Fridays are Always Happy at B-Dubs

OK, so if you know what B-Dubs is, then you're familiar with Buffalo Wild Wings. B-W-W - hence the shortened version of B-Dubs that we all prefer to say so we save ourselves a few syllables. While most restaurants would never think of having any Happy Hour on a Friday night, I'm glad to see that BWW thinks otherwise. They don't over think their "special" times, they just do it and it works.

Have you ever thought that a place had Happy Hour only to arrive and realize that you misinterpreted the Monday thru Thursday but not Friday night, however Sunday is good and so forth. You get what I'm talking about. BWW is straightforward: Monday-Friday: 2-7 PM and 10 PM - 6 AM. Period. Plus, on all of the weekdays, the 10 PM hour is traditionally an awkward one where most Happy Hours haven't started yet and you don't dare enter an establishment that's about to close because the kitchen staff will want to punch you for making them whip out their pots and pans again. (You know it's true!)

Besides the traditional Wing Tuesday special of 50 cent wings and Boneless Thursdays with 60 cent boneless wings, Happy Hour gives you enough food and drink items that they know you'll probably order something off of the main menu anyways.

The pricing is simple, everything I'm about to list is $3.

Drinks: 
Tall Domestic Drafts
Jack Daniels
Captain Morgan
Absolut Vodka Drinks

Food:

Mozzarella Sticks - I've had these once before. I always like to tell any place to make them well done so that the cheese is ensured to be melted and gooey. Who ever wants to eat fried cheese that's like a block?

Chili con Queso Dip - Once again, as the ultimate fan of being served food that is piping temperature hot (hey, it just tastes that much better!), I, once again, request any dips to be bubbly. This is a really good dip! It's mainly a cheese based dip that has chili in it. It's served with tortilla chips that if served right, should also be warm. 

Mini Corn Dogs - I've never had these here. Why? Corn dogs bring me back to childhood when I was puzzled at the school lunch line when all of my friends would be darting for these hot dogs wrapped in a cake like fried batter and to fit in, I started eating these things. So, in my lifetime, I've kind of had enough corn dogs. But not to say that these aren't good here by any means. I just can't give you a first hand account.

Garlic Roasted Mushrooms - It says "roasted" but it's a garlic flavored crusted mushroom that is fried. These are pretty good. I've had them at least once before. However, my dining partner isn't a big mushroom fan so I tend to not get to eat these too often. 

Chips & Salsa - This is what you would expect. I do like their tortilla chips here because they are light and crispy and no the super thick ones. 

Every B-Dubs has the same feel with a little bit of a different layout. The servers at my local B-Dubs are great but I can't attest to the other wait staff valley wide. So, you may have to show up and see but in any sense, you've got a wide range of hours including Friday for some economic eats!

Late Nite at Southpoint Casino

The beauty about Las Vegas is if you live on a schedule that is more unorthodox than orthodox, you run into specials that are often a steal - that is - if you are into eating late night. It's a 24-hour city and shifts are always getting off while shifts are just about to begin. I've eaten breakfast at 3 AM before and have sat next to someone who had just gotten up and was having breakfast before they headed into work. Plus, at this time, you see the club goers who have consumed too much alcohol and need some grub! This is beautiful! Late night specials can satisfy a variety of people!

On the very very south end of Las Vegas Boulevard...Mandalay Bay's direction and keep keep keep going, you'll find Southpoint Casino. It's gold/yellow in color and it has a world class equestrian arena. OK, so what does this have to do with specials? Nothing...but just saying.

From midnight to 6 AM Southpoint's Coronado Cafe (their 24-hour restaurant) serves specials. You must be 21 years and older to order these dishes.

Buttermilk Biscuits and Gravy - $2.25
Two Eggs, Hash Browns, Toast & Jelly - $2.95
Pancake Sandwich: Buttermilk Pancake, a Fried Egg & Sliced Ham - $3.45
Ham Steak & Two Eggs, Hash Browns, Toast & Jelly - $3.75
Cheeseburger: 1/2 lb Burger with French Fries - $3.75
7 oz N.Y. Steak, Two Eggs, Hash Browns, Toast & Jelly - $3.95

I rarely get to dine at Southpoint late night, but on the few occasions that I have, I remember that their dishes are good. While I'm very specific in my posts about the dishes on special, I don't have anything terribly specific to recall about these items, other than I don't have a negative impression. So, it must have been fine.

Overall, the cafe has good food. They have a Chinese menu that is separate from the main cafe menu and sometimes you need to request it because it isn't always handed to you. If you order off of the Chinese menu,  they typically give you the Chinese Hot Tea for free as it comes with most of their entrees. There aren't specials on the Chinese per se, but if Chicken Fried Rice is $5.95, their prices are definitely within reason on most fronts.

They also have a $12.95 Prime Rib or Porterhouse specials. It comes with your salad or soup as well.

Yard House Happy Hour

When you can combine Happy Hour pricing with real dishes, you've got a win-win situation. I'm not saying that chicken fingers and wings aren't real dishes, but having a variety of items to choose from beyond the typical fried items is always a welcomed sight.

Enter: Yard House. With over 180 drafts on hand, it will satisfy the most serious of beer drinkers while dishing up great complements to the beverages. Just the sight of the kegs is quite impressive. There are two locations in Las Vegas. One is at Town Square on South Las Vegas Boulevard (just down the street from Mandalay Bay Casino). The other one is situated inside the Red Rock Casino in Summerlin (westside Las Vegas).

