Quick Reviews

INDEX:

Bonito Michoacan (Breakfast) – Brewskes (Chaz’ Gumbo) – Composers Room ($1.99 Burger) – District One (Whole Squid) – Double Zero Pie & Bar – Downtown Grand (Tacos and Beer) – Eureka (Daily Special) – Fish With You (Sauerkraut Fish Soup) – Hard Hat (Comparison) – Hard Hat (Smash Burgers) – Hennessey’s (Bloody Mary) – Herbs & Rye – Jackson’s (Prime Rib Night) – Jackpot Bar (Steak and Eggs special) – Lawry’s – Mary’s Hash House (Breakfast) – Miller’s Bar in Detroit – Oscar’s Steakhouse (Bar) – Palms Buffet (Lobster Buffet Hack) – Pho Thanh (Lunch Special) – Roberto’s (Drive-Thru) – Roberto’s (Wednesdays) – Sammy’s (Player Promo) – Sapphire (MNF Buffet) – Skyline (Shrimp, Prime Rib, Ham & Eggs) – Stage Door – South Point (Hot Dog Cart) – Station Casinos ($1.99 Margarita) – Sumi Sushi – Tofu Hut (Korean) – Virgin (Kitchen Breakfast Buffet) – Westgate (VGK Special ) – Wildfire (Burger Deal)

Sumo Sushi AYCE

A third Las Vegas location of Sumo Sushi has opened in the strip mall at the corner of Decatur and Twain in the space that was formerly Jjanga. We’d heard good reviews about the other Sumos in random all-you-can-eat-sushi discussions, but had never tried it. There’s really not a lot that distinguishes one AYCE joint from another, and it often comes down to the vibe or just personal preference, but what does distinguish this one is the price: $19.95 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and 9 p.m. to midnight. It’s that later time slot that stands out.

The arrangement is the same as most AYCE’s, there’s tiered pricing with some premium choices restricted on the lowest tier. Unless you’re there for things like yellowtail collar and soft shell crab, you don’t need the upsell; almost all the nigiri sushi, rolls, grilled items, appetizers, soups, salads, and desserts come with the first-level price. Quality is AYCE good. The fish is cut in longer strips and comes with less rice, which we view as a good departure from the norm. The selection of crazy cut and hand rolls is large. We tried several and added a teriyaki beef bowl.

Another departure is there’s no seating at the bar, or at least there wasn’t when we were there. They claim to be waiting on a liquor license. As for that $19.95 price, we’re not sure how long it will last and we read an online comment saying it wasn’t honored on a weekend, so you should call ahead to confirm. It looks like the normal price is $28.95 for dinner, and our experience was good enough to pay that.

Kitchen Breakfast Buffet (Virgin)

Virgin Hotel has a buffet. It’s breakfast only, served daily from 6 a.m. to noon for $23.95 in Kitchen, the space that was Mr. Lucky’s when it was the Hard Rock. They opened the buffet quietly. So quietly, in fact, that we didn’t know it was there until a friend staying at Virgin tipped us off. Of course we checked it out immediately.

It’s a somewhat pedestrian spread, including scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, biscuits & gravy, potatoes, oatmeal, waffles, croissants, fruit, and a toaster for toast. No eggs Bendict, lox, or quiches. It’s probably not enough to justify the price for most, except for the saving grace, omelets-to-order with a heap of fixins to choose from. You can dig your money’s worth out with that.

It’s good enough, but the gouge is aggravating. The price was $21.95 when we went in early December, and by the time we posted this review it had already been raised to $23.95. Additionally, there’s a $3.95 “service charge” making the real price $27.90. Service charge for what? You’re seated when you walk in and someone picks up empty plates. That’s it. You get your own food and all the drinks are self-serve. Don’t hate the buffet, hate the playa. Come on Virgin.

Lawry’s

Lawry’s doesn’t change much. We reviewed it in 2015 and that 10-year-old review still paints a perfect picture, because … Lawry’s doesn’t change much. What does change, though, is the prices.

