We are flying out to Vegas in a couple of days with our 10-year old son. He has great table manners and loves every kind of food, from burgers to sushi, and everything in between.
I am trying to find some good, unique, places to take him and my wife during our four days there. The catch is, I really want to avoid chain restaurants. We have done the Rainforest Cafe since there’s one at Disney, and places like Maggiano’s or Medieval Times and their ilk we have done these here in Atlanta.
It is something of a paradox, but I am looking for something that screams Vegas (or the west in general), that will not be too stuffy, and ideally will cost less than $25/person for an entree.
I assume you have strong reasons for bringing a 10 year old kid to Vegas - so I won’t go there (but generally a bad idea).
I think he would love any of the buffets - some of the best are M Resort (far, far south on Las Vegas Blvd. - you will need a car or take the shuttle), the brand new Cosmopolitan has the “Wicked Spoon” that has good reviews, and of course Bellagio, Wynn and even Paris have good buffets. You might want to eat lunch instead of dinner at those places to save a few bucks.
There are lots of interesting restaurants - too numerous to mention - but you will see them as you wander through the casinos. A west coast classic is also the Cheesecake Factory - and yes, they sell more than just (fantastic) cheesecake and very large portions to boot! Cantors in Treasure Island is a famous deli from LA that is worth trying…and there is also Kahunaville in Treasure Island that has huge portions and has a very island feel.
The Rio buffet is the classic buffet - and a huge hit with kids and adults - due to the milk shakes and burgers, as well as prime rib and selection of hundreds of items.
Avoid the Circus Circus buffet at all costs! They do have a good steak house there though.
With a 10 year old in tow, you won’t have much choice but to wander through the shopping mall areas of the larger casinos - but that is where you should find lots and lots of interesting places to stop and eat. They have everything from small burger joints to cool cafes and high end restaurants.
Where, exactly, will you be staying in Vegas? On the Strip? (Closer to the Mandalay Bay end or the Stratosphere end?) Downtown? Will you have a car? (If so, then don’t feel like you have to stick to the Strip. If your son enjoys Thai food, I have heard nothing but rave reviews for an out-of-the-way place called Lotus of Siam.)
You can get menus for most of the restaurants inside of Vegas hotels by going to the hotels’ websites and clicking on “Dining”. Some places won’t list prices, even for the 24-hour cafes, but most differentiate between “fine” and “casual” dining.
However, I have to agree with DMark in questioning the wisdom of bringing a 10-year-old to Vegas. I have a saying: if somebody in Vegas asks me for the best place to take their children, I point to southbound I-15 and say, “Keep driving until you reach Disneyland; Vegas is one of very few places that’s actually more expensive.” What is he supposed to do at night?
First, the reason for taking him to Vegas is that there is a tae-kwon-do tournament there this weekend. There will likely be 500-1000 kids there this weekend competing at various levels.
Second, we are staying just a block off the strip, towards the southern end of it. We will have a car.
As for activities, we are planning a helicopter tour of Grand Canyon plus rafting the Colorado at the base of Hoover Dam one day, and on another day, visiting the Pinball Hall of Fame, plus riding the rides on top of the Stratosphere (I intend to jump off, sadly he’s not quite old enough yet).
As for night activities, on his competition days, we won’t be out that late, and sadly I don’t think either the wife or I will have a chance to gamble, which really isn’t that big a deal, so doing the ‘tour’ of the non-gambling areas of the casinos would be fine too.
It’s kind of hokey, therefore very Vegas, but I’m going to go with the jousting tournament/dinner at the Excalibur. It’s more than you’re looking to pay but you have to consider it dinner AND a show, and at Vegas prices, it’s reasonable. My then new husband and I did this in lieu of a wedding reception and it went over with a bang with all ages.
Will he enjoy licking up the s*e#m dripping out of your Orbit when someone gouges your eye out and skull f@#!s you for bringing a child to a city of vice?
Someone please move this to the pit!
I didn’t pick the location. I’m just trying to make the most out of the situation, nothing more. We have a helicopter tour scheduled for the Grand Canyon, rafting at the base of Hoover Dam, a trip to the Pinball Hall of Fame, and the rides on top of the Stratosphere. We will probably drag him to do some shopping as well since we will have time.