Yard House's Happy Hour is Mon-Fri 3-6:00 PM and Sun-Wed 10 PM-Close. Their late night Happy Hour especially appeases me because the 10-11 PM hour is an oddball time slot where most places haven't yet started their Happy Hour which makes Yard House right on with their timing!

Most of their appetizers are half-off and here's a run down of the choices:

Chicken Lettuce Wraps: Stir fried chicken with pine nuts, green onions, tofu with three dipping sauces (one of them being peanut sauce).

I order this dish about 90% of the time because it's tasty, interactive (you have to make your own wraps of course) and it's not an item that is typically on other Happy Hour menus. They give you a generous portion of  lettuce and it's not iceberg, I believe it's butter or bibb lettuce. Or - are they kind of the same lettuce?!?!? Who knows. Anyways, it's a flexible leaf that doesn't break in half on you so it works well. As an obvious Asian (Chinese to be exact), I give this one two thumbs up!

Seared Ahi Sashimi: Seared rare, lightly blackened served with soy vinaigrette.

So you have to be a sushi or rare fish eater to appreciate this one, but it's very very good. It's a light appetizer so if you order this one, you'll most likely need to order or share one more dish with someone. It has a very refreshing taste and I've always had it come out just right. I recommend this one for sure.

Spinach Cheese Dip: Just like you know and served with flatbread crisps for dipping. 

This is also a good dish but as in any restaurant that I order a spinach cheese dip, I request that it comes out extra bubbly hot because it always tastes better that way. Their dip has a good taste to it.

Chicken Nachos: This is what you would expect. It's the typical nachos layered with beans, cheeses, guacamole and sour cream. 

It's hard to mess this one up. If you are in the mood for nachos, it's quite a large size so you won't be disappointed with that. It's a consistent dish that will satisfy your taste buds.

Garlic Noodles: Tossed with butter and topped with Parmesan cheese.

This is a smaller dish and it's great as a side to complement the other appetizers. It's got a really nice unique flavor with the garlic and cheeses on it. This isn't a saucy noodle dish. It's more of a dry noodle dish but has a nice burst of flavor.

Onion Ring Tower: Beer battered dusted with Parmesan and served with chipotle and ranch dipping sauces. 

I've had this either once or twice and it's not because it wasn't good. It's just so darn big. It really is stacked like a tower and it's definitely meant to be shared with a few people. You really only want to eat one or two and to try other dishes, otherwise you can get onion-ed out and really full from it.

Pizzas: BBQ Chicken, Spicy Thai Chicken, Margherita, Four Cheese, Pepperoni and Mushroom, Ham and Pineapple round pizzas. 

It's a decent sized pizza that you can either share or eat as your entree. Of all the pizzas, my favorite is the Spicy Thai Chicken one because it's a unique item and it's got the peanut sauce on it. It's definitely not a traditional item but it's not one that you'll find in other places.

More appetizers that are half-price are: Wings, Moo Shu Egg Rolls, Fried Calamari, Fried Chicken Strips, Blue Crab Cakes, Tuna Roll and California Roll.

They also have sliders on the menu for $6.95 and they all come with fries. They offer the Classic, Bearnaise, Pastrami, Turkey or Gardein (TM). You really can't go wrong with their sliders. They are all good. I especially like the Classic, Pastrami or Turkey sliders. Another option for $9.95 is their Ahi sliders. I haven't tried these yet.

There are drink specials, of course. They start at $2.25 and up. Domestics are $3.50 and Well Drinks are $4.25-4.75. Specialty Drinks and Wine by the Glass are $2.00 off.

What's also great about their Happy Hour is that it extends throughout the entire restaurant. Every seat is a Happy Hour seat so you don't have to cram yourself into the bar area. Sit comfortably at a table or a booth and still enjoy the specials.



rooms

Einstein Bagels Offers Late Day Discounts

If you are like me and just eat bagels as they are, then this latest Einstein Bagels special is right up your alley. Monday-Friday, from 3-5 PM, they offer 25% off of their bagels. Sure, it makes sense. It's late in the day and they are about to close and what better way to unload their bagels to customers than a discount?

While I typically like to enjoy the freshest bagels that come out in the morning, a 25% discount could definitely entice me in there for a late afternoon snack.

I used to always get the Asiago Cheese Bagel, but lately I've been having the Everything Bagel and the Cinnamon Sugar Bagel toasted with a side of butter. I'm not a big cream cheese person so I can't really attest to the new cream cheeses. Either way, all of their bagels are good and it's really up to what your tastebuds are looking for, something sweet or salty?

Bagels typically run anywhere from $1.10-$1.70 - depending on if you pick a Classic, Signature or Gourmet bagel. You really can't go wrong with any flavor.

Kona Grill Dishes Up Happy Hour Specials

Kona Grill has been one of my favorite Happy Hour spots for many years. Located in Summerlin at the Boca Park center (Rampart and Charleston), they dish up awesome Happy Hour specials every day of the week and on most days, it's both afternoon and night. While the offerings have slightly changed throughout the years, it has stayed more or less the same in selection while the theme of "Half-Off Pricing" has consistently made it a winner for me.

The Kona Grill Happy Hour schedule is as follows:
Monday-Friday: 3-7 PM
Monday-Thursday: 9-11 PM
Friday-Saturday: 10-12 AM
Saturday: 1-5 PM
Sunday: ALL DAY!

