Author: LVA

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Mukgo Nolza

Excuse me? Mukgo Noiza is the name of a new restaurant in Chinatown. It’s a Korean phrase that means “eat and have fun.” The cuisine is described as Asian fusion. Hours are 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily.

The Food

The big selection of dishes includes karaage (Japanese-style fried chicken), ramen/wonton/udon soups, gyoza (Chinese dumplings), shishito peppers, seaweed salad, poke, stir fries, salt & pepper wings, fried tofu, kung pao dishes, and miso black cod. We tried garlic edamame ($7), pho tai ($17.95), and the house chow mein ($19.95).

All were excellent. Most impressive, though, was the pho. We try it everywhere and this is the best version we’ve had next to our favorite at Pho Vietnam—minimum cinnamon in the broth and beef served on the side as requested. The chow mein was loaded with beef, chicken, and shrimp.

The Price

As good as the food was, the prices were the main story. With a few exceptions, everything is under $20. But what makes this a play right now is that the restaurant is in a soft-opening phase and food is 30%-off. That’s a big discount. Our bill was $34.06.

The Verdict

We were surprised and impressed by Mukgo Nolza. It looks kinda cartoonish from the street and the name is somewhat intimidating (unless you know what it means), but it’s classy inside. The restaurant has just opened and there’s a lot of competition in Chinatown, so it has to be good, and it is, including the service. With such a vast menu, this is the kind of place that we’d typically go to more than once to try more things before reviewing, but that 30% discount is too good to sit on and we don’t know how long it will last. By the way, this is a karaoke joint in the evenings.

Yes, it was just one visit, but if future experiences are similar, this will be one of our top Chinatown recommendations.

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Cadence Crossing Burger Special

There’s not a whole lot to get excited about with the restaurant line-up of two at Las Vegas’ newest casino, Cadence Crossing. There’s the Tin Lizard Bar & Grill and Tacos Los Gauchos is the 24-hour restaurant. We were there for the special: a $5.99 cheeseburger & fries.

Tin Lizard

The burger is in Tin Lizard. It’s a sit-down room that’s connected to one of Cadence’s two bars, so you can eat inside or at the bar. We chose the bar, where the TVs are tuned to sports, and the beverage if free if you play a bit. The young female bartender was super friendly and quick to take the order (they’re all like that when a place has just opened). Tin Lizard serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

The Burger

The cheeseburger comes with tomato, lettuce, and onion and a stack of fries. It’s supposed to include a pickle, but ours didn’t. It’s advertised as a quarter-pounder, but that seemed like a stretch, and they don’t ask how you want it cooked, which means rare isn’t an option anyway. The toppings were fresh. The bartender brought condiments. No complaints for $5.99. You’re required to have a Boyd Rewards card.

The Verdict

So where did this $5.99 burger & fries idea come from? The Station Casinos deal, perhaps? Of course it did. So showing up second, you’d expect they’d either make it better or sell it for less. They did neither. The Stations burger is bigger and better for the same price. It’s also available in more places and 24/7, whereas Tin Lizard is open 7 to 9 p.m. weekdays and 10 p.m. weekends. That said, it’s definitely a good deal. If you’re checking out the newest place in town, grab one.

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Buffet Update – April 2026

Bellagio – The Buffet at Bellagio: We don’t see this change often. All buffet prices went down by $5-$15 with time changes as well. Weekday Brunch is Mon-Fri, 8 a.m.-2 p.m. for $44.99 instead of 8 a.m.-1 p.m. for $54.99. Weekend Brunch is Sat & Sun, 8 a.m.-2 p.m. for $49.99 instead of 8 a.m.-1 p.m. for $54.99. Seafood Dinner is now Sat only, 2 p.m.-8 p.m. for $69.99 instead of Sat & Sun, 1 p.m.-8 p.m. for $74.99. And Sunday Dinner is 2 p.m.-8 p.m. for$59.99.

