I probably am not the best source of food information. I'll include some links that discuss places. I tend to go the same places over and over and I eat wherever I have a comp. I am especially weak on expensive retaurants. I rarely go to them. That being said I can give a useful over view.
VEGAS BUFFETS:
UPSCALE:
The three buffets usually mentioned as the upscale examples are Bellagio, Paris, and Alladin. Alladin is considered the best value. Paris is very good. Bellagio is good but overrated I think. In all three you pay much less for lunch than supper and have as good a selection of things to eat. So that is the time to go. The buffet trick is to go just before the supper hour, get a table, and then take a walk and come back s they start to put out the crab and other supper specialties. In that way you get the supper for the lunch price. 10/2006 note - We will have to watch the Alladin. Right now it would be a terrible choice because they have moved just part of it to a temporary location while they renovate. They are losing status, but once the renovation is complete, they should be good again. They might even be a little cheaper for a while, or offer coupon specials to get back their regulars. Construction should be done by November.
Here is some sense of what is good at the Paris buffet:
http://www.lasvegastalk.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=31773
If you like seafood and suishi there is a new seafood buffet on the Harmon side of the Aladdin. For under $30 you could eat all the seafood you can imagine prepared in a vey nice manner.
AVERAGE: The Orleans is a fine average buffet with plenty to eat and a price that makes it much less painful. During September they have been having a special of $7 for lunch and supper. That is really cheap. Gold Coast is also a good average buffet. In each place you have to avoid days when the price goes up for seafood or steak or Sunday Brunch. I really don't think that you get that much better a choice of foods and you pay someimes double. I'll create a chart.
DOWNSCALE: I like Terrible's Buffet for breakfast but it is a good walk from the strip. With a coupon I can get breakfast for $2. I also like the cheapest supper buffet in town, the Plaza. It is very basic but suits me. I don't like the Sahara except for fruit in the morning. Imperial Palace has a very bad reputation too.
SEAFOOD: The Rio seafood buffet is highly recommended. I have not eaten there but everyone raves about it. They have a couple buffets. Their regular buffet is over priced I think even with coupons.
DOWNTOWN:
My favorite buffets is Main Street Station. It is midpriced and very good. There are even some Hawaaian specialties. The Golden Nugget Buffet is also good but the lines are long. I eat there after a poker session so I get a pass to the beginning of the line and a free meal.
Cafes and Restaurants
In general the food on the strip is more expensive than off the strip. So if you plan your mealtimes so as to avoid the expensive places, you will do better. There are still some good deals in Vegas, but just wandering and eating at random you will encounter more expensive options. You pay a little for being unplanned.
That being said, here is a restaurant often recommended. It is a bit upscale but you can eat and watch the fountains across the street if you plan it right;
Mon Ami Gabi
Mon Ami Gabi is the indoor/outdoor restaurant at Paris. With an outdoor patio fronting the Strip, it’s one of the few such venues in town and likely the best. “It’s very French,” commented a guest we brought who’s traveled to Paris for many years. “It reminds me of dining on the Champs- Elysées, only it’s the Las Vegas Strip out front and a smaller Eiffel Tower above.” Indeed.
The atmosphere is the key, but the food also makes the grade. Classic appetizers, such as French onion soup ($7.50), country-style pâté, and a charcuterie plate (samples of pâtés and other meats) are priced from $7.50 to $13. Sandwiches, including the classic French steak sandwich with frites (fries) go for about $13. There’s also a choice of crêpes, quiche, fish dishes, steaks, and a macaroni and cheese entrée for $12. Choose from an array of French desserts ($8) to go with coffee.
Lunch is the cool thing to do here—for the hip European vibe. The portions are huge, the play is to choose one item per person (appetizer or entrée) and split ’em, then add dessert and coffee if you like. The charcuterie plate and a steak sandwich, along with a single dessert and coffee (or a couple glasses of wine), for example, make a perfect lunch for two that will cost under $50 with tip.
Lunch is served from 11:30 am to 4 pm daily, dinner from 4 to 11 (midnight on the weekends). They don’t take reservations for outside seating, so be prepared for a possible wait. The outside bar is a prime spot to grab a drink (and you can eat there, too).