In 2015 the range went from $39 for the California cut to $61 for the beef-bowl double cut. That range is now $55 to $105 (and there’s now a Tokyo cut for $51). We had the $69 Lawry’s cut and the $105 beef-bowl double-cut. The beef-bowl is certainly bigger, but in our opinion not worth the extra cost, especially since these meals aren’t a la carte; they come with salad, mashed potatoes & gravy, and Yorkshire pudding.

It’s the same fun presentation, with the spinning salad bowl and the carving from the prime rib cart both conducted tableside. The cart ritual is impressive. It transports multiple whole roasts to your table, where the carver slices off your cut to both size and cooking specifications. It’s one of the best parts of the meal. Sides are surprisingly low priced, most in the $10 range, which was the price of a good sauteed spinach.

Our bill for two, was $248, but you can almost cut that in half by sticking with the less-expensive cuts, given that they come with the extras. Lawry’s is located on E. Flamingo Rd., across the street from Tuscany. 

Skyline (Shrimp, Prime Rib, Ham & Eggs)

We don’t get out to Skyline very often, so we tried a few things while we were there. The main reason for the visit, though, was to sample the shrimp cocktail. The Skyline shrimp cocktail first hit the Top Ten in March 2012. It was $1.49. Over the years the price has fluctuated—$1.99, $2.25, $2.95, $2.25, $1.50, $2.50, then $3.45 in 2023, and that’s when we said adios. Now the price is back to $2.50, so we gave it a try.

This is still a good one. It’s served at the bar or in the restaurant with cocktail sauce, lemon, and crackers. The shrimp are medium size with the tail on. We ordered two, and both had seven shrimp. It’s definitely a good deal, but is it worth the drive out to Boulder Highway? Probably not. Hence, while Skyline’s is recommended, we’re staying with Slots A Fun as the best deal on shrimp cocktail for 50¢ less and its convenient location on the Strip.

While there, we also tried the prime rib special and the ham & eggs. We’ve eaten many times at Skyline and it’s reliable, but both of these meals were better than we expected. The prime rib is $15.95, which borders on the best price for a bargain prime rib these days. It comes with choice of potato, including baked, and a roll. No salad. No vegetable. No problem. The prime rib portion is big enough to fill you up, along with the potato and the shrimp cocktail appetizer. It was cooked rare as requested. It’s not Lawry’s, but you can get four of them for the price of the Lawry’s cut with $5 to spare. The ham & eggs for $5.95 was also a winner, with two eggs, two slices of ham, hash browns, and biscuits & gravy. The total tally for prime rib, ham & eggs, and two shrimp cocktails was $28.73 after tax. Excellent service from personable waitresses to boot.

The prime rib is served daily 11 am to 10 pm, the ham & eggs all day. As a bonus, Skyline has good video poker schedules detailed here.

Stage Door is Back

One of Las Vegas’ best deals returns with the reopening of the Stage Door on Flamingo after the slot house had been closed for five months. Bucking the $10+ beer prices at the Strip casinos, Stage Door was a regular Top Ten selection for its $1 Budweiser in the bottle available 24/7. The question was, would they bring it back? And what about that $2 hot dog? Of course, we had to check it out.

The place looks just like it always did—two bars, TVs on the walls, adjacent convenience store, maybe a slightly cleaner look. That’s because the work done was on the innards: roof, plumbing, electrical. You still have to show ID at the door to get in. Fine. What about the beers and the dogs? Yep, it’s still $1 for Bud and Bud Light and the hot dogs are $2.17 after tax. The dog isn’t fancy, served wrapped in a napkin, but it’s big and it’s good. The condiments? Check out that collection behind the dog. You’re lookin’ at yellow mustard, Gulden’s mustard, ketchup, mayonnaise, relish, and the first chopped-onions packet we’ve ever seen.

So all is good? Yes, but only for a while, as it looks like the days of the $1 beers are numbered. We were told that they’d last only until the outside signage was changed and that the new deal woutd be $2 Heineken and Dos Equis. Not the worst trade ever. Note: Stage Door is also famous for its many deals on shots. With the pending changes, we figured we’d wait to see what shakes out there before listing them.

