Category: Las Vegas Advisor

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Lotus of Siam (Happy Hour)

When forming a top ten list of all the restaurants in Las Vegas, including the best in the casinos, Lotus of Siam is a favorite to be on it. At one point the original in Commercial Center was named by one top critic as the best Thai restaurant in America. We’ve always felt that the praise was justified. If you’ve read LVA for a while, you know that we rarely run out to try something new. But after reporting on the Lotus happy hour last month, we made it a point to try it for this issue. Note that this is the Lotus on E. Flamingo, across from Silver Sevens, The original remains closed, though they still say it will reopen. We don’t put the casino location at Red Rock in the same category as the non-casino restuarants, since it isn’t overseen by James Beard Award winning chef and founder Saipin Chutima.

The Deal

The happy hour runs Mon.-Fri. from 3 to 5 p.m. in the bar area, with $4 sake, $5 beer, $6 wine, $8 specialty cocktails, and $7 small plates.

The Food

We wondered about the food selection. Lotus has a vast menu, so what would they choose. Was it possible the famous appetizer nam khao tod would be on the list? Amazingly, it is, though it’s called crispy rice lettuce wrap. Another of our favorites, khao soi, a Thai version of steak tartare is also on the menu as steak tartare cups. Also offered: calamari, papaya salad, satay, and garlic tofu. All are priced at $7, and the portions are good. Honestly, it’s not quite the same as getting the larger portions that you prepare yourself, but they’re representative for sure.

The Drinks

You can order the sake hot or cold and it’s a heck of a deal for $4. However, the star of the show was the White Lotus cocktail, a smooth mix of bourbon, lime, peach schnapps, passion fruit, and aquafaba.

Ambiance

Nothing will ever match the original, but the Flamingo location is clean and comfortable. Friendly and helpful bartenders. A good HH setting.

The Verdict

This is a top notch happy hour that pretty much met our high expectations. There were only a few other people at the bar, which was surprising, but maybe the word’s not out. At these prices you can get your drink on in the process. Be sure to try the crispy rice lettuce wrap and the tartare. Our bill for two was $49.

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5 Great Oyster Happy Hours

Oyster happy hours Las Vegas

You can find them year-round, but oyster “season” is currently in full swing – and will be through April. And while they can be pricey, Las Vegas still has some great deals on the little mollusks, many of which are limited to Happy Hour menus. They shuck, and you suck – but at least the bill won’t.

Basilico (6111 S. Buffalo Drive) – This Italian restaurant located within the Southwest Valley’s Evora apartment complex has a great Happy Hour, seven days a week from 4 to 6 p.m. But Wednesdays are special, because that’s the day they add $1 oysters. There’s a 6-oyster minimum on the deal, which will still leave enough room in your belly for the salads, pastas, flatbreads, beer, wine and cocktails of the everyday Happy Hour menu, all of which are priced between $5 and $10.

Palate (The Arts District) – A sister restaurant to Basilico (above), Palate also offers $1 oysters every Wednesday, as an addition to their usual Happy Hour menu, which is available Wednesdays through Fridays from 3:00 to 6:00 and Saturdays from 4:00 to 6:00. Other deals include $5 beer, $8 wine, $9 cocktails, and small bites from Chef Sterling Buckley from $7 to $10.

Proper Bar at Proper Eats (Aria) – Proper Bar, adjacent to Aria’s Proper Eats Food Hall, is the only part of the food hall that offers a Happy Hour promotion, and it’s a good one if you like Oysters: Blue Point oysters for $2 each and specialty oyster enhanced cocktails from $9 to $16 each. Try the Mezcal Kicker (Fresh Blue Point Oyster, Mezcal, Grapefruit Juice, Lime Juice, Agave Nectar, Jalapeño, Sea Salt) or keep it simple with a half-dozen oysters for $2 bucks-a-shuck. You can take advantage of the Oyster Happy Hour promotion every Monday through Friday from 4 to 6 p.m.