While you’re there, pick up an enrollment card for the associated Frequent Diner Program. Mon Ami Gabi is part of a big fine-dining network that includes the Eiffel Tower Restaurant, Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab, and Café Ba-Ba-Reeba! in Las Vegas, along with several restaurants in other cities (primarily Chicago).
A bonus to dining at Mon Ami Gabi is having a prime seat for the Bellagio fountain show directly across the street. However, the shows don’t begin until 3 pm, so you might want to schedule your lunch for around 2:30. You can also go for dinner, of course (the show is even more spectacular at night). The Gabi bar is worth visiting, whether you eat there or not. Order a drink and watch the show.
Just a couple blocks off the strip is Ellis Island. They have a steak special for about $5 that is just wonderful and considered the best deal in Vegas. The steak is a fine cut of meat and is served with potato and all the green beans you ever wanted as well as a salad. Their other food is good too, but I know less about that because I am always eating the steak. It is 24 hour special but not on the menu. You have to ask. Microbrews here are $1.50 in the restaurant, $1 at the bar. Free of course for players. The casino is very downscale. Nothing fancy here.
It used to be that an inexpensive prime rib was the big deal in Vegas and those specials are still around. I like to catch them when I can. Downtown the Golden Gate diner, Careful Kitty's at El Cortez and the California all have good ones at decent prices.
Binion's cafe is nice for late night dining.
The 4 Queens Magnolia Room has nice food. I also like their microbrew samplers.
If you go to the Gold Coast in the afternoon with the free drink coupon from the Orleans funbook, you can buy a hotdog with everything including sauerkrat for 75 cents near the sportsbook and wash it down with a free beer while you watch the Royal Dixie Jazz Band play.
Many of the casinos, including the Orleans have Graveyard Specials which run from midnight until 6 AM. Steak and eggs might be $1.95.
The Wild Wild West has great hamburgers but you really need a car to go there.
Most of you will be at the Orleans so here is a link discussing all the restaurants there:
http://www.lasvegastalk.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=31042
A block behind the Orleans is a fine Irish Pub with some of the best home made potato chips I ever ate.
http://www.usmenuguide.com/mcmullans.html
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VEGETARIAN AND HEALTH FOOD SUGGESTIONS
These are not really very convenient but Vegas does have some healthy places to eat if that is an issue.
Go Raw Cafe
2381 E. Windmill Ln., 702/450-9007
2910 Lake East Dr., 702/254-5382
Do you want to know where the real vegans eat? Not Las Vegans. We’re talking about the hard-core vegetarians who shun not only meat, but also dairy and eggs. Finally, here’s the answer to the many requests we get to recommend a good vegetarian restaurant in Las Vegas. Not only is this a vegan restaurant, but it’s also totally raw (nothing is cooked). You’ve never seen a menu with so many quotation marks: “Cheese” is made out of almonds; “fries” are made out of avocado slices dipped in bread crumbs; “sausage” is made from walnuts; “salmon” is described as the “chef’s flavorful creation.” The ingredients are exclusively grains, nuts, seeds, and organic produce, prepared with raw organic oils. The “neat loaf” ($12.95) for example, is made from mushrooms and nuts.
So how’s the food? In a word: different. A lot of imagination goes into the preparation, which is about as good as it can get, given the limitations. It’s cheap too—the main dishes are all under $15. And for those of you for whom birdfeed alone just isn’t gonna get it, there’s one great out: the house salad with creamy garlic dressing ($11.50). This is one wild and tasty platter of greens, vegetables, seeds, and nuts, and your fellow diners won’t be able to say you were afraid to try something.
THE RAW TRUTH
3620 E. Flamingo Road
Las Vegas, Nevada 89121
PHONE: 702-450-9007
HOURS: Monday - Saturday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sunday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
http://www.living-foods.com/articles/lasvegas.html/
I'm copying a long post I made elsewhere after visiting Vegas. Unfortunately there aren't many options but maybe this will help.