Roberto’s (Skip the Drive-Thru)

We’ve written about Roberto’s before (check the index), so we won’t go into how good the Wednesday taco deal is. Here we’ll simply explain why you don’t want to use the drive-thru at locations when it’s available. In this case were specifically referencing the Roberto’s at Arville and Spring Mountain.

For one, parking is ample and close to the door and service is fast inside, while sometimes cars line up for the window. But the most important reason is:

If you drive thru, you can’t access the condiments station. After ordering, help yourself to two good salsas and limes for your tacos or burritos, and also cucumbers, radishes, and marinated carrots to munch on while you wait. Baggies are provided to take out, and most do.

Oscar’s Steakhouse (Bar)

What can you do when you miss the free-parking deadline at the Plaza? A bite in the bar at Oscar’s will get you out.

True story. While expecting a quick in-and-out at Golden Gate across the street, we parked in the Plaza’s garage. You have to be careful with this play because the free-parking grace time is only 30 minutes. If you miss, it’s a flat $10 fee … unless the dreaded “event parking” is in place. We missed and you guessed it—event parking, $30 to get out. Now we had to validate. You can get validated a few ways at the Plaza, but putting $20 in a bar machine isn’t one of them. Eating at Oscar’s is. Good thing we were hungry.

You have to do the whole sit-down thing. You can eat at the bar and it’s kinda cool to boot, but it’s not cheap. We got a hamburger for $24 and a wedge salad for $16, split between two. Yes, a $24 burger is expensive, but this one is darned good.

So now the $30 parking fee had become $40, plus tax and tip. But that’s a better deal than pay-$30-and-go-get-lunch-somewhere-else, right? Oscar’s is pricey in general, but you can shave some off by going for happy hour daily from 5 to 7 p.m. for a plate of “No Nose’s meatballs” ($12) and $5 beers.

Back to the parking hack, in reality, you can just grab a beer at the bar and probably get validated at the hostess stand, but the best play is to get a drink at the Sand Dollar Downtown bar, where they also validate.

Herbs & Rye

Ask a local for a value-play for a steak dinner and Herbs & Rye will be on the list, if not at the top. We’ve eaten there for years, but it’s been a while, mostly because we discovered its sister restaurant, Cleaver. Both are excellent.

Steaks at H&R start at $41 for an 8-ounce flat iron. Or do they? You see, there’s a trick: Order the happy-hour items, which are discounted and include several steaks. For example, the 9-ounce filet listed at $64 is $35 on the HH deal, the 12-ounce New York strip for $56 is $29, and that $41 flat iron is just $24. When’s happy hour? The entire time the restaurant is open. So, yes, the price of the steak is really $24. Another good play is the double-cut pork chop, listed at $53, but actually $28. There’s a bit of a giveback on appetizers and sides, but you can navigate those. Two of us split a wedge salad ($17) and a garlic spinach side ($12) to get out for $90 before drinks.

A glass of grenache was $13 and a King Crispy pilsner out of Oregon is just $6. This place also makes a wicked Moscow mule.

The vibe is laid back local. Eat at a table or at the bar. Herbs & Rye is located at 3713 W. Sahara, about three miles west of the Strip. 

Tofu Hut (Korean)

We first tried Tofu Hut in 2008 and to this day it remains our favorite Korean restaurant in town. With a name like that, we might have never tried it, but we got the heads-up from a Korean friend who told us it was the best.

This is primarily an AYCE barbecue place, but the value is in the inexpensive entrées that come with the little appetizer bowls (banchan)—kimchi, radish, spinach, bean sprouts, mashed potatoes, pancake, cucumber; they change. If you finish one and want more, they’ll bring it. It’s a buffet of sorts. All Korean restaurants have this, but here it’s better than most.

The best play is the soup. There are several choices for $13.95.

It comes out boiling with a raw egg on the side to crack into it.

