Lou's Reviews
Near the Strip
Walkable distances from points on the Strip
Area 15 ROUTE 15 BEHIND CAESARS
A self contained destination of fun, amazement, rides, food, drinks and more. Omega Mart is a once in a lifetime experience (OK, maybe twice), but there are more than 20 other things to do.
Joel's Chophouse AHERN HOTEL
On the second floor of the unusual boutique Ahern Hotel is the steakhouse that rivals its next-door neighbor Golden Steer. This steakhouse, however, offers a menu that includes special pricing on various days. You’ll experience premier cuisine, great service and seats with a view of the north Strip.
Stage Door BEHIND CROMWELL
This small dive bar casino just off the Strip where Frank Sinatra and his entourage often visited in the 1970s is now known for serving $1 Bud & Bud Light and the best $2 hot dog you’ll ever have. It’s recently cleaned-up but you’ll still be proofed and ‘wanded’ at the door - all part of the vibe here. There’s also an adjoining convenience store, well-stocked with remarkably reasonable prices.
Golden Steer NEXT TO AHERN ON SAHARA
The oldest continually operating steakhouse in Vegas has been serving since 1958 what they trademarked ‘The Best Steaks on Earth’. There’s a history of regular customers 'back in the day' such as the Rat Pack, Elvis Presley, Nat “King” Cole, Joe DiMaggio and the more infamous Tony Spilotro. If you can’t get a reservation, don’t worry, there are better steakhouses in Vegas these days, albeit without the storied history and ambience.
Capo's Italian Restaurant & Speakeasy SAHARA AVE
Not sure if their claim that Al Capone’s actual recipes are used is real but the ambience of this old school speakeasy seems to be. While most places are simply hiding a door and calling it a speakeasy, everything about this place takes you to a time during prohibition as you’ve imagined it. Give the secret password in the empty room, tip the maître d’ and enjoy the excellent old world Italian food, drink and entertainment.
AYCE Buffet Lobster Night PALMS HOTEL
This isn’t the best buffet, but its quality rivals Bacchanal, Wicked Spoon and Wynn, at a more reasonable price. In addition to the daily offerings, Wednesday & Thursday is the Lobster Dinner followed on Friday by Prime Rib & Snow Crab night. Fortunately, the much-reported hours long wait is a thing of the past as online reservations now accepted (be aware there is a 1.5-hour dinner time limit, but you can eat a lot of lobster and crab in that amount of time). Special Note: Considering how many buffets were permanently closed after the 2020 pandemic, a 'shout-out' to the Palms’ new owners, the San Manuel Tribe is appropriate.
Double Down Saloon PARADISE RD NEAR UNLV
Shut Up and Drink is the slogan for this iconic dive bar (although it isn’t very easy to hear anyway, particularly at night with a punk rock band playing). Darkness and almost contrived tawdriness surround you while drinking a bacon martini (much worse than it sounds) or its famous ass juice (much better than it sounds). Perhaps intimidating at first, this is a sociable place with a great happy hour is frequented by locals, UNLV students and curious tourists. There’s also a great happy hour when everything is the same price, even top shelf.
Golden Tiki CHINATOWN PLAZA
Seemingly a tiki bar is out of place in the center of Chinatown Plaza but this bar has become so popular with locals and tourists alike that you’ll probably be standing if you arrive during happy hour (every day 4-7 pm). However, the entertainment, festive atmosphere and curious surroundings make the discomfort worth it (or maybe it’s the strong rum-based drinks that help you not to care). Either way, it’s worth the trip to Chinatown to experience. If you can’t get in, try the similar but less traveled Frankie’s Tiki Room or Stray Pirate in the Arts District.
Partage CHINATOWN PLAZA
The restaurant Partage ('sharing' in French) is housed in a relatively small but modern environment in the unlikely location of Chinatown Plaza. It offers only three tasting menus with available add-ons and wine pairings. The menu is curated seasonally by 'Chopped' television show winner Yuri Szarzewski who learned his craft in Michelin-starred restaurants in Paris and Courchevel, prior to moving to Las Vegas in 2015. This is a premium culinary experience that surpasses most of the French offerings on the Strip.
Marche' Bacchus DESERT SHORES
Located in the Desert Shores residential community on tranquil Lake Jacqueline, this premier restaurant with lake views from both indoors and the outdoor patio serves traditional and contemporary French dishes as well as James Beard Award winner Bradley Ogden's new American classics. In the front of the house, on full display, is a hidden gem for wine lovers - the 'Wine Cellar at Marché Bacchus'.
Mastrioni's SUMMERLIN SOUTH
Since 1999 this neighborhood restaurant has served an extensive selection of seafood and traditional Italian dishes in an intimate, welcoming setting. Using only the freshest ingredients, all sauces and entrees are prepared at the time of order by chef Pete Mastrioni and his team. Chef Pete has an extensive background in Italian cuisine, having learned from a long line of family chefs from Naples, Italy, moving to Vegas from Brooklyn, New York to open his first restaurant here in the 1990s.