Breaking: Restaurant week is extended to June 23, 2023!
Some venues have extended restaurant week for another week. Click Here to see which ones.Every major city has a "restaurant week" (or month), where restaurants offer a Prix Fixe menu, usually during the slow season. In Las Vegas, restaurants are supposed to give a good deal and offer a portion of the price to the Three Square charity. Some restaurants are generous in providing good value; some use it as a marketing opportunity to pad their pockets. We examine each restaurant and break down the deal they're offering as a winner or a loser. "Winners" are restaurants offering either a very good value, or a good value with a good selection. The rules allow restaurants to offer menus from $20 to $80 per person.
If a fixed price menu doesn't offer value, there's no point in doing it. You don't get to order what you want; you get a dessert you may not have normally ordered, and you're paying the same price as if you ordered it off the menu. These restaurants just don't understand their own craft.this SHOULD be an opportunity to get people to try your restaurant. I was astonished that only a handful of places offered any value at all; much less a 10% discount for taking a $12 dessert that you wouldn't have normally ordered. Most of these menus would cost me more than I'd normally pay for ordering exactly what I wanted. And almost no restaurant offers it's signature items. There's also no guarantee you''re getting the same portion; some really bad actors are giving you less foo than you'd get with the same item ala-carte.
I need to get more than even a half-priced dessert to make it worthwhile; $6 is still too much for a piece of cake.
Last year, I went to the Crab Corner and I got ripped off. I thought it was a good value, but they only gave me a 1/2 portion of the appetizer. So I could have gotten what I ordered for about the same price; and I didn't really want the dessert.
We originally thought we'd do all of the participants, but there are too many. There are so many bad ones it make no sense to put them all here just to mock the restaurant; so if it's not here it's probably a bad deal.
Winners
AlexxaAlexxa offering ordinary menu items at a fair price for the strip ($40 dinner). Even a salad, burger and dessert is worth $40.AmalfiAmalfi is offering a 4 course dinner for $80. It' an expensive restaurant and the offerings are pretty good, even if you get the Filet.
Smith & WollenskyFor $80 they're offering a 14oz USDA Prime Dry Aged strip with Appetizer and dessert (a $90+ value). The other choices are not good values. No sides
Capital GrilleIf you like the Capital Grill, their $60 dinner is a good value off their regular menu prices. Their Salmon isn't worth $46 nor is a choice 10 oz Filet worth $59. But if you get a wedge, a 10oz Filet, creamed spinach and their fabulous flourless chocolate cake you'd pay $96 regularly.
No Reason to Go
BallaBalla has a "tasting menu" for $85 on their normal menu; they've removed the dessert and offer a subset of the tasting menu for $80. These guys really belong in the losers list. God forbid they throw in the Gelato on an $80 menu with Sea Bream or a cheap steak as the main entree.Beer ParkBeer park is offering a burger lunch with an app and dessert for $30. Too much food for lunch and no games to watch at lunchtime.
Black TapBlack Tap once again offering chips a burger and shake for lunch or dinner. A burger and shake is more than enough for about the same price; I don't need the chips.
La Pizza La PastaA pizzeria dinner for $40. 🥱
Lawry'sLawry's offering a kiddie-cut prime rib, salad and dessert for $80. I'd rather go to Outback.
Mon Ami GabiA pretty regular menu for $60. I'd rather order what I want.
Losers
138 DegreesThey've gone completely off-menu with a completely uninspiring menu. For $60 you can order what you want and come out ahead.8 Noodle Bar (Red Rock)This is the biggest rip-off we've found. Order Gyoza, Wor Wonton Soup and Sticky rice and you're getting $35 worth of food for $50. No combination on the restaurant week menu would cost the $50 if ordered separately.
AllegroA pizzeria dinner for $80. No Thanks.
Bardot$80 for a filet or salmon. Why bother people?
Best FriendBest Friend makes the Wall of Shame once again, offering no more then $60 off the regular menu for $80. Their regularly offered $69 chef menu is a better deal than their $80 restaurant week menu.
Blue Ribbon (Cosmo)A decent value off the menu but the restaurant is so massively overpriced that it's not appealing. I don't want to pay $80 for fried chicken and an iceberg salad.
Carmine'sToo many rules; you have to share an app and dessert. Boring entree offerings. I have to share a cannoli? Fuhgeddaboudit.
Border GrillJust offering Tacos as a choice on a $50 menu makes them a loser. Bad Choices overall
FleurFleur is offering mussels or beef stew with a salad and small dessert for $80
CarversteakVery limited bad choices for $80. Not offered on weekends. The dreaded "Filet" or Miso Cod.
Caviar BarSpaghetti or Cod for $80. They really like being empty.
Del FriscosSteakhouse offering a Fliet or Chicken for $80.
DelMonicoPetite Filet, Chicken or Pasta. No Gumbo or Shrimp Appetizer.
Emeril'sEmeril's isn't offering fair value;; in fact many of the combinations are worth less then the $80 price. And the Entree choices suck. If you order the Gumbo, Salmon or Pork Chop and either dessert and it would be less ala carte. On off-menu Flatiron steak seals the deal; they simply don't want to give you a good value.
MilosOffering only lunch for $40. Greek food is cheap. Nothing to see here.
Golden SteerYou can share a caesar and their $83 Prime Rib for $160. You must share and have few choices.
Ramsay's BurgerFor $40 you get a burger, a HALF salad and an ice cream sandwich.
GuadalajaraThis dump is offering a $30 lunch where you have no choice of what to order. The biggest loser so far.
Heritage SteakNo steak. A chicken dinner with mashed potatoes for $80. Stop it.
Holstein'sA $40 burger, shake and salad. Lunch only. $6 upgrade to Specialty shake (regular upgrade is $4).
Moneyline PizzaA personal Pizza, Soup and Gelato for $40. Why even bother?
Nine Fine IrishmanOne of the worst offerings in the Valley. Just ridiculously bad choices for a $2 saving on the 3 course.
The PalmThe Palm offers a 3 course lunch for $32. They're offering largely the same lunch for $40 during restaurant week. Same on them.
Pizza RockPizza Rock is a loser in general, but they're offering a pizza dinner worth about $50 for $50 with very limited choices. You could pretty much create your own dinner for the same price and pass on the lame Tiramisu.
PanevinoPanevino offering $60 in value off their regular menu for $60. Unless you think a piece of chicken is worth $37 or farmed salmon is worth $43 you're not getting a deal here.
Ruth's ChrisSalad, Cheesecake and a 4 oz filet for $80. Stop off at Pizza Cake for a slice on. your way home.
ScarpettaBad, boring choices for $80
Sickies GarageSickie's offering a $30 lunch that isn't as good a deal as their regular lunch specials.
ToscanaToscana is the fancy dining room in Eataly serving the same bad food as the other "venues" in the market. For $80 you can get what you can normally get for $50 at the bar next door.
Shrimp Cocktail (1): $24
Ceasar Salad (1): 19pp = $38
Longhorn Cut Steak(1): $86
2 Desserts ($8 each): $16
So a whopping $164 value for $160. Why bother?