Wicked Spoon is my favorite buffet, next to Bachannal but they're expensive as fuck. I love how they're portion controlled
I haven't been able to check out any yet but I hear good things from Banger Brewery and Ellis Island (apparently it's a pretty fun place for Karaoke)
We're actually just staying at a Super 8 a block off the strip, Caesars Palace adjacent. It's actually connected to Ellis Island so it's funny you mention that, they apparently have $2.25 pints so that's definitely where we're ending the night.
Agreed on downtown. It's a fairly cool bar scene. More and more places are charging covers, though. Gold Spike was the spot until they started doing that. Now that I work downtown, though, I don't go out much. Everyone loves Frozen Custard | Las Vegas, NV - Luv-it Frozen Custard on Oakey. You can shoot machine guns everywhere, but I think they charge a lot and you don't get to shoot much. There's a decent pizza spot in the Cosmo called Secret Pizza. "The pizzeria itself is located on the 3rd floor, down a hallway across from the escalators." Next to a seafood place I think? Overpriced, but it's Vegas. The Pinball Hall of Fame on Tropicana is pretty awesome. That probably isn't a thing that you can't do in other places, though. Ellis Island is owned by a sorta-friend's family. Ive had their beer at parties and it's good. I hear the place is cool, I've just never actually gone.
Everyone seems to hate the strip but I really love it, so I recommend you check it out. It's totally fake, but it's awesome that these huge, over the top, ridiculous buildings are out in the middle of the desert.
Fuck the strip and hang out on Fremont. Much cooler vibe and a ton of major reno has gone down in the last few years, so many of the previously dingy old casinos have gotten huge face lifts. Commonwealth and the Griffin are two of my favorite bars down there, and Banger Brewing is a relatively new craft beer bar in that same general area. Also, the Gold Spike (another casino on Fremont) has this great outdoor area that looks like someone's backyard, and it has life-size Jenga. Must do.
Ellis Island was my jam when I lived in Vegas. Super cheap beer and eats, and amazing/hilarious locals karaoke.
I'm going in July for four days! I've been there twice already, but it will be my wife, her sister, and my brother-in-law's first trip out there. I'm excited to show them around! I just love walking up and down the strip, I find it fascinating.
Everyone always says screw the strip but since I prob will be there for a good deal of my time what is recommended for a couple of tourists
I love the strip haha. Just walk up and down and go into the hotels/casinos. They're all so pretty! Some even have full blown malls I side of them (Planet Hollywood has Miracle Mile shops, Venetian has Grand Canal shops) and those are fun. Inside of Planet Hollywood there's a sandwich place called Earl of Sandwich and I love it!
Oooh nice I'm staying at planet hollywood! I plan on posing with everything that has britneys face on it but I figure I'll have to find other stuff to do in between all that lol
Oh nice! I really like it there, i'm sure you will too. In their casino they have some Britney themed slots and like video roulette tables haha, pretty cool.
Man I'm such a sucker for themed slots. The casino out here has a Friends slot and I haven't been since they installed it but I'm avoiding it cause I'll give it all my money lol
I stayed at the Excalibur and then the Monte Carlo the two times I went. Definitely liked the Monte Carlo better.
They're pretty cliche I guess, but as a life long Vegas resident the Bellagio fountains still impress me. They're great at night.
Yeah I second the Bellagio fountains. I stayed at the Bellagio in October and could see them out my window and they blew my mind every time. I really liked the off-strip area at the Linq. The Ghirardelli brownie sundae is great. The hoover dam is cool and it's a short drive if you want to rent a car, but I hate heights so it's also scary af.
Hoover dam and the bridge are incredible. You can actually go out on to the bridge and look at the dam that way. The linq is cool, especially Ghiradelli, but I personally won't recommend the high roller or whatever it's called. It's way over priced and it gets old very quickly. The view from the top is great, of course, but getting there and back down is boring.