Las Vegas Restaurant Tips by PinkFloydActuary

Hash House A-Go-Go: A go-go here for breakfast (or dinner)

Hash House is a place that I've heard about in Vegas for a short time now, and since they've recently expanded onto the strip (Imperial Palace) and M Casino, there was a new opportunity for us to try something different. We checked out the menu early in the week and decided that this was worth a shot, so we got up early one morning and beat the crowd there (there was a good sized line by the time we left.) Our server was extremely friendly, very good natured in some of the reaction to what we discussed with her, and was willing to make recommendations. Food arrived quickly and looked great. I went with fresh squeezed tangerine juice (Great!) and a farm scramble with bacon, onions, and swiss cheese. This comes with a side of hash. All the food was done very well, and I hungrily ate it down. Prices are a little on the high side vs. other options in town, but we didn't have too many regrets - a great experience!

Update: tried this place for dinner. The amount of food is ridiculous. I tried the meatloaf sandwich, which was a one pound slab of meat with a huge dish of potatoes. The prices are very reasonable for dinner, and the food is good - but it's just way too much!

Favorite Dish: My brother ordered "bacon waffles", which as you can guess, are waffles with bacon baked in. As you can tell, this is not a health food restaurant!

Address: Inside the Imperial Palace

Comparison: about average

Price: US$11-20

Rating: 4

Theme: Breakfast

Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville: Wasted away again

We landed on this place for lunch, since we were in the neighborhood. Seating in the main restaurant was packed, but we happened to get a table on the upstairs balcony right as it opened, so we were seated right away. (By the time we left, it was an hour wait to get outside.) On a beautiful day, outside is the way to go, as you can watch the action on the strip.

Margaritaville has several outlets through the country, so this isn't terribly unique. The menu has your standard burgers and sandwiches, but expands beyond that to a fairly wide range of options. There are loads of specialty drinks. The beer menu is fairly dull, and very expensive.

I ended up landing on the Cuban sandwich and a side of onion rings. The rings were huge, the sandwich was pretty good - the atmosphere is fun...but it just is too...touristy. There are so many options on the strip, and Margaritaville is OK, but unfortunately overpriced for what you get. It's the kind of place that I'll go to if everyone else wants to, but I won't be suggesting it.

Comparison: more expensive than average

Directions: Flamingo/Margaritaville Casino

Price: US$21-30

Rating: 3

Theme: American

KGB: The latest gourmet burger

Located in Harrah's is the latest restaurant taking a crack at the burger - Kerry Simon's KGB. We went here on a Tuesday evening, a little later in the evening, and our party of four was seated promptly. The decor is brick and iron, there are a couple of large TV's in the dining room (tuned to ESPN when we were there.) You don't see much traffic from the casino in the main dining area. The waitress was very friendly - she got our orders, and the food arrived promptly.

The beer selection is a little skimpy, and they were out of a few types when we were there.

Favorite Dish: The menu focus is, of course, burgers. There are about 15 specialty burgers, and there also is the option to build your own with a plethora of topping choices. I went with a southwestern burger: avocado, cilantro, lime-marinated peppers and onions, pico de gallo, pepper jack cheese, and an avocado crème fraîche. VERY good burger - done to the proper wellness. The flavors complemented each other very well. All of us tried different burgers, and we all liked what we got.

I also went with sweet potato tots subbed for fries on the side. Also excellent, but the portion is huge! If more than one person is interested in this, I would suggest splitting them, because you get a ton.

A great option for a gourmet burger

Comparison: about average

Directions: Harrah's casino

Price: US$21-30

Rating: 5

Theme: American

Grand Cafe: Way down Red Rock Way...

Ah, the staple that is the Las Vegas Coffee Shop. We hit Red Rock late in the afternoon, and decided to just head over here for lunch. Because it was later, the restaurant was on the emptier side, so we were seated quickly, and the waiter was quite attentive. Like most of the 24 hour cafes in town, the menu offers you many options. Having not had much for food that day, my eyes got bigger than my stomach, and I went with a Caesar Salad, followed by a prime rib dip that came with a side of fries. The salad arrived quickly, and I devoured it just as fast. The sandwich was large, full of really delicious prime rib. By the end, I had to pull the meat out and just work on it, because it was all just too much food.

Really happy with the choices I made here - this is a good option if you are out at Red Rock.

Address: Red Rock Casino

Comparison: about average

Price: US$11-20

Rating: 4

Theme: Diner

Carnegie Deli: Huge freakin sandwiches

We were in Vegas during restaurant week, and were right next door to the Mirage, home of the Carnegie Deli. We had attempted to eat here a few years ago, but bailed after seeing the prices. With the deals from the Restaurant Week, we wanted to give it another go. We were seated quickly, and we had one of the friendliest waitresses I've had in Vegas. She was very chatty, and pointed us to the Restaurant week deal as something really great. We went with the half sandwich of the "Woody Allen" (corned beef and pastrami) - spectacular! We also got a potato pancake and a slice of cheesecake for dessert - all for $20. The food arrived quickly, and we could barely finish anything - this is a ton of food (and now we know why the regular prices are so high.) Those who love a good sandwich should definitely put the Carnegie Deli on their list.

