2. Stick to food courts. Fashion Show Mall has the biggest food court on the Strip with plenty of variety. But you don't have to go far from your hotel to find a nearby food court. Plenty of hotels have them including but not limited to New York-New York, Excalibur, Luxor, Mandalay Bay, MGM Grand, Monte Carlo, Planet Hollywood,Ballys, Flamingo, Venetian, Palms, etc.
3. Eat downtown. This is a favorite for most. Downtown has much cheaper prices than the Strip and is just as satisfying...if not more. While the Strip has good variety and world-class cuisine, some options can fall short and be over-priced for mediocre food. Downtown has Vegas-class cuisine and it can be quite scrumptious.
4. Eat at lunch. Some restaurants on the strip have cheaper options then.
5. Feast on typical chain and fast-food restaurants. From Chipotle, Subway, Mcdonald's, Outback, Dennys, Cheescake factory, Hash House a Go Go, and Buca di Beppo, there are recognizable foods for those who want to keep the budget low. Whip out your smartphone and locate the local Red Lobster, Applebee's, Olive Garden, etc and take the local bus, taxi or rental car to reach it.
6. Eat off-strip. The quality of food off-strip rivals that of the Strip. While the higher-end off-strip properties may not compete with the Strip in terms of famous chefs or 5-star service, they can offer great food at decent prices. Off-strip properties charge local prices. And some lower-end off-strip properties will also offer you good value for your money. Palms, for example, is a upper-mid tier off-strip property only 5 minutes away from the strip with a buffet in the $8-12 range throughout the day. Next door, Gold Coast, a lower-end but very cozy local joint has a buffet from $6-10 throughout the day. You can save a lot of money dining off-strip and there are plenty of free shuttles from the Strip to get you there.
Places like Silverton and South Point have 50% off their buffet for signing up for their player's card in the American Casino Guide book. Off-strip Ellis Island is known for solid BBQ and a good steak at fair prices. Go and see a side of Vegas you wouldn't otherwise see. 7. Order for delivery. You know Pizza Hut, Dominoes, Chinese food, Papa Johns, Jimmy Johns, pizzerias? They deliver too in Las Vegas. And even better, they will deliver right to the taxi stand at your hotel where you can pick it up. With a group and don't want to spend a fortune but want to chow down? Remember $20 at Papa Johns can feed 5! You also have the comfort of leftovers without having to drag it everywhere with you.
8. Doggie Bags. Go ahead. Dine out. Splurge. But bring a little back for later. No one will look at you funny for taking your own leftovers in the good ol' U.S.ofA. If you enjoy your meal so much, that second time around will more fully take care of any further cravings for that particular food. But most importantly, you treated your meal like your own personal BOGO.
9. Price vs. Ratings Compare. So, after everything, you still want to dine on the strip at Strip prices? Well, the best thing to do if budget is still a concern is to peruse websites like yelp and tripadvisor and compare interesting restaurants based on customer ratings. Then you create your own "pre-rating" based on these steps. Peruse their menus online, which they all usually have, and choose your favorite items. In addition to looking at the menu, look at pictures of their food on yelp and tripadvisor. Don't worry about the famous chef or the most popular restaurant, focus on which of your favorite items have the best pictures. Choose the restaurants with the highest self "pre-rating" and lowest or budget-range prices. Sure, pictures do not tell all, but you have a better chance of enjoying it and thus getting value for your money (at least with regard to quality of food) if you do a little research.
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