1. October Room Rates - Las Vegas Club et al. - through
October- $50 or less
If you plan on coming to Las Vegas in October, don’t bother
bringing your long underwear. It’s hot-town summer-in-the-city,
which is great for sun-worshippers… and room-rate watchers.
This year’s prices are up a bit from last year’s (which were
up a bit from the year before’s), but they’re still lower
than almost any other time of year. Phone calls to Las Vegas
casinos turned up 27 with rates below $40 per night in October;
the Las Vegas Club was lowest at $19 per night.
2. Buffet - Regent Las Vegas - Daily - $4.95-$19.95
The Regent Las Vegas’ Upstairs Market Buffet (#2) remains
our choice for the best-value buffet, especially at breakfast—bagels
and lox, eggs Benedict, and the best cooked-to-order omelet
station we’ve ever seen, all for a price that competes for
lowest in town, $4.95. Monday through Thursday from 4:30 to
6:30, seniors get 25% off the $13.95 dinner with the Sensational
Seniors slot club card sticker.
3. Bacon & Eggs - El Cortez - 24 hours - $1
The $1 bacon-and-eggs breakfast special (#3) at the El Cortez
is still available, even though the coffee shop has been closed
for remodeling. It’s supposed to reopen in time for July 4th
weekend, but if it doesn’t, you can get this breakfast 24
hours a day in Roberta’s restaurant. The special comes with
two eggs, two strips of bacon, toast, hash browns, and unlimited
coffee.
4. Funbook - New Frontier - Daily - Free
The New Frontier’s funbook (#4) goes into its fifth month
in the Top Ten. It’s accessible and valuable, containing $5
matchplays for blackjack, craps, roulette, and the big six,
plus 50¢ off a keno ticket, a 50¢ draft beer, and some freebie
add-ons. Get one a day from the timeshare counter near the
keno lounge from 8 am to 10 pm; you can grab one from the
edge of the counter without even talking to anyone.
5. Steak & Eggs - Arizona Charlie's West (& East) - Daily
- $2.49
The $2.49 steak-and-eggs special at Arizona Charlie’s moves
up to the fifth spot on the list this month, since it’s now
a dual deal. This is one of the few times in the history of
the LVA that a Top Ten value has been available at two places
in tandem. This great breakfast is now served 24 hours a day
in the Sourdough Cafes at both the original Arizona Charlie’s
on the west side and the new Arizona Charlie’s East. Note
that East doesn’t have a counter, so if it’s crowded, you’ll
have to wait for a table. While you’re waiting, check out
the Wild West Buffet next door, which, by looks at least,
is noticeably superior to the Charlie’s West’s buffet, but
at the same price.
6. American Superstars - Stratosphere - Friday-Wednesday
- $26.95
American Superstars (#6) holds onto its claim to being the
best show value in Las Vegas. It’s a fun night out for a retail
$29.65, including tax, but use your Pocketbook of Values 2-for-1
coupon and pay half-price. While you’re there, check out the
new Strat-O-Fair (kids carnival) attraction.
7. Paid Parking - Four Queens - 24 hours - Free
There’s another good deal downtown these days. If you park
in the Four Queens parking structure, you get a tab of coupons
(#7), which come attached to the parking stub. Included are
a $5 matchplay, a free keno ticket (worth a few pennies),
and $1 off the prime rib in Magnolia’s coffee shop. It’s a
quickie $2.50 in expected value, and if you’re parking downtown
anyway, you might as well get paid to.
8. Complete Steak Dinner - Gold Coast - 24 hours - $7.95
Up for an old-fashioned high-calorie meat-and-potatoes meal
deal? Then head straight for the Gold Coast’s Monterrey coffee
shop and order up the 16-ounce T-bone dinner (#8). The big
cooked-to-order slab comes with dinner salad, potatoes, onion
rings, baked beans, garlic bread, and a glass of draft beer,
and costs all of $7.95. You must be 21 years old to order
it.
9. Shrimp Cocktail - Golden Gate - 24 hours - 99¢
Or, if you feel like a little snack to tide you over,
head downtown to the Golden Gate and grab a 99¢ shrimp cocktail
(#9) available in the Deli 24 hours a day—Las Vegas’ best
for more than 40 years.
10. Steak & Shrimp - Hard Rock - 24 hours - $5.95
Finally, if your appetite is somewhere in between a taste
treat and a monster steak, get yourself to the coffee shop
at the Hard Rock and order up the steak and shrimp special
for $5.95 (#10). It comes with a salad, big scoop of potatoes
(the garlic mashed are the best), and a dinner roll. It’s
available 24 hours a day, but it’s not on the menu; you have
to ask for it.
