Las Vegas Wedding

_____It'll be my first visit to Vegas for a destination wedding of a college buddy. My wife and I are on a bit of a budget with a baby on the way, so I'm going solo with a few hundred. I'm not much of a gambler and throwing money on the "adult entertainment" option has always felt dirty and a waste (especially considering my previous sentence). Does anyone have any economical good eats for me?

All I have on the table right now is In & Out Burger...

Do a search on Las Vegas. You'll find a few posts that I and other have made that describe some non-hotel eating options that should qualify as non-budget busting.

Lotus of Siam
Lotus of Siam
Lotus of Siam

It's incredible. It is NOT a special Vegas trip restaurant. It's just a fabulous restaurant that happens to be in Vegas. It's actually in a dingy strip mall maybe a mile east of the Strip... maybe on Sahara? You can look it up. Amazing Northern-style Thai, extremely cheap. Do some searching and you'll find similar raves.

Lotus of Siam is not to be missed although it is misleading to categorize it as extremely cheap. This past July my wife and I split an appetizer of chicken wings, I had the salmon panang, she some sort of seafood special and we split a bottle of wine and a dessert. Total for the evening (including tip) was just under $100.00.

Depending on when you are going you may want to consider reservations as they get very crowded. Also, if you happen to go at lunch, skip the buffet. From what I am told it is mediocre at best and doesn't highlight their talents well.

LOS is located in the International plaza, you need to either drive or take a taxi. You are correct to call it a dingy plaza, in fact I recently watched an espisode of Cops that featured a drug bust in the parking lot.

Nice about the Cops episode

I apologize if I've incorrectly categorized it as inexpensive. It has, sadly, been 3-4 years since I've been there, and my memory regarding menu prices has always been a little faulty.

My memory regarding awesomeness, however, is spot on

(And I'll be there next weekend... woot!)

Cafe Heidleberg German Deli isn't easy to find (it's in a strip mall behind some bad chain restaurant, if memory serves me correctly), but it's relatively cheap (around $10 for lunch, maybe $15-$20 for dinner) and a nice break from the strip's buffets and chain restaurants.

They've also got a nice deli/specialty store with all kinds of Bavarian treats for sale.

Open: 11am-10pm
604 E. Sahara
Phone 702/731-5310

Crown and Anchor Pub
1350 E Tropicana Ave
Las Vegas, NV 89122
(702) 739-8676

its a short cab ride off the strip. Excellent beers (Young's, Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout, Guiness on tap) etc etc, good fish & chips, bangers pies etc. even trifle. Frequented by locals, not tourists. I entertained a group of British friends there when we were in town for a conference some years ago & everyone agreed it was the best meal we had that trip (the beer probably had something to do with this!). Plus its ridiculously cheap.

best buffet value in town:
Makino Restaurant
better fish/maki than Todai for less price than Bellagio's.

3965 S. Decatur Blvd, Suite 5 (NW Corner of Flamingo & Decatur) 702-889-4477

775 S. Grand Central Parkway, Suite 1301 (At Las Vegas Premium Outlets) • 702-382-8848

(I prefer the Decatur Blvd location, it's the original, and the locals still prefer this location)

If you're planning on going downtown to check out the Fremont Street Experience...

Binion's Coffee Shop---not sure about the hours (used to be 24/7), but besides serving a pretty decent club sandwich, the variety of characters that eat here is priceless. Some of the best people-watching in Vegas.

Golden Gate---another little gem. The main floor piano bar area (and I use that 'piano bar' term loosely) has a cafeteria-style line that serves .99 shrimp cocktails (large size shrimp for $2.99). Good quality crustaceans whilst listening to the tuneage. In addition, the Bay City Diner is pretty good for sandwiches and 'comfort food', mostly under ten bucks.

TonyC wrote:best buffet value in town:
Makino Restaurant
better fish/maki than Todai for less price than Bellagio's.

3965 S. Decatur Blvd, Suite 5 (NW Corner of Flamingo & Decatur) 702-889-4477

775 S. Grand Central Parkway, Suite 1301 (At Las Vegas Premium Outlets) • 702-382-8848

(I prefer the Decatur Blvd location, it's the original, and the locals still prefer this location)

I've gone to the Decatur Blvd location too, and it is quite good. I think I passed it the first time I went there because it is at the end of a strip mall.

I'll 3rd Lotus of Siam, except you'll probably have to make reservations. They've gotten a lot of press lately (as well as winning an Epicurean Award) and it has been nearly impossible to just walk in on weekends for dinner.

Also, check out Tofu Hut, Sam Woo and Noodle Palace in Chinatown (on Spring Mountain, a very quick cab ride from the Strip, and my faves). Actually, anything in Chinatown fits your criteria.

Oh, and Lotus of Siam is in Commercial Center, across from The World Famous Green Door *snicker*.

Be sure to check out any magazines in your hotel room, they are sure to have coupons for various restaurants.

Absolutely go to Lotus of Siam. I was in Vegas last week and dined at Lotus twice. Despite the popularity Lotus enjoys on food blogs and forums, it is still relatively easy to get in. We went for lunch both times and had no trouble getting a table. Do order off the Northern menu (Southern also good) and bypass the buffet. Ask for Bill or his brother, both were very helpful in ordering the 'right stuff'. Also, the prices are very reasonable, I can only remember a handful of items over $10.If you go nowhere else, go to Lotus. The Northern Larb and Crispy Catfish Salad are out of this world as was every dish I tried.