Bargain Hunting

[redietz]

I'm shocked, shocked I tell you, that some purported professional glitchmasters don't watch their food budgets. Following in the tradition of gamblers like Jean Scott, Anthony Curtis, Bob Dancer, and Mike Stockunas, I think posting those rare foodie values is a noble tradition. In fact, I think an ongoing thread should be devoted to just such an endeavor. Those with too much (ahem) class and (double ahem) gambling credibility can choose to not read the foodie tips.

Here's a start. I powered through a numbers-crunching all-nighter by bringing a 5 AM swoon to a quick and nasty end by partaking of the $4.99 all-you-can-eat pancakes at the revamped Palace Station coffee shop. The special runs from midnight until 6 AM, so I made it under the wire. The waiter noticed my hound dog expression as I could not finish the first monster stack. He said, "Don't feel bad. Nobody finishes that plate."

Size aside, they were good pancakes. The waiter brought three flasks of hot syrup to the table -- that tells you the size of the stack.

[tableplay]

Here's a trick for El Pollo Loco. Order a shredded chicken burrito for about $4.00 and ask them to substitute grilled chicken for shredded (if the cashier then asks if you want all white meat say "no" so that there is no extra charge). You will then have a grilled chicken burrito for $4.00 + tax.

[mickeycrimm]

I'm a coffee junkie. I carry my own one-cup coffee maker in my rollaway suitcase for hotels that don't have coffee in the room. Most all the casinos I hit have drink stations so I get to drink all I want for free in the casinos. I like to drink coffee while driving to so will sometimes take a cup with me from the casino. One of my pet peeves is drink stations without lids for the coffee cups. If I'm on a long drive I might buy a cup of coffee at the gas station when I fuel up because it's convenient. I never hit those high priced joints like Starbucks or Dutch Bros. If my only reason to come off the interstate is to get a cup of coffee then I stop at the McDonald's drive-thru and get it for $1. Don't have to get out of the car and quickly back on the road.

[redietz]

I'm a coffee junkie. I carry my own one-cup coffee maker in my rollaway suitcase for hotels that don't have coffee in the room. Most all the casinos I hit have drink stations so I get to drink all I want for free in the casinos. I like to drink coffee while driving to so will sometimes take a cup with me from the casino. One of my pet peeves is drink stations without lids for the coffee cups. If I'm on a long drive I might buy a cup of coffee at the gas station when I fuel up because it's convenient. I never hit those high priced joints like Starbucks or Dutch Bros. If my only reason to come off the interstate is to get a cup of coffee then I stop at the McDonald's drive-thru and get it for $1. Don't have to get out of the car and quickly back on the road.

I can't argue with the McDonald's coffee for $1. It's good coffee.

We have a standing joke about my coffee priorities here. A few years back, on a morning I did not have a vehicle in Las Vegas, I needed to catch the Deuce to go up the strip for a meeting. I had just bought a $4.75 cup of coffee at the Golden Nugget. When I arrived at the bus stop, the bus was there, but the driver required me to dump my coffee, which was still two-thirds full. I looked quizzically at my cup, then said I'd catch the next bus. If I'm paying five bucks for a coffee, I'm drinking it.

[Tasha]

I'm a coffee junkie. I carry my own one-cup coffee maker in my rollaway suitcase for hotels that don't have coffee in the room. Most all the casinos I hit have drink stations so I get to drink all I want for free in the casinos. I like to drink coffee while driving to so will sometimes take a cup with me from the casino. One of my pet peeves is drink stations without lids for the coffee cups. If I'm on a long drive I might buy a cup of coffee at the gas station when I fuel up because it's convenient. I never hit those high priced joints like Starbucks or Dutch Bros. If my only reason to come off the interstate is to get a cup of coffee then I stop at the McDonald's drive-thru and get it for $1. Don't have to get out of the car and quickly back on the road.

I can't argue with the McDonald's coffee for $1. It's good coffee.

We have a standing joke about my coffee priorities here. A few years back, on a morning I did not have a vehicle in Las Vegas, I needed to catch the Deuce to go up the strip for a meeting. I had just bought a $4.75 cup of coffee at the Golden Nugget. When I arrived at the bus stop, the bus was there, but the driver required me to dump my coffee, which was still two-thirds full. I looked quizzically at my cup, then said I'd catch the next bus. If I'm paying five bucks for a coffee, I'm drinking it.

I don't blame you. I would want to enjoy my almost $5 coffee too! I'd wait for the next bus too!

[Tasha]

I'm shocked, shocked I tell you, that some purported professional glitchmasters don't watch their food budgets. Following in the tradition of gamblers like Jean Scott, Anthony Curtis, Bob Dancer, and Mike Stockunas, I think posting those rare foodie values is a noble tradition. In fact, I think an ongoing thread should be devoted to just such an endeavor. Those with too much (ahem) class and (double ahem) gambling credibility can choose to not read the foodie tips.

Here's a start. I powered through a numbers-crunching all-nighter by bringing a 5 AM swoon to a quick and nasty end by partaking of the $4.99 all-you-can-eat pancakes at the revamped Palace Station coffee shop. The special runs from midnight until 6 AM, so I made it under the wire. The waiter noticed my hound dog expression as I could not finish the first monster stack. He said, "Don't feel bad. Nobody finishes that plate."

Size aside, they were good pancakes. The waiter brought three flasks of hot syrup to the table -- that tells you the size of the stack.

Ooh, I can visualize those HUGE panakes now! The kind of HUGE pancake that nearly covers a HUGE dinner plate. And there are STACKS of them, yikes! Most people would be full after like TWO pancakes of that size. And they feel as if they wasted $4.99 for an All You Can Eat Pancake deal when they felt full after TWO pancakes. They feel like they SHOULD eat more but their Stomach starts metaphorically rebelling on them, metaphorically saying,"I will NOT take anymore pancakes!" They leave feeling full but disappointed that they could only eat TWO pancakes. They wonder if the Eatery shouldn't make SMALL pancakes instead.

[redietz]

I'm also an ongoing fan of the Lanai snack bar at the Fremont. Shrimp cocktails are $1, and the Hawaiian ice cream is very good.

[MaxPen]

I'm also an ongoing fan of the Lanai snack bar at the Fremont. Shrimp cocktails are $1, and the Hawaiian ice cream is very good.

Weren't you the one saying you won't eat buffet shrimp?
What's the difference?

[redietz]

No difference. I rarely eat seafood, so I don't gobble down the buffet shrimp. But I will partake of the occasional small shrimp cocktail. I cut way back on seafood about 30 years ago, when the Coast Guard got caught dumping their own batteries in fishing waters. I figured if the Coast Guard was doing that, it was time to reduce sea food intake to small samplings.

[slingshot]

Although Caesars has stopped the buffet, Margarittaville continues the 2 buffets a month. Yesterday they had amazing steamed cheese cauliflower! They added smoked turkey slices a few months ago. Unfortunately, the potatoes aren't homemade, so I let them go. Some days I get the salmon. They have serving utensils, so I don't worry about germs. Usually I get coffee but have on occasion tried the tomato juice. They're speciality is seafood, but salmon and catfish are my favorites. Strawberry shortcake for desert.

[PIGGY BANKER]

TheM has a free buffet daily and it's one of the best in town.

[MaxPen]

TheM has a free buffet daily and it's one of the best in town.

You must not have been to town in the past 5 years.

[GwoAE]

I'm a coffee junkie. I carry my own one-cup coffee maker in my rollaway suitcase for hotels that don't have coffee in the room. Most all the casinos I hit have drink stations so I get to drink all I want for free in the casinos. I like to drink coffee while driving to so will sometimes take a cup with me from the casino. One of my pet peeves is drink stations without lids for the coffee cups. If I'm on a long drive I might buy a cup of coffee at the gas station when I fuel up because it's convenient. I never hit those high priced joints like Starbucks or Dutch Bros. If my only reason to come off the interstate is to get a cup of coffee then I stop at the McDonald's drive-thru and get it for $1. Don't have to get out of the car and quickly back on the road.

I can't argue with the McDonald's coffee for $1. It's good coffee.

We have a standing joke about my coffee priorities here. A few years back, on a morning I did not have a vehicle in Las Vegas, I needed to catch the Deuce to go up the strip for a meeting. I had just bought a $4.75 cup of coffee at the Golden Nugget. When I arrived at the bus stop, the bus was there, but the driver required me to dump my coffee, which was still two-thirds full. I looked quizzically at my cup, then said I'd catch the next bus. If I'm paying five bucks for a coffee, I'm drinking it.

I dont like their coffee at all, but I do love their French vanilla iced coffee.