Double check that their winter hours haven't taken effect yet - that would only affect the late night Happy Hour ending times. 

Happy Hour offers half price food and $6 "essentials". Each table in the bar or outdoor patio will have a mini-stand that has the menu inserted on one of the sides.

Menu:

Sushi
Philly Roll, Atlantic Roll, Fiery Shrimp Roll, Spicy Tuna Roll, California Roll, Vegetarian Roll, Crab Special Roll, Crab Crunch Roll.

The sushi is good here. I primarily eat tuna and salmon based rolls so I have tried the Philly Roll (spicy tuna with cream cheese, the Atlantic Roll (cooked salmon with eel sauce on top), and the Spicy Tuna Roll (like the traditional...spicy tuna inside). They are all good and I see plenty of tables and parties ordering plates upon plates full of sushi.

Appetizer Items

Potstickers: These aren't your traditional potstickers with the traditional lump of meat filling. In fact, when you bite into it, the meat is more of a loose minced style and will come spilling out. So if you dare to dip the potsticker into the very tasty sauce they give you and to re-dip, beware, most of your filling may end up in the sauce. To prevent this kind of incident, I like to pour the sauce on my potsticker instead of attempting the task of dipping.

Sweet & Spicy Shrimp: I haven't tried this one yet although I spotted another table with it and I am definitely going to try it next time!

Chicken Satay: This is a really nice simple dish with grilled chicken breast on skewers. The peanut dipping sauce or the hoisin sauce they give you makes the dish yummy. Hoisin is a Chinese sauce that is often served with Chicken Lettuce Wraps in other restaurants so give it a try. It's tasty. The chicken is laid on coleslaw although I opt to ask for their "island rice" instead which is a fried rice with some shrimp.

Avocado Egg Rolls: Hands down this is one of my absolute favorite items on their Happy Hour menu. It's an avocado mixture in an egg roll wrapper deep fried and served with this out-of-this-world sauce. I can't even describe it but it's so darn good!!!!! If you like avocado, I 1000% (yes, one thousand) recommend this!

Flatbreads: They serve three different kinds - Margherita, BBQ Chicken and Pepperoni. Like it sounds, it's a  oblong flat dough that is served on a wood board. They used to serve traditional round pizzas and I must say that their transition to the flatbread is a definite plus! My favorite is the BBQ Chicken because of the integration of red onions, BBQ sauce, diced chicken and fresh herbs. It's just a nice gourmet tasting flatbread.

$6 Essentials

While the other items above are half-off their regular price, the following items are straight up six dollars.

Specialty Sushi: Bama Roll, Voodoo Roll, Wave Roll (I haven't tried any of these so I can't describe them.)

Kona Calamari: It's a nice lightly breaded calamari with a mayo-like dipping sauce. I prefer asking for some red marinara sauce with it and extra lemons as well. This is a good dish to share so you can eat other items without getting too full on just calamari.

Twin Mini Cheeseburgers: These are surprisingly good - why I say surprisingly isn't because I don't expect Kona to have great food, but I normally think that a mini cheeseburger is going to taste like the typical one but these are very delicious and would make you want to order them again.

Chicken and Shrimp Lettuce Wraps: This dish has a tangy sweet type of sauce on it. With all versions of lettuce wraps, they have their own flavor. This one is quite good and the last time I ordered it, it came out piping hot temperature wise and they gave me tons of lettuce for wrapping so I was a happy camper.

Tacos: These are fish tacos in a tortilla wrap over coleslaw if I remember correctly.

Drinks

Happy Hour wouldn't be complete without drink specials - so here they are:

Margarita - $3-4.50
Cosmo - $5
Sake Bomber - $7.50
Gekkeikan Draft Sake Bottle - $6
Bud Light Draft - $3.50
Sam Adams Selection - $4
Featured Wines - $5

PLUS! Wednesdays is Wine Down Wednesdays featuring half price bottles of wine all day on all bottles!

On the Border Part II: Happy Hour

This is On the Border Part II (OTB) as promised in the last post. As a restaurant in the suburbs of Vegas, specials are a must and having an affordable Happy Hour is definitely a must employ strategy. While I do wish that OTB stayed open at least an hour later, perhaps their numbers don't warrant it.

Monday-Friday, OTB has Happy Hour in the bar and patio from 3-7 PM and late night Happy Hour from 9 PM-Close which is a short time frame since last call for food is around 9:30. The restaurant actually closes at 10 so drinks are still available until that time.

Happy Hour consists of both food and drinks specials. It's half off select appetizers and I have tasted most of them. Now, OTB isn't for the dieter or for those that want a moderately healthy meal....on Happy Hour that's next to impossible. So, for half the cost, for a snack, take OTB for what it's worth.

I have always liked their Chips and Salsa which are served free to everyone. I like their salsa because it comes out cold and has a loose consistency with a little kick to it. They give you salsa in the small little blue dishes but I typically request a bowl because I use a lot of it. The chips - when done right - come out nice and hot. If they come out kind of cold and stale, don't hesitate to ask for a new batch. It's your money, get what you want and you deserve it.

Some of the items on the Happy Hour menu:

Empanadas:
Fried dough pastry shell (like a mini-pie) stuffed with meat (chicken or beef). You get five of these and they come with cheese (queso) dip. I think these are quite tasty, however, you definitely want to share this plate with two other people. If you eat five of these by yourself, you are going to feel like a greaseball mess and your stomach is going ask you why you just did that. Eat one or two at the most and consume some other items.

