Lately, I've been busy whiling away my free hours slamming the Las Vegas Strip for turning itself into a price-gouging, violence ridden, wasteland of a place for tourists looking to have a good time. And, while I admit that I'm akin to King Canute standing on the beach trying to stop the tide, I still AM a fan of Las Vegas and really do enjoy going there.
With that in mind I thought that I'd discuss today a part of Las Vegas that I am fan of, and also provide a listing of where I like to go and why I like to go there. This is not a list of the "best" casinos downtown. For one, coming up with a list is silly, there are criteria that I have for a good casino that you might discount, and really those types of things are only designed to drive page clicks and online outrage.
Instead, these are the places that I like to visit, and stay at, when I'm staying Downtown......
1. The D Casino
I like pretty much everything about this place. Which does not mean that it does not have it's faults. For one, it's too loud at times, and not the best place to wake up in the morning and nurse a hangover. For two, you have to be very careful which video poker game you choose to play and where you play it. The Long Bar, which is still my favorite bar in Las Vegas, has one of the worst Bonus Poker pay tables downtown. However the upstairs Vue Bar, has one of the best. The rooms are smallish but they are well maintained and actually fairly well insulated from outdoor noise. I've never had a poor customer service experience at this place and the food options are top notch. For budget dinging I highly recommend All-American Coneys and Andiamo's is still one of the best steakhouses in town period.
2. 4Queens
This old lady is showing a little age on it's rooms, and it does suffer from the problem that most downtown hotels suffer in that it's rooms are tiny compared to the Strip. But I've always found the beds to be comfortable, the rooms to be clean and the value here to be pretty damn good. Their two VP bars (Mike's and King's Bar) are among the best for VP play and people watching, both the DDB progressives and the Jack's or Better Suited progressive games can be very profitable. The bartenders are among the nicest and best and while they're not "flair" like you find at the Stephen's brother's casinos they do pour a strong drink and keep your cup full. While I really do miss Wana Taco, Magnolia's is a great spot for breakfast and Hugo's Cellar is an underrated throwback dining gem. Chicago Brewing company is an outstanding option for craft beer and bar food. I've never had a bad experience here, even while losing at gambling.
3. Golden Gate
One of the oldest hotels in Vegas and a casino that's really been modernized and made fun by the Stephen's brothers. The VP bar odds are not great but the vibe is usually pretty solid and if you don't mind a loud casino (a thing for Stephen's casinos) then the place is pretty all around cool. The rooms are tiny, but the "Original 10" experience is something you should try once, and seeing the dividing line on the hallway wall where the original building stops and the new one begins (this is on the 2nd floor) is really cool. No real options for food here, but you can avail yourself of the Circa options (your food credit is good there) right across the street. To me, staying at Golden Gate and having the Circa amenities available to you is the power play on Fremont Street.
For me, the Golden Nugget is about three things: Some of the best rooms on Fremont (excluding Circa), a great pool, and some very solid dining options. Unfortunately the casino is pretty much a no-gambling zone in Tillman Ferttita's "It's all about the ROI" world but the rest of the resort is above average. Grotto for lunch is an underrated option and the Chart House has excellent seafood. Vic & Anthony's is a solid although not spectacular steak house but it will not disappoint. The rooms however are great, especially if you can grab a Rush Tower room. If you do gamble there the good news is that some of your comps, will also transfer to Landry's restaurants off property. (Subject to certain restrictions). All and all a solid place to stay.
5. Circa
I could be obtuse, and a contrarian, and leave this off of the list, but that would mean that I'm also a liar because I really do like this place. Let's start off with the party pieces, the Sports Book and Stadium Swim. They are spectacular and are the best sports book and pool in the City, and I'm including the Strip. The food options are many and all are good. Some even great. The Legacy Club is a sunset destination. The rooms are new and shiny and well thought out, they have supplanted the Golden Nugget as the best rooms downtown. And while I LOVE the Mega Bar, and the Overlook Bar let's get to the warts. This place is EXPENSIVE with a capital EXPENSIVE. Food prices are high, the gambling odds are not good, and while the bartenders are great and nice the prices for drinks are out of this world high, think Las Vegas strip levels. The old saying is that you never want to own the nicest house in a poor neighborhood. My long-term worry is that Circa is just that and is going to struggle.
Honorable Mention:
Post renovation the casino here is a very nice place to be. I've never stayed at the Hotel because, as a Video Poker Play Boyd does not value my business, but the Hawaiian food here is solid.
Currently closed, there are several video poker players/craft beer fans, including myself, that are waiting semi-patiently for the return of the Boar's Head bar and 777 Brewery.
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