Update: Effective November 17 2006, Nevada has banned smoking in restaurants and bars which serve food, as well as a number of other public places such as grocery stores, shopping malls and school grounds.
LAS VEGAS
As we drove home from Death Valley I dozed off in the back seat and somewhere the driver took a REALLY wrong turn. I woke up as we entered the shrieking, blazing, energy-consuming desert heap of cosmic cast-off costume jewelry known as Las Vegas. The first thing I saw as I brushed the sleep from my eyes was a live (I swear) TIGER pacing back and forth in front of a casino. Maybe it had lost all its money.
Las Vegas casinos have cheap cafeterias, to keep you there so you will keep gambling, and entertainments for children while their parents gamble. Why somebody would take a child to a casino is beyond me, but what do I know. Anyway, the casinos here are not smokefree. Some do not allow smoking at the poker tables, see details below. The more upscale restaurants, including those within casinos and hotels, tend to be smoke free (although the bars may not be smoke free). Following are some smoke free restaurants, a few within casinos:
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Fred's Poker Paragraph Updated:
Almost all casinos (except the El Cortez) poker rooms do not allow smoking at the table. This [used to be] the exception, now it is the norm. A lot of poker rooms get a lot of smoke from the casino. The Bellagio was great as a separate room, but it has now been remodeled with an open wall to the casino that allows smoke in. Some rooms are better than others. The best rooms are still bad.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Amigos Tacos
7425 South Durango Drive (702) 384-8226
When I mentioned how inauthentic, although good, La Salsa in Henderson
is I was talking about a place like this for contrast. This place is
wonderful. The food we had was excellent. The portions were about half
again what we could finish. You will hear Spanish more often than
English here. Univision is on the TV. It is far from elegant. It is the
best Mexican food we have had here.
Thanks Fred!
Bagel Cafe
301 North Buffalo Drive (702) 255-3444
Fred's review: Both of us said "very average" after a while. Our opinion dropped as the meal went on. The latke (potato pancake) was overly processed. I could imagine them taking one out of a frozen package and heating it before serving it. I do not know this is the case, but that is how it tasted. I ordered a hamburger medium rare and it came out very rare. My girlfriend had matzo ball soup and the matzo ball tasted rancid. As we left we saw their bakery. The baked goods looked wonderful. We were too full to try them.
Cafe Chloé
4155 South Buffalo Drive #115 (702) 248-7048
A very good Italian restaurant. The entrees are more northern Italian than southern Italian with red sauce and the like. The bread is wonderful. The salads are very good. The entree was tasty. The head chef is Piero of Piero's. He left Piero's and opened this place. It is pricy, but on par with the rest of Las Vegas.
a Fred find
Cafe Heidelberg & Deli
610 East Sahara Avenue (702) 731-5310
Traditional German cuisine and beers and wines. Schnitzel, sauerbraten, etc.
Mon 11am-7pm / Tu-Th 11am-9pm / Fri-Sat 11am-10pm
Cafe Sensations
4350 East Sunset Road (702) 456-7803
Green Valley cafe, sandwiches, soups, salads and pastries. Wine, beer and espresso.
The Cheesecake Factory
750 South Rampart Boulevard 951-3800
Thanks Fred
China Ginger Restaurant
5035 Fort Apache #101 (702)876-1889
They offer dine-in, take-out, delivery, and catering. The dining room is done up very nice. A good Chinese restaurant. They also have a "Traditional Menu" that you have to ask for. The service was excellent.
A Fred review
Coffee Pub
2800 West Sahara Avenue (702) 367-1913
Not so much a pub as a popular lunch joint. Soup and sandwiches,
pastries, smoothies and espresso.
Had a nice brunch here in October 2004. Coffee Pub might not be visible from the street, it's inside the shopping center & listed on a directory kiosk. Obviously a neighborhood favorite, crowded but not uncomfortable. Standard American breakfast fare, we also had a fruit shake. The food came fast & was good. I think the manager said it was one of the first, if not the first restaurant, to go smokefree in Las Vegas. A pleasant place, and only a few minutes drive west of the Strip.
Mon-Fri 7am-4pm / Sat-Sun 7:30am-3pm
The Cracked Egg
6435 South Rainbow Boulevard (702) 220-6449
A very good breakfast and lunch place. The omelet I had was very tasty.
The menu is extensive. They are just around the corner from us. We will
be back often.