WILD OATS MARKET & CAFE
7250 W. Lake Mead Blvd, Las Vegas, NV, 89128
PHONE: 702-942-1500
HOURS (LUNCH & DINNER): 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
HOURS (MARKET): 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Health food stores are my Disneyland. Though most stores are independent, companies like Wild Oats are bringing health foods to the mainstream. Wild Oats is the same size and has the same general set-up as regular grocery stores, only the food is organic, the medicines are alternative, and the shampoo is natural.
The Cafe serves all organic food; not all of the food is vegan, but there are still plenty of options. The food is served deli-style; you can either take it to go, or you can sit down in the store to eat. Choices include vegetarian, bean, millet and meat burritos, macaroni salad, Marci's potato salad and Sharon's pasta salad, plus an assortment of veggie drinks and fruit smoothies. There is something for everybody here, and prices are on the low end.
THE RAW TRUTH
3620 E. Flamingo Road
Las Vegas, Nevada 89121
PHONE: 702-450-9007
HOURS: Monday - Saturday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sunday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
http://www.living-foods.com/articles/lasvegas.html/
The raw food movement goes beyond veganism; raw foodists are so called because they eat no food that is cooked above a certain temperature. They eat this way for the health benefits, not because they feel sorry for plants, by the way (in fact, some people eat raw meat). Though I am not a raw foodist myself, all food served The Raw Truth is 100% vegan, so my family and I decided to try it. Now, I love fresh vegetables, but my family would rather eat pizza and wings, so The Raw Truth was quite an adventure for them. The Raw Truth serves traditional dishes like meat loaf, pasta, lasagna, bread, and pizza - only the ingredients are primarily vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds. Dishes that normally require cooking are prepared using a dehydrator (all of the food is safe to eat because there are no animal products in the ingredients). If you are not used to raw cuisine, I suggest starting with something familiar, like nori rolls, tabouli, cookies, salad, and fresh juice.
RAINBOW'S END NATURAL FOODS
1100 East Sahara Avenue
Las Vegas, NV 89104
PHONE: 702-737-7282
HOURS: Monday - Friday 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Rainbow's End is both a health food store and a cafe. Boca, black bean, and gardenburgers, mock egg salad, tortillas, sandwiches, veggie lasagna, stir fry, and fresh-squeezed juices are just a few of the menu items. Prices at the health food store are slightly higher than Wild Oats, but prices at the cafe are about the same as Wild Oats' deli. The food is all vegetarian; even so, my non-veg family enjoyed it.
MEDITERRANEAN CAFE
4147 S. Maryland Parkway
Las Vegas, Nevada 89119
PHONE: 702-731-6030
HOURS (MARKET): Monday - Friday 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
HOURS (RESTAURANT): Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Monday - Thursday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
http://www.medcafe-market.com/
Entree prices range from $8.95 - $10.95; most sandwiches are $6.95. Vegan dishes include tabouli salad, fresh salas, hummus, baba ganosh, falafel pita, stuffed grape leaves, combination plate, falafel plate, and various beverages, including at least two dozen different teas.
And one more discussion: http://www.lasvegasadvisor.com/qofday.cfm?s=F&w=QOD&men=1&sub=0
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MEXCAN FOOD
Surf this threads for lots of comments and discussion. One post gives four other such hreads:
http://www.lasvegastalk.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=31762
MEXICAN FOOD
El Sombrero. The oldest Mexican Restaurant in Vegas. Located between the Stratosphere and Downtown across from the Gamblers Gerneral Store) No fancy Yuppie Casino atmosphere, just a hole in the wall in a seedy area. (Still safe during the day and night) If the location/atmosphere bothers you, You can get the food to go too. The food is a bit spicey, not expensive (Huge portions) and yummy! Lunch time is very popular.
We stop by there at least once every trip.
Las Vegas' oldest Mexican restaurant opened in 1950 and is housed in a small, nondescript building on South Main Street. It's a location that no restaurant should be able to survive in. Nonetheless, El Sombrero has thrived here by feeding locals a simple Mexican menu full of fiery salsas, fresh tortillas and spicy chiles, both colorado (red) and verde (green).
