Want to score a free stay at the Stratosphere? Southwest Airlines will try to hook you up. Enter here by August 31 to win three nights in a Stratosphere Select room, dinner for two at the Top of the World, and two tickets to PIN UP starring PMOY Claire Sinclair. Best of all? No resort fees.
Want to see The Beatles: LOVE at the Mirage? Enter to win this giveaway and Southwest Airlines will fly you to Vegas, give you two tickets to the show, put you up for two nights at The Mirage, and treat you to dinner at Portofino. Enter daily between now and August 31.
99-cent tacos: Now they're not just for Tuesday anymore, either. The Commissary at the Downtown Grand is now offering their 99-cent taco special all week long. They're now available at the original hours (11 a.m. to 3 p.m.) Sunday through Thursday, and Friday & Saturday from 11 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Let's say you're not up to shelling out for the gourmet burgers at those trendy new places on the Strip. The Cafe Cortez at the El Cortez is always ready with their daily special: a half-pound burger, a big pile of potato chips, and a draft beer, all for five bucks. That's a darned good deal, and it is one tasty burger. While you're there, peruse the vintage photographs in their menu.
I hear there's quite a long wait for a reservation at Giada De Laurentiis's first restaurant venture, at The Cromwell...so how'd you like to be guaranteed a table for free? PARADE Magazine is giving one lucky winner two nights at The Cromwell and dinner for two at Giada. You can enter through July 18, so why not take your best shot?
As my faithful readers might have inferred, few things tickle me as much as the phrase "All You Can Eat BBQ or Sushi." Well, the Cannery has you hooked up: Every Tuesday from 4 to 8 p.m., their Hawaiian BBQ & Sushi Buffet is only $13.99 with your CAN card...or free if you earn 400 base points on your card that same day.
With El Sombrero gone, where are you going to go for quality Mexican food in a sketchy part of town? Fat Bar co-owner Darin Feinstein and VegasGoodBuys CEO Brett Talla come to the rescue with El Dorado Cantina, which will be having a Grand Opening celebration July 24 at 3015 S. Industrial Road, which is, as we all know, one of my favorite streets in the world. Feinstein describes the place as "upscale" and promises to source sustainably-raised products from U.S. farms that eschew antibiotics, pesticides and steroids. The menu will feature everything from street tacos to regional favorites like Yucatan conchinita pibil (pictured), while you can wet your whistle with your choice of everything from horchata and fresh juices to 100 brands of tequila. Meanwhile, entertainment nightly from live musicians and DJ's puts the cherry on the flan.
Tuesdays beginning at 8 p.m., The Linq Bloq Party is offering up a slew of discounts for locals, including half-price or two-for-one deals at Brooklyn Bowl, TAG, Squeeze, O'Shea's, Purple Zebra, Starbucks, Chayo Mexican Kitchen & Tequila Bar, and even rides on the High Roller. Your Nevada ID also gets you free admission to the Polaroid Fotobar and lots of shopping discounts. Oh, and the Fukuburger food truck will put in an appearance. Check here for a comprehensive list of locals deals.
Yes, there's an IHOP right here on the Strip, but you don't need to be a Vegas regular to benefit from this tip. Here's another reason why it pays to sign up for some of these e-mail lists: IHOP not only gave me a free Rooty Tooty, Fresh & Fruity Breakfast for my birthday, they recently e-mailed me another for my anniversary as a My IHOP member. So get out there and sign up today!
The Opera House has been attempting to lure me in for months now with its offer to come in for their 99-cent breakfast, so I finally broke down and did. (It's one biscuit and gravy.) Located on North Las Vegas Blvd. between its sister casino the Silver Nugget and the Poker Palace, by my estimate it's the smallest of the trio of My Card casinos. But in between the slots it still manages to fit in a bar and lounge area, the aforementioned diner (also advertising $5.99 ribs), and a bingo hall. And live entertainment! Saturday is Latin Night.
Harrah's recently offered me two free nights along with $50 in free play, so off I went. Sure, "free" meant I still had to pay $18 a night in resort fees, but since I cashed in $53.75 on my slot play, as the Underwear Gnomes would say: "PROFIT!" I had a very nice room with a flat-screen TV, ethernet-cable internet, and a TV in the bathroom! Although I still haven't figured out how that one turns on. At hotel registration they also handed me a coupon book with buffet and restaurant discounts, two-for-one show tickets, free play and match play at sister casinos, and a free Million Dollar slot pull. On the latter, you could win a $20 dining credit or up to $100 in free play; I'm always happy to collect the Harrah's shot glass you win no matter what. Dining options include Kerry Simon's KGB (Kerry's Gourmet Burgers) and a Ruth's Chris Steak House (mmm...broiled in butter). Entertainment options include the Million Dollar Quartet, Mac King's afternoon comedy magic show (which this attendee heartily enjoyed), and The Improv at Harrah's, where Charles Fleischer, the voice of Roger Rabbit, just finished a stand. Harrah's is a bit of a labyrinthine maze to navigate until you get used to it, but the low-ceilinged casino is always buzzing, as is the Carnaval Courtyard outside.
Picked up this tip from a fellow attendee of the Capriotti's Pub Crawl: The third Wednesday of every month, Pizza Rock at 4th & Ogden (over by the Downtown Grand) hosts a Fan Appreciation Party with complimentary libations from the alcohol sponsor of the evening. April's party featured Jameson Black Barrel and free drinks from 8-10 p.m. To keep apprised of each month's events, be sure to be a fan of the Pizza Rock Facebook page. I mean, sure, right now they're promoting the Pizza Rock Mother's Day Brunch, but keep your eyes peeled.