Firecracker Stuffed Jalapenos:
Again, this is a dish to share with others. Don't eat the whole thing by yourself or you will feel like a greaseball mess. Just have one or two and share with others. This is a typical stuffed Jalapeno where it's filled with cheese and then fried. It's hard to mess this one up.

Texas Wings:
These are kind of bready, but not bad. One bartender suggested that we dip them in some queso dip and it was a nice complement to the wings.

Fajita Nachos:
Now, these are not like the nachos that you are accustomed to because it's not a pile of tortilla chips with meat and cheeses and toppings sprinkled all over. Each chip actually is topped on its own and then baked so the cheese is melted on it. I personally wasn't a fan of these and maybe it's because I was expecting one thing and got another. Plus, the chip gets soggy the way it's made. Fair warning to you if you want to get them.

Queso Dip:
This is your typical cheese dip and it's always best when you request it "piping hot" so it's bubbling when you get it. Otherwise, it's just not the same.

Chicken Flautas:
These are like your typical flautas except I like them better without the sauce they drizzle on top of it because it gets the flauta shell soggy. This is a sharing dish, once again, because you don't feel good if you eat the whole thing by yourself.

Drinks specials are about $3-4 and include Dos Equis and Margaritas.

In a nutshell, OTB is good for a mini group gathering where you can sample a few items on the Happy Hour menu. I don't often go for their Happy Hour actually. I typically go for Taco Tuesdays where tacos are on a special price at 99 cents. I also like their Chips and Salsa. So, I go for a lighter meal and not for the all out Appetizer spree. Either way, with the apps being half-price, at least go check it out.

LIMITED TIME: Freebies at On the Border

While I talk a lot about ongoing economic eats deals in Las Vegas, I also run across a lot of deals that are great but are only available for a limited, and sometimes very limited, amount of time. This post is about On the Border, a neighborhood joint that serves Mexican food. To the best of my knowledge, there is only one of them in Las Vegas and it's in Centennial - just off of US-95 and Ann Road. It sits between Panda Express and Cane's Chicken. I searched in Henderson as well and the On the Border site yielded no results.

Through tomorrow, On the Border is offering a free bowl of Original Queso and a smaller order of Sopapillas with the purchase of one or more entrees at full price. I've tried both of these items before and they are good! This is a limited time offer and is good through Thursday, October 4.

I really like On the Border for several reasons. I haven't had any dish there that I didn't like. Their free chips and salsa is awesome because they are all made in-house. The chips come out warm (when served right) and the salsa is a really nice fresh loose mix with a little kick to it.

When I go to this restaurant, I've always preferred to sit at the bar counter seat only because a large flat screen occupies the space above the bar and it's nice to watch a nice sports game while enjoying my meal. There are other smaller flat screens around the bar area as well.

I often order their enchiladas, the chicken or pork ones with a request for green sauce on both. The green sauce (chile verde) typically comes on the pork enchilada but I really like it on everything. Otherwise, the chicken enchilada comes with a red sauce which is also very good but I simply can't resist the green sauce sometimes. Their plates are served with rice and beans and I like ordering the black beans with my entree.

I'll do an On the Border post part two where I talk about their regular specials which change every day but are consistent from week to week. Does that make sense? I just wanted to give a quick shout out about the freebies that are offered through tomorrow - Oct. 4.

A Deal Near the Strip: Terrible's Casino Cafe

It's not often these days that outrageously "I can't believe it" deals are found on the Strip, but traveling a few blocks from the Strip (a walk if you are ambitious!) can yield some great deals that appeal to both tourists and locals. One such place is Terrible's Casino which is on the corner of Flamingo and Paradise. Flamingo is the street houses Bally's, Bellagio, Caesars and the Flamingo Casino. Terrible's is down a few blocks from the Strip on the Bally's side of the road.

While I don't frequent Terrible's Hotel & Casino very often, I have eaten at both their buffet and cafe before when there were specials. My Las Vegas Entertainment book used to house a few 2-for-1 buffet coupons and that usually led me to the establishment.Unfortunately, Terrible's hasn't been in the book for the past few years.

The deal that I'm going to talk about is a simple one: breakfast. It's $2.99 every day and you just need to sign up (for FREE, of course) for their Player's Card. The Deuces Wild breakfast, as it's called, comes with 2 eggs, 2 pancakes and 2 strips of bacon. Next to its newspaper ad it has stamped "Best of Las Vegas" as voted by locals at one time or another.

When it's breakfast, it's really hard to screw up....really, so while I haven't had this one lately, I can't imagine it being anything further than what it should be. I've also had their other breakfasts including a Hawaiian Loco Moco and that was also pretty good. That is a normal priced menu item.

The casino is a smaller one. It's in a location that is supposed to attract both tourists and locals so it must balance its prices. For just a penny under three bucks...I don't think there's much room for any complaints here.

Happy Hour at Brio Tuscan Grille (2 Locations!)

When you don't want the typical bar menu items for Happy Hour, Brio Tuscan Grille at Town Square and Tivoli Village (Summerlin) make for a great outing. Now, their Happy Hour used to be $2.95 items, but I guess it was so popular that they felt an extra dollar wouldn't hurt their crowd. In an evolving menu - as restaurants should be doing anyways - there are new and old items on this Happy Hour Menu. Some of these items I can personally vouch for, while on other items, I'll need others to let me know!

