Rao's at Caesars Palace Closing November 28, 2021

Disappointing, because it was an iconic place. And almost certainly the only time any of us will ever, ever get to go to a Rao's! And the food was always very good; nothing too innovative or life-changing, but high-quality NYC red-sauce Italian.

I'm curious how the game of musical chairs is going to play out now. The most persistent rumor (which is spearheaded by Roeben, so take it for what you will) is that Peter Luger, another NYC institution, is taking over that place. But that then makes Old Homestead redundant, and I'm not sure what they would or could put there.

 

Will be in town for boxing the week of the closing and will hit Rao's for one last time. I will ask if I can have one of the pictures of Bobby Bumps.

 

Personally, I’ve been to both Old homestead in both New York and Vegas. I’ve also been to Peter Lugers in New York multiple times, however it was over 15 years ago. If I had my choice I’d go to Old Homestead.
My last experience at Rao’s not good both in the good and how the bartender’s attitude turned me off. Rao’s is OK but nothing better than most Italian restaurants within 20 minutes of where I live I can get equal most of anything Rao’s makes.I’ve never been to NY Rao’s because I’m a nobody to them. Plus I don’t care to go that far for Italian food I can get more locally to me.

 

To be fair, nearly everyone is a nobody to them!

 

Thanks for this heads up! I definitely gotta try to get there before then!

 

I agree. I thought it was okay, but nothing to rave about. And even with the expected "Caesars premium," it felt very overpriced for a red-sauce joint.

 

I am with you on Luger's. I don't get it. It's good enough but I don't need to flock there.

 

Peter Luger's (the original) is one of my all-time faves. (And I was there off and on for decades.)

However, I quit recommending it to people here in the midwest after hearing complaints about the lack of variety in steaks and they way they were presented and served.

 

I ate @ Rao's in CP once and I liked it. Shame they are closing. Maybe the buffet can expand seating to ease those lines?

 

Frankly I won’t really miss it. It was fine but unremarkable, especially for the price.

 

When did it stop being “original”?

 

If they could only hold off 1 more month I would have finally made it there.

 

I used the term to mean the original Williamsburg location, as opposed to the one in Great Neck.

Technically, though, it changed hands in the late 1960s, about when the GN location opened, and it was kind of assumed that the original would close, but it did not, fortunately.

 

I never knew about any other locations than Brooklyn.

 

Same here. We saw the restaurant in July but already had our reservations elsewhere. Our local east central Illinois grocer started carrying their sauces. We love them at home and were looking forward to checking out the restaurant when we go back in December. Aarrgh.

 

IIAC, if the Las Vegas location materializes, it will be the first real out-of-area location.

The story we always heard was that they opened the Great Neck location with the intention of moving there.

Williamsburg, after WWII, became very Hasidic, and Peter Lugers lost a lot of local business because they did not keep a Kosher kitchen. Although beef (PL's main menu items) is not treif by any means, the Hasidim tend to be very strict about food preparation and utensil use, so they did not patronize PL's. Add to that the general urban decline that was going on in the 1960s and they figured that their future would be just over the city line in a more upscale suburban type neighborhood.

Fortunately they stuck it out. The area is now very gentrified and I daresay trendy.

The last time I was there, which was either 2018 or 2019 (LOL, forget for sure which) a few of us from Photo Plus (trade show) went there one evening. It was excellent as usual, but not cheap. The two things I remember were that you can no longer eat at the bar in the evening, and they now take debit cards. They were cash only for a long time.

It will be interesting to see how they adjust things for the Las Vegas market. At the original location you don't order "a steak", you order "steak for one", "steak for two", "steak for three", etc. and it comes in an ample portion for the number of bodies ordering, all sliced up and served on a platter. (You will not go away hungry! Steak for three would probably easily satisfy 4-5.) IIRC they don't have prime rib every evening. Sides are extra. They do have some other menu items such as lamb chops and occasionally lobster (very un-Kosher).

In any case, it will be interesting to see how things pan out in LV.