One of the great things about Las Vegas is the incredible range of cuisine available. A diner can have a meal with different culinary origins every single night without breaking the bank. Although the average price of a Sin City dinner has been creeping up through the years, it is still possible to have a great meal for $60 or less per person.

 

sw steakhouse

The SW Steakhouse at the Wynn

 

Here are some of our favorite places in a variety of price points.

AGO

Surprisingly light yet also filling, a dinner at AGO is a satisfying experience that won’t weigh you down. That’s critical when it comes to eating dinner in Las Vegas, where dinner is usually the start of the evening’s festivities rather than the plan for the night. It’s especially helpful that this restaurant is at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, which is known as a bastion for partygoers.

Guests can enjoy dishes such as Burrata con Fagiolini (creamy mozzarella with string beans and extra virgin olive oil) and Spaghetti con Vongole e Rapini (spaghetti with cockles, clams and rapini). We loved the Risotto ai Funghi Selvatici (wild mushroom risotto) and the wide selection of both fish and meat dishes. The pizzas are a great way to trim the dining budget here. There’s the ubiquitous Margherita, of course, as well as the Capricciosa, which has mozzarella, tomato sauce, artichokes, black olives and cooked ham.

One of the things we liked most about our AGO experience was the dedication to customer service. Not only was our server well versed on every single menu item, but the restaurant’s host made frequent drop stops to our table to say hello, talk about the food and just make us feel welcome.

AGO is open for dinner starting at 5:30 p.m and closes at 11:30 p.m. or midnight, depending on the night of the week. Reservations are suggested, especially on weekends. Call them at 702-693-4440 or visit the website, where a complete menu is also available.

SW
We’ve been hearing raves about this steakhouse since it opened three years ago and we finally had a chance to visit it ourselves. At Wynn Las Vegas, SW—named after the hotel’s creator, Steve Wynn—is a classic steakhouse rooted in American culinary philosophy with some international touches.

The executive chef is David Walzog, who keeps the kitchen moving, sending out perfectly cooked dishes that hit all the right notes. The hook with the beef here is that it is all USDA prime, aged Nebraskan corn-bed beef and served with a trio of steak sauces. There’s the Béarnaise, a totally original Jalapeño Tropical Fruit and the SW Original, which is a spin on the traditional steak sauce.

We had the bone-in rib eye and a New York strip, both of which were delicious. There is also a porterhouse for two and the requisite filet mignon. Creative side dishes include brussels sprouts with bacon and carrots and a truffled cream corn. Other standards include oysters on the half shell and Maryland blue crab cake. Seafood dishes include Alaskan king salmon and seared Hawaiian tuna yellowtail snapper.

SW is on the Lake of Dreams at Wynn Las Vegas and is a 2008 AAA Four-Diamond award winner. It’s open nightly from 5:30 p.m. until 10:30 p.m. Entrees run from $28 up to $60 or more. For more information, or to make a reservation, call 702-770-3325 or visit the website.

 

postrio venetian

Postrio's dining room at The Venetian

 

Postrio
Wolfgang Puck may have redefined the notion of Las Vegas dining with the ubiquitous Spago, but his Postrio sets the stage for casual elegance. At the bustling Grand Canal Shoppes at The Venetian, this restaurant is a great space for lunch as well as dinner. It’s in the St. Mark’s Square portion of the mall, which allows the space to take on an element of an oversized sidewalk café. Although additional seating is in a separate dining room within the restaurant, many people relish the idea of sitting under the faux sky, chatting and listening to opera singers performing on the nearby gondolas.

The menu focuses on contemporary American cuisine with Mediterranean influences. One favorite of ours is the Lobster Club with Nine- Grain Toast, Smoked Bacon, Tomatoes and Arugula. The chunks of lobster are exquisite and work well with the crunchiness of the toast. Other highlights on the menu include Goat Cheese Ravioli with Wild Mushrooms, Romano Beans, Sage and Truffle Oil; Seared Diver Scallops with Chanterelle Mushrooms and Crisp Pancetta; and Mesquite-Grilled Kansas City Steak with Fingerling Potatoes and Garlic Aioli.

In the “outside” café area, lunch averages about $25 per person, while dinner costs about $35 per plate. Dinner in the dining room runs the more typical $60 per plate. For more information, call 877-4-WOLFGANG or visit www.wolfgangpuck.com.

 

jade palazzo
Jade offers an authentic approach to a variety of Asian cooking styles

 

Jade
Designed to appeal to The Palazzo’s Asian clientele, but accessible for all lovers of Far East cuisine, Jade is an authentic approach to a variety of cooking styles. It’s a much more upscale approach to cooking than the typical neighborhood Chinese restaurant.

Here, guests will find dishes from all over the continent, including those rooted in Cantonese, Taiwanese, Vietnamese and Szechuan tradition. But there’s also a sushi bar and an emphasis on noodle dishes, which creates an atmosphere where something is available for everyone.

Chef Simon To prepares a wide variety of dishes, including Rare Filet Mignon Noodle Soup and Abalone and Chicken Congee to the Singapore-Style Pan-Fried Crab with Chili and Steamed Lobster in Garlic Sauce. Roasted meats are also delicious, as are the rice-based dishes.

It is easy to eat here for less than $30 per person. Jade is located off the casino floor at The Palazzo. It’s open from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. daily. For more information, call 702-607-2220 or visit palazzolasvegas.com/jade.aspx.