There are two Happy Hours which satisfy the late afternoon crowd as well as the after dinner crowd. The times are: Monday-Friday: 3-6:30pm and Monday-Thursday: 9pm-Close. Happy Hour is available ONLY at the bar.

Here are some of the items on the menu with some commentary. Overall, you can't really go wrong at Brio. Even their full menu (although a quite a it pricier) has always dished up great stuff:

ALL $3.95:

Beef Carpaccio - served with field greens, capers, mustard aioli and Parmigiano-Reggiano. (I've had this one before and I thought it was very tasty and quite healthy of a dish. Thinly sliced beef with some nice cold salad greens. Although I'm not a huge capers fan, you can easily request them off or they are easy to just remove yourself.)

Spicy Shrimp & Eggplant - pan seared shrimp with Romano crusted eggplant and a black pepper cream sauce.

(This has got to be one of my favorite dishes of all time. When done right (and there were a few times that the dish didn't come out temperature fresh hot-hot like it was supposed to) it is spectacular. Crispy eggplant with a gooey center topped with shrimp and the sauce is what really completes this dish. It's described as a black pepper cream sauce but it resembles a red pepper cream sauce to me. Anyways - I HIGHLY recommend this one!)

BRIO Burger - grilled to order with Provolone and housemade chips. 

(There is a "secret sauce" of something on this...I don't prefer it so I usually leave it off. I get mine grilled medium and it's a nice size. It's not a full burger, so don't expect that, but it's a smaller burger that is just right. I love to order this with the Spicy Shrimp & Eggplant because I dip the chips in that sauce!)

Margherita Flatbread or Sausage & Pepperoni Flatbread - just like it sounds on flatbread.
(The flatbread is a nice lighter version of a pizza without all of the bread. It's nice and crispy with a little bite to it. The Margherita has tomatoes and basil on it and it's refreshing. The Sausage & Pepperoni is equally delicious.)

Ravioli Caprese - Romano crusted ravioli topped with tomatoes, fresh basil, fresh Mozzarella and cilantro pesto drizzle. 
(The ravioli can be a little dry only because it's crusted and deep fried so the moisture can be taken out of it. The toppings make it tasty however and the pesto drizzle...anything with pesto is always a plus with me!)

Roasted Garlic, Spinach & Artichoke Dip - served bubbling hot with Parmesan flatbread.
(The dip is pretty good. I'm quite picky on my spinach and artichoke dips. My main thing with hot dips is that it's GOT TO BE bubbling hot. Although the description on the menu is that it comes out bubbling hot, I have had to send mine back before because it wasn't. However, if you kindly ask your server to make sure it's bubbling hot - you stand a better chance at getting it the right temp the first time. When it does come out bubbling hot - it's delicious! I did have to request an extra few pieces of flatbread to finish off the remaining dip.)

Shrimptini - chilled shrimp served in a martini glass with classic cocktail sauce and flaxseed cracker.

Tomato & Mozzarella Capri - sliced Kumato tomatoes, fresh Mozzarella and basil; served with balsamic glaze and field greens.

Crispy Shrimp Piccante - Romano breaded shrimp drizzled with a spicy aoli. 

Out of all the offerings on the Happy Hour menu, the last three items are the only ones that I have yet to try. So, for the most part, you have my first hand accounts of each dish.

Food isn't the only Happy Hour items. There are $5 Drink Specials that include the following:

Sangria Rosa, White Peach Sangria, Mango Mojito, Strawberry Mojito, Pomegranate Cosmo, Black Raspberry Cosmo, Tavolo Matto Chardonnay, Tavolo Matto Pinot Grigio...and more!

LABOR DAY ALERT: Military Appreciation at Miller's Ale House!

While there is a great reason to visit Miller's Ale House (Town Square Retail Mall on South Strip - Las Vegas Blvd.) this Labor Day (Sept. 3) if you are a Veteran, current serving member or a reserve on the Nation's Armed Forces, this restaurant always has great food with great prices and quite an expansive menu.

I'll get to the Labor Day offer first. As I said above, if you are in that criteria, you will receive 50% off your entree, just show your valid Military ID or VA card and you'll get the discount. Simple as that!

Now, I'll talk more about Miller's dishes. They are known for their generous portions and I have dined her regularly throughout the past two years. On the appetizers side, there is the Chicken Nachos. I remember dining there once and a group of guys all shared it. It was huge! Just huge! So in one of my subsequent visits, I did try it and it was really good. Albeit that it's an appetizer, between sharing it with one other person, I was done. I was full. No entree item needed!

One of my favorite dishes here is their English Style Fish and Chips. No joke, it's an extremely generous portion that I ALWAYS share with someone else. I never tackle this dish alone because overeating simply doesn't feel good. Plus, eating half of the dish - you get the point that it's good. It's got a great type of light breading on it which I appreciate because I feel like I'm eating the fish and not a bunch of coating. It comes with fries and some coleslaw. Price: $9.95 - Trust me. Well worth it! You don't find Fish and Chips at that price for the size anywhere else that I've seen in Vegas.

A specialty of theirs is the Zingers. Boneless, skinless chicken breast pieces that are coated lightly and friend with their special sauces. The coating and the unique sauces is really what makes this an awesome appetizer. A server once mixed Hot with Garlic and that was a great combo!

Every Monday-Friday, Miller's has a Lunch Special menu where there is always an item that is $4.99 and one that is $5.99. These items are usually a sandwich and a dish like Chicken Pot Pie or Meatloaf.

Every night as well, Miller's has a fantastic Dinner Special. I particularly like Mondays because I've tried it before and that's the $10.99 1 1/4 Pound Full Rack of Baby Back Ribs that fall off the bone. It is served with fries and coleslaw. This is another "Share It" dish in my book. It's simply too much to eat it all yourself.

Another day of interest may be Wednesday where it's a 1 1/4 lb steamed Whole Maine Lobster for $14.95. I haven't tried this dish only because I'm allergic to lobster. However, I do know the price of lobster so this definitely seems like a great deal.

The environment at Miller's is that of a sports bar/restaurant one. You have an indoor patio that is covered with their large windows/shutters opened during nice weather and you have the bar and regular family dinner areas. There are many many screens everywhere and you can watch you sports games there as you dine.

So special occasion or not, Miller's always has a great deal.

Mimi's Cafe $5 Happy Hour

Ever since Mimi's Cafe came to Las Vegas, it's consistently been a restaurant that dishes up great food. From breakfast to dinner, they have generous portions and they have some unbelievable breads - carrot raisin nut loaf, blueberry muffin, honey bran etc. The list goes on and on...

They now have Happy Hour and it's a great addition to their menu - which by the way - does feature select All-Day Breakfast items. If you are like me, you can eat breakfast for any meal and it's awesome! 

Mimi's features both food and drinks specials at $5 per item. Happy Hour is Monday-Sunday 4pm-6pm. I snapped a picture of the Happy Hour Menu so I can give you the specifics:

$5 Wine Flights

Red, White & Sparkling

$5 Bistro Bites 

(Add fries to any Bistro Bite for $1)

Crispy Zucchini Parmesan
Chicken Tenders
BBQ Pork Sliders
Signature Cheese & Fruit Plate

$5 White Wines by the Glass
Sparkling (Freixenet)

Riesling (Chateau Ste Michelle)

Pinot Grigio (Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi)
Chardonnay (La Terre)

$5 Red Wines by the Glass
Pinot Noir (Mirassou)
Merlot (Columbia Crest Two Vines)
Cabernet (La Terre)

Cabernet Sauvignon (Robert Mondavi Private Selection)

I haven't tried any of the Bistro Bites, but from the fact that anything I've ordered from Mimi's has been great, I think their track record speaks for itself. I've been a regular diner at Mimi's for the better part of the past ten years and they have been consistent. The serving staff and management are also very friendly. 

If you enjoy Mimi's Cafe like I do, then also join their eClub. They send 2-for-1 coupons quite frequently!

Maggiano's Little Italy on the Strip Happy Hour

I have been known to frequent Maggiano's quite frequently especially when conventions come to town and I'm starving around the 5pm time slot. So, yes, I am typically recognized by the bar staff. They've always had some kind of a Happy Hour, but it seems as though they've just switched it up again with new offerings. This is the latest info I have on this matter.

Happy Hour is from 3-6pm and is available in the Dining Room, Bar and Lounge. This is great because now you aren't fighting for position at the bar and you can comfortably waltz into the restaurant to enjoy some food and drinks. 

Here is their Happy Hour Menu:

$3 Premium Draft Beer: 

Peroni, Stella Artois, Newcastle, Bud Light

$4 Flat Bread Pizzas: 

Margherita, Pepperoni & Arugula, Italian Sausage, Chicken & Roasted Pepper

$5 Wines by the Glass: 

Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon

$6 Specialty Cocktails: 

Featuring fresh juices and premium spirits...

When it's not Happy Hour, Maggiano's has family sized dishes that are great for sharing. They used to have monstrous portions, but they've scaled it back a little but the items/entrees are still great for sharing. When I go there, I always make some "sharing" agreement with my party because I've seen a lot of first timers order an entree for each person and end up feeling like they want to roll out of there because they are so stuffed. 

What I also like about Maggiano's is that it's attached to the Fashion Show Mall. You can shop before or after your meal, either way, it's good exercise! I also like this restaurant because you have a beautiful view of the Las Vegas Strip from its second floor location. Sometimes it's nearly impossible to find an affordable meal that isn't at tourist prices yet still have that view and ambiance in Vegas, but at Maggiano's you get that! 

Red Rock Casino and Green Valley Ranch Buffet 2-for-1

For the entire month of August (sidenote Mon-Thurs ONLY) Red Rock Casino and Green Valley Ranch's Feast Buffet are offering 2-for-1 deals. Typically there is a catch - and really - this time, there is no catch. This is what you do:

1. Go to either of these casinos and find the Rewards Kiosk. There are many of these throughout the casino floor.

2. Swipe your Players Card, enter your PIN, and the promotion of 2-for-1 Feast Buffet will appear on the screen.

3. Select the Feast Buffet Promotion and it will print right out of the kiosk.

4. Now, take this voucher with you to the buffet.

So, you see it's relatively easy and you don't have to accumulate any kind of points to receive the promotion. You can only receive one 2-for-1 voucher per day so strategically think about which meal you want to use it on. If you have a friend or a spouse - now - then you can actually take advantage of this twice each day. One swipe per card.

If there was a catch, I'd say it'd be this. THE DREADED WAIT. No doubt, Station Casinos was smart, once again. If you offer 2-for-1 to their two most premium properties with the most premium buffet, you are going to get people coming onto the property attempting to eat on a deal and ultimately throw dollars into machines or on tables. That's fine. That's the point of a casino.

However, I have now attempted to go to the Red Rock buffet twice now. The first time was on a Tuesday evening around 7pm. OK. Bad decision. Not only was the regular line long and wrapped around the post, but the handicap line was almost equally as long! Whoa! Now that was going to be a wait and as starving as I was, I couldn't stand to wait. I should have known that en route to the Feast Buffet that when I saw a long line even at the Cafe that there was some bad news for the buffet line. OK. It was time to hunt for another spot. Strategically, I thought, let's go during lunch. On Thursday, I once again landed at Red Rock and got my voucher. It was 12:30pm. I walked to the Feast Buffet and I saw the dreaded line again! Ugh. Did I just hit prime lunch hour now??? So as they say, third time's a charm. Perhaps I need to up my meal to breakfast next time and show up at 7am. I am determined to get at least one 2-for-1 before August 31st!

Happy Hour at Kabuki

I would eat Japanese food more often if it were friendly on the wallet, but sometimes it isn't. Luckily, at one of my favorite Japanese digs in Las Vegas, Kabuki (at Town Square or Tivoli Village), offers certain hours where eating off their menu becomes more affordable. Sure, you're not going to get every item at a discount, but for those meals that you want Japanese flavors without dinging the budget too much, Kabuki's got Happy Hour for you - not just one, but two!

Happy Hour #1 at Kabuki is Monday thru Friday from 3pm to 6pm. In a general consensus, you get anywhere from $1-$3 off of normal menu pricing. 

Appetizers range from $4.95-$5.95 and include Fried Tofu, Gyoza, Chicken Tokyo Quesadilla, Mixed Tempura, Sesame Chicken and Calamari Rings.

Salads are $4.95-$5.95 and include Seaweed Salad, Tofu Salad, Spicy Tuna Salad and Krab Salad.

Sushi and Rolls are $2.95-$3.50 and include Salmon/Sake, Albacore/Bincho Mauro, Shrimp/Ebi, Spicy Tuna Roll, Salmon Skin Roll, California Roll and Philadephia Roll.

Specialty Rolls are $5.95-$6.95 and include Spicy Tuna Crunch Roll, Shrimp Tempura Roll, Alaskan Roll and Vegas Roll. 

There are also numerous Sake, Wine, Beer and Specialty Cocktail Specials. Hot Sake is $1.95. Draft beer starts at $1.75. 

Happy Hour #2 is aptly labeled "Reverse Happy Hour" and is available from Monday thru Thursday, 9pm-close, and Sunday, 8pm-close. 

While the prices remain relatively the same for Reverse Happy Hour, the menu selections have simmered down to six appetizer and salad items and nine rolls. The drinks specials remain much the same with the same amount of selection as the afternoon Happy Hour.

While I have only gone there for regular lunch or dinners, on my way out of dinner there last night, I couldn't help but notice the large Happy Hour card for taking that laid on the host stand. I always had a reason to go back to Kabuki for their great atmosphere and food, but with Happy Hour, I have even more reasons to go visit them!

What the Pho?

OK. This is just my humor. Pho (pronounced "fuh") is universally an economic eat. No specials needed, this Vietnamese noodle broth with meat combination (beef, chicken etc.) ranges from $5-$7 depending on which place you go to.

Why pho is a great dish is because it's like a build it yourself dish. It comes with your broth, noodles, meat, cilantro (I eat mine without) and onions. On another plate that's brought separately, they pile on fresh basil, fresh chopped jalapenos, white onions and limes. My hook up? I put in extra white onion, basil, jalapenos and multiple lime squeezes. It's just such a refreshing combo. In this picture above, you see the rare beef pho, often known as "#11" on most menus. It's deli sliced thin beef that pretty much cooks itself in the hot broth as it's served.  I have other friends that also squeeze in hot sauce or oyster sauce. I choose the extra lime juice.

During the colder months, I find myself eating a whole lot of pho. In the summer, especially in Las Vegas, it's just too darn hot sometimes. Pho comes out with piping hot soup broth so your entire body is pretty warmed up by the time you're done eating. Couple that with stepping out into 100-plus degree heat and you may find yourself needing a coolant. While we're heading into the summer months, it's still pho time for at least another few weeks.

Pho is so well liked that you'll find a variety of people dining in pho joints. In Vegas especially, it's like a late night hangout where friends conglomerate after a night of gaming, clubbing and bar hopping. I have two pho restaurants that I frequent the most. The first one is Pho So 1 which is on Spring Mountain (the road that sits on the side of Treasure Island) and Decatur. It's open until 3 am. While they serve complimentary hot tea, you may have to ask for it. They used to automatically bring it to your table but in recent times they'll bring ice water and you can simply request the tea at no charge. This one is a no frills but always consistently great dining experience.

The other pho place I visit is Pho Kim Long which is also on Spring Mountain but if you are coming from the Strip, you will see this one first before you reach Pho So 1. Pho Kim Long sits in a pagoda style strip mall just a few blocks from the Strip. This restaurant's decorations are much fancier than Pho So 1 and they have a more expansive menu that includes many Chinese dishes as well. A giant fish tank as you enter, this 24-hour joint's more elaborately decorated inside means that the prices are $2 more than it's competitor down the street. However, both places - great pho!

What makes me choose one over another? Sometimes it's who I am dining with and sometimes it's just what I'm feeling at the moment. One thing's for sure though, it's not because one pho is better than the other. I love them both.

Ra Sushi Uniquely Celebrates Half-Birthdays

Every year during our birthday month we get pretty spoiled. Every restaurant that we've consented our information to has sent us an invite to enjoy goodies that range from a free dessert to an all out free meal. Typically with a one month expiration date, we have our entire birth month to enjoy awesome dining at a lower cost.

For Ra Sushi however, they have decided to go the other way - they celebrate your half-birthday which is genius. Do what most others don't. When I recently dined there during Happy Hour, we were sat with our menus and a postcard that informed us of their half-birthday promo called The Hook Up. While I could hand fill out the form, I decided to go online to their website to get "hooked up". While it did say that it could take a few weeks to start receiving things, I was pleasantly surprised that my sign up just a few weeks ago yielded my half-birthday $20 gift for this month! That was fast! (My b'day is in October.)

Twenty dollars at Ra Sushi definitely affords you a great meal. Bring a friend or loved one and it'll feel like a two-for-one dining experience.

Now, Ra Sushi also has Happy Hour (both traditional and reverse) which is a dining deal. Monday-Saturday: 3-7 pm and 10 pm - close. Appetizer, sushi and drink specials are available. I'm a typical tuna and salmon sushi eater and for the cooked foods, you really can't go wrong but I would definitely get the Chicken Yakitori which has a really cool sweet sauce on it.    

Cannery Casino has $7 Buffet

Less can be better and in this case, Cannery Casinos does quite well. The latest promotion is the $7 Buffet - and you can get that price all day long every Saturday and Sunday. $7 is even below their typical lunch buffet price so for any time of the day, the new weekend promo is definitely a great deal.

Cannery has the typical buffet sections: Salad/Soup Bar, Italian, American/BBQ, Asian, Mexican and Dessert. What I do like about their buffet is that most of their dishes are good. There are some buffets in town that have what I like to call "mystery offerings" and those are the ones that you simply don't touch under any circumstances. However, at Cannery, their pasta is good - and even more importantly, it's usually hot in temperature. The Asian section has tofu. That's a major plus for me. I love tofu. I'll say it again. I love tofu. They make it with a nice light sauce and I tend to pile that onto my plate over some steamed white rice. 

The buffet is open:

Mon - Thur 11:00am to 8:00pm
Fri - 11:00am to 9:00pm
Sat - 9:00am to 9:00pm
Sun - 9:00am to 8:00pm

For a locals buffet at a very reasonable price, I can't complain.

Hard Rock's Mr. Lucky's 24/7 Cafe

While not getting as much for your buck as Ellis Island's steak special, Hard Rock Hotel's Mr. Lucky's 24/7 Cafe comes pretty close for the setting...meaning lots to do before and after you eat. At Ellis Island, you don't really hang out there for a long period of time, but at Hard Rock you can.

The $7.77 Steak and Shrimp special has been around for quite a while and I had it last night. However, I could have sworn that the dinner used to come with vegetables. Well, if it once did, it doesn't now. You get your salad - which now they chop up your tomatoes versus before you got cherry tomatoes that would burst in your mouth. It seems that certain servers like to put croutons on the salad and some don't. I specifically requested that I get croutons and the server accommodated quite generously.

You get your choice of a potato - mashed (garlic if my taste buds serve me correct), baked or french fries. I went for the mashed although it does not come with any gravy. My friend got a baked potato which...let's just say it wouldn't be on the top of my list. I saw someone else get french fries...I guess you can't go wrong with that if you want some fried food. 

The steak I ordered medium rare and am happy to report that it was cooked perfectly. It was still a nice sized steak because in this day, you would think that kitchens would be downsizing the "special" steak. Not the case here I am happy to say.

Recently, Mr. Lucky's added graveyard specials which is great. Sometimes this can be a lost feature at most mainstream casino establishments in Vegas. From midnight to 8 am, you can get a Steak and Eggs special for $4.99 and a hamburger special for $3.99. The asterisk says that you need to have a player's card - so no sweat - that's a freebie anyways and it let's them track your every move. 

Station Casinos Brings Back Some Much Needed Specials

Just last week, Las Vegas local casino giant Station Casinos finally brought back some much needed graveyard food specials. From what the server told me, it's been a hit with the locals and it's brought some much needed bodies into the establishment.

My feeling has always been that if you are willing to eat at some off beat hours, you should be rewarded for it! Such as...past midnight. It's late, you are still bopping around and your dinner has unfortunately been long gone. You just want a snack for a few bucks, where can you go besides the Del Taco drive thru where you can get two egg muffin sandwiches for three bucks?

Enter: Station Casinos. You've got plenty to choose from. If you are on the Strip and visiting Las Vegas, go to Palace Station, it's just off the Sahara and I-15 exit. If you are a local, then I don't have to tell you, you already know where they are.

Here's the low down, the new graveyard specials menu. The price starts at $1.99. Really really awesome! You can choose from breakfast dishes and the only non-breakfast dish on the menu is the 1/4 lb burger and fries ($2.99). The $1.99 breakfast consists of eggs, potatoes, and one piece of toast. There's also biscuits and gravy for $1.99. You can also get a short stack of pancakes for $1.99. The next tier is the other breakfast I had written about before, the eggs, choice of meat, potatoes and toast for $3.99. There's the chicken fried steak and eggs and NY Strip steak and eggs. Those are $4.99-$5.99 if memory serves me correct. Either way, the server assured me that the portion size was equal to the regular size even with the lower cost.

You can't go wrong. Restaurant servers were excited about the promotions and I bet a lot of locals like myself are equally as excited.