Comparison: more expensive than average

Price: US$21-30

Rating: 4

Theme: Deli

Secret Pizza at Cosmo: World's worst kept secret

So one of the buzzes surrounding the launching of the Cosmopolitan was that they have a great little hole in the wall pizza place that isn't on the maps and serves the best pizza in town. Hailing from Chicago, I can be a bit of a pizza snob, but also I am a huge pizza lover, so we needed to check it out. We followed some online directions to find the entrance hallway covered in horrible (in a good way) LP album covers, and came around the corner to the small counter, where you can see what they are making that day. A slice and a soda run you around $5.

As for the pizza...well, it couldn't live up to the hype. I went with a slice of white pizza (no sauce, just oil and cheese). The crust was a little too crisp for my liking. Cheese was OK. Atmosphere is a lot of fun (you basically belly up to one of the counters and eat - no tables.)

Overall, this was nice for the experience. Pizza is just OK.

Address: Cosmopolitan Casino

Comparison: less expensive than average

Price: less than US$10

Rating: 3

Theme: Pizza

Wicked Spoon Buffet: New contender for best in Vegas

Maybe I'm overselling it, but for my money (and yes, it is a lot to dine at this buffet), this is one of the top buffets in town. We went for the brunch on a Tuesday lunch hour, and were seated pretty quickly. I was a little nervous because this is sold as a brunch, and I am more of a lunch person, but my fears were unfounded as there was a heavier slant to the traditional lunch offerings. For starters, you are offered a glass of champagne or a mimosa. The stations are a little more limited, but what lacks in quantity is more than made up for in quality. There was a salad bar, Asian station, Italian station, specialty salads, a huge carvery, and a Latin station. Highlights for me were the dishes on the Asian station, and a pasta/sausage dish.

This buffet is different, in that the dishes are often served in smaller dishes or little pots, which takes a little out of your hands regarding portion control. This might turn off a few people (especially those who like shrimp cocktails!)

The grand finale is a huge dessert bar, which had various chocolate covered strawberries, make your own strawberry shortcake, and an expansive gelato bar (I tried four flavors and they all were out of this world.)

Service is great - plates are cleared very quickly.

It's a little different of an experience, but it was right up my alley - very highly recommended.

Comparison: more expensive than average

Directions: Cosmopolitan Resort and Casino

Price: US$21-30

Rating: 5

Theme: Buffet

Spice Market Buffet: Another lunch time favorite Spice Market Buffet Review

Like the Bellagio, it's best to go here for lunch to avoid the brutal dinner prices. Several great stations - seafood, mexican, chinese. Not as exotic as the Bellagio, but many tasty dishes (as you would hope for the $16 lunch tab). Usually not much of a line to get in no matter what size party you have.

Note - check out the slot club before you go. Last year, you got a pretty sweet deal (free lunch and $10 of play) for paying $20 to join the slot tournament.

2009 Update - the last two times I've been here, this has been a disappointment. The selections don't seem to have changed, but something seems off with the flavor. Reading other long time Spice Market fans opinions, I don't seem to be the only one who noticed something being off - dropping my rating as a result.

Favorite Dish: They had a delicious clam chowder - very tasty. I also think some of the Chinese dishes are quite good here.

Address: Planet Hollywood Hotel & Casino

Comparison: most expensive

Directions: Mid Strip

Price: US$11-20

Rating: 3

Theme: Buffet

Sage: Good stuff at Aria

Our other business meal of the trip took us to Sage, where we dined on a three course meal. While waiting to gather, we met in the bar area, where the bartenders were friendly and attentive. The atmosphere is a little louder at Sage, but the lighting makes the mood right. For an appetizer, I tried the Yellowtail Crudo, not knowing that "crudo" is another word for raw :) A little too fishy for me. One of the guest at dinner made the same mistake, and the waiters asked if he'd rather try another appetizer - he went with a beet salad, which is where I should have gone! For dinner, I went with the Braised short ribs, they were tender and melted in my mouth - a great option. For dessert, we made up for the night before with a Honeycrisp apple cheesecake...yes, that is as good as it sounds. Overall, I stumbled with my opening choice, but the other courses more than made up for it.

Address: Aria Hotel

Comparison: most expensive

Price: US$41 and up

Rating: 4

Theme: American

Jean Georges Steakhouse: Aria Steakhouse

I rarely get to go to the nice places, but on a business trip, the opportunities arise. And so I found myself at Jean Georges. We were seated quickly in a nice spot in the restaurant where we weren't crowded by others, and had the full attention of several waiters. They were always there to make sure the drinks (and anything else) were taken care of. Ambiance is nice - the restaurant is quiet and a little dark. Now to the meal. We started with a chilled seafood platter for an appetizer. Lots of great stuff - shrimp, crab legs, oysters, and clams. For dinner, I went with the Chilean Sea Bass and the mozzarella and tomato salad. For sides, the table ordered the roasted asparagus, lobster mashed potatoes, and the special of the evening, seared Brussels Sprouts. Everything was fantastic, although the Lobster mashed potatoes had a strange texture to them - almost a little too runny. The salad and sea bass were both out of this world. For dessert, there were a few items that were shared. I had a cheesecake with sour cherry sorbet. The sorbet was fabulous, but I found the cheesecake to be a little flavorless. The general comments on the desserts were towards the negative, but overall it was hard to drag down the overall opinion of the meal.

Address: Aria Hotel

Comparison: most expensive

Price: US$41 and up

Rating: 4

Theme: Steakhouse