I KNOW it’s not exactly a kid-friendly city (although they certainly tried that route back in the 90s), but the tournament is important and I refuse to keep him locked in his room the whole time we are there.
And thanks for the dinner show idea Voguevixen. We have a Medieval Times here in Atlanta and it seems to be similar, but may pop over one night anyway as it is a fun time to be had no question.
Circus Circus definitely has rides and acts that are family/kid friendly, and yeah, no desire to eat there, but may go visit. If all else fails, a lot of casinos used to have arcades in them that may be worth checking out, particularly the one at Circus Circus.
I don’t think Treasure Island is quite so kid friendly, but it’s been years since I’ve been.
Treasure Island has been rebranded as TI and it is NOT kid friendly. Even the pirate show is more slutty mermaids than actual pirates now.
To your original question I don’t think there is anything more “Vegas” than the ridiculous excess on display at most of the buffets. Caesars just opened a new one which is supposed to be more of everything than ever before, I’m a fan of the Wynn buffet but it’s a little over your price range unless you’re going for lunch.
Personally though I think Vegas screams loud enough that no matter where you eat it will be an experience.
It actually kind of annoyed me how kid-friendly they are trying to make Vegas last time I went, so OP you should be fine. That was last year, btw. (Can’t we have ONE place just for adults? Must EVERY LAST PLACE be family friendly?) Anyway personal ire aside, it’s changed a lot.
I don’t find Vegas to be very kid friendly. Smut cards everywhere, tons of drunk people stumbling around, and booze being sold at every corner. The only place that I found to be overly-kiddy was the M&M museum.
Hmm…not exactly sure what you mean by still trying to make Las Vegas “kid-friendly”.
They stopped doing that years ago. However, the OP has clearly explained why he is bringing his son - and I think it is great they are schlepping here just for this kid tournament!
That said, security will be watching like hawks and anyone under 21 is immediately escorted away from most of the adult vices and entertainment areas.
But there are still the malls and the game arcades - lots of those - where kids might at least not be so bored. There is a great arcade next to the also fun M&M museum (look for the large Coke bottle near MGM Grand) that is worth visiting. NYNY has a great roller coaster and a cool arcade. You have the aquarium at Mandalay Bay, rides at Circus Circus, the wax museum at Venetian, the Secret Garden at Mirage, the zip line in downtown Vegas, there is a movie theater next to MGM Grand to catch a movie and, a bit too early in the year, but a brand new water park is opening in May (a tad far from the Strip) that would normally be worth a day’s visit. So it is not like you have to lock kids in the trunk of the car during your visit - there are some things to do. And as mentioned, lots of cool restaurants and food courts.
That said, even locals complain there isn’t all that much for their own kids here. That is one reason most are thrilled the water park is finally finished for the coming summer. You might want to make a stop at Sunset Station on your drive around Las Vegas - they have Kid Quest - a fun place to drop off kids for a few hours while the parents have some alone time to gamble or go have dinner alone or whatever. Most kids love that place and you have to beg them to leave. Small hourly fee, but the kids can run around with other kids, with professional adult supervision, and have free access to all sorts of games and things to do.
So while it is generally a rule of thumb that Vegas is most certainly not the most kid friendly, there are places that will keep families busy for a few hours here and there that make short trips with kids not all that horrible. For a long weekend, you should be just fine!
It was just a strong impression I got when I went last year. I admit I didn’t pay too much attention because I don’t have children. It just annoyed me a bit - a lot of places were advertising kid-friendly stuff, kid-friendly shows, etc. But I don’t want to hijack his thread. I just wanted to tell him the impression I got.
If anything it’s an excuse to eat with no silverware. (Cornish game hen and broccoli spear if memory serves.) The lower level is also a giant arcade with all sorts of things where you can win prizes. Hubby won me a stuffed Spongebob, he did.
It just dawned on me that Mount Charleston state park is just north of the city if you’re into hiking and nature junk. (And if you’re hot it’s a good 20 degrees cooler.) I also recommend the scenic loop drive at the Red Rock Canyon park, slightly west of the city.
(Cornish game hen and broccoli spear if memory serves.) The lower level is also a giant arcade with all sorts of things where you can win prizes. Hubby won me a stuffed Spongebob, he did.