Talk about a late-night after-drinking play—or still drinking, they have Korean beers, soju, and makgeolli—no one will be hungry after this. Tofu Hut is located in Chinatown at 3920 Spring Mtn. Rd. and is open till midnight weekdays and 2 a.m. on weekends. Then they’re back at 8 a.m. for breakfast. Hangover soup, anyone?

Sapphire MNF Buffet

The big Monday Night Football parties are a thing of the past, with the exception of the Sapphire gentlemen’s club. Admission is $28 (after tax), but it comes with two drinks, raffles for swag throughout the games, and even $2 lap dances at halftime.

It’s a fun environment with the game playing on big screens and a big crowd in attendance. But the primary value is the buffet. On the day we were there the line-up was tri tip, two chicken dishes, pasta, two kinds of steamed vegetables, salad, and a charcuterie selection. There’s also the obligatory stadium food, including hot dogs and wings, and an assortment of desserts.

This buffet is better than many we’ve had at casinos in the past. It’s offered all game and you can refill as often as you like. Throw in the value of the drinks and this is a bargain play. BTW, if you don’t use the drink tickets you can give them to someone if you want. But by no means should you throw them away—there’s not expiration on the redemption period.

Chaz’ Gumbo (Brewskes)

Here’s another of our secret bar finds that we seek to make not-so-secret. Brewskes Bar & Grill is a local bar on the west side (3645 S. Durango Dr.) where you can get one of the best gumbos you’ll find in Las Vegas. It’s homemade daily by Chef Chaz from her secret recipe. It’s loaded with shrimp, sausage, chicken, and okra in a rich dark roux and served with rice.

This is a good one for $15 or get a cup for $7.50, and there are other Cajun dishes on the blackboard, plus a full menu of standard bar food.

Brewskes is another of our go-to bars with several of our favorite bartenders—Alicia, Amanda, Tabatha, and Lorina among them, and Chef Chaz is pretty cool, too. The kitchen is open daily from 9 a.m. to 1:45 a.m. For gambler’s, there’s a play $10-get-$10 sign-up bonus and a 200/20 deal Mondays through Thursdays.

Two Good Sips

You can pay $14 for a beer on the Strip or you can go the bargain routes that start with the $1 beer at Stage Door. That play is temporarily on hold with the Stage Door closed for repairs, but here are two excellent alternatives.

Way back when Station Casinos was promotion driven, they used to have 99¢ frozen margaritas available 24/7 at all their main bars. Someone went back into the playbook to bring this one back, albeit for a dollar more. But these days, that’s a heck of a bargain and good enough to snag the #10 spot in the TOP TEN. We didn’t think it would have much of a kick, but it does. It’s made with Sauza tequila and you can add another shot for $2. Even if they were lighter on the booze, these are about as refreshing as it gets with the thermometer still pushing 100. That’s two Station Casinos deals in the TOP TEN this month. We didn’t think it could happen with those guys, but give credit where credit is due.

The bloody Mary at Hennessey’s has always been one of our favorites. The thing comes with what looks like half a salad and, amazingly, is just $7.50. We get one (or two) whenever we’re downtown and have a minute. They’ll comp it if you’re gambling at the bar.

Sauerkraut Fish Soup (Fish With You)

We can guarantee that this won’t be for everyone. Fish With You is one of many restaurants in Chinatown’s Shanghai Plaza. It’s an international chain with more than 2,500 outlets worldwide, but unless you live in New York City or San Francisco, you probably won’t find one in your hometown.

The menu is soups and appetizers. There’s tomato fish soup, lemon fish soup, beef soup, and vegetable soup, but the Chinese sauerkraut soup, in multiple variations, is the specialty.

We went with the staple hot-oil sauerkraut fish that serves two for $29.95 (single servings are $17.95-$19.95). You get to pick some things that go into it, such as wood ears (a type of mushroom), but it’s pretty much just go with the flow. Check it out.

The white pieces are fish. We were told the fish was “Asian white fish” so possibly haddock or halibut. There were probably 20 good-sized chunks, maybe more. The red pieces are chiles. If you avoid them the heat factor isn’t high. Yes, the soup is sour tasting. The fish is good. Would we do it again? Yes. Would most non-Asians? Probably not (we were the only non-Asians in the place). Do we crave doing it again? No. But it’s a cool thing to have on your culinary resume. Hours are 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. seven days a week.