Momofuku (Cosmopolitan) –Celebrity Chef David Chang’s Cosmopolitan flagship is known for combining Korean, Japanese and American influences with signature dishes like bao buns, ramen and a large-format roasted duck. From 3 to 5 p.m., seven days a week, their Social Hour Menu has ten items priced at $10 or less, including a half dozen
oysters for $10. You’ll also find draft beer for $8, Highballs for $10 and wine or sake for $12.

Sugarcane (Venetian/Palazzo) — Located on The Venetian/Palazzo Restaurant Row, just across from the Voltaire Theater, Sugarcane offers modern American food with global influences, with a heavy emphasis on their raw bar and sushi offerings. Their two weekday Happy Hours, which run from 3 to 6 p.m. and again from 10 p.m. to midnight every Sunday through Thursday, include a few Spanish dishes, but lean heavily into the seafood side of the menu. That includes Chef’s selection oysters for $2.50 each. Wash them down with one of four $7 craft beers, or a nice selection of cocktails and wine for $8 apiece.

Discover more oyster happy hours at Happy Hour Vegas.

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Wizard of Oz at Sphere

Like everyone else, I’d heard all the amazing things about Sphere over the last two years. I’d been wanting to experience it firsthand, but none of the bands that have played there so far have interested me enough to go and certainly not enough to pay Sphere prices to see them.

So I was excited when I realized that my next scheduled Vegas trip was only a few weeks after Sphere’s debut of the remake of The Wizard of Oz. I grabbed tickets early and was glad I did; demand has only gotten stronger after all the word of mouth about the show.

Two caveats. This review contains spoilers and is from the perspective of someone who hadn’t yet experienced the largest screen on Earth. If you’ve already seen a concert or movie there, some of this will be old territory for you.

I went to a 10 a.m. show and arrived a little before 9. There were plenty of kids and families at that hour and a handful of people (kids and adults alike) were dressed up in character; Sphere is encouraging people to don Oz costumes for their Halloween-weekend screenings. Doors opened between 9 and 9:15 and entry/security checkpoints went more smoothly than I expected. You don’t need to arrive as early as I did, but do give yourself some extra time. Merchandise lines are long and there are a few fun things to see in the lobby.

My seat was in Section 307, row 11, which was ideal: dead center and not too high up. I would have had a better view from one of the lower rows of my section, but I wouldn’t have wanted to be in the 200s; in the rear rows of the 200s, your view is partially blocked by the overhang from the 300 sections.

You have to climb down some very steep stairs from the concourse to the 300-level seats; if you’re prone to veritgo or dizziness, keep your head down, focus on the stairs, and wait to look around the theater until you’re in place. And no one, vertigo or not, should navigate the stairs without hanging onto the handrail for dear life.

The show itself was absolutely amazing all around. You felt like you were inside the movie. The best comparison I can make is that it’s like riding Soarin’ at Disney World for an hour-plus. At certain points, you feel like the theater is actually moving (it’s not, but again, if you’re prone to vertigo, maybe close your eyes for a few seconds during these sequences). The film is so high def that you can count individual pieces of straw during the Scarecrow’s scenes. The sound is impressive (though I did spot some minor lip-sync issues in one or two spots — barely noticable and not surprising, considering all the work they did to transform the original film).

And the effects … man! I can’t overstate how impressive they are. There’s not a lot of Disney/Vegas crossover in general, but this really was Disney-level Imagineering, like you’d get on a ride such as Remy or Rise of the Resistance: Apples fall from the sky during the forest scene, actual flying monkeys in the theater supplement the ones on screen, and the tornado scene causes the audience to break into spontaneous applause. I won’t completely spoil it for you. Suffice it to say, you’ll be very impressed.

Runtime is 75 minutes (the movie has been edited down slightly, though what’s missing isn’t particularly discernible), but budget some time to take in the post-show theatrics in the lobby.

Tickets are expensive (and dynamic — check the website for your preferred show and seat location), but I paid $150 to a company owned by someone I find distasteful to see a movie I own on video and definitely felt it was worth it.

