First time to Sin City approaching

At least the secondhand smoke is free.

 

See if you can get a decent rate at the Rio. It's pretty nice, especially for couples. It is off the strip, but you can easily get a cab to check out the strip if you want, and if you don't, the Rio's got all you need. Plus, the rooms are nice and the casino's not too smoky.

The Excalibur is OK, but you should be able to do better. Downtown has the cheap tables, unless you go to Imperial Palace or Sahara.

Deals in Las Vegas aren't what they once were--they're actually trying to make money on the rooms now. And in the unlikely event you find a 99-cent shrimp cocktail, avoid it like the plague, which it probably is.

 

Great timing for this gthread -- I'm doing a freelance story on some great off-the-strip vegas highlights...

nice!

 

The Excalibur isn't bad, but definitely spend the extra $20/night for the updated "flatscreen" room. Not for the TV -- but the bed. The beds in the old rooms in that place will kill you. Yeah, it's cheesy, and there are a few more kids around than you'd be used to in Vegas. But it's nicely located within an easy walk of the mid and south strip, and there are plenty of fast food options available for lunch.

I vouch for the Strat, the Peppermill, anything at the Bellagio and the cheap table limits at Slots-A-Fun and Bill's Gamblin Hall. Skip the gondolas at the Venetian. If you're going out, don't pay covers -- look for one of the dudes on the Strip offering free nightclub entry passes for a tip of $20 or so. He'll load you up with passes for Ghostbar or Moon (Palms), Body English (Hard Rock) and Pure (Ceasar's), which are must-do party spots. If you're going out, get there before midnight to avoid long lines, especially on Friday and Saturday nights. And be prepared to spend anywhere from $8-$13 on one drink.

 

Hugo's Cellar in the Four Queens basement. One of my all-time favorite restaurants. I go there every time I'm in town, usually once or twice a year.

If you like German food, I can heartily suggest the Hofbrauhaus at Paradise and Harmon, across the street from the Hard Rock. Great atmosphere and food. Plus, the valet can set you up with a limo and a case of beer for your tour of the, ahem, gentleman's nightspots. (From what I hear.)

Also can vouch for the Rio. Wonderful hotel, great rooms, excellent food -- the seafood buffet is ridiculous. But the gambling there is getting prohibitively expensive.

Then again, that's starting to be the case all over the Strip.

 

I'll add this: Food and drinks are expensive. Sure, you can get free watered-down versions if you velcro your ass to a chair in a casino, but your best bet is to stock your room's mini-fridge with your preference and grab one or two each time you head out the door to get you started.

Also, I had expected Vegas to have 24-hour food options. It doesn't. Many of the casinos have mall food court-type places, and they have regular mall hours. It took a lot of work to find food after 10 p.m.

 

Best restaurant: Emeril's Fish House, MGM
My favorite restaurant: China Grill, Mandalay Bay
Best buffet: Rio Seafood. These days, the Fish House and China Grill can be cheaper.
Best food no one knows about: Aloha! Inside the California Casino downtown. Best Hawaiian food I've had on the mainland.

 

Usually, the Strip hotels will have one 24-hour place -- most likely a coffee shop. The mall-food-court places are a lot more hit and miss. But one of the hotels I was at on my last trip (Green Valley Ranch, maybe?) had a 24-hour Fatburger.

I think the Grand Lux at the Venetian is 24H, and it's quite a place.

 

Emeril's is excellent.

Don't forget about the California's other main restaurants -- the Pasta Pirate (unbelievable, mostly non-Italian-style pastas and seafood for a great price) and the Redwood (steakhouse fare for not much money, either). Good gambling, too. I love the Cal, and I'm not even Hawaiian.

 

I'm not either. Friends are. And, of course, they have some kind magnetic pull that draws them there.
I've had a couple great craps runs there, so I don't mind.
(I like the Pasta Pirate quite a bit).
It's funny how you get attached. If I had my pick, I would chose China Grill. It's not the best. Not the most expensive. Just plain fantastic. Never disappointed.

 

Best fucking restaurant you can find in Vegas:
Triple George... downtown, off Fremont.

And if your staying on the Strip, DO NOT take a cab downtown, take the damn bus (The Deuce) for $2 each way.

I've stayed at the Imperial Palace my last two times out...mid-strip, inexpensive, part of Harrah's chain, walk to anywhere on the Strip, cheaper tables, cheesey entertainment, nice pool and as truly great car expo upstairs!

And hit the Paris buffet for $24.95 dinner... fucking awesome!

 

We're not going out til mid-late August.

The man speaks the truth.

Don't know if they still have the little piano bar up front, but it was really fun.

Being a car nut, I walked around that car expo with mega-wood. Very, very cool.