Las Vegas Top Ten Values

1. Room Rates - Palace Station et al - - $19.99 and up

     Our annual July-room-rate survey reveals that the casinos are discounting rooms big time. This summer’s rates are the lowest we’ve seen in several years and constitute this month’s top Las Vegas value.

2. Shrimp Cocktail - Golden Gate - 11 am-2 am - 99¢

     The Golden Gate shrimp cocktail went up a buck last April after more than 15 years at 99¢. But there’s more to this 100% price rise than meets the eye. First, all you have to do is show a players club card to get the shrimp at the old price. Also, a couple of sign-up bennies mitigate the five-minute inconvenience. More important, the shrimp are bigger and better. So the Golden Gate's cocktail remains high up in the Top Ten.

3. Steak Dinner - Ellis Island - 24 Hours - $6.95

  The complete steak dinner at Ellis Island is the best-value meal deal in a city full of good-value meal deals. It’s a 10-ounce filet-cut sirloin, which comes with salad, garlic green beans, choice of potato, and fresh microbrewed beer, all for $6.95. You can’t beat that with a stick.

4. Breakfast Special - Wild Wild West - 24 Hours - $1.49

     The $1.49 breakfast special at Wild Wild West is the same one we’ve been touting for the past several months that’s also served at Wildfire, Gold Rush, and Magic Star. However, now it’s available 24 hours at WWW, as opposed to just midnight to 11 am at the others.

5. Sign-Up Promotion - Hooters - Daily - Free

     The Hooters promotion for signing up for the players club includes $100 in “free play”; this is a long shot, but worth the attempt. The big draws of the sign-up package, however, are a $25 matchplay and two free tickets to Bobby Slayton or Gerry McCambridge.

6. Magic Show - Greek Isles - Nightly - $2-$19.95

     The World’s Greatest Magic Show at the Greek Isles is conducting a grand experiment, reducing the ticket price from $55.95 to $19.95. And that’s not the half of it (literally): Up to the first 100 tickets ordered for each day are free (though some reports say that the allotment has been reduced to 50).

7. Buffet - Mirage - Daily - $13.95-$24.95

     The Mirage Cravings buffet is convenient at center Strip, has better hours than most (opening for dinner at 3 pm), and features an expansive choice of gourmet offerings. Tour the large selection first to take in the variety: a half-dozen soups; dim sum, sushi, Chinese appetizers, and salads at the Asian station; antipasto bar; barbecue station; bagel fixin’s; made-to-order salads, extensive desserts; and more. The Mirage is the best-value gourmet superbuffet, with the highest quality and lowest prices, among Las Vegas’ best spreads.

8. Fontana Bar - Bellagio - Daily - $6

     The Fontana Lounge at Bellagio is, perhaps, the greatest bargain-entertainment play at center Strip, if not along the entire Great Neon Way. It’s in the middle of one of the swankiest joints in town. The lounge surroundings are plush. The views (of the fountains) are spectacular. The entertainment is always top notch. And—get this—it’s a one-drink minimum to sit there for the evening, with the least expensive drinks in the $6 range. What a deal!

9. The Comedy Stop - Tropicana - Daily - $19.95

     The Comedy Stop has been at the Tropicana since 1990. The classic 300-seat showroom has a cool old-time feel to it, all the way down to the surviving maitre ‘d seating system, so $5 a head will probably get you up close (if you want to be in a comedian’s sights). Be forewarned: The comedy tends to be blue, if not just plain raunchy. Don’t go if you’re offended by language or non-politically correct subject matter. The three-comedian show and a drink cost $19.95, with no add-ons. And if you use the coupon that’s easy to find in many of the freebie mags, it’s only $14.95. Beers are $4.50.

10. Lunch Comp - Crown & Anchor - 8 am-2:30 pm - $20 buy-in

     The lunch comp at the Crown & Anchor is good for beers and a meal when you buy in for $20 at a video poker machine. The meal can be anything on the menu. The comp is available every day for longer hours than just lunch at either of two C&As, on Tropicana or Spring Mountain Road.