Another Burger Deal (Wildfires)

The Wildfires are owned by Station Casinos, which currently has the $5.99 cheeseburger & fries special that’s #4 in the TOP TEN. This deal might be better. The following report comes from Conrad Stanley.

“I just had this double cheeseburger special at the Wildfire on Valley View. The burger & fries are $7, 24/7, 365. It’s huge and the best burger I’ve had in a long time. Also, I parlayed it with a happy hour pint for just $2.50. All drinks and all beers are half off daily from 4 to 7 p.m. and 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. A nice feature is that all the draft beers are the same price regardless of whether they’re domestic, craft, or import. They currently offer Bud Light, Mich Ultra, Modelo, Stella, Estrella Jalisco, Kona Longboard, and Mango Cart from Golden Road Brewing. There are also some $5 happy hour bites.”

In a follow-up, Conrad compares Wildfire with the special at the Station casinos:

“If the Station burgers are 1/4 pound, the Wildfire patties have to be double, so a full half pound. The burger is so big it was difficult to get my mouth around it. To add a second patty to the casino burgers is an additional $2.99. making that burger $9. At all Wildfire locations (I’m not certain it’s at all locations, but I can’t imagine it’s not) it’s $7, plus you don’t get $2.50 premium drafts at the full casinos. I also tried the wing special, which is also $7. Includes wings (8), fries, carrots, celery, and ranch, and comes with a 16-ounce draft beer (I had a Modelo).”

Tacos and Beer (Downtown Grand)

We’ve been glossing over it, but the if you’re not a hot dog fan, the taco option at the Downtown Grand’s snack bar is a good one. The TOP TEN lists the this deal at #5:

Hot Dog/Beer * Downtown Grand * Daily * $3

However, you can substitute a taco for the dog. Here’s a look at the two of them side-by-side, both with the PBR that comes with either one.

The taco is huge, made with three soft tortillas loaded with shredded chicken and cheese. Top the taco with salsa, onions, and jalapenos from the condiments area and you have a meal.

Which is better? Depends on your preference, but either choice gets one of the best deals in Vegas. The snack bar is located off the main pit near the front doors and opens at 11 a.m.

Palms Lobster Buffet Hack

8/1/25 – How do you make a good thing better? By being creative. The following report comes from Conrad Stanley, who’s about as creative as it gets.

My Member Rewards coupon was approaching 30 days [after printing it out], so I went to the lobster buffet and brought my tools. Those lobster shears worked great opening that whole lobster and pulling out the entire tail intact within seconds. I didn’t eat 22 tails like last visit, I only did 15 cuz I also had shrimp, ahi tuna, crab, and lobster mac ‘n’ cheese, as well as ice cream, some pineapple dole whip, and a Cannolli! I got there at 7:15 with no reservation, waited in the overflow line for 15 to 20 minutes, and got in. By 8:30 there was no line at all. They cut the line off at 10 p.m. and start pulling food at 10:30, so getting there at 8:30 is more than enough time.

The main reason for running this review was to highlight Conrad’s “tools.” Talk about enhancing an already good situation. He bought the set for $8.95 on Amazon and it comes with a drawstring pouch that holds the four implements. Nice.

Double Zero Pie & Bar

8/1/25 – As you’ve read in this issue, Double Zero was again named to the list of best pizzas in the U.S.

We wrote a detailed review of Double Zero here, so we won’t rehash everything regarding the unique Tokyo-style cooking. But here’s an update on quality and pricing. We went for a pepperoni pizza ($23) and the Caesar salad ($15) that we dubbed best in Vegas on our first try.

Pizza excellent, Caesar almost as good as the first time. We also tried the meatballs ($17), which were nothing special and we don’t recommend. A Trummer Pilsner was just $5 during happy hour that runs from 9 p.m. to close.

