UPDATED On the Border Happy Hour

Well, it seems as though that Happy Hours are springing up all over the place now and that includes New and Improved Happy Hours. Take On the Border as one. I hadn't ventured in here for a while, but to my surprise, they now have an extended Happy Hour that totally lowers the price points again. This makes everyone a very happy camper!

Available from Sunday through Friday (so no Saturday), 3 PM to Close, there offerings are anywhere from $2 to $4. Las Vegas only has one On the Border location and that's in Centennial at 5630 Centennial Center Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89149. It sits in between Panda Express and Cane's Chicken!

$2

Cup of Queso (Their traditional cheese queso dip is good.)
Cup of Black Bean Dip (Haven't tried this yet so people report back!)
Guacamole Appetizer (Haven't tried this either.)

2 Empanadas: Ground Beef or Pulled Chicken (These are good and what's nice is that the regular appetizer platter of Empanadas can almost be too much and having the small portion option is perfect!)
5 Avocado Fries (When there's avocado, it begs for me to try them! They came out nice and crispy and hot which means that the avocado melted in your mouth. It had a little bit of a spice coating to it. I think they were good, but if you've been to Kona Grill and had their Avocado Egg Rolls - nothing can quite compare to that!)

$3

Cheese Quesadilla (Well, who can really mess this menu item up? I haven't had it but I have had their Chicken Quesadilla before and it was good!)
4 Mini Chicken Flautas (I don't eat flautas too often, but they are crunchy filled rolls that are deep fried.)
3 Mini Crispy Tacos (When I eat tacos here, I just go for the regular sized ones. I saw them come out on a plate and they are kind of small. If you like their tacos, go there on Tuesday where tacos are a la carte at $1.25 each! Yum!)

3 Stuffed Jalapenos (I vaguely remember trying these eons ago, so I can't vouch for them today. Although I've rarely had a stuffed jalapeno that wasn't good. Enough said.)
2 Mini Chimichangas (OK, I've never tried these.)



$4

Queso/Guac Duo (Well, I imagine that it's just a combo of the two items.)
Bean & Cheese Nachos (I'm not a fan of their nachos because they aren't like the typical platter of chips topped with toppings. Their nachos are individual chips, each topped on their own. It makes for more of a soggy chip nacho and I don't dig that.)
Cantina Nachos (I think these might be the traditional type of nachos. I haven't had them so I can't vouch for them. However, the description does say "piled high with all the fixings".)
Crispy Corn Quesadilla (Hmmmm....not sure about this one!)


AND

Add Rice, Beans or Fries for just $1!

Elephant Bar is Atmosphere with a Very Happy Hour!

Sorry everyone! This is my MOST popular blog and I've been on hiatus for a moment - OK - since April, BUT I've returned with good stuff! This post I am talking about the Elephant Bar. Biggest number one perk? Seven days a week! Oh how I wish that they would build another Elephant Bar closer to my residence on the west side of Vegas but it's that good that I am willing to trek over there for the goods!

I'll probably be battling some of you out there for a seat when I arrive next time but it's all good! If I can get you to try their awesome food, I'm happy to do it.

Happy Hour Times are: Monday-Friday - 3-7 PM and Every Day 9 PM-Close.

The Elephant Bar is located at Green Valley's The District which is right next to Green Valley Ranch Casino and is a mix of American food with Asian dishes as well. Yes, I know. It's quite different but while it's not necessarily traditional Asian dishes, I do appreciate their twist on it.

The first item that is always a 100% order for me at Happy Hour is the steamed Edamame with coarse sea salt on it. They give you a lot and while I'm down for Edamame steamed hot or chilled, I absolutely love munching on these steamed hot pods before any meal. A generous portion for $3.50! Go with this first!

Another item I order about 85% of the time is their Wok Seared Chicken Lettuce Wraps. What I really appreciate about this dish is that

they don't over sauce it - therefore making it a very dark and salty dish. They keep it as a very light wok seared dish and the chicken very much retains its light color. It's delicious. The sauce served with this isn't the traditional hoisin sauce but a green type of sauce. I can't say that I know what it is - but it's all good! I've had this dish as a main entree for myself before but it's a great one to share so you can try more things on their menu. This appetizer goes for $5.50.

The Baja Chicken Quesadilla is also very good. It's a full-sized quesadilla that is filled with flavorful chicken. The Spinach and Artichoke Dip (not good for diets!) is great and as a precaution, any time that I order this appetizer anywhere, I always ask for it to by bubbling hot - it's the best way to eat it! As of lately however, as tempting as this dish is and I do drool when others order it, I've been staying on the route of the Edamame and chicken wraps. Both of these items go for $4.50.

I am also a fan of the Tempura Salmon Rolls. It's a sushi dish but has a lot more complex flavors in the roll that has made me a big fan of it. While it may not look like a huge dish, it definitely satisfies my stomach when I couple it with the Edamame once again. This dish goes for $6.50.

There are some items that I have not yet tried - but I can say that visually when they are served to someone else they've been looking pretty darn good!


Here's a breakdown of more Happy Hour Menu with some combo items that pair a dish with a draft:

$3.50: Edamame, Creamy Macaroni and Cheese, Sweet Potato Fries
$4.50: Spinach Artichoke Dip, Baja Chicken Quesadilla
$5.50: Buffalo Chicken Tenders, Chicken Lettuce Wraps, Big "E" Burger, Parmesan Crusted Green Beans
$6.50: Quick Fried Soy Ginger Calamari, Tempura Salmon Roll, Korean Beef Tacos, Coconut Shrimp Skewers

Combos:
$6.75: Big "E" Burger + Regular Size Domestic Beer
$7.50: Korean Beef Tacos + Regular Size Domestic Beer or House Margarita

Arizona Charlie's Super Special Graveyard Buffet

So Arizona Charlie's Casino on Decatur has a Ham and Eggs and Steak and Eggs breakfast special in their Sourdough Cafe (next blog!), however, I stumbled upon - on accident - another deal that only happens every other Tuesday evening through the morning. I was headed to Arizona Charlie's because I was craving breakfast for dinner. Yes, I wanted Steak and Eggs just after 8 PM. I walked up to the Sourdough Cafe in AZ Charlie's and saw the dreaded sign: Closed for Cleaning from 8 PM-6 AM. Ugh! My plans ruined!

Reluctantly, I headed upstairs to their buffet. My $3.99 Steak and Eggs breakfast/dinner was about to become a $11+ expenditure. Well, let me tell you that I was pleasantly surprised when I saw the buffet sign that read: Graveyard Buffet 8 PM-6 AM. $6.99 regular price. $6.29 with your Blue Ace Play Card. $5.24 with your Orange, Green or Red Ace Play Card.

Yes! They had definitely compensated for the inconvenience of the closing of the Sourdough Cafe for cleaning and gave their diners a perk for eating at the buffet. So, this Graveyard Buffet ONLY happens when the cafe is undergoing cleaning. Yesterday, April 2nd was a cleaning day. So, count on your calendar for "every other Tuesday" to find this buffet.

The buffet overall is quite fair. I think their salad bar is pretty good. There's lots of veggies to choose from and two pots of hot soup at the end of the line. Now, on the special Graveyard Buffet price, they do close down the Asian section which typically has an on-the-spot Stir Fry where you pick your veggie combo. I enjoy that. The American/Italian section has a carving station with ham and beef brisket. There's spaghetti and sauce and your starches as normal. The Mexican section has tamales and taquitos as well as a sign that shows Fajitas made-to-order. Now, I didn't see the guy, so I'm not sure if it was actually available on the "special" night.

The dessert bar has plenty of selection and they even have pies that aren't readily seen. For example, I saw someone ask the dessert server for Key Lime Pie and it comes out of the fridge. It's tucked away so you don't know, unless you know, that it's available. They probably have a few items like that.

Overall, for the price you pay, it's not a bad deal at all.