Vegas Life Hack: Return to Counter Service Goodness

Kelly Lamrock revisits Vegas Counter Service Goodness…

Of the articles I’ve had the privilege to write for this community, none got as many comments as the piece I wrote promoting some of my favourite Vegas Counter service restaurants. A lot of readers shared some of their favourites, too, and it was a great reminder of why it is a fun thing to write for a site with such an active community that shares a love of Vegas.

To bring it back to the life hack theme – a great counter service restaurant in Vegas is a good thing to find because it allows for a unique, “only in Vegas” experience while saving you cash and time. Thanks to some comments from readers and tips from fellow VB writers, I tackled my recent Vegas trips with some new places to try. I thus offer the following additions to the list of life hack goodness.

GREENBERG’S DELI (New York New York). Several posters steered me toward this little shop in the Village streetscape of restaurants. Those posters were absolutely rightGreenberg’s offers gigantic sandwiches like I remember from my first visit to New York. Fresh sliced, high-quality meats and fresh bread will leave you feeling quite full for ten bucks. (You can share one, for that matter). Try the triple – three kinds of meat like pastrami, turkey, and roast beef with Muenster cheese. You can even get a New York egg cream. I can’t believe I missed this one.

AMERICAN CONEY ISLAND DOGS (The D). Last time out, I saluted Pink’s chili cheese dog. And damned if, like so often is the case, downtown doesn’t do it bigger, cheaper and better. The menu isn’t complex here. Four bucks gets you a chili dog with that Michigan coney sauce that has just the right mix of spices and is so big you’d eat it with a knife and fork if you didn’t have so damn much pride. Two of these will have you back on Fremont Street before the next Queen montage on Viva Vision.

CITIZEN’S KITCHEN AND BAR (Mandalay Bay). Grab and go too often is code for “overpriced food from yesterday in our fridge.” So we were pleasantly surprised with the selection at Citizen’s when we showed up late back at our Mandalay Bay home base. The salads were fresh and varied, and I found a Cobb salad with all the proper ingredients that were healthy and fresh. The sandwiches had bread that was still holding up and a nice variety of choices. There were chewy brownies and blondies and, well, blondies always move a place up in my books. Service was friendly and quick. It was a treat when we were expecting to just muddle through.

AMERICA (New York New York): OK, it’s a sit-down diner. But it makes the counter service list for one reason – the donuts. They are big, airy and come in a variety of sprinkled, frosted and chocolatey goodness. They are a Vegas experience. Canadians eat fifteen times more donuts than Americans, so when a Canadian says “try the donut” – try the damn donut.

BRUXIE’S (The Park): A waffle sandwich may seem a bit odd, and building a chain around it is a bit odder. If you’ve ruled it out, I’m-a let you finish, but you’re wrong. I stopped in to see if a Belgian waffle could nail the chicken-and-waffle goodness of the American South. When the hot sauce and sweet waffle hit the fried chicken in your mouth, you’ll be ready to sing a round of “Are You From Dixie?”. I mean, don’t do that under any circumstances. But you’ll be ready to do it.

[Photos: Michael and Angela Movestro | Cover: Blonde4ever]

Kelly Lamrock

Kelly Lamrock didn’t see Vegas until he was 40. Now, he goes several times a year. When home in Atlantic Canada, he’s a lawyer, international consultant, and former Attorney-General. When in Vegas, he is consumed by the search for the best craft beer, the perfect sportsbook, and a post-show cigar. He loves Vegas because, as Jerry Seinfeld says, “wherever you’re from, Vegas is pretty much the opposite of that.”