The most friendly gambling house of whole Vegas!
We just loved it in the downtown - living on the strip.

Ok, so anybody who knows much about the El Cortez knows it has a colorful history. It is currently the longest running casino/hotel in Las Vegas that is much like the same as it was 50 years ago. It's downtown in an area that many might not want to visit. We decided to give it a whirl and at first, regretted out decision. The place is definitely "Old Vegas" all the way. The woodwork, the bars, gaming area, everything is classic and I liked that. But with that came a lot of smoke and a substantial number of gamblers who I wouldn't want to meet in the alley. We tried to eat at the restaurant and in spite of the fact that there was nobody in line in front of us, we finally gave up after about 15 minutes of the hostess telling us she'd be right with us while she continued to seat people who arrived behind and after us. That was very strange. Then we played some blackjack and I have never seen a dealer act so rude. Not to us, but there was a lady at the table and the dealer was so rude to her, we left.

The good news is that we came back a few days later to try to the Flame Steakhouse. This place still enjoys a sterling reputation as one of the better steak houses in Las Vegas and for very good reason. It was also quite classic and took me back to the 60s. It was quiet and very nice. The lady who waited on us was named Linda who had been serving there for 16 years and she was so nice and such a wonderful server! The food was excellent. I had a steak and my wife had salmon. My steak was great and her salmon was the best I have ever tasted. I don't know about any of the other restaurants at El Cortez but the Flame is as good as it gets. To have a steak with a salad and potato is about $40 apiece but here's a hint: the American Casino Guide as well as other publications, often have a 50% off coupon for The Flame! This made our entire meal about $35! Of course we tipped Linda 18% on $70 and it was well worth every dime. When you go to Las Vegas, GO EAT AT THE FLAME!

This place is all about the Flame Steakhouse... From looking at the outside of the El Co, you would not think that there would be this type of Steakhouse inside this joint.

Damn near the best steak I have ever had. The sides are massive and big enough for two to share. It is also very reasonably priced' that combined with your ACG Coupon, you would be a fool to pass this place up.

The casino is okay, more or less on par with some of the other places downtown. My only advice is go during the daylight hours. It's gets kinda spooky at night, especially when I was last there, a week before Halloween...

CM

Found the El Cortez Cabana suite with a special where I paid $60 a night for a suite and get $35 free play and $25 food credit. The room is a little tacky bright color but that is my only problem. The bed was super comfortable and the bathroom was really nice. We ate at the Flame Restaurant with no complaints. Food was great. The El Cortez is not a big casino so they don't have all of the newest slot machines, but they have enough to make it fun. Cocktail service was great. I looked at the table games but did not make it over to them. The players club employees were friendly and explained everything with ease.

The location, a bit sketchy. The casino, smells like old lady perfume. We stayed in the newish Cabana Suites and loved them. Very cool rooms at an unbeatable price. If you are staying downtown give the Tez a try.