Located in Chinatown on Spring Mtn. Rd., the place has a cool vibe. The only disappointment is they’ve replaced the distinctive oven that you can see in the previous review. We’re told it couldn’t handle high demand. We thought it was essential to the style, but we honestly couldn’t tell the difference from the first.

Hot Dog Cart (South Point)

8/1/25 – It’s been a while since this hot dog from the sports book cart at South Point has been in the Top Ten, as it’s been kept out by the dog & beer at Downtown Grand, not to mention that South Point snubs LVA at every turn. But snub or no snub, we give credit where credit’s due, and it’s certainly due here.

It’s the same good Vienna beef hot dog, sold from the cart daily from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., still $1.50. Top it off with choice of mustard, ketchup, relish, onions, and kraut. Limit of three per person.

The dogs are loaded, so you can grab a seat in the sports book to eat. Or, our play is to eat it over one of trash containers because something’s gonna fall out of the bun.

There’s usually a line, but the servers hustle. We really do hate to love South Point, but this is one of many things there that’s too good to ignore.

Bonito Michoacan (Breakfast)

One of many Las Vegas Mexican restaurants with Michoacan in the name, Bonito Michoacan is a good one that’s located close to our office at 3715 S. Decatur Boulevard. It’s always been a solid choice for lunch (several specials), dinner, or a good Margarita after hours, and now it’s added breakfast, served daily starting at 7 a.m.

When we checked it out we were the only ones in the place, but breakfast service is brand new, so it will take some time to build. Like the other meals, the breakfast selection is vast. We tried the huevos rancheros for $15 (see below) that was good, but needed something. Asking for hot sauce took care of that. Meeting with higher approval was a mole omelette for $16. The servings are big. Coffee is $3.95. Especially with the current light crowds, this is a good place for a breakfast meeting. We’ll be back to sample other selections.

Prime Rib Night (Jackson’s)

We’ve written about the prime rib at Jackson’s, one of Vegas’ long-running local bars at 6020 W. Flamingo Rd. just west of the Palms. Jackson’s has an excellent 24-hour kitchen that takes particular pride in its steak deals and LVA has a primo instacomp in the Member Rewards Book for the ribeye special. We like this place.

Jackson’s used to do prime rib once a week, but since the pandemic, it’s only on spaced out prime rib nights, and they run less than once a month. There’s one this month, though. On July 18, Jackson’s will serve its prime rib special all day until they run out. It’s a 16-ounce cut with choice of potato and a vegetable for $25. Dine in or take out.

This is consistently one of the best prime rib deals in town. They use this as a perk for their top customers, so the place will be busy, but they’ll get to you. Say hi to Jade behind the bar.

Eureka Daily Special

Eureka, the slot house on E. Sahara, is running a good combo dining/gambling special. Purchase the daily special in Fat Choy Mon.-Thurs. from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and get $10 in free-play. There’s a different special each day running from $10 for tacos on Tuesdays to $15 for ribs on Thursdays and they come with a soft drink, including four versions of lemonade.

We tried the tacos that come with a choice of chicken, pork belly, shrimp, or fish, three to an order, in any combination. They needed a bit of spicing up, but it’s a meal with a drink for about 50¢ considering the value of the free-play.  

You’ll need to have a players card, then take the receipt to the cage. Eureka has excellent video poker, as you can see here (scroll down to Eureka), though most of the best schedules are only on the floor.

If you’re there early, Fat Choy also has a good $7.99 steak & eggs special served every day from 8 to 11 a.m. We reviewed it here when it was $6. This restaurant has changed since it was opened by James Beard Award nominee Sheridan Su, who is no longer affiliated, but it’s still good and there’s a $9 hamburger that might be the best burger deal in town if you use your Member Rewards twofer. The MRB also has a play-$1,000-get-$25 bonus and Eureka has a $25 sign-up bonus for new club members.

Miller’s Bar and More from Detroit

Anthony went back to his hometown for a quick visit and dropped in on one of his favorite former haunts, Miller’s Bar in Dearborn. Here’s AC’s quick review.

