Eating in Las Vegas
We're just back from Las Vegas...Overall I was disappointed with the food...but there were definitely some high points...
The first night we were there we went to the buffet at the Bellagio - at $30 a piece we were disappointed. The sushi bar and the desserts were great as were all of the soups...but the rest of the offerings were pretty standard and dried out. We did a breakfast buffet at Harrahs, which was just ok but the coffee was absolutely terrrrrrible...coffee was better at the Carnegie Deli but the service was awful.
We did a lunch at Emeril's in the MGM Grand, which was very good. My husband's andouille burger was way overdone, my oyster po boy was sensational.
Breakfast at the Paris Buffet however was sooo very good, I only wish I had two stomach so I could have eaten more. Also at Paris we had dinner at Mon Ami Gabi, the food was out of this world but it was very very noisy and the evening's special was sold out by 7pm. We had the Chicken Liver Mousse appetizer and it was heavenly...We had planned to do sushi at Benihana but had a big plate of nachos at Margaritaville as a late lunch and had no room for sushi!
We'll be going back year after next...any thoughts.
Add a comment:
Previewing your comment:
HTML Hints
Some HTML is OK: <a href="URL">link</a>, <strong>strong</strong>, <em>em</em>
Comment Guidelines
Post whatever you want, just keep it seriously about eats, seriously. We reserve the right to delete off-topic or inflammatory comments. Learn more at our Comment Policy page.
If you see something not so nice, please, report an inappropriate comment.
Start Talking!
Need a question answered? Have advice to share? Start a Talk topic now!
Sign up to get your questions answered and share advice.
11 Comments:
I go to Vegas quite a lot for business and I have had the pleasure of eating at a lot of higher end restaurants... Delmonico, Rao's, Strip Steak, Picasso, Fleur De Lys, Nobu, RM Seafood and the list goes on. For the big name/chef/hot spot restaurants I have had the best experience at Mario Batali's B&B Restorante and Emeril's New Orleans Fish House. Everything just always seems to align just right...food, service, ambiance and overall experience. However, now a days I find myself exploring small restaurants off the strip...most recently stumbled upon Firefly on Paradise, a great little tapas bar.
GrimChef at 7:16PM on 03/30/09
Go to the In and Out Burger on Tropicana! Unless of course you go to those more often than I do. . . We don't have those in Pittsburgh.
joeqboo at 8:12AM on 03/31/09
We live in Vegas and often take out of town guests to the Nine Fine Irishmen Pub in the NYNY casino and have never been disappointed. Favorite off-strip places are Lotus of Siam for Thai food, the Peppermill for late night breakfast, Rosemary's for American cuisine. We've spent big dollars at a number of the high end celebrity chef restaurants only to walk away wondering what the big deal was. Many just didn't live up to the hype-cold food, apathetic servers, long waits to be seated for a reservation, ordinary quality have led to disappointment. There are so many outstanding restaurants in Vegas and some actually have the chef/owner in the kitchen. A $10 cab ride will get you from the Strip to many of them.
kathyvegas at 10:21AM on 03/31/09
I've been to the Nine Fine Irishmen. It was decent. Probably the best meal we had other than at the In and Out Burger. Their house band (I think it's Sin E Ri Ra or something like that) was really good.
We also went to the Peppermill for lunch and it was quality. We had the most unintentionally funny waitress but she was great.
We had the worst service at that Smith and Wollensky's steakhouse. My friend and I both ordered our steaks medium rare and they came back almost well done. We complained to the waiter and he took the steak and brought it back saying, "This steak is cooked fine it's just the light that makes it seem overcooked." We told him he could keep the steak and left. The light must have also made it appear tasteless and dry.
We had a bunch of buffets but they mostly blended together.
joeqboo at 2:40PM on 03/31/09
Was dissapointed in Emeril's Delmonico Steak House. Was so psyched to go. and we ended up having a much better dinner (believe it or not) at the Renissance Hotel where we stayed.
Loved Loved Loved Mon Ami Gabi (Paris). Also Spago inside Caesars was good (but both of these have been years ago). But Mon Ami Gabi ranks in my Top 3 of fabulous dinning experiences. Part of that was the company I was with, but champagne and the BEST creme brulee and the Bellagio fountains certainly enhanced the experience.
TeriN at 9:33AM on 04/03/09
Off the strip (but not much) - Pieros - old world "mobster" Italian (they shot part of "Casino" here) - fantastic food and extensive wine list. We would go back to LV just to eat here.
Myabsurdlife at 4:31PM on 04/03/09
We went last August and went to The Grand Lux Cafe in the Venetian....pretty good! Also, Stripburger was great and there's a sushi place in the Fashion Show Mall that had good cheap rolls and great drinks....we went on Service Industry night and the specials were GREAT!
Nomiom at 6:11PM on 04/04/09
I've been in Vegas about 5 years and always struggle with where to take visitors. A few years ago a friend introduced me to Firefly, a great little tapas place not far from the strip and since then, I take everyone there. It's a great little local joint with a great menu and fun atmosphere. It's always very busy so reservations are definitely a must. I would also say that the spirit is lively and loud so be prepared. A must order are the pork empandas and blood orange mojitos.
As for places on the strip, I've had good luck at Mon Ami Gabi, BOA steakhouse (in Caesar's) and the Effiel Tower restaurant (in Paris). The Burger Bar at Mandalay Place is also worth a visit.
stuckinvegas at 3:03AM on 04/05/09
DH and I go to Vegas about twice a year and have strong feelings about the restaurant options.
