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This is a tough one, since we don’t have any dedicated corned beef aficionados on the staff, nor are we familiar with anyone who audits corned beef sandwiches around town (not even Anthony Curtis, believe it or not).
But we asked around anyway and got a few responses, most of which line up with Las Vegas’ better delis.
One staff member (who hails from New York) swears by the Stage Deli at the Forum Shops at Caesars. "Best New York deli west of the Hudson," he claims. He says the corned beef (and pastrami, etc.) sandwiches here are stacked four inches in the air; you should consider ordering a side of rye bread, then building three or four sandwiches out of the one you’re served. You get a variety of pickles and sour tomatoes on the table (Jewish chips and salsa). Other traditional dishes here include: kishke (and gravy), potato knish, kasha and varnishkes, matzoh-ball soup, gefilte fish, chopped liver, and bananas and sour cream.
The Carnegie Deli, also a transplant from New York (Times Square), at the Mirage serves the usual deli fare. Its corned beef sandwiches compare to the Stage’s, but this restaurant is tough: right in the middle of the casino, it’s crowded, hectic, and noisy. The Stage is a more pleasant and authentic experience.
Canter’s Deli at TI is a transplant from Los Angeles that gets mostly rave reviews from southern Californians. We haven’t eaten there, but we’ve heard that the corned beef and pastrami sandwiches are sky high, tender, and lean.
Another staffer recommends the corned beef sandwich at the sports book deli at Mandalay Bay with one word: "Yummy!"
Also in that neck of the Strip is the Backstage Deli at Luxor. This place has been around since Luxor opened, when it was called the Nile Deli, and we’ve always thought that it was more Vegas than Manhattan or Miami. They tout their "pretzel-bread" corned beef sandwich (which doesn’t sound too cool to us).
Two non-casino delis we’ve always liked are Weiss Restaurant Deli Bakery at 2744 N. Green Valley Pkwy. near E. Sunset, 702/454-0565 (formerly Samuel’s Deli); and Harry’s Bagelmania at 855 E. Twain (in a typical Vegas strip mall). Weiss is more of a full-service restaurant/deli and serves huge food, while Harry’s is in a smaller venue and concentrates a bit more on bagels and breakfasts. But they both have great sandwiches.
Admittedly, this is an abbreviated list, but at least it hits the highlights in the center of the action (and on the outskirts, in case you want to try a local corner). If anyone has opinions on great corned beef (or pastrami sandwiches) in Las Vegas, send ‘em in and we’ll post them as updates on this QoD.