Sphere’s website claims to have strict no-bag and no-photo/video policies, but I saw both violated with abandon and no apparent consequences, but your mileage may vary.

If you’re on the fence about this, don’t be. The Wizard of Oz lives up to all the hype.

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Beso

At least three years ago, we had a review in the hopper for BG Bistro on Tropicana. Good salads, stuffed mushrooms, fish, and especially lamb chops. Then it moved to 4435 S. Buffalo and changed its name to Beso.

The Food

The cuisine is now described as “Mediterranean and Eastern European,” but the root nationality is Bulgarian. The selection is vast, including dishes such as cevapi (beef and pork in bread), mititei (sausage), and uviatch (stuffed pork). We haven’t tried them. These we have: blue cheese mushrooms ($15), chicken livers ($14), arugula salad ($14), and branzino ($35). Excellent. The salad selection is one of the best we’ve seen. Along with the arugula are Greek, shopska, and vitamin salad—beets, carrots, apple, and walnuts in a honey citrus dressing—among others, all $13-$17. The lamb chops are served with potatoes and vegetables for $28; you won’t find them this good at this price in many, if any, places.

We can’t list everything on the menu; check it out here.

Then there are daily white-paper specials, off of which we got this lamb shank for $14.

Breakfast

This is new. It starts at 8 a.m. and it’s a good option for a weekend brunch. We had a veggie omelet, salmon Benedict, and ham & cheese crepe. The whole thing came out to $53 and we took the crepes home.

Ambience

While BG Bistro was kinda down and dirty, with Eastern European expats hanging out at the patio tables, Beso is more refined. You can sit at the bar and start a conversation or get a table of your own. It’s comfortable.

The Verdict

This is a good restaurant with a lot of food choices. And as you can see from the examples or by clicking through to the menu, it’s very well priced. You have to travel about seven miles west from the Strip, but if you’re looking for something different and reasonable, this fills the bill. Did we mention those lamb chops?

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Burger Special (Ellis Island)

As Ellis Island moves closer to the conclusion of its expansion disruption, it continues to hatch new deals, including daily specials for $10.99 and graveyard specials for $4.99-$8.99. Most intriguing to us is a 24/7 burger & fries for $5.99. This is the Station Casinos deal that’s in the Top Ten. How do they match up?

The EI burger is outstanding, probably closer to a half-pound than a quarter. Dress it up with lettuce, tomato, pickle, and whatever additional condiments you want that are right there on the table. It comes with a heap of fries. Big meal.

The Steak Special

Since there were two of us, one tried the steak special that we’ve been getting a few complaints about. Here it is, and the photo doesn’t include the salad that comes with it. The steak was perfectly cooked and our carnivore traded his fries for our vegetarian’s steak. What could be better?

The Verdict

So which is better, EI or SC? We really do like the Station burger, but Ellis Island’s is better. Why, then, does Station remain in the Top Ten? The main reason is availability. Both are 24/7, but you can get the Station burger at several different places. And it’s a small point, but Station’s is a cheeseburger and cheese is a $1.25 upcharge at Ellis.

As for that steak special, we agree that you can get a better steak in SW at the Wynn. But you can get 10 steaks at Ellis Island, with the sides, for the same price? Sorry, but we’re discounting the dissenters on this one.

Ellis Island continues to rock. The bill for both meals was $17.32.

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Golden Gate Open Bar

In one of the more creative promos in some time, the Golden Gate offers an open bar every day from 6 to 7 p.m. They call it “The Night Starts Here” and it’s intended to ease the transition from live tables and dancing dealers to electronic table games. As such, the deal includes free-play for those new games. Here are the details.

Drinks

You can get beer, wine, and well drinks. No top-shelf pours, but beer in the bottle. We got a cold Bud.

Crowds

It’s been busy the two times we checked, but the promo is new and it remains to be seen if the crowds persist. The center bar goes from being crowded to suddenly having gaps where you can pop in to order a drink. While it would seem like an opportunity that the downtown “street people” might relish, there was none of that when we visited (possibly because of the next point).