While I have never eaten at their other location it is also smoke-free:
The Cracked Egg
7660 West Cheyenne Avenue (702) 395-7981
Thanks to Fred
Cuba Cafe Restaurant
2055 East Tropicana Avenue (702) 795-7070
I grew up in Tampa and my girlfriend lived there for a while. I had Cuban food since I was a little kid. We haven't had good Cuban food for a long time. Until now. I have had better roast pork, but not within 2,500 miles. We had fried plaintains as an appetizer. They were excellent. Everything was very good. Anyone looking for good Cuban food in Las Vegas should try it.
from Fred!
The Egg and I
4533 West Sahara Avenue, #5 (702) 364-9686
The other location is called "Egg Works". If the original is like the second it is very good. (sez Fred)
Egg Works 9355 W. Flamingo Road
Fasolini's Pizza
222 South Decatur Boulevard (702) 877-0071
Really good freshly cooked pasta dishes.
Mon-Sat noon-10pm
Famous Uncle Al's Hot Dogs
7835 South Rainbow Boulevard (702) 385-3647 (385-DOGS)
Incredible. If you like hot dogs this is worth a stop. They have other things like hamburgers and chicken wings as well. These are probably the best hot dogs I have had. The onion rings were great. They are batter dipped there and not taken out of a freezer in a bag. The place is small. There are probably 10 tables. They have table service if you are going to eat there. The prices were very reasonable for around here. They have many locations across the country. The smoking policy at their other locations is unknown.
Update: We had lunch there again today. We both wanted to explore their menu further. They put their onion ring batter on other things. It is on their wings, mushrooms and mozzarella sticks. Their chicken wings are the best my companion had ever had. I had a cheeseburger. It was excellent. We can't wait to go back yet again to try other things.
Thanks to Fred
Fatburger
6775 West Flamingo Road (702) 889-9009
The inside of the restaurant looks like a 50s diner. There is blues on
the jukebox. Very good hamburgers. They have homemade onion rings and
fries. The service is good considering that you place your order at a
counter and then sit down and they bring it to you. "Fat" refers to
living fat and not the nutrition of their burgers. They also have a
drive through. They are part of a chain. The smoking policy at their
other restaurants is unknown. Magic Johnson is a major investor.
thanks Fred!
Fiore Rotisserie
at the Rio, 3700 West Flamingo Road (702) 252-7702
The sort of classy (i.e., expensive) place you go if you've
won big. A typical American "upscale" menu, i.e., steak, lamb,
seafood and a long wine list.
5-11 pm
Grape Street
7501 West Lake Mead Boulevard (702) 228-9463
Italian restaurant and wine bar. Yummy deserts. Nice decor, moderate prices and excellent service.
Tu-Th 11am-10pm / Fri-Sat till 11pm / Sun till 10pm
Graziano's
8410 W. Desert Inn Road NE corner of Durango & Desert Inn
702-242-4100
I looked and I have never given a restaurant a bad review. That streak
ends here. Although the restaurant was smoke-free, that is the only good
thing I can say about it. The pizza was tasteless. We had pepperoni and
garlic. I saw both, but tasted neither. How garlic can be all over a
pizza and it not taste like garlic escapes me. The sauce was only
evident because it was red. Both of us had indigestion after lunch.
Thus speaks Fred.
Green Lips Cafe
2871 North Green Valley Parkway (702) 450-3104
Small, popular continental restaurant and wine bar; moderate prices.
Daily 11am-11:30pm
Hugo's Cellar
at the Four Queens, 202 Fremont Street (702) 385-4011
One of Las Vegas's most upscale restaurants, featuring steaks,
seafood, lamb, and elaborate pastries.
Daily 5:30-11pm
International House of Pancakes (IHOP)
3595 South Rainbow Boulevard (702) 365-1004
Fred Find:
Update: At our last visit it was non-smoking 24/7. The whole franchise has gone smoke-free. (but) Several franchisees serve the Las Vegas valley, so not all IHOPs here are smoke-free.
International House of Pancakes (IHOP)
5170 South Fort Apache Road (702) 871-6696
International House of Pancakes (IHOP)
2210 Las Vegas Blvd S (702) 384-6412
1401 S Decatur Blvd (702) 558-5321 (Dec. 2006 - thanks ASZ!)
Had breakfast here in October 2004. It's a small IHOP, next to the Aztec Inn on the Strip, just north of Sahara. I had the basic eggy breakfast, it was fine. It's not fancy decor, but the staff were cheerful and fast on a busy early morning and it's a smokefree gem in a smoky area.
