There are plenty of ways to spend — and lose — money in Las Vegas, but dining out doesn’t have to be one of them. Fill up on a budget and save your money for the fun stuff with these six cheap places to eat in Las Vegas.
Tacos El Gordo
Tacos run about $2 a pop at Tacos El Gordo, a Las Vegas favorite for cheap dining (Image: kennejima)
When it comes to late night taco runs, you can’t do much better — nor cheaper — than Tacos El Gordo, a Las Vegas institution. The taco de adobada (spicy pork) is a fan favorite, as are the massive carne asada fries (plan on splitting these $10 babies with a few friends). If you’re feeling more adventurous, you can always try a taco made of pork stomach (buche), cow head (cabeza), cow tongue (lengua) or cow brains (sesos), but rest assured, there are default offerings like carne asada, too. Best of all, most tacos are just $2 a piece.
Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop
The Bobbie at Capriotti’s — turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce — tastes like Thanksgiving on a roll (Image: Marinate Me Baby used under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license)
There’s a reason the locals love Capriotti’s, and we’re betting it has something to do with creations like The Bobbie, a Thanksgiving-inspired turkey sandwich complete with cranberry sauce and stuffing. You’ll find more than two dozen locations throughout Vegas, so you’ll never have to wander too far to fill up on a gargantuan sub for less than $10. After all, the foot-longs are considered a medium here and run for about $8 or $9, so you and a friend can fill up on a single, budget-friendly sandwich.
Mr. Lucky’s at the Hard Rock
Steak and shrimp for less than $10? Only in Sin City. Enjoy this surf-and-turf special at Mr. Lucky’s at the Hard Rock, where the 24-hour diner has one of the best deals on The Strip: The Gambler’s Special. For just $7.77, you’ll get an 8-ounce steak topped with three shrimp, served alongside mashed potatoes and your choice of vegetables. Note that you’ll have to purchase a beverage to get the deal, though. You won’t see this special on the menu, but rest assured, the kitchen is ready to serve it up for you.
The pizza place at The Cosmopolitan
Speaking of secret cheap eats in Vegas, the slices at the unnamed pizzeria at The Cosmopolitan are both easy on the wallet and well worth the search. Some call it “Secret Pizza,” while others just call it “that hidden pizza place inside The Cosmopolitan,” but it doesn’t really matter what you call it as long as you manage to find this elusive pizza joint. Once you do, enjoy $5 slices featuring some of the best crusts in the city. The pizza counter is tucked away on the third floor of the hotel, next to the Marquee Nightclub exit.
Ellis Island Cafe
No matter what comfort food means to you, you can enjoy it around the clock at Ellis Island Cafe inside its namesake casino. Need a simple breakfast to kickstart your day? Get two eggs any style with breakfast potatoes and toast for $3.99. Want to feast like king for dinner but only have the budget of a pauper? Order the prime rib dinner, which will set you back $13.99 for a large cut with a baked potato, soup or salad, and a beer or root beer. If you have a player’s card, you can also get the cafe’s famed $8.99 steak dinner special.
Prime rib dinners can be had for a steal in Las Vegas at Ellis Island Cafe and Ports O’ Call Buffet (Image: rpavich)
Ports O’ Call Buffet
What’s a list of cheap eats in Sin City without the classic Las Vegas buffet? While many of the ridiculously cheap buffets of yesteryear have raised their prices or closed up shop, you can still eat your fill of classic Vegas buffet fare over at Gold Coast Hotel and Casino, where Ports O’ Call Buffet offers standard American buffet items and seven live cooking stations. With a player’s card, the breakfast buffet will run you just $5.99, while lunch is a whopping $7.99. Prime rib dinner buffets Sunday through Thursday will set you back $9.99, as will the rib dinner buffet on Saturday nights. Without the player’s club card, expect to pay $1 to $3 more.
(Main image: kennejima)
