I have lived in Las Vegas for 20 years. I am a huge foodie and there is no shortage of fabulous restaurants on the Strip. It is not too hard to find a great $200 meal in any of the 5 star casinos. The real secrets in this town are the fantastic off Strip food havens. Here is a list of my favorite 10 spots that won’t break the bank and will make your belly happy.
1. Tacos El Gordo
1724 E Charleston Blvd
Las Vegas, NV 89104
2. Monta Ramen
5030 Spring Mountain Rd
Ste 6
Las Vegas, NV 89146
This is the place that started it all for Las Vegas with ramen. It is still considered by many to be the best in town. Order the Tonkotsu ramen and have them add an egg to it. The flavor is outrageous and the bowl is $8.99!
3. Ellis Island BBQ
4178 Koval LnLas Vegas, NV 89109
This little slightly off strip casino has two great things going for it. They brew their own great beer and sell it 24/7 for the great price of $2.25 for a 20 oz glass. The real find here is the ribs. Order a half rack of these delicious ribs for $8.99 and that comes with a couple sides. The flavor is great and while they won’t win any competitions down south, they are some of the best ribs in Vegas at a crazy price.
4. Komex
4155 S Buffalo DrSte 103 and 104
Las Vegas, NV 89147
Korean Mexican American fusion. Say what? Yup, this great place has found a way to blend the three cuisines into some of the most tasty dishes you can find. Some of my favorites include the calamari tacos, bulgogi tater tots and the spam fried rice. The menu is pretty deep here and I have never ordered anything that wasn’t fantastic. The prices are really cheap and the servings big enough to insure you will be taking home some leftovers for a midnight snack.
5. Viva Las Arepas
1616 S Las Vegas BlvdSte 120
Las Vegas, NV 89104
Arepa is like a sandwich, but the meat is sandwiched between 2 flatbreads made of maize dough. The corn bun was crispy on the edges and much softer in the center. This place is just past the Stratosphere on the Strip and is one of the most delicious and best value meals you will find in this area. I always get the pork butt arepa and a side of yuca fries. The Arepas here are $5. Make sure you try the green sauce they give you with it. I am not sure what is in that magical bottle but you will wish you could out it on all your meals going forward in life.
6. Lee’s Sandwiches
3989 Spring Mountain RdLas Vegas, NV 89102
There are a couple locations to this small Vietnamese chain. They bake their own crispy French like baguettes here daily and you have a choice of meats to try in these sandwiches. My favorite is the pork and at under $4 you can’t go wrong here.
7. In-N-Out Burger
2900 W Sahara AveLas Vegas, NV 89102
You have heard the tales of this west coast legend. I mean how good could a fast food burger be? Oh baby….really good!. In-N-Out does one thing and one thing great…burgers. They are always busy and they get their food delivered every morning fresh. You heard that right, they do not have any freezers. The burgers are all made fresh here and there is no such thing as a heating lamp here. The regulars will tell you about a secret menu where you order “animal style’ and “4×4’s”. I won’t ruin all the fun for you but if you don’t live on the west coast where you have access to this delicious chain, you owe it to yourself to stop by. They hand cut their fries from whole potatoes right in front of you. You can get a burger, fry and a drink for about $7. The address I posted above is for one of their other locations off Strip since the one off of Tropicana is one of the busiest in the country.
8. Roberto’s Taco Shop
40 Las Vegas locations
It’s 2am and your belly is telling you it’s time for some delicious late night eats. You are never more than spitting distance away from a Roberto’s Taco shop in Vegas. They are all open 24/7 and some even have a drive thru. Typical Mexican fare such as tacos, burritos, nachos and tortas are all present here. The place is very cheap and better than your average Mexican food joint. My favorite is the California burrito which is a carne asada burrito with all the usual suspects plus crispy french fries inside of it. If you come here on a Wednesday, it is .99 cent chicken taco day.
9. Secret Pizza
The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas3708 Las Vegas Blvd S
Las Vegas, NV 89109
The set-up is brilliant. Upstairs at The Cosmopolitan casino hidden amongst all of their fine dining establishments down a long mysterious hall lined with amusing album covers, you arrive in a New York City pizza joint. You feel as if you are really in New York standing in front of a pizza counter, peering over the edge to decide which slice was made for you!
And, the best part, the pizza is good. At least one of the pizza makers here is straight from Italy, and he used to work at an off the Strip pizza place where he earned the nickname Picasso for his beautiful, delicious pies. This place earns it’s name “Secret Pizza” because there is no signage and no name for it. At $5 a slice that is one of the best bargains in a 5 star resort on the Strip.
10. Fuku Burger
3429 S Jones BlvdLas Vegas, NV 89146
I’ve been eating Fuku Burger ever since they had their truck roaming around Las Vegas and I’m so glad they opened a new brick and mortar location. The atmosphere, customer service, and the quality of their food is amazing.
My favorite is the Tamago burger with an egg on it. Make sure you get the “Jazz Fries with crack sauce”. Everything on their menu is unique and Japanese inspired. Definitely a must try, and if you leave a tip they give you jello sticks!