Iowa Cafe
300 East Charleston Boulevard (702) 366-0571
Downtown cafe featuring good sandwiches and coffee.
Mon-Fri 6am-4pm
Joey's Only Seafood Restaurant
3455 South Durango Drive (702) 242-2888
7450 West Cheyenne Ave (702) 395-4313
Seafood, soups, salads, modest prices.
We ate there last night (South Durango location) and they are complying with the new law that says all restaurants should be non-smoking. We had an excellent meal there.
Daily 11am-10pm
Thanks Fred!
Kabob Palace
4811 South Rainbow Boulevard (702) 367-3315
(Spring Valley Market Place)
We had a very pleasant surprise today... We finally ate there
today and it was wonderful. We asked where the non-smoking section was
and we were told that the entire restaurant was non-smoking...
An excellent Persian-Mediterranean restaurant. All of the portions are
quite large. When you sit down, the waitress brings you some pita bread
and a couple of sauces. Don't fill up on it even though it is quite
good. Appetizers include made-from-scratch hummus to die for. The
entrees are wonderful. The gyro platter had some of the best gyro meat I
have ever had. We ordered a side of falafel and expected a couple of
pieces, we got six. It was very good. If you like this kind of food,
this is definitely worth a stop. They do not take the Discover card even
though the logo is everywhere.
a Fred find!
Kobe Sushi Bar
9340 W. Flamingo Road #111 702-243-0916
Without a doubt the best sushi I have ever had. The fish is extremely fresh. They have a liquor license.
Fred is demanding about his food so this is quite a good review :)
Makino Restaurant
3965 South Decatur Boulevard (702) 889-4477
A Japanese buffet. At some all you can eat sushi places, they skimp on the fish. Not here. Almost everything was better than I expected. The fish was very fresh. They have a very wide selection. They are about half sushi and half hot entrees. I mainly ate sushi, but the hot entrees I had were very good. If I had had more room I would have had more of the hot calamari. They have salads including a tuna salad that is chunks of raw tuna with baby lettuce and Oriental vinaigrette. They had sweet shrimp split and grilled. The sushi is a mixture of regular sushi, hand rolls, rolled sushi, and sashimi. Their desserts are not their strong suit. They had a wide variety of sweets. We will be back. --- sez Fred!
Marie Callender's Restaurant
8175 West Sahara Avenue (702) 341-0232
The branch on West Flamingo is not smokefree.
Cafe Mastrioni
4250 South Rainbow Boulevard (702) 367-7511
An excellent Italian restaurant. The Scampi was the best my girlfriend had ever tasted. We split a salad that included goat cheese, sun dried tomatos and pancetta. They make their own Tiramisu. Most Tiramisu is pretty uniform. This was obviously homemade. It was very good. They allow smoking on their patio.
--- sez Fred!
Marrakech
3900 Paradise Road (702) 737-5611
Greek/Morroccan cuisine with live music.
Big meals, great flavors, retsina, comfortable.
Daily 5:30pm-11pm
Mimi's Cafe
1101 South Fort Apache (at W. Charleston) (702) 341-0365
Western chain. Pasta, chicken, burgers, salad, wine and beer. Childrens' menu.
The restaurant is very good. The restaurant is themed as New Orleans. We eat at Mimi's often. The 5-cheese grilled cheese is phenomenal. I order something else for variety. I always compare what I order to their grilled cheese. I always wish I had ordered the grilled cheese. Mimi's has other locations. --- sez Fred!
Daily 7am-11pm daily
Nagoya Japanese Restaurant
5025 South Fort Apache Road (702) 871-4257
If there weren't such a great Japanese restaurant around a mile away (Kobe) I would give this place a better review. If this was the only sushi place around, that is one thing. It isn't. There were a few things that were not up to par. The Uni was far from the freshest I have ever had. A lot of bad things can be covered up in fresh oysters by hot sauce. The oysters were almost too hot to eat. The Tempura Roll (Eel, Avocado, Cream Cheese deep fried) was very good. This place was not bad. With so many better places nearby, we will not be back. They also have a teppanyaki room.
Thanks Fred!
Nectar (The Bellagio Resort)
... has closed.
Normandie Bakery and Bistro
4983 West Flamingo Road (702) 227-0369
A classic French bakery. The woman there would not sell us some pastry because we said we were going to eat it the next day and she said it wouldn't be fresh. The pastry we wound up with was very good. They have a restaurant.
