First time downtown - best place to start?

We'll be visiting DT for the first time, cabbing up from MB. Is there a recommended place to drop off and pick up a cab?

What are your top three sites/activities (other than gambling because we are totally doing that!) to see/do DT? We won't have a lot of time so a sampling of your favourite suggestions would be appreciated.

I have heard of deep-fried Twinkies somewhere DT and also about a jerky store - any other must-see's/must try's?

 

I wouldn't miss the Triple 7 Restaurant and Brewery in Main St Station. Great food and brew. MSS is my favorite place downtown.

Besides that, just people watching at the Fremont Street Experience is a good time.

 

Mob Museum

 

I wouldn't call them must see but there is jerky store on 3rd St and the deep fried Twinkies are at Mermaids.

If you're going at night then catch the overhead show on Fremont St. A walk up and back Fremont makes for an entertaining time. Step into a few casinos etc.

As far as cab dropoff, I would suggest tell the cabbie to drop you at Golden Gate, which means he'll drop you off on Main Street and Fremont, the beginning of Fremont Street Experience.

I like the Mob Museum suggestion, but you say you have limited time. You can easily spend 2 hrs in there.

 

99 cent deep fried twinkies or 99 cent deep fried oreos at Mermaids. Still have machines that pay out in nickels too!

 

The real Fremont Street Experience is ... Fremont Street. If you get dropped off at the Golden Gate, begin your stroll there, walking down that side, and eventually back up the other side. And don't forget one block north of the Plaza is Main Street Station (a definite must see), and its sister property, the California. Stop inside each property, walk around to see what they have to offer, and develop a list of what you like best.

And ... be sure you are outside at the top of each hour (starting at 7:00 pm) for the electronic shows above on the FSE canopy.

Have fun !!

 

For a cab drop off I would probably go with Golden Nugget: its the nicest property downtown and when you get there you can go inside, check out The Hand of Faith and wander around a little bit in the casino and play some games.

When talking Downtown people will often suggest things like checking out El Cortez or checking out Main Street Station... for a first trip Downtown I would just skip those and stick to under the canopy, which is a three block long stretch where you have a few things to see, places to shop, lots of places to gamble.

When asking about things to see and do: One thing to note about Downtown is that other than cheap gambling and dining there isn't a lot of other things to do.

When you get there your arrival time should be later in the day. For a first trip Downtown I wouldn't recommend arriving at something like 11AM to noon, but instead maybe more like 5:00-6:00PM.

That's mainly because during the daytime Downtown can be quite quiet and sometimes even a little depressing, and then at night the place really picks up and gets quite lively.

For what to do: you want to see the light show under the canopy and thats hard to miss when its on, also you should check their events calendar to see whats going on (they have live bands or performing acts at night as well, usually 8PM and 9PM, sometimes they'll have concerts).

Other than that there aren't really many attractions: The Hand of Faith giant gold nugget at The Golden Nugget and the million dollars display at Binion's. After that there is lots of cheap gambling and cheap souvenir shopping.

I believe the jerky store is on one of the side streets out from under the canopy.

 

Thanks, everyone - I know we'll enjoy gawking at the giant gold nugget and the million dollars, and I think I am going for BOTH the twinkie and the oreo. "What happens in Vegas.... ends up on yer hips!"

 

1) Triple 7 for cheap food or Oscar's if you want pricey but good food.

2) Golden Gate is a great place to play craps. It's small, uncrowded, and a great vibe in there. It's always a bit shocking that their tables are never packed considering the favorable limits (min AND max) and the 10x odds. Dealers are very friendly.

3) Vintage casino on the 2nd floor of The D is good for some nostalgia as they've got coin droppers and sigma derby.

 

if your gonna do the triple 7 ... consider the MSS buffet... ITS A MUST !! breakfast is 10.99 per person and its ACTUALLY delicious. If you go on saturday brunch is same price with mamosas.

Head over to the D and grab a roll of quarters for the derby. its in the upstairs room. walk in through the main entrance ... slightly look left and look up a bit and you'll see "vintage Slots" ... walk there and start spending !

try Binnions Cafe for the late night eats... Turkey club is the best ! service is slow but food is worth it.

 

I would get dropped off either in front of the Plaza or west side of Binions. The SDX is also a great and cheap way to get to FSE from MB.

The deep fried Twinkies, Oreos and choco bananas is at Mermaids, also a great place to get yard long drinks for cheap.

A absolute must is the Triple 7 Brewery at MSS, best burgers in downtown and award winning micro brews. The Garden Court buffet is the best one in downtown, been voted top 5 in all of Vegas by USA Today and LVRJ. The jerky shop at Vegas Club has a great selection. 1$ margaritas at all Boyd casinos, and 2$ Stella too. Pop up Pizza at the Plaza is a must too.

Where you gamble makes a difference, Boyd properties tend to have the best pay tables and odds.

Fun place to gamble is Binions, great drink service too. The Binions cafe is dirt cheap and really tasty.

I hope you fall in love with downtown.