The Food
Both house-made salsas (mild tomato or hot smoked chipotle) are made fresh daily and regulars claim that they are positively addictive. Portions are huge, but nothing on the menu tops $10, making this one of the cheapest meals in town. Many people opt for the take-out menu, but if you're staying in the restaurant, drop a few coins in the Mexican jukebox to highlight the mood.
MICHOACAN
Michoacan (pronounced mee-cho-ah-CAHN) is a state in central Mexico famous for its lakes, scenery, and exquisite food. The Spanish word lindo means pretty or beautiful.
Javier Barajas, the owner of Lindo Michoacan Restaurante, learned to cook when his grandparents, Timoteo and Ninfa, sent him to study at the seminary in Michoacan. At the seminary a wooden revolving service door (the torno) separated the nuns in the kitchen from the priests and students in the dining hall. Through the crack in this door, Javier developed a friendship with the Mother Superior.
After a few months, Sister Anita asked Javier if he would come to the kitchen everyday to help the nuns lift and move the heavy pots and pans. She noticed right away that Javier was quick and eager to learn. Before long, she was teaching him to help with the food preparation as well. He spent years mastering the secrets of Michoacan cuisine.
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Now Javier and his family bring the great food and cultural traditions of Michoacan to Las Vegas. In Mexico, they say, "If you want good food, go to Michoacan." In Las Vegas, we say, "If you want good food, come to Lindo Michoacan."
735-6828
SOPRANOS DINNER AND SHOW
http://www.comedywedding.com/shows/lasvegas/sopranos.cfm?CFID=1139781&CFTOKEN=28473391
Lots of coupons for this one.
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Here is a link to other to food discussions:
http://www.vegasmessageboard.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=18
SOME COLLECTED RECOMMENDATION FROM OTHER VISITORS
Just as we were pondering what to run as our next Reader Poll, someone did our job for us and sent in this question. Following the great response to the "must-see" survey, this seemed like a fitting successor, so please send in your favorites via the QoD submission page.
No special rules or restrictions apply: It can be any dish or side, as cheap or high-end as you like, just something that you’d recommend to a visitor because it’s consistently exceptional, or unique to Las Vegas, or super value, or a special-occasion splurge, or reminds you of your mom’s cooking, or is as good as you ate on a trip to New York/France/China/wherever, or even is just something simple that you look forward to when you visit because you like the venue and enjoy the service.
To inspire you, here are some suggestions from the LVA staff:
* The Ellis Island $4.95 complete steak dinner was the choice of both Deke (Senior Editor) and Laurie (Production Coordinator). "You’d think I’d be sick of the steak after having to come up with something different to say about it every month for the past 64 months in a row, but I’m not. I eat it all the time and still think it’s the greatest meal deal in Las Vegas, Nevada, the U.S., the world, the solar system, and possibly the Milky Way. The 150 steamed clams in garlic sauce I was served in Panama City recently -- for $3.50 -- is a close second." (Deke) "It’s a Top 10 favorite, as well as mine!" (Laurie)
* "Since two people have already gone for the Ellis Island steak, I have to pick the 99¢ shrimp cocktail at the Golden Gate. What the heck -- it’s only been around for 47 years." (Anthony – Publisher)
* "I really like Garduno's (the one at the Palms is good, but the one at Fiesta Rancho is better). I like the basic stuff -- Nachos Tradicionales ($7.75) and the Carne Tacos Tradicionales ($9.95) -- but my husband’s a little more adventurous and tries new things all the time; last time he had the Mexican Chicken Stir Fry ($11.95) and said he'd order it again." (Sasha – Editor)
* Dale (Web Developer) picks Diamond China, 3909 W. Sahara. "Their wonton soup is killer. And the fresh whole shrimp (I am not sure what it’s called) is absolutely wonderful."
* "Hot and sour soup at Diamond China: I’ve been conducting an international survey for some years now and this one’s still in a league of its own. But seeing as Dale pipped me to the post in picking Diamond, I’m going to cheat and also choose the Nam Kao Tod appetizer ($7.95) at Lotus of Siam: minced sour sausage mixed with green onion, fresh chili, ginger, peanuts, crispy rice, and lime juice. Unique and delicious!" (Jessica – Web-Content Manager).
