Las Vegas Local Comfort Food Recs?

[RacerX]

I'll be heading to Sin City this week for couple of days due to a freebie hotel offer. Unfortunately I'll be going solo this trip.

For me, past visits to Vegas have typically meant going to the big Strip celebrity chef restaurants, but this time I'm looking to satsify my comfort food cravings. Looking especially for mom and pop choices if available. Among the comfort food choices I'm trying to seek out:

- Best fried chicken
- Deep dish pizza
- BBQ (have tried Memphis Championshp BBQ, looking for other recs)
- Chicken fried steak
- Low key, red checkered tablecloth italian restaurant.

Any and all recs would be most welcome...

[shamu613]

Fried chicken: M&M Soul Food, hands down winner winner chicken dinner.

Is there good pizza in Vegas? Are there good bagels in Vegas?

Buzz is smoky but leaves me wanting sumthin' sumthin'. I know it's a chain, but Famous Dave's BBQ is tasty and friendly and affordable.

The Hash House is okay. Black Bear Diner is okay, but the best in town is out of town in Boulder City. Mel's Diner.

You can get expensive Italian food in Vegas or you can get REALLY expensive Italian food in Vegas. Low Key? Sorry. Not in this town. It's a shame too. I could really go for a mom & pop Italian joint. Been searching for three years and come up empty. When lunch costs $15 dollars for a pasta dish, the place has left low key in another state.

[Eric]

The best pizza is at either Roccos at the southwest corner of Charelston and Buffalo or Broadway at Rancho and Charleston. The best bagels are at Harries Bagelmania at the southeast corner of Twain and Swenson. They bake their own bagels.

[Friend of Bill]

'Is there good pizza in Vegas? Are there good bagels in Vegas?

YES! And in the same shopping center, to boot! On Rancho, just north of Charleston, in the Smith's shopping center. Broadway Pizza, and NY Bagel Deli.

[kjs]

fried chicken - that's a good question ! i've had m&m - it was decent, but i'll be damned if i remember another place i went to just for the fried chicken.

deep dish - i'm not a fan, but there are several "chicago style " places in town, BJ's is in summerlin, they just started building a 2nd location on eastern across from grimaldi's ( a little competition ! ) north side nathan;s, amore, there is a new one in henderson but the name escapes me ( and i haven't tried yet )

BBQ - i'm a Buzz fan - the meats are great, the sauce sucks, the sides - ehhhh
CJ's texas style on sahara, I was surprised by the improvement of the bbq at redrocks - salt lick - they have a decent AYCE deal if you are hungry.
2 visits to RUB at rio did not impress me - another visit is in the works this year. The local food critic likes the bbq place across from the south pointe - i've only been there once so i won't give a rating until i try a 2nd time ( used to be called K's - i keep forgetting the current name ! cajun is in the name )
chicken fried steak - again, not a big fan, but my sis loves the CFS at black bear diner - if you try, bring a serious hunger !

italian - geez - so many places, i like bottlegger bistro on LV blvd south and pasta mia across from the palms. casa di amore fits the bill but the place didn't past the "water drain test" ( you push the pasta to one side of the plate/bowl, tilt slightly and if you see a water build up - FAIL )

happy eating !

[Steve Green]

For BBQ, Buzz is pretty good, and yes, their chicken is good -- it's what we usually get. We thought CJ's was bad and expensive.

We haven't been, but Nora's gets good recs for Italian.

[JK Grence the Cosmic Jester]

The last time I was in Vegas, I ended up at Carluccio's for some old-school Italian food. It was pretty darn tasty. It looks like the whole place hasn't changed in at least two decades; the restaurant itself was designed by Liberace (it's right next door to the Liberace museum), so the place just oozes bling and kitsch. The food... is pretty much exactly what you expect from an old neighborhood red-sauce joint. It's not going to be on my must-do list every time I go up there, but I'll likely find myself back there if I'm in the mood.

[Jase]

I'd say this is an accurate assessment. I didn't like the food as much as you did. Found it kind of inoffensive and average. But the atmosphere is comfy and welcoming.

[worldwidestuff]

Though not as down home as M&M or Big Mama's, when it comes to flavor, I would like to suggest Lucille's again.
Beef Ribs are my fav there.
Located in the District next to Green Valley Ranch.

[RacerX]

Worldwidestuff,

Would you know if Lucille's is related to the the Lucille's in Long Beach, CA? I'll add this to my list of places to try as well - never can tire of bbq!!

[worldwidestuff]

Indeed it is.
I think it was their very first "off spring" from the LB location.

[katie_ladie]

I second Lucille's BBQ. I love the strawberry lemon aid and onion straws and pulled pork and ... o yea everything there!!!

[janetofreno]

Try Buzz BarBQue on Craig just west of the 95. It recently moved from Ann Rd.

[RacerX]

Janetofreno,

Thanks for the heads up on Buzz. Saw your other posts regarding this place. I gather the thing to get is the brisket and the ribs? Do they have chicken or pulled pork as well? I'm definitely puttng this on my radar. So many places to try, so little time....

[janetofreno]

Yes, they have all that. Actually, I had a pulled pork sandwich last time I ate there and really enjoyed it. Enough meat in that thing to feed two people.

[Friend of Bill]

For fried chicken - definitely M&M Soul Food, on Charleston Blvd. just west of Valley View (open for breakfast as well, with chicken and waffles). Second choice, believe it or not, is Lucy's Cafe at the Speedway casino (Cheyenne and I-15), where they were somehow able to get Kerry Simon to give up his recipe (seriously). For Italian, I (and many people on this board) would recommend Bootlegger Bistro (LB Blvd. south of the strip) and Casa di Amore (on Tropicana east of Eastern). Tons of recommendations on this board for BBQ; deep dish pizza is (to me) like eating bread with cheese and sauce, so I can't help you there: no idea about chicken fried steak, although I think that Big Mama's BBQ (on Bonanza just east of Rancho) has it on the menu. Good luck and happy eating! And spend some money here - we are in a recession!

[RacerX]

Friend of Bill,

Thanks for the recs! All sound good, but I'm thinking that I need to check out Lucy's for fried chicken, and Bootlegger Bistro sound very interesting.

I've never heard of the Speedway Casino but it seems worth checking out, especially if the fried chicken is from a Iron Chef America contestant!!