Circus Circus – Circus Buffet: This week’s brunch buffet is Fri-Sun, 8 a.m.-12 p.m. for $29.95. Dinner’s Fri & Sat, 5 p.m.-10 p.m. for $34.95.

Rampart – Market Place Buffet: Prime Rib Dinner Buffet is Wed-Thurs & Sun instead of Fri & Sun. Still 3 p.m.-8 p.m. at the same price of $35.99. New Seafood Buffet Fri, 3 p.m.-8 p.m. for $55.99.

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Meal Deals in Laughlin

Researching these in advance, we knew where we were heading as soon as we blew into Laughlin for a late lunch: the Aquarius Cafe and the turkey value special. We sat down, the waiter arrived seconds later, we said, “Turkey special,” and he said, “Good choice.” When he delivered it minutes later, we couldn’t believe our eyes. See for yourselves.

That’s right: three thick slices of turkey breast off the bone, mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, fresh vegetables right out of the steamer, cranberry sauce, roll and butter, and a drink, all included, for — don’t fall off your chair — $6.99. Believe us when we say, this was better than a lot of Thanksgiving Day home-cooked meals we’ve had.

Aquarius puts out five coffee-shop specials every month. In December, they were a French toast platter for $3.99, country scramble and chicken tender sandwich $4.99, chili bread bowl $5.99, and the turkey. In January, they were three eggs, hashbrowns, toast for $3.99, two eggs, bacon/sausage, and pancakes $4.99, big burger and all you can eat spaghetti $6.99, and a pot roast dinner (which we imagine is like the turkey) $7.99.

On a return visit, just passing through on a drive to southern California, we tried the smashburger.

This was a little different experience, since it was a busy Saturday. The service was noticeably slower, though it seemed like everyone in the Cafe was ordering the burger. It wasn’t bad by any means (we opted out on the American cheese), but after the turkey dinner a couple of months earlier, our standards were very high.

April 1 through June 3, the specials include three pancakes, hash browns, two eggs, and a choice of bacon or sausage $5.99; 16-ounce bone-in ham steak served with two eggs, hash browns, and toast or biscuits and gravy, and drink $6.99; double smashburger with lettuce, American cheese, tomato, onion, and special sauce on a brioche bun, served with French fries, $6.99; and a breaded pork chop plate featuring two pork chops and country gravy with potatoes and vegetables, soup or salad, $7.99. We can’t begin to imagine going wrong with any of them at these prices.

The Aquarius Cafe is, to a certain extent, representative of meal deals all over Laughlin. At the Edgewater, Stockman’s Steakhouse when we were there had on offer burgers, chops, chicken parm, and barbecue chicken and shrimp with AYCE soup or salad for $14-$16. The Tropicana’s Carnegie Cafe was advertising buy one meal and get the second for $1.

And speaking of the Carnegie, we tried the shrimp cocktail there.

These were smallish fresh-water Bay shrimp in the cocktail glass, with a lemon wedge, plenty of sauce, very little filler, and a package of crackers. There were probably 150 shrimp and we kept eating and eating to get to the bottom of glass. For $2.95, we were more than satisfied.

In other posts, we’ll discuss the many snack bars of Laughlin and the excellent prices on meals that aren’t on special, just right off the menus. All in all, Laughlin is a bargain-eaters dream, the way Las Vegas used to be.

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Broken Yolk

The Broken Yolk Cafe, as the name describes, is a breakfast-restaurant chain with roots that date back to 1979 in San Diego. Today, the brand has 40 locations, mostly in southern California, along with Arizona, Texas, and Las Vegas. Here, it’s now up to five cafes; the first opened in Town Square in 2019, so it’s expanded rapidly around the valley.