Being no stranger to pub crawls, I was delighted to accept an invitation to attend Desert Companion magazine's second pub crawl, last night at Town Square. In all we toured four bars and restaurants, each of which served up a different concoction using the sponsor's tipple, Davolos Tequila. The efficient organizers shuffled our three groups off to English's (great hors d'ouerves), Double Helix (Grey Goose swizzle sticks!), Tommy Bahamas (that was one tasty beverage), and finally to Brio, where we arrived to find desserts laid out on the table (cookies and brownies), but surprised when that was followed by pie. Pizza pie. The staff started bringing us thin-crust pizzas and just wouldn't stop. Dear to my heart, the DC staff also held giveaways, with Town Square gift cards and restaurant gift certificates. I even won a $10 credit at English's for answering some movie trivia, to the surprise of no one who knows me. Were I you, I would certainly keep my eyes peeled for the next event from #DCPubCrawl.
Sure, there may be plenty of Denny's locations in Las Vegas, on and off the strip, where you can grab that free Grand Slam on your birthday. Still, none can match this beauty at Neonopolis, just across from the Fremont Street Experience. Not just because of the cool lattice-work exterior. Not just because it's a Denny's with a full bar, either. No, in an area of downtown that sports 17 bars within one block, you can't consider it all that unusual.
No, what makes this Denny's unique is its own wedding chapel. Yes, if requested, the staff will clear the tables from this cozy little nook and you can say your "I Do"''s right here. If my sources are correct, they'll also serve you a wedding cake...built out of pancakes. Next step: Honeymoon Over My Hammy?
Capriotti's Sandwich Shop has long been a Vegas favorite, and now the venerable sub maker is celebrating its 21st year in Sin City with a B-Day Pub Crawl on April 25, Downtown. Celebrants meet at the Mob Bar at 7 p.m., move on to the Beauty Bar, and finish at Insert Coin(s) before adjourning. Free admission, free drinks, free food, and giveaways: free subs for a year, limited edition swag, and more! Free stuff? I'm in.
With locations all over Vegas, Roberto's Taco Shop is marking its 50th year in the business, and here's cause for celebration right here: Every Wednesday is 99-cent chicken taco day! That is a $2.35 value right there, folks. You can order up to a dozen per visit, so get to it. Each taco is crammed with white-meat chicken, stuffed with a mound of cheddar and a little bit of lettuce, and sprinkled with crumbles of cotija. I could see this becoming a regular Wednesday lunch stop for me.
Whether it's the food critics for Vegas magazines or my friends' neighborhood mechanic, everyone raves about the adobada at Tacos El Gordo, the Tijuana-based restaurant at 1724 E. Charleston. (Oh, sure, you can go to the one on the Strip, but I'm sure the ambience won't be the same.) There are separate carving stations for each of your meat preferences, where a cook will carve a few strips of your selection, drop them on top of two corn tortillas then cover them with toppings and sauce. Prepare your taste buds for a little slice of Tijuana heaven. They may not be gigante, but at $2 a taco, it's hard to go wrong.
Hey, if you sign up for the e-mail club at Mimi's Cafe, not only will coupons for Gallic goodness keep popping into your inbox, but for your birthday, they give you a free dessert! I dropped by their location on Fort Apache and W. Charleston, digging the smooth jazz sounds being piped into the parking lot. I decided to splurge (I can always walk eight blocks and back later) on Mimi's Classic Ensemble: "petite" servings of Cinnamon Apple Crisp A La Mode, Bread Pudding, and Triple Chocolate Brownie Sundae. My server was quite proud of the home-made bread pudding, and she should be. At $5.99 it's a bargain, especially since it seems ready-made for sharing bites with that special someone. (Other Vegas locations at 6760 N. Durango, 7315 Arroyo Crossing Parkway, and at Sunset Station.)
So! According to this marquee at the Alexis Park, if you follow 'em on Twitter and like 'em on Facebook, you could win a "staycation" at this all-suites non-gaming resort on Harmon, across from the Hard Rock. Couldn't hurt to try. In fact, if you want a closer look at the Alexis Park, you could check it out between rounds.
Sad News: Yesterday, the Silver Sevens decided to stop accepting the free buffet coupon they'd put in the Where2Go magazine. Sure, it said it was good until June 30, but it also said, as nearly all such coupons do, "Management reserves all rights," and they exercised this one. Maybe they got tired of the homeless-looking guy with the backpack full of Where2Go magazines eating there every day. Or me.
Happy, Happy News: Since the wi-fi at my apartments was down this morning, I decided to visit our old friends at Panera Bread and cash in on my free birthday pastry. Imagine my surprise when I found I had a free smoothie coming to me as well. Oh, and Lexi at the Boca Park location says hi.
Here we are at Rubio's at the Monte Carlo's food court (they also have several locations around town). If you sign up for their Beach Club at their website, they'll e-mail you a coupon for a free taco. They'll also e-mail you a coupon for a free meal, up to $7, on your birthday. I had the mango habanero mahi mahi (spicy sweetness on a flour tortilla) and a chicken "street taco" (grilled chicken on a bed of chopped onions, cilantro and avocado in a corn tortilla).
As long as I was there at the Monte Carlo I stopped at the MLife desk and asked what kind of offers I had on my player's card. Apparently if you stop at one of the MLife casinos anywhere near your birthday, you have a $30 food comp coming. They gave me a choice of the cafe or the Dragon Noodle Co. Decisions, decisions. I went with the Dragon Noodle and faced more choices: Sushi bar or kitchen menu? And then what from the kitchen menu? I went with the Seafood Chow Fun: shrimp, scallops, squid, fish and vegetables on a bed of big old rice noodles. When I saw the size of the meal I thought I might have to ask for a take-out box, but it was just too addictive not to finish.
Free Eats Update: Thanks to our old friends at Panera Bread for loading a belated free birthday pastry onto my card (to make it up to me, they gave me two months to use it).