 

Three things (not gambling) to do downtown? Your best bet to get these all in is to go late on a weekend night...

Get Oxtail Soup at the Market Street Cafe in the California. A delicious, hearty meal for under $10. It's a Hawaian specialty. They begin serving it at 11pm until they run out.

Check out Bridge on Fremont Street. Starting around midnight on most nights you will find this Electric Cello duo playing rock/pop music. They are amazing, as is the people watching during their show. They usually set up in front of the Nugget or Four Queens.

Have a drink at Atomic Liquors. Las Vegas' oldest public, just reopened. It's down past 9th on Fremont East. Bring a friend and keep your wits about you. It's not as well traveled as the FSE area.

As for the cab. Drop off at Golden Gate is good. Get picked up at either the Golden Nugget or El Cortez.

 

I would have the cab drop you off at Golden Gate. Walk through there first, and come out onto Fremont.
From there, you have lot's of options - but if I were your on-site guide, I would take you to the Nugget first... then 4-Queens, then 'theD'... then down to the El-Co... on the retunr walk, we'd go into the Fremont. From there, we'd turn right down to Ogden and hit the Cal. From the Cal, we'd take the walkway over to MSS.
Then, stroll over to the Plaza, and finish up at Golden Gate.

You'll want to see the light-show (once, anyway).
You may have noticed that Binions and LVC are absent from my tour, but neither of them holds much appeal, except for the 2-deck BJ game at LVC (in my opinion). But, I suppose there's the 'historical' aspect to Binions, so you can always take a walk-through.

I have to echo the 777 (@ MSS) recommendation for food.
Personally, I think MSS is the most beautiful casino downtown, and would never suggest skipping it.

I would advise you to never order a gin & tonic at the Nugget, as they seem incapable of mixing one properly....Golden Gate, on the other hand, has outstanding drinks & drink service...and very appealing (and friendly) dealers.

If you're wanting to play blackjack for any length of time, I recommend the El-Co's $3 minimum two deck game. In my opinion, it's the best blackjack downtown, and the best low-minimum two-deck game in Vegas.

If you're a 3-card poker player, you want the Golden Nugget. I never seen fewer than than 2 tables operating, and as many as 5 going at once.

I've only played craps at Fremont & El-Co, so I'm probably not the best person to ask - but I had more fun at the El-Co's table than at Fremont's.

Breakfast at DuPars (golden gate) is pretty good, but then so is Magnolia's at 4-Queens.

As for best bars or VP, I'm definitely not the person to ask.
Have fun!

 

I think Topcard did a great job of giving you a good guide to downtown (along with everyone else)....

But why has nobody mention the shrimp cocktail at Golden Gate?! A Las Vegas classic, and pretty damn good too. Go into Dupars, sit at the counter, and have a shrimp cocktail!

 

I absolutely agree, but it appears most of the "true" downtown aficionados have sworn off the Golden Gate since they had the audacity to remodel things and turned the music up!

"Dang newfangled stuff!!! Why don't they leave things alone!!!!"

 

I guess the 99-cent shrimp cocktail at GG fell off of my radar...perhaps because it's no longer 99-cents, and it's no longer actually at the Golden Gate.



...actually, I'm sure it's still quite good - but I really haven't had one since they moved it to Dupars...

I miss the days when you'd get a coupon for a free one everytime you got a blackjack... now that I think about it, I don't think I've ever actually paid for one!

 

It's a mathematical fact that the two deck game at El Cortez is the lowest house edged game in town. So if that is your only criteria for "best" than this is it.

Of course "best" is subjective as to what criteria makes it best to each individual. I've decided that best to me is judged by having entertaining, fun, attractive dealers. So I will give a little house edge up for my best. That is why I play my blackjack at Golden Gate.

Maybe if I spoke Chinese I would have more fun at El Cortez. The dealers there are not unpleasant or anything like that. It's just that I can't communicate with them.

 

I love the Golden Gate & I play there often...for the very reasons you cite...plus the fact that drink service and drink quality are outstanding... but yeah - for the purposes of best odds for the player and the easiest game to count (and have it matter), pretty hard to beat El-Co's 2-deck shoe game.

 

While the two deck blackjack game at ElCo is pretty decent and a lot of fun, it is not the lowest house edged game in town. That distinction goes to the single deck game with late surrender at the Alamo Casino/truck stop out on Dean Martin drive by the 215. Next best is the ElCo single deck game. I always have fun with the dealers at El Cortez - smiles and laughter mean the same thing in any language.
By the way, when downtown make sure you check out the refurbished neon signs in the middle of East Fremont Street. Have fun!

 

I respectfully have to disagree here..... I think that the El Co and MSS are the two best places to be!! Love both of them!

Here's my list:
-Play the Sigma Derby at the D
-Grab a shrimp cocktail
-Have a pint of microbrew at MSS while you sit at the Boar's Head
-Stop by one of the bars east of the canopy (Insert Coins is unique)
-Watch a show on the canopy
-Never tried it myself, but the zip line seems popular