With good reason. The chain has received numerous “best-breakfast” awards and was named 2025’s “Top Breakfast Franchise” by Franchise Times. Broken Yolk is popular with locals and southern Californians for its breakfasts and Tex-Mex cuisine. It’s known especially for eggs Benedict, epic portions, fresh ingredients, good service, and not unreasonable prices. We went to the one downtown on Las Vegas Blvd. and E. Carson St., caddy-corner from the big red Fremont Street Experience parking garage, and the place definitely lives up to its rep.

The menu is as big as the food itself. Breakfasts include seven Benedicts ($16-$22), four skillets ($17-$18), a couple of huevos, along with machaca and chilaquiles ($15-$19), a whole page of eggs and omelets, plus pancakes, waffles, French toast, smoothies, and coffees. For lunch, Broken Yolk offers burgers ($17-$19), soup and salad, and sandwiches, such as the BLT ($13) and chicken Caesar wrap ($17).

There’s also a full bar, serving four Bloody Marys ($13), the usual brunch libations, and beer ($8).

When we were there between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. on a recent Saturday, the place was packed and looking around, we noted that the Benedicts, huevos, and burgers predominated. We tried the smoked salmon and south-of-the-border Benedicts. We were uncertain about the latter — sweet corn cakes topped with carne asada, jalapeno, the two poached eggs, and house-made poblano sauce — but it didn’t disappoint.

The smoked salmon was especially tasty, with capers, arugula, fresh dill, and plenty of luscious hollandaise. The hash browns filled half the Border Benedict plate; we opted for half home fries and half fruit cup, which was a good choice, as they didn’t scrimp on the potatoes. Bring an appetite!

Our bill, with the Bloody Mary, two Benedicts, and tax, came to $63. Not a bargain by any means, but we will say this: It was breakfast and lunch and we didn’t need much dinner.

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Blue Orchid Thai Kitchen


One cannot live on Lotus of Siam alone.

Lotus is definitely the best Thai restaurant and one of the best restaurants, period, in Las Vegas and beyond, but it can be a tough reservation, it’s always something of a madhouse, and we’ve been waiting for the original location in the Commercial Center to reopen for nearly 10 years and the new venue in Henderson for nearly three, so we look for alternatives. When Blue Orchid opened earlier this year on Las Vegas Blvd. at Cactus Ave. across from South Point, we thought it might fill the bill.

Blue Orchid is the third Las Vegas restaurant from the Cheung family, which opened the first Pin Kaow Thai restaurant 25 years ago on North Rainbow; the second is on Eastern Ave. south of the Beltway. In fact, in 2023, we wrote about it after a brief visit: “We may finally have found a challenger for Lotus of Siam in the Thai restaurant Pin Kaow. We’ve been hearing about it for a long time and our first taste was exceptional.”

So was our first taste of Blue Orchid and its innovative take on classic Thai dishes. Our go-to for quality Thai is always tom yum ($32 for two), prepared tableside with the base broth, all the bowls of fresh ingredients including the shrimp we ordered, and the portable burner. The process was impeccable and the result, well, exquisite would be an understatement.

Our number-two tryout is larb (pronounced “laab,” $18), a Laotian minced-meat salad that’s popular in northeastern Thailand. We’ve had it with pork, chicken, beef, even duck, but we’d never seen a shrimp ceviche larb on a Thai menu. Since we’re ceviche fanatics, we had to try it; in fact, it was what got us interested in Blue Orchid in the first place. It was fine, though nothing like we expected, and we won’t order it again.

Not so for the tamarind sticky ribs ($16), no sir! The next time we want ribs of any kind, we’ll make the drive down to Blue Orchid.

In fact, this is the quality of restaurant to which you want to return again and again to sample everything the fantastic kitchen dishes up. It’s not Lotus, but it comes close enough for our taste.

Our bill came with tax came to $80.

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Riverside Laughlin Buffet

The venerable Riverside has the only buffet in Laughlin and for a joint that’s the main action in town and has everything else you can imagine, it’s a perfect fit. Like many restaurants in this river destination, the big picture windows look right out on the Colorado, so it’s a bright and airy space that holds plenty of buffet-goers.

Brunch runs 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.; dinner starts at 3:30 p.m. and ends at 8:30 Sun.-Thurs. and 9:30 Fri. and Saturday. We eyeballed dinner, then came back the next morning to try the brunch buffet.

Brunch and dinner have the same salad bars, cold cuts, and desserts, with similar Mexican and American stations. Of course, brunch comes with the breakfast choices: scrambled eggs, omelets, bacon, sausage, potatoes, blueberry pancakes, French toast, and the like. Dinner adds Italian, Chinese, and carving (roast beef, ham) stations.

The above photos show breakfast and brunch: Denver scramble, ham, bacon, and melon versus a barbecue pork rib, pulled pork, beef stroganoff, cod, and vegetables.

The whole thing reminded us of the Excalibur buffet in terms of quantity and quality, though at 40%-50% of the price. Brunch here is $17.99 and Sunday champagne $26.99; dinner $23.99, Friday seafood $35.99. By comparison, Excalibur’s brunch is $32.99, $38.99 on Friday, and $43.99 for the weekend mimosa.

Frankly, we’ll take the Riverside minus $8-$15. Oh, and parking is free and convenient at the Riverside; at Excalibur, that adds another $20-$25 to the buffet tab.

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Solamente Pizza


The first time we heard of this place was when Tasting Table rated it the Best Pizza in Nevada in 2025. That got our attention. Then it won the 2025 Vegas Pizza Wars, a community event where local food enthusiasts visit and judge 15 pizzerias. That propelled us out to W. Sahara (just east of Durango) to try the acclaimed pie — and it was every bit as good as the accolades would have you — and us — believe.

Solamente is the labor of love of a full-time Vegas special-ed teacher who developed a special crust, started his business as a pop-up at the Vegas Test Kitchen during the pandemic, and opened this restaurant in September 2023. Within a couple of years, it was winning awards.

The secret is naturally leavened high-hydration sourdough, fermented for at least two days before becoming a crust; this dough, with its high percentage of water to flour (as high as 85%), requires stretching and folding rather than kneading and results in thin, crisp, and sour, which was some of the best we’ve ever tasted — light, soft, puffy, chewy, and crisp. It’s hard to explain, but you’ll know it when you devour it. It’s no accident that Solamente’s slogan is “Trust in Crust.”

This place means business: extensive open kitchen, two big ovens, pizza boxes stacked everywhere. Our 16-inch pepperoni hit the table maybe 30 seconds out of the oven. Made with flour and tomato sauce imported from Italy, everything — pepperoni, sauce, cheese, extra virgin olive oil — was top notch. Tasting Table called the authentic artisanal Neapolitan-style pizza “flawless and phenomenal” and that’s no exaggeration.

The 16-inch pizzas start at $14 for the cheese and rise to $25 for the prosciutto-arugula. Our pepperoni was $20 and with a cream soda, the bill with tax before tip came to $26. Well worth it.

Solamente also serves sandwiches ($16-$17), calzones ($17-$21), side salads ($5), and canolis ($3-$5), tiramisu ($8), and a dessert pizza (sweet stuff on the crust, $14). We’ll be back soon to try all of them.

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Buffet Update – March 2026

Circus Circus – Circus Buffet: This weekend’s Breakfast Brunch is Sat & Sun, 8 a.m.-12 p.m. for $29.95 and there is no dinner buffet.

Rampart – Market Place Buffet: All buffet prices went up by $1-$2. Lunch Mon-Fri, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. is now $24.99. Champagne Brunch Sat & Sun, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. is now $36.99. Dinner Fri-Tue, starts one hour earlier 3 p.m.-8 p.m. is now $35.99. They are offering 2 for 1 Buffet on March 3, 10 & 24 for Rampart Rewards Members. Click the link here to read more details.