* "My pick's the Pacific Rim Fondue for Two ($62.00) at the Melting Pot, 8704 W. Charleston. I just took my daughter there for her birthday treat and we loved it." (Audrey – Receptionist)
* "At the Silverton's Sundance Grill, they serve a country-fried steak that's a really good-sized chicken steak with corn on the cob, gravy, and mashed potato. It’s just wonderful and the price is reasonable ($8.95). But then again, maybe I haven't got around that much!" (Andrew - IT dept.)
* "Hugo's Cellar at the Four Queens: The last time I went I had the beef medallions with mushrooms. My date had the king crab legs and raved about them. Prices range from $20 to $40 per person, without wine." (Becki - Office Manager)
* "I'll go for the lamb chops at Hugo's Cellar. The room is completely old-school cool and kitschy, the service is excellent, they have their own sommelier, and they prepare their chops better than any other restaurant in town that I've tried." (Bethany - Marketing Director)
* "For value-for-money, I'd recommend Carluccio's Tivoli Gardens at 1775 E. Tropicana (next to the Liberace Museum). Last time I went there I had the Eggplant Parmigiana ($10.99), which comes with a mountain of spaghetti, side salad, and as much French bread as you can eat – I had to take a doggy-bag home for my son!" (Gail - Data Input)
* "I think Slots-A-Fun still has $1 beer and a foot-long hot dog for $1.50, but then again, the place never appealed to me." (Gary – Accounts ... of course!)
* "Known in close circles as 'hangover soup,' Vietnamese Pho is the perfect remedy for those days where you need some inner healing. It's not just a noodle soup: It's a physical and spiritual experience that will invigorate, refresh, and soothe your affliction. Get the Pho Tai (beef noodle soup) or Pho Ga (chicken noodle soup). Add basil, bean sprouts, chili peppers, a squeeze of lime, and all the hot sauce you can handle. Feel as the previous night's poison is released via your sweating brow! Altogether, it's a torrent of flavorful deliciousness. As far as venues go, I'd recommend Saigon Fragrance Vietnamese Noodle House, 3650 S Decatur Blvd." (David - Web Site Director)
* "My must-eat in Vegas is the chicken pot pie from Hash House A Go Go (6800 W. Sahara). My reason for that choice is because it's very tasty! It's also such a big portion, I know I'll have leftovers for the next couple of days." (Boston – Shipping)
* "I would have to say the seafood buffet at the Cannery. I can't remember the price, but I know it was relatively low-cost for the quality and choice of food." (Howard – IT dept.)
* And finally, a suggestion that comes directly from the venerable "beer is food" school of thought: "I would have to choose the Black Mountain Ale from Barley's Casino and Microbrewery in Henderson. It's a mild, slightly sweet, dark beer, similar to a porter and, in my opinion, if you were to suckle on the breast of Mother Earth, this is the nourishment you'd receive. A fine brew! And it's also available in jugs to take home with you." (Rob – Shipping)
HOOTERS
The old San Remo was known for its 24-hour prime rib deal, served first for $3.95, then $4.95, and finally $5.95. Now the casino that took its place has resurrected the meal special. Hooters is serving a $5.95 prime rib available 24 hours in the Dam (coffee shop). The sign on the marquee is the only reference to it; it’s not on the menu. This may be because there isn’t much to it: Just a piece of meat and a potato. No vegetable, no salad, no roll. You can add a good garden salad for $1.95 (discounted from the standard $3.95), which creates a more proper prime rib dinner for $7.80. What you get is decent, but better suited for a lunch than a dinner (you can get the prime rib with eggs and toast for breakfast for $7.95).
OUTRAGEOUS FOOD
TIRED OF DIETING? DOWNTOWN YOU CAN GET DEEP FRIED TWINKIES OR OREOS.
YUM!!!!!
(CLICK ON PHOTOS TO ENLARGE)