ID

You must show ID to even get into the casino, at least during the promo. This now makes Golden Gate and Circa the only Las Vegas casinos that card customers at the door.

Wristbands

Once you’re inside, go to the players club booth to be processed. This entails showing your ID again and a Circa group players card (they’ll sign you up if you don’t have one). The wristband clears you to get the free drinks. You’ll also be given an envelope with a free-play voucher inside. If you’ve parked in the Golden Gate parking lot where you get two free hours with validation, you should get the ticket validated while you’re at the booth.

Free-Play

The amount of free-play reportedly varies between $5 and $1,000, but expect $5. That’s what we got. This is interesting, because the FP vouchers state that they can be redeemed at the cage (read the second sentence in the rules). They can’t. You have to play them and you have to do so before 7:14 pm (yes, 14 minutes) the same day. No problem, except ours wasn’t accepted by several of the new games on the floor. It worked at the bar.

Overall, this is a cool promotion. Credit is due the booth personnel, who work fast to process the line, which was steady, but not overwhelming during our observation. Get a few drinks and shoot your free-play for a good start to your evening.

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Buffet Update – October 2025

Circus Circus – Circus Buffet: This week’s Breakfast Buffet is Sat & Sun, 7 a.m.-2 p.m. for $32.95 and dinner’s Fri & Sat, 4:30 p.m.-10 p.m. for $34.95

Cosmopolitan – Wicked Spoon: No changes to the buffet. Local Wednesday is still offered for $38 with valid NV I.D. but no longer offers additional club discount.

South Point – Garden Buffet: All buffet prices went up by $1-$5. Breakfast Mon-Fri, 7 a.m.-10 a.m. including two bloody marys is now $19.95. Lunch Mon-Fri, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. is now $26.95. Prime Rib & Champagne Brunch Sat & Sun, 8 a.m.-3 p.m. including two mimosas is now $37.95. Prime Rib Dinner Sat-Thurs, 4 p.m.-9 p.m. is now $37.95 and Seafood Dinner on Fri, 3 p.m.-9 p.m. is now $57.95.

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Golden Gate — Before and After

LVA correspondent Michael B sent in these two photos, the first of the Golden Gate’s casino rammin’ and jammin’ with live table games and dancing dealers, the second, uh, without. He snapped the Before photo on Sunday evening after Derek Stevens’s speech commemorating the Golden Gate’s long history and announcing the new marketing campaign that includes free drinks every night from 6 to 7 p.m. (if you can get close to the bar) and generous free play for the machines. (He also noted that you can redeem your Golden Gate chips at the D and Circa and there’s “no rush” to do so.) The After photo was taken on Monday night after the joint was cleared out.

And yes, electronic table games will soon be installed, but, well … we leave it to you to draw your own conclusions about the direction (disappearing dealers) of the Golden Gate, Las Vegas, and the gambling biz.

Before

After

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Jack Binion’s Steak (Horseshoe Las Vegas)

Have you heard, Vegas has gotten expensive. Yeah, it has. And it’s almost never more obvious than in the latest/greatest gourmet steakhouses. Honestly, we don’t do these anymore, unless it’s an absolute must-review or it’s a comp. This was the latter.

The Prices

The least expensive steak on the menu is the 14-ounce NY strip for $90.99, although a 12-ounce prime rib is only $80.99. A wedge salad is $18.99. A side of creamed spinach is $19.99. A glass of house red is $20.99. A Heineken is $12.99. Sheesh. And what’s with this .99 business? Do they really think $90.99 looks better than $91?

The Food

It’s good, but shouldn’t it be? We did the “cheapo” NY Strip, a salad, and a couple sides. We’ve had better, and for $10 less per item. Actually, there was one standout: the “Bloody Mary Shaken & Stirred” wedge salad. Had to try it and darned if it didn’t taste like a Bloody Mary wedge.

The Verdict

Good enough, but too darned expensive. There’s just no way to recommend a $326 meal for two when it’s coming out of pocket. Heck, we could have walked to Ellis Island.