Thus speaks Fred!
Osaka
4205 West Sahara (702) 876-4988
Moderately priced Japanese restaurant with a sushi bar and tatami room
(where you sit on the floor with pillows. This is optional! There is a
'regular' restaurant section).
Mon-Thu 11:30 am-10 pm / Fri-Sat 11:30-11pm
Palermo Pizza Kitchen
5625 South Rainbow Boulevard Suite E (702) 579-4999
Pick Up Stix
2101 North Rainbow Boulevard (702) 636-6600
Moderately priced Chinese/Japanese cuisine.
Mon-Sat 11am-9pm / Sun noon-9pm
AND
1910 Village Center Drive (Von's Shopping Center, Summerlin) (702) 804-6791
Review by Fred from this location: I was expecting a typical Chinese fast food place.
I did not expect how
good it was. The food was served very fast. Our waitress said it took
longer for her to put it on a plate and serve it than it took the cooks
to cook it. Everything was very fresh. They have a wide selection of
appetizers and main dishes.
Red Robin Gourmet Burgers
2575 South Decatur Boulevard (702) 364-1858
1300 West Sunset
Part of a chain of restaurants and bars in the US and Canada.
Most of their corporate-owned restaurants are already non-smoking. The rest are now also going smokefree (April 2001), including this location. Franchised locations can make their own policy.
This location has a large restaurant and *bar*, smokefree indoors. Smoking allowed on patio.
Burgers of every imaginable kind, from your basic, to teriyaki,
guacamole and mushroom. Most items $7-9.
Salads, sandwiches, seafood, pasta.
Bottomless french fries (!).
Family-friendly: video games and cartoons, and kids can be photographed with the Red Robin mascot
on Tuesday evenings.
Mon-Th 11am-10pm / Fri-Sat till midnight
Red Robin
151 North Nellis (702) 453-8611
A corporate-owned location.
Sonia's Cafe & Rotisserie
3900 West Charleston Boulevard (702) 870-5090
Salads and sandwiches. Pleasant, modest prices.
Mon-Fri 11am-9pm / Sat till 3pm
Sushi Hana
5255 S. Decatur Blvd. 873-1191
The quality was very good. It was nothing special, but very good. They have an all-you-can-eat special. There are a lot of rules that go along with it. Shashimi is not eligible for the AYCE. You have to eat rice to fill you up cheaply. Some items are limited. Any leftovers are charged for. They have a wide selection of rolls. The Tropicana roll (deep fried Philadelphia roll) was excellent.
from Fred
Sushi on Rainbow
6870 Spring Mountain Road # 6 (702) 247-8977
Swiss Cafe
3175 East Tropicana Avenue (702) 454-2270
Highly rated Swiss restaurant featuring dishes from all its cultural influences.
Reservations suggested.
Mon-Sat lunch 11am-2:30pm dinner 5pm-10pm
T. C.'s Rib Crib
8470 West Desert Inn Road (702) 451-RIBS
Being from the South I consider myself an expert on barbecue. We have not had barbecue as good since we moved here. We have eaten at the big BBQ chains and several "authentic" BBQ restaurants. This place puts them to shame. They have a wide selection of sauces to personalize your food. The desserts looked wonderful although we were too full to try them. The dining room and the kitchen were exceptionally clean. We only had the pulled pork sandwiches (or sammies according to the menu). If that is an indication of the quality of the rest of the menu I can't wait to go back. We definitely will be back.
Thanks Fred!
Tinoco's Bistro
103 East Charleston (702) 464-5009
We left the house in a quest for lunch. I saw a sign for Tinoco's Bistro
and remembered it from smokefreeworld.com. There are now 2. (Warm Springs location is closed) I had no idea how good it is. Everything was fantastic. The prime steak sandwich was the best I
have ever had. Anyone that lives here or is visiting with a car should
give this place a try. It is expensive, but below average for Las Vegas.
We asked the owner if we could bring in our own wine. He said we could
for a $5 corkage charge. Normal is $15-$20.
Thanks to Fred!
Prima Pasta
7435 South Durango Drive 702-361-2580
It is in a mini-mall. It looks from the outside like a fast food
Italian restaurant. Don't let that fool you. You won't see towers of
take-out pizza boxes obscuring the chefs. This place is far and above
any average pizza joint. Pizza was on the menu, but so was many other
things. Upon tasting my bruchetta my girlfriend said "Everything is
ripe. Everything is perfect." Her salad was wonderful. The quality of
the food was very high. We can't wait to go back to try other things.