Miller’s Bar on Michigan Avenue has been around since 1941. It’s always been known for its 7-ounce fresh ground round burgers, served with pickles and a thick slice of white onion on wax paper. This is the one I’ve used as a barometer to compare with other burgers and I’ve seen it on multiple best-burger lists, including one in the Wall Street Journal. Why more bars don’t adopt the formula I’ll never understand. The place has been sold since I was there and some of the touches are slightly different, but it’s still a classic for $10

Making things even better, I met up with my longtime buddy Gary Woronchak and his wife Vivian. Good times. Good burger.

Best of Detroit

Along with the Miller’s burger, if you find yourself in Detroit, AC recommends the following: One of the original Coney Islands (Lafayette, American, or Senate, though Vegas has an American Coney Island at the D, Kowalski lunch meats, and Sanders chocolates.

Roberto’s Wednesdays

We’ve referenced Roberto’s many times. There are dozens of them in Las Vegas and we’d rate their food above any Mexican take-out option in town. They’re open 24/7, so you can hit one anytime you get the urge. The major play, though, is chicken tacos on Wednesdays. They’re $1.59. Salsa and limes are free. Munch on free marinated carrots while you wait.  

Limit is 12 and they heat up well so order up.

Player Promo at Sammy’s

The best non-Member Rewards instacomp (it’s hard to beat our MRB deals at Crown & Anchor, Jackson’s, and Sporting Life Bar) outside of the casinos is at 6500 Tavern, the bar adjacent to Sammy’s Woodfire Pizza at 6500 W. Sahara, where everything on the menu is half-price for players. There’s no specified amount you have to play and no restrictions on what you can order. You have to eat there, but you can take out leftovers.

This is NY-style pizza and our go-to tomato Angel hair pasta for a total bill of $17. And, of course, the drinks are comped. Sign up for the players card and get a play-$20-get-$20 bonus.

Whole Squid at District One

This is one of our favorite return-to dishes. It’s the whole grilled squid at District One Kitchen (3400 S. Jones).

You can get it fried or grilled. Go with grilled and squeeze the lime over it. Mix in some of those red peppers if you have a decent heat tolerance. It’s $20, up from $14.99 in 2021, but will feed two and warms up well (or good cold) if you take out the leftovers. Everything is good here. We also had garlic serrano chicken wings ($16) and egg rolls ($13).

Pho tai here is $20, but the place is known for its lobster pho. When the restaurant debuted in 2014 it was $29.95. In 10/21 it was $60. Today it’s … wait for it … $78. Now that’s inflation.

Breakfast at Mary’s Hash House

There are dozens of breakfast spots outside of the casinos. Everyone has their favorite. This is ours; the go-to when we have friends in town or want to impress at a business breakfast. This is chicken hash with grits.

Except for the hash & eggs dishes now starting at $13.95, nothing of note has changed since our review in LVA 10/19. Hours are 8 am to 2 pm (closed Thursdays).

Hard Hat Comparison

See the review of the Hard Hat smashburger below. Here’s the single and the double side-by-side. As expressed, the single for $10 will be enough for most. The double is $12. 

We took a first-timer who commented, “This burger is legit!”

VGK Playoffs Special (Westgate)

Westgate has $1 chicken wings and $1 beer in the SuperBook for all Vegas Golden Knights games during the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The following report is from Conrad Stanley (no relation to the Lord Stanley). 

Overall, the deal at Westgate is pretty good. The $1 wings were crispy like I like them. They don’t include carrots or celery, but they do include a nice size sauce. I opted for ranch and when I picked up my order I asked for an extra and was obliged. Order and pick up the wings from Drafts Sports Bar & Grill in the SuperBook. The $1 beer is a draft from the sports bar bar. They’re small (10-ounce cups), but they pour to the rim. Being in the beer biz for years, if it’s a 12-ounce cup and there’s any foam/head at all, you’re getting 10 ounces of beer, if that, so no problem. This is a good deal in a great place to watch the games.

The VGK are on the verge of winning their first-round series against the Minnesota Wild, so this deal should be running for another set of games.

