Well, the entire city of Las Vegas is devoted to one thing: taking your money in creative ways. But one thing that suprised me about Las Vegas was that you often got more than you paid for on food. If you went to a place that offered $2 steak and eggs, you got real steak and eggs, not a piece of leather and two slabs of rubber. It’s still true.
There are lots of good deals on food. Generally, the coffee shops in the major resort hotels are good and inexpensive, although they can get pricey at the newer ones like Luxor and Paris. I especially like the Tropicana’s and the MGM’s is OK, too.
Buffets! Nearly every hotel has them, and many of them have huge lines. None of them are appreciably bad, and some are quite good, though a bit pricey. At $15 per person, the Mandalay Bay buffet is very good. I’ve heard that the Luxor, Monte Carlo, Cesar’s, and Bally’s all have good buffets, too, but haven’t been to any of them. (I hate standing in line.)
There’s a great little microbrewery in the boutique area on the north side of the Mirage. Average prices. Very busy on Friday and Saturday nites.
Breakfast at the San Remo is very good - they have a buffet, but get the smoked turkey benedict instead. Awesome. And they have a good deal on prime rib at night, too.
Last time I was there, the Stratosphere had apparently taken over the Aladdin’s niche of having the least expensive prime rib. I don’t remember the price because I don’t like the Stratosphere…
There are a lot of expensive places, too. But I stay away from them. With all of the inexpensive food, I’d rather save my money for shows and gambling. And at some (e.g., Rainforest Cafe), the food is actually worse than the less expensive fare.