The addition of the Raiders and to a degree the Golden Knights haven't helped either in terms of service. The possible addition of MLB and NBA will just make it a city with lots of international flights, a convention business and multiple US sports teams, like Miami, Dallas, Houston and Phoenix. Heck, Miami and Phoenix have nearby casinos.

I still love it, have been five times since August 2022, was there last week and will be there again in August.

Vegas has always been a dump. In the old days, it was louche, so it had its appeal. Now it's just crass.

The entire focus of the strip is on taking as much of your money as possible before you leave. It's considerably more tolerable if you're drunk/high the entire time you're there. Otherwise the reality is a bit overwhelming, and not in a good way.

Beyond the strip of course there's a pretty substantial city with plenty of decent people.

I'm just back and I cannot believe the prices. Absolutely insane. It was always expensive but this was just a whole new level. That was my 9th and last visit I think.

Indeed, as I mentioned up above. Yes the GBP vs USD isn’t great, food and drink is still very very high (plus tax and tip :rolleyes:) it’s far better value in other parts of the US. The fact a Starbucks is around $10 when all is said and done, yet around £3/4 here, it’s offensive

The thing that got me, was that food in a ‘cheap’ food court such as burger, pizza etc was so expensive. $11 for a slice in the flamingo and that’s without tax. $28.99 for burger fries and a drink?

We headed over to Ellis island and got 4 slices of giant pizza and 2 bottles of water for $11! The strip is just robbery

Yep, I’ll be swinging by Ellis Island on my next trip in August for sure! Got a good deal at Encore for $149 a night plus fees… but got some F&B credit. Other than that I’ll be ducking and diving to get good deals. Hate being ripped off!

I'm from San Diego and I purchased property here this year as a long time investment.Add road rage into your proper assessment
and that car insurance is 100% more than Cali and that will show just how accurate you are:tu:
I'm an ex New Yorker and I'm stunned by the lack of enforcement,wreckless driving, crashes
and deaths daily as if its business as usual.Perfectly normal here.
Yet I love the dining entertainment and sporting event options here.No other place like it IMO anywhere else in the world.
Not a gambler at all.

Thats a great price!

I was suprised at Ellis, I’ve never visited on all my previous trips and my partner was miffed at the walk in 40 degrees but it was worth it. We liked the relaxed vibe and the pizza was amazing!

Only other good cheap eat we found was ocean bar grill in miracle mile, oh and in’n’out burger!

A good steak anywhere was like $80 dollars with nothing else no sides.

While the drive up the Las Vegas strip is interesting, our tour of the entire Las Vegas Metro Area by rental car, showed it has to be the most unattractive area in the country. The area is just plain ugly!

Another thing I noticed was how many really fat, ugly and terrible looking people are in town. So many people with huge neck and facial tattoos. So many people looked like someone who is on a website of mug shots. Ugly, ugly, ugly!

Drove to southern Utah and the whole mood changed in St George Utah. People were so nice and more attractive and wholesome. And the area was beautiful!

I'm not feeling any love from you at all being obese and having many tattoos :(
My mother told me I was beautiful after I had a mug shot taken of me at the police station taken for my miles & points addiction

They are plenty of places that serve much cheaper choices and institutional grade beef
Outback Steakhouse Applebees etc and other independents here too
Las Vegas is now home to some of the best steakhouses in the world and certainly the US
We have Peter Luger which is the Gold Standard for USDA prime aged beef as well as Joe's Seafood
My last steak there Prime Bone in Rib eye 24 ounces was simply what steak dreams are made of.
Did I say they do great premium seafood too?And of course your go to In & Out ;)

Vegas also has a number of rip off establishments where they take a 100 to 125 steak and charge 250 for it Ala carte
with multi colored knives and fancy pretentious dining rooms and snooty service.
Look to Resorts World Carver Steak as a perfect example of show not to much go.
And even worse the new Fountain Blue Papi Steakhouse charging an eye popping 1000 dollars for a steak.pathetic
Pure theater
Like the guy who buys a 500k sports car doesn't mean its good but a status thing for your ego that you can pay for it easily
Some of the other dishes may be worth ordering.
https://www.google.com/search?client...4Omtg7KjI,st:0

Thank you for these practical, (relatively) thrifty, and useful Las Vegas dining recommendations. :tu:

Seafood is wasted on me, I despise it. I love outback steak! The onion bloom!

I think Vegas would say these changes are a feature, not a bug. Used to be more things were there to service the gambling (and associated profits). Now a lot more things stand alone as an entertainment destination, separate from any gaming, and with at least the veneer of being more upscale. That generally entails things getting more expensive. Add to that inflation, etc.