Pho Thanh (Lunch Special)

From Tim S.:

This place has a lunch special for $16. It’s any pho soup with all the fixings, two egg rolls and a drink. It was very good and generous portions.

My wife had pad thai and they gave to her for half price for lunch. The address is 5150 Spring Mountain.

If you eat pho in different places, you know that the recipes can vary quite a bit. We’d already sampled Pho Thanh before getting this suggestion and weren’t phans of the pho that has a sweeter broth and lots of white onions. But given that the going price for pho in Chinatown is about $16, the add-ons make this a deal for the price and we went back to try the special (note that we didn’t investigate the potential discount for other items).

There were problems from the start. The special isn’t advertised anywhere and the waitress didn’t volunteer the information. When we asked about it, she acknowledged that it was available. The soup came, but no egg rolls for 10 minutes. Our assessment of the pho didn’t change, and we’re not exactly sure what was in the egg rolls that had a mushy consistency. So the food wasn’t to our liking, but to each his own on taste (Tim S. liked it). When we went to the cashier, a man who appeared to be an owner or manager handed us a bill that charged for each item individually. When we said no, that it was supposed to be one price for all, he ran to the back shouting, then returned and adjusted the bill. Get it straight Pho Thanh people.

$1.99 Burger (The Composers Room)

We’ve been talking a lot about hamburgers lately, as we continue to search out and try every one we can find that’s $10 and under. Station has its $5.99er, which is tough to beat these days. But $1.99? No, this isn’t a slider. It’s a quarter-pounder with the works. The catch? It’s a gambler’s special, so you have to be playing a machine in the bar at TCR to get the $1.99 price (regularly $10). The deal is offered daily from midnight to 3 a.m. and noon to 3 p.m.

This is a legitimate burger, topped with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and pickles. It doesn’t come with anything on the side, but it doesn’t need to. It will fill you up.

Since you’re gambling, the drinks are free, so it’s really a burger and a beer (or whatever you drink) for $1.99, plus the expected loss from playing. The best game is 6/5 Bonus Poker (96.87%).

The Composers Room is the entertainment complex that’s been open for a year in Commercial Center at Maryland Pkwy. and Sahara. They’re trying hard there and have been able to make it a year where similar attempts have failed. There’s a lot to this place, which we’ll be reporting on in the future. For now, check out the deal while you take a look around both TCR and the iconic Commercial Center and the diverse restaurant line-up that’s soon to be augmented by the return of the original Lotus of Siam.

Smash Burgers at Hard Hat

The Hard Hat Lounge, located at 1675 Industrial behind The STRAT, has gone though several dining incarnations—Burg sandwiches, Detroit-style pizza, barbecue, even sushi for a minute. Now it’s smash burgers. The smashers come with cheese and are topped with pickles, chopped onions, and some kind of special sauce for $10. Your can make it a double for $2 more, but a single will be enough for most.

Maybe it should be called a slather burger — this is a messy meal. But these burgers are good and it’s a quick turn at the counter that’s open noon to 3 a.m. daily.

An extra bonus is the bar itself. Operating as a restaurant or bar since 1958, the Hard Hat is considered to be the oldest dive bar in Las Vegas and is famous for the giant mural (pictured below) that’s survived every redesign of the joint.

There’s a play-$20-get-$20 sign-up bonus, which means you can get a burger and beer and walk out with more money than you came in with.

Steak & Eggs Special (Jackpot Bar & Grill)

Jackpot (4485 S. Jones) has a pretty good kitchen, so we were expecting good things with the $8.88 steak & eggs special that’s regularly $12.99. It’s served daily from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. and again from 10 p.m. to midnight and comes with two eggs, the steak, and tater tots. Toast isn’t included, but we were told we could have a slice when we asked.

The steak is advertised as a 6-ounce top sirloin, but ours was bigger. Quantity isn’t a problem—this breakfast will fill you up—but the steak is sub-par and the breakfast overall is pretty much a snore. The Jackpot Burger ($15.49) is one of the best in town. The bar often has video poker bonuses a couple times a week, see the “Changes as They Happen” blog. There’s a play-$100-get-$20 sign-up bonus.