We pretty much find the buffets to be a waste of time and money, with the one exception being the Sterling Bruch at Bally's. Definitely spendy for brunch at $50 plus tip per head, but the champagne is Moet, the lobsters are split and grilled (and you can have as many as you like -- and I can eat about four halves, no problem), the sturgeon caviar is immaculately presented, desserts are divine, and you will only need to eat once that day if you have a noon reservation.
Lotus of Siam is the best Thai food in the country. It is worth the cab ride to Commercial Plaza (ignore the somewhat sketchy surroundings). The "sour sausage appetizer" is one of my top dishes ever (up there with the French Laundry's "oysters and pearls", Joel Robuchon's potatoes, and lobster risotto at Le Cirque 2000). I also recommend the panang curry with crispy duck, khao soi, sweet and tangy crispy whole catfish (menu item 63 - make sure you have at least four people to be able to finish it or ask if they will substitute a small pompano for the catfish), and the stuffed chicken wings. The wine list is very reasonable and features Alsatian and Austrian Rieslings that pair perfectly with the food. Dinner for four, with wine,Thai iced coffee, and sticky rice with coconut ice cream and mango (but only if the mango is ripe) runs about $150 (which is dead cheap for Vegas). Reservations are a must for evenings, or you will have a one hour or longer wait.
The best dining bargain in Vegas is eating in the bar at Guy Savoy at Caesar's. While they recently have cheaped out a little bit (no more complimentary house sparkling water, no complimentary amuse bouches for bar patrons who dine and no take-home box of mini-toffees), you can get three small courses for $30 and taste the house's signature dishes, such as artichoke and truffle soup and oysters with "ice" gelee. We usually follow with the sumptuous dessert car ($25, but who's counting?). The surroundings are tres chic, the service is impeccable, and the complimentary chartreuse hard candies when you depart are an extra treat. If you have time, enjoy a drink on the outdoor balcony that overlooks the Strip.
I could go on and on about other favorites, but the short list would be:
- Enoteca San Marco at the Venetian, for pizzas, salume, and salted caramel gelato.
- B&B Ristorante at the Venetian, for goat cheese tortelloni with fennel pollen and sweetbreads with agridolce.
- L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon at the MGM, for the previously mentioned potatoes and the egg and mushroom "cocotte" (if it is on the menu).
- Olives at the Bellagio, for carpaccio and the excellent view.
- NobHill at the MGM, for the lobster pot pie and the "whole-fried" chicken (not an entire fried chicken, but an entire chicken that has been fried like a whole turkey and then served in thirds with truffle and mushroom macaroni and cheese).
- Spago at Caesar's, for the bread basket and the pasta of the day.
- Mesa Grill at Caesar's, for the goat cheese fundido (which cannot be recreated at home -- I have tried multiple times and failed completely) and the chicken and sweet potato hash.
- In-N-Out Burger (multiple locations to serve you), for a single, animal style.
- Bouchon Bakery at the Venetian, for pastry for the flight home.
I also have a few "not favorites":
- BLT Burger at the Mirage, recently opened and nothing new or different.
- Emeril's Fish House at the MGM, which was "upscaled" to eliminate the fun bar and casual vibe and now is spendy and not much different that several other Emeril establishments. Also, we were placed in the "cafe" to dine because we did not have reservations . . . but the entire place was over half empty both when we arrived and when we departed.
- Fix at the Bellagio, where the food was fine, but you have to eat in an environment where you cannot maintain a conversation due to noise and where people randomly wander about the dining space and stand with their behinds in your face (due to the very low chairs).
- Many of the national chains. While they may be perfectly serviceable, or even good in other places, in Vegas they tend to be bigger, louder, lacking in some signature items that you might want, and not as tasty, and you pay half again as much for the privilege. We have eaten at Joe's Stone Crab, Margaritaville, the Stage and others, and generally prefer other outposts of the same (Chicago for Joe's, New Orleans for Margaritaville, the original State in New York and so on). In our view, Mon Ami Gabi falls into this category; we prefer the Lincoln Park, Illinois location.
I expect there will be some new "favorites" before you go to Vegas again. Chowhound has active ongoing discussions on the recent openings (and closings) that may help you plan your next trip. Have a great time!
Mizbee at 4:19PM on 04/05/09
I recently went to Vegas and unless you want to spend insane amounts of money in expensive restaurants in hotels, the only place to eat is Dennys right on the strip. For breakfast every morning we went to a different buffet everyday. Then, we were full for most of the day and just drank all day.. However, when it came time for dinner, if we were losing that day, we had nowhere to eat but Dennys or Subway in O'Sheas.
For the picky eaters, there are chains, like California Pizza Kitchen, good old McDonalds, P.F. Changs, Outback Steakhouse, and others. Most of it is on the strip. There are only a few off the strip, over by the Rio.
Margaritaville is a must, especially for Jimmy Buffet fans. But, even for those that are not, it is a great experience. They have the volcano that erupts every half hour and they put on a little show with pirates on stilts. It is reasonably priced and the food is decent. But, like always, in a place like that you pay for atmosphere.
The only thing is, with anywhere you go, it is more crowded and crazy with drunks roaming through the tables, stumbling into your chairs, throwing their hands on the table when they can't balance themself. But, that is what you have to be prepared for when going to the drinking capital of the nation.
brandnew612 at 9:05PM on 04/05/09
LOVED the Burger Bar between the Luxor and the Mandalay Bay. Kobe Beef burger was falling apart while eating, it was so tender. If you can, grab a booth, rather than a table.
smee3469 at 6:29PM on 04/06/09