I arrive in Las Vegas next week...

I'm going to be in Vegas starting April 13th. So this thread will be helpful to me as well.

I used to live in Las Vegas roughly 9 years ago (ex-Wife #2 still has the house there). Vegas is solely dedicated to Gambling-Drinking-Gambling-Strippers-Gambling-Drinking-Gambling (in that order). There really isn't that much outside of that realm, unless your a nature/outdoors type of person. If so, and you have a car, head out to Red-Rock canyon for a little hiking/site seeing. Otherwise, some helpful hints:

Avoid the Local Bars: Nothing but heads-down Video Poker and hard drinking. You can can get that on the Strip.

Best Mexican restaurant off the Strip: Ricardo's (Cabbies know where it's at)

Low Table Stakes/Hot Cocktail waitresses: Hit "The Orleans" just off the strip. It's on the same side street stretch as "The Palms". Easily accessible $5 tables, and Non-Union wait staff. The hidden secret of Vegas? Waitresses are either Union or non-union. The union make so much money, they don't circulate very often. The non-unions are on you like white on rice.

How to Drink for Free all Day: Walk up to any strip hotel bar, and get a $10 roll of quarters and order a drink. They will automatically comp the drink, assuming you are going to play video poker. When the bartender turns their head, wander off. Do it once in each casino floor bar, and then stroll on over to the next hotel. When your pocket gets full of quarter rolls, stop by the slot cashier to exchange them for cash.

You can walk out on the street with your drink.

Sit and Play all day: Learn Pai-Gow poker. A lot of pushing means you can sit and collect free drinks, and never really win or lose more than $50 on a $10 table. If you can find one that still uses dice for hand selection, even better, as that takes longer on the re-deal.

Best Shows: Any Cirque de Soleil, especially Mystere at Treasure Island.

Hey Dragon, I currently live here now, and can't wait to get the fuck out.

I agree on the local bars. Most are dives, but there is a PT's Pub every few blocks. Ditto on The Orlean's. My old, rich relatives practically live at the Orleans when they come out. Loose slots and nice deals. They just opened the Hooters hotel and casino, but it was just a minor facelift and a change of name. Five months ago it was called the San Remo.

For the best pizza in town, Metro Pizza is located on Tropicana & Maryland Parkway. I've never been to Ricardo's, but I like Macayo's for mexican food. If you have a hankering for seafood, Hush Puppies is the best. It's located a bit off of the Strip and they don't open until about 3:30, but for fried catfish it is like down south home cooking. You may notice I spent a lot of time talking about food. That's because I'm fat and that's pretty much what I do when we go out.

Cirque de Soleil shows are expensive as hell, with Mystere being the cheapest because its been around the longest. If you're feeling a bit randy, Zumanity at the New York New York is rather risque, but if you just want a memorable show, "O" at the Bellagio is a living work of art.

Avoid downtown like the plague. I don't give a shit what specials they have going, that place is a fucking no man's land. The Fremont Street Experience is okay, but if you really must see it, just rent Con Air. It will save your life.

Other than that, enjoy!

Hate to break it to you, but I think Ricardo's is gone. When was the last time you were out here Surge? Maybe I'm getting it confused with someplace else.


*Edit: I had written out quite a bit, but I accidentally closed the window without posting. I'll come back later and re-write it.*

Say it ain't so. I haven't been out there for a couple of years, but they had 2 back then, one east and one west - I was always at the west side one, which looks like it's still there according to their web page:

http://www.ricardosoflasvegas.com/