medium rare.
A roll came with the meal. I rarely eat the rolls in restaurants, but this one was very tasty, again more like the old days.
I also went down for a graveyard specials when I woke in the middle of the night and was restless.
The $1.49 biscuit and gravy was good. It is a plain gravy, not rich in sausage, but it was good. It was a good portion as well. I was laughing as I tipped because I can't remember tipping over 100% of a meal.
One midnight I had played live poker at the Nugget for about ten hours, and then took the long bus ride back. I had not eaten since morning and I added the pancakes.
They were incredible! All you can eat was $2.29, but the first order was all I could eat. The plates are larger than the average diner plates.
If paid by charge card, the receipt comes with a series of tips, mathematically computed for our convenience. Very helpful.
I kept looking at the dessert case. There were so many delightful choices.
Unfortunately, at this age, I just don't have the appetite I once had.
Then one night I had a bit of appetite. It was late, and I had not eaten since morning. I had the $7 turkey casserole special and decided to follow with a $3 slice of pecan pie. It was good, but I could only finish half, so the rest of it went into the refrigerator for another day.
This night I sat in the far back corner. The table there moves so that I'm comfortable in the booth seat, facing all the action. Some of the booths are too tight for me to eat comfortably.
I don't usually like eating solo, but this was a great seat with fine perspective on people passing. Then too, I've gone so many times now that all the waitresses know me and say hi.
I like them.
There was one fellow cleaning down tables who was new. He had a speech impediment. So he really had to struggle to be heard through his mask. Yet he was very responsive if called over.
However, my waitress must have gone home, and when it came time for a bill, I had to ask for it. I asked this fellow and he was just fine getting me the bill.
That only happened once.
One older waitress here only wears a plastic face shield. I guess that is allowed.
I sure liked watching people, although I could not hear anything. I was sorry because there was one fellow who was telling stories and was very animated. I wanted to hear his stories.
I have really liked this place.
The turkey casserole was just okay. It was bits of turkey, green beans, some other vegetables and some mashed potatoes all combined. I like more spice, but I always carry with me my Benson's salt substitute and there was pepper. I also was carrying my no salt, no sugar, no anything Brother Bru Bru hot sauce, but it did not seem right for the turkey. I had it on vegetables.
When I was planning this trip, I was very hyped about getting some upscale meals at The Angry Butcher at Sam's or The Broiler at Boulder Station. However, it never worked out that when I was in those places, I wanted to eat. I tried too late at the Broiler after live poker. It closed at ten.
I saw both and they looked great if you were not eating solo. Expensive, but a real treat.
CHEAP BEER
All varieties of beer could be had at $1.50 each at the Longhorn. The bar was packed.
I got Heineken 00 NA while gambling, and it was tasty. I had not liked it very much in New York. Perhaps bottles taste better than cans. It was common in other places as well. It does not end up being my favorite, but it works, and I'm not afraid of having a few because unlike other NA, this one has no alcohol.
One night the drink service was slow so I took my free drink coupon and a dollar tip to the bar. The bartender was very efficient in spite of a fully packed bar.
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