It is not a gourmet restaurant. What they serve is excellent.
From Fred!
Todai Japanese Sushi & Seafood Buffet
Desert Passage at the Aladdin Resort & Casino
3663 Las Vegas Blvd Ste 580 (702) 892-0021
All I can say is "wow". All of the sushi was wonderful. Many AYCE sushi
places give you a lot of rice to fill you up. If anything the rice was
a little smaller than average. There are limits on the more expensive
items (like only 2 uni), but they have them. That was the sushi. The
hot food was very good. The bacon wrapped asparagus is not to be
missed. There are teppanyaki chefs that will make anything you want
(including lobster) and then bring it to you when it is ready. The key
lime pie squares and the creme brulee are excellent. The rest of the
desserts are forgettable. Desserts are not usually the strong suits of
Japanese restaurants. The $25.95 per person when compared with other
AYCE sushi places and the rest of Las Vegas, especially on the strip,
was a bargain.
From Fred!
top
RENO
Atlantis Casino Resort
3800 South Virginia Street 775-825-4700
Two non-smoking 'sections'.
Black Bear Diner
2323 South Virginia Street 775-827-5570
"Family dining, large menu, large portions, reasonably priced. Free juke box playing oldies music."
The owner sent this information, and, before I looked at the review, I happened to be in there for Sunday breakfast. Everything looked good, and when my eggs and potatoes showed up, my eyes turned out to be bigger than my stomach. The staff were quite nice. I was with a party of five and everyone enjoyed the meal, the atmosphere and the many wooden bears.
sept. 2004
The Blue Heron
1091 South Virginia Street
Health food restaurant
Cafe at Franktown
2325 Kietzke Lane 775-826-5499
Open at 7am Daily, Serving Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner with a full stocked bar and fireplace.
Circus Circus -- Steakhouse
500 North Sierra Street 775-329-0711
Surf and turf menu, wines, Thursday-Monday. (The casino is not smokefree; the hotel part has nonsmoking floors)
Deux Gros Nez
249 California Avenue
(702) 786 9400
Emerald City Cafe
3594 W. Plumb Lane 775-322-1525
Totally smokefree cafe. Fresh and creative menu items. The best specialty coffees available in the state.
Fritz's Bar and Grill
1305 North Virginia Street (across from U.N.R.)
phone: 1-775-348-0808
Finally, a smoke free bar in Reno! Fritz's offers a full menu and also a full liquor licence! We have a pool table, four TVs for sports, and soon to come a jukebox and video poker. It also has a huge patio.
Pneumatic Diner
501 West First Street
(702) 786-8888
Thai Royal Restaurant
3335 Kietzke Lane, (702) 827-1515
Next to Nu Yawk Pizza.
Truckee River Lodge: Non-Smoker's Hotel
On the banks of the Truckee River, within walking distance
of major casinos.
The nonsmoking status is ambiguous; they allow no smoking anywhere
inside the lodge, including the cafe. Smokers are "required to go outside".
What this means for people who want to hang out in the evening air
is unclear. It doesn't seem like a place smokers would want to go, though.
Bicycles for rent. Free popcorn in the evening.
El Salvador Restaurant
517 Forest Street 329-3399
I saw neither a no-smoking sign nor any ashtrays, smelled no smoke, and the food was good. It's a homey place, near downtown on a quiet street, with lots of families coming in. The food is plain and good, no excessive seasoning, it stands on its own. The tamales were yummy. The fried plantains were SO good. (The pumpkin pupusa is squash, but it's good too.) (And the waiter is handsome, but no I don't know what shifts he works. Maybe all of them? It's a hard business.)
Prices are moderate. Lots of parking in back.
sept. 2004
Viaggio
2309 Kietzke Lane (Franktown Corners Mall) 775-828-2708
Fred started off his review of their other location in Henderson as follows:
"A wonderful Italian restaurant. This is a truly gourmet place." (read more above)
So, a gourmet place with two smokefree locations.
Thanks to Fred!
Vino Reno
6520 S. McCarran 775-828-3475
...on the corner of Talbot and South McCarran behind The Grill. Open wednesday through saturday
at 5:00p.m. for Wine and full Fondue, smokefree
