[Do a Barrel Roll]

So this time next week, I'm taking a vacation through the West Coast, making stops in Las Vegas. I'm here for the UFC 125 fight on the 1st, and will only be here for that night. I want to know some of the more interesting places within Vegas to check out. To make it easier, I would like to know the following:

-The best casinos to spend some money in. I know there are a lot of mega-casinos that seem repetitious, but which ones bring the bang for your buck (whether in entertainment or winnings )? Or is the winnings question a "Vegas Secret?"
-Some of the best local eateries that locals swear by? The kind of food doesn't matter, as long as it isn't nationwide corporate crap (although I will make an exception to In-N-Out Burger and Jack in the Box, as I have never been to either one in my life).
-I'm a young dude with who likes to enjoy himself especially at night, so any great nightlife recommendations or nightclub spots that aren't snooty, down to earth, and aren't averse to guys who are out of town and want to have some fun would be great.


Thanks in advance for the suggestions. Looking forward to my visit!

[rentmax]

- Best casinos in my opinion are the 'locals' casinos (Aliante, Sun Coast, Gold Coast, Sunset Station) for many reasons. Friendlier atmosphere, dealers, and bang for your buck.

- For local eats, check out "Lotus of Siam" if you like Thai food.

- As for clubs, any of the big ones on the strip (LAX, TAO, JET, etc)

Good luck, Bon Appetit, and have fun!

[jfkIII]

Originally Posted by The_Fairfaxian

So this time next week, I'm taking a vacation through the West Coast, making stops in Las Vegas. I'm here for the UFC 125 fight on the 1st, and will only be here for that night. I want to know some of the more interesting places within Vegas to check out. To make it easier, I would like to know the following:

-The best casinos to spend some money in. I know there are a lot of mega-casinos that seem repetitious, but which ones bring the bang for your buck (whether in entertainment or winnings )? Or is the winnings question a "Vegas Secret?"
-Some of the best local eateries that locals swear by? The kind of food doesn't matter, as long as it isn't nationwide corporate crap (although I will make an exception to In-N-Out Burger and Jack in the Box, as I have never been to either one in my life).
-I'm a young dude with who likes to enjoy himself especially at night, so any great nightlife recommendations or nightclub spots that aren't snooty, down to earth, and aren't averse to guys who are out of town and want to have some fun would be great.


Thanks in advance for the suggestions. Looking forward to my visit!

The casinos all start to become generic after awhile...so why not try the newest and flashiest...The Cosmopolitan is the newest on The Strip with City Center (the 2nd newest) right next door. The Wynn is another I would check out. Unfortunately, the worst slot machine odds are found in The Strip casinos. If you're playing tables...you'll have a shot.

[airics]

The best "scenery" for a young dude will be found at the Cosmopolitan... However, bang for the buck isn't going to be found on the strip.... As for clubs, Marque but you will spend ALOT there.

[radraja]

I would recommend staying on the strip. It costs more, but if you want easy access to all the nightlife and attractions, it's the way to go. Staying at one of the local casinos in the suburbs is going to mean a good deal of driving to get to the strip (which doesn't tend to mix well with drinking and clubbing). That being said, there are some cheaper options on the strip that are still nice enough. As for winning money, I've always had the best luck with video poker.

For dining on or near the strip, Kahunaville inside Treasure Island is always a good time...the vibes are fun, and they have one of those performance bars inside where the bartenders flip the bottles and do spiffy tricks (you can see this easily from most of the dining tables). Margaritaville is another fun one, and it overlooks all of the activity on Las Vegas Blvd (if the weather's nice, sitting on the patio would be cool). If you like sushi, I really enjoy going to Ra, which has a pretty cool ambiance and a young crowd, although it is technically a chain, I believe.

If you want something a bit more quiet and off the beaten track, there's Paymon's on Maryland Pkwy, which is a family owned restaurant that has really good Greek/Mediterranean food and is only about 5-10 minutes away from most of the casinos. There's also Panevino, which is just south of the airport, again maybe 5-10 minutes from the casinos...it's kind of hidden, so many tourists don't know about it, but it's the place to go if you want some really good high-end Italian.

For more dining ideas, you could try Yelp (keeping in mind, of course, that some of the people on there are incredibly picky - I would honestly add a half star to every restaurant's average just to make up for the chronic complainers). All that being said though, you can use the site to generate idea.

For nightlife, XS was rated the best club in the country for 2010, I believe. And I think Tao is ranked as the biggest? Both of those are quite popular. Tryst, Ghostbar, Lavo...there are lots of other nightlife options as well.