Friends, family, and visitors are always asking us: What’s your favorite? That depends on what you’re in the mood for, but here are the places we personally send everyone to. And, frankly, the places we ourselves go over and over.
This list comes from a 100-person poll of Downtown residents that we conduct twice yearly.
Attractions
🎟 ATTRACTION: The Mob Museum (3rd & Stewart).
🍿 MOVIE THEATER: Art Houz (3rd & Gass)
Food
🏅 ALL TIME DOWNTOWN FAVE: Main Street Provisions (Main St & roughly California; ask for the owner, Kim, and tell her Chris&Don sent ya; $$$). Grab a bike share and head down. Read our review.
🍗 BBQ: Rick’s Rollin’ Smoke BBQ (Gass & LVB in Pawn Plaza, $$).
🍳 BRUNCH: 7th & Carson (Daily; the name is the address; ask for Liam and tell him Chris&Don sent ya; $$) or Carson Kitchen (Sundays; Carson near LVB, $$).
🍽 DINER: Siegel’s 1941 (El Cortez, $$)
🌮 MEXICAN: For Tex-Mex, Cadillac (Golden Nugget, $$), for more authentic, La Comida (6th between Fremont and Carson, $$$).
🍝 ITALIAN: Pizza Rock (3rd and Ogden, $$) gets us by with a small pasta menu and a solid chicken parmigiana. Chicago Joe’s (820 4th; $$) if you’re after a more old-school, fancy (and surprisingly affordable) Italian experience.
🍕 PIZZA: Either Pizza Rock (3rd and Ogden; $$+variety) or Evel Pie (Fremont East, $$+notoriety). And the small pizza menu at Whiskey Licker Up (Binions, $$) isn’t to be laughed at. Here’s our writeup.
🐟 SEAFOOD: Chart House (Golden Nugget, $$$). For sushi, Sushi Ichiban for their all-you-can-eat, made-from-scratch menu (it’s not a buffet).
🥩 STEAK: Barry’s Downtown Prime (Circa, $$$$$), Triple George (Downtown Grand, $$$) Andiamo’s (The D, $$$$), or Saltgrass (Golden Nugget, $$). Read our full writeup.
🥦 VEGAN/VEGETARIAN: VegeNation (7th & Carson, $$).
Drinks
☕️ COFFEE: Brew It (6th & Bridger, worth the walk for the Vegas Golden Knights blend).
🍷 WINE: Garagiste (Casino Center & California; if Eric’s in tell him Chris&Don sent ya; $$). Read our review.
🍸 FINE COCKTAIL BARS: Speakeasy (The Underground at the Mob Museum) or Vegas Vickie’s (Circa) or Oak & Ivy (Downtown Container Park). Downtown Cocktail Room is a special treat (LVB behind Inspire).
🍻 PUB / CASUAL BARS: Hennessey’s Tavern (LVB and Fremont), The Smashed Pig (Fremont East). Both have great food.
Occasions
👀 PEOPLE WATCHING: Patio at Hennessy’s Tavern (LVB & Fremont) or the window at Corduroy (Fremont between LVB & 6th). We also enjoy (V)Ice Bar, in the Golden Nugget’s lobby, especially during pool season.