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The 15 Foods You Can’t Leave Vegas Without Trying

Consider this your food bucket list.

PHOTO: ALLIE FOLINO

The city’s distinctive title has its origin in the early 1900s primarily due to the rise of illicit activities like gambling. These days, it can be said that it still holds true because of the sinfully satisfying food the city boasts of.

Las Vegas has become a mecca for celebrity chefs. There’s a restaurant bearing one’s name in nearly every major hotel. As for what they—and the tons of other chefs who’ve flocked to the city—make, anything goes. Sin City’s the place where gluttonous, Insta-worthy bites, and fine dining overlap. We covered The Strip and traveled to parts unknown (AKA anywhere off Las Vegas Boulevard) to create this list of the best of the best.

Don’t forget to pin it for later!

1
Dirty Corn, Dirt Dog

Las Vegas Dirty Dog Hot Cheetos spicy melted cheese puffs Mexican grilled corn butter lime mayo
PHOTO: KATHRYN WIRSING

Dirt Dog‘s chefs didn’t choose the Hot Cheetos life; it chose them. After customers repeatedly asked for dishes with the spicy cheese puffs on them, Dirt Dog created this twist on Mexican street corn: a grilled ear covered in butter, lime mayo sauce, crushed Hot Cheetos, melted cheese, and cilantro.

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2
L.A. Lasagna, Cafe Hollywood

Café Hollywood lasagna tubes bolognese ricotta roasted garlic sauce tomato basil sauce
PHOTO: KATHRYN WIRSING

Café Hollywood lists these lasagna tubes as an app, but it could easily count as a meal for two. Four deep-fried noodles stuffed with bolognese and ricotta come in each order, and they’re served with the creamiest roasted garlic sauce. You can opt for tomato basil sauce instead if you’re not sure what the rest of the night holds—wink, wink.

3
High Roller, Cafe Hollywood

chicken tenders coated in Cap'n Crunch, shrimp tempura, buffalo wings, spinach and artichoke dip, and barbecue chicken tostadas
PHOTO: KATHRYN WIRSING

Indecisive eaters, this one’s for you. A food-filled ferris wheel spins samples of the restaurant’s five most popular appetizers: chicken tenders coated in Cap’n Crunch, shrimp tempura, buffalo wings, spinach and artichoke dip, and barbecue chicken tostadas.

4
Sage Fried Chicken And Waffles, Hash House A Go Go

giant steak knife two gigantic fried chicken breasts, four waffles with bacon fried leeks Hash House A Go Go maple syrup reduction
PHOTO: CHELSEA LUPKIN

You can’t really understand what’s going on here until you pull out the giant steak knife holding the tower together. When you do, two gigantic fried chicken breasts, four waffles (with bacon baked into them), and a mound of fried leeks will fall onto the plate. Hash House A Go Go drizzles a maple syrup reduction on all of that, too because, clearly, this is a dish that doesn’t hold back on anything.

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5
Belly Of The Beast Burger, Truffles N Bacon

Truffles N Bacon's burger 10 pounds jalapeños, pork belly, barbecue sauce, and ranch
PHOTO: CHELSEA LUPKIN

The cross section of Truffles N Bacon‘s laughably large burger (it weighs 10 pounds!) looks like the center of the earth, just layer after layer of glorious food. Only an entire French boule could serve as the bun for the two 2-pound patties topped with cheddar, jack, tots, tomatoes, jalapeños, pork belly, barbecue sauce, and ranch.

6
Macaroni And Cheese Carbonara, Buddy V’s Ristorante

Traditional carbonara mac-and-cheese offers Buddy Valastro Macaroni and Cheese Carbonara Buddy V's Ristorante smoked mozzarella and fontina egg pancetta
PHOTO: KATHRYN WIRSING

Traditional carbonara doesn’t have the creaminess that mac-and-cheese offers, so Buddy Valastro combined the two. The Macaroni and Cheese Carbonara at Buddy V’s Ristorante is made with smoked mozzarella and fontina, plus egg and pancetta. Don’t turn your nose up at the peas: the sweet bite helps offset all of the rich cheese.

7
Mac Con Queso, Chica

Peruvian corn kernels mac and cheese gratin Mac Con Queso Chica's
PHOTO: KATHRYN WIRSING

Peruvian corn kernels are larger and much chewier than American ones, and they act as the “noodle” in this mac and cheese. They’re baked into a gratin, with hearts of palm and spinach. The Mac Con Queso is Chica‘s sleeper hit, so don’t overlook the side dish.

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8
Trash Can Nachos, Guy Fieri’s Vegas Kitchen & Bar

Fieri's nachos corn tortilla chips pulled pork, cheese sauce, jalapeños, crema, pico de gallo, and barbecue sauce
PHOTO: CHELSEA LUPKIN

On paper, Fieri’s nachos look like any other restaurant’s loaded chips. But it’s how they come to the table that sets them apart. Waiters deliver them in a mini metal bin. When they slowly pull it up, corn tortilla chips piled with pulled pork, cheese sauce, jalapeños, crema, pico de gallo, and barbecue sauce spill out.

9
Pastrami Burger, Guy Fieri’s Vegas Kitchen & Bar

Mayor of Flavortown Burger Pastrami Burger smoked meat beef patty
PHOTO: CARLO SIOZAN

This burger is one of Fieri’s favorites; so much so, that it was initially named after him: The Mayor of Flavortown Burger. Now it’s just called the Pastrami Burger for the strips of smoked meat that top the beef patty.

10
Beef Wellington, Hell’s Kitchen

Gordon Ramsay Hell's Kitchen beef wellington filet mignon mushroom paste puff pastry
PHOTO: CARLO SIOZAN

Ramsay’s signature beef dish is one of his most hyped, having earned its fame during Hell’s Kitchen challenges. He serves a version at nearly every restaurant he helms, and this one’s no exception. This classic—a tender cut of filet mignon, covered in a mushroom paste, then wrapped in puff pastry—lives up to its reputation.

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11
Bouchon Pastries, Bouchon

Bouchon sampler platter classic croissant sticky bun
PHOTO: KATHRYN WIRSING

There are six breakfast pastries on the Bouchon menu, and while you can order them separately, your best bet is to spring for the sampler platter. You’ll get an assortment of baked goods: the classic croissant is just as flaky as you’d expect from a French restaurant, and the sticky bun is so dense, it’ll literally stick to your bones—not a bad thing, if you’re drinking your way through the desert today.

12
Sushi Cupcakes, Jaburritos

Sprinkles Cupcakes sushi cupcakes shells made from fried wontons crab and salmon cups spicy tuna
PHOTO: KATHRYN WIRSING

Sprinkles Cupcakes sits across the promenade from Jaburritos, which inspired the spot’s now-famous sushi cupcakes. They come four to an order, with shells made from fried wontons. If you’re sharing, you’ll have to fight over the crab and salmon cups since there’s only one of each. But there are two spicy tuna versions to divvy up.

13
Skillet Cinnamon Roll, Sid’s Cafe

Sid's Cafe giant cinnamon roll
PHOTO: KATHRYN WIRSING

When Sid’s Cafe scored its new chef, the hotel restaurant’s brunch menu was completely revamped. Unsurprisingly, this giant cinnamon roll has emerged as a favorite. We recommend cutting into it like a cake, so every one in your crew can try the gooey center.

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14
Spicy Korean BBQ Wings, Black Tap Craft Burgers & Beer

Freakshakes mile-high burgers Black Tap's spicy Korean wings buttermilk-dill dressing
PHOTO: KATHRYN WIRSING

It’s hard to stand out in a sea of Freakshakes and mile-high burgers, but Black Tap‘s spicy Korean wings manage to. The side of buttermilk-dill dressing is a welcome touch to the fiery chicken.

15
#Housedog, Dirt Dog

Dirt Dog #Housedogs bacon-wrapped hot dog covered in cream cheese, cheddar, roasted green chiles, thousand island dressing, grilled peppers, and onions
PHOTO: KATHRYN WIRSING

You’ll know Dirt Dog is open when you see the line of hungry people stretching around the block. Chefs churn out more #Housedogs—a bacon-wrapped hot dog covered in cream cheese, cheddar, roasted green chiles, thousand island dressing, grilled peppers, and onions—than almost anything else.

This article was originally published in Delish US.

author avatar
Sarah Weinberg

Frequently Asked Questions

The High Roller at Café Hollywood is the perfect choice. It is a food-filled ferris wheel that serves samples of the restaurant’s five most popular appetizers, including Cap’n Crunch-coated chicken tenders and shrimp tempura.

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Sarah Weinberg

Instead of pasta noodles, the dish uses large, chewy Peruvian corn kernels. These are baked into a gratin with hearts of palm and spinach, making it a “sleeper hit” on their menu.

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Sarah Weinberg

According to the guide, it absolutely lives up to its reputation. The dish—a tender filet mignon covered in mushroom paste and wrapped in puff pastry—gained fame during Hell’s Kitchen challenges and remains a signature staple in Las Vegas

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Sarah Weinberg

Head to Truffles N Bacon for the Belly Of The Beast Burger. This 10-pound monster uses a full French boule as a bun to hold two 2-pound beef patties, tater tots, pork belly, and various toppings.

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Sarah Weinberg

Served at Dirt Dog, Dirty Corn is a twist on Mexican street corn (elote). It is a grilled ear of corn slathered in butter and lime mayo, then coated in crushed Hot Cheetos, melted cheese, and cilantro.

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Sarah Weinberg
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