| rev:text
| - Delmonico's is an institution - but it's by no means a "5-Star" steakhouse. Historically, it was one of the first really credible celebrity chef steakhouses in Vegas - despite the fact that Emeril Lagasse really wasn't the founder of the original Delmonico's of New Orleans.
BAD NEWS: NOT UP TO PAR WITH THE NEW ORLEANS ORIGINAL
Patterned after the original which resides in New Orleans, Delmonico's serves delicious, beefy steaks with services & class befitting a Louisiana. For those of you who've been to the New Orleans steakhouse, let me assure you that like the Vega rendition of "Commander's Palace", you will NOT get the same quality at the Vegas "Delmonico's". And that's a shame because to this day, one of the top 3 steaks I've ever eaten was at the New Orleans' Delmonico's... not the Vegas location.
GOOD NEWS: IT'S STILL A GOOD PLACE FOR STEAKS
But I don't think you'll leave terribly disappointed. Everything from the cigars to the baked potato to the crab legs and lobster tails to the steaks themselves - it's all still pretty good. (More on the beef later.) Items are always served hot, and plates are served in synchronicity to all guests with multiple waiters. The wine list is the size of Godzilla and their humidor has a colossal assortment of cigars that would make Bill Clinton giddy.
AND WHAT ABOUT THE STEAKS, SERVICE, ETC.?
Here's the thing: They prepare it correctly every time and their service is their hallmark. However when it comes to different categories (Flavor, service, décor) it kinda varies on how they rank:
1) FLAVOR
I have to hand it to Envy the Steakhouse over Delmonico's and I think Charlie Palmer's outdoes it as well in most aspects. Michael Mina's StripSteak probably outdoes it for at least flavor. Meanwhile Craftsteak has consistently softer, more buttery servings of the same cuts. It's probably a close tie with PRIME Steakhouse at the Bellagio.
...but it beats going to CUT, Carnevino, N9NE Steakhouse, & Circus Circus Steakhouse in my experience.
2) SERVