Restaurants in Las Vegas started off mainly as buffets featuring all-you-can-eat for hungry patrons back in the 1940s to keep them from leaving the casinos to find a place to dine. The idea was well received and today, each and every hotel casino has a buffet on the premises along with several other specialty restaurants - in addition to a café that is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The buffets offer many types of food to please their customers ranging from American/BBQ, Chinese, Mexican and Italian. They also offer specialty nights that feature steak or seafood. These buffets provide a variety of choices for patrons from appetizers to desserts and beverages at one all inclusive price. There is no limit to the number of times a diner can fill his (or her) plate.
The City of Las Vegas has come a long way since the 1940s. Many well-known chefs have opened upscale restaurants here and diners now can choose from fast food establishments like McDonalds, Taco Bell, Burger King, Pizza Hut, Poppa John's and other inexpensive chains up to elegant steak houses, seafood restaurants and ethnic restaurants.
There are a number of family style restaurants in Las Vegas that serve breakfast, lunch and dinner where mom and dad can take the children such as Blueberry Hill, International House of Pancakes and the Original Pancake House. Chinatown Plaza, which is located on Spring Mountain Drive, is the home of approximately twelve Chinese restaurants - some of which offer Thai specialties as well.
There are ethnic restaurants to tempt every palate which include - but are not limited to -
Kung Fu Thai and Chinese Restaurant that offers the best food available from each culture.
Arteem Eliseevsky's Russian restaurant which offers authentic Russian food and live entertainment in a rustic cottage setting out of "Dr. Zhivago"
M & M Soul Food Café that features "down home cooking that satisfies your appetite while soothing your soul" in the form of Southern style food, ribs and barbecue
Las Vegas is home to a number of five star restaurants owned and operated by the most well known chefs in the world such as:
Emeril's New Orleans Fish House at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino where a blend of modern Creole and Cajun food is offered. One of his much-loved signature dishes is New Orleans BBQ Shrimp with Banana Cream Pie, Banana Crust and Caramel Drizzle for dessert.
Japonais - . Renowned restaurateurs Miae Lim, Rick Wahlstedt and Jeffrey Beers (also the restaurant's designer) have joined forces with The Mirage to open a Japonais outpost in Las Vegas, one the country's most thriving culinary cities. The celebrated chefs are Jun Ichikawa - Sushi Chef supervising signature sushi and cold appetizers and Gene Kato in charge of hot appetizers and entrees.
Chef Julian Surrano works his magic at Picasso. The Mediterranean-style restaurant has achieved the Mobil Five-Star/AAA Five-Diamond rating for excellence in dining. Diners at this upscale Bellagio restaurant can feast upon Truffle Crusted Lamb while being surrounded with the artwork of Pablo Picasso and viewing the water music show of the hotel's dancing fountains.
Here in Las Vegas - a diner's paradise - there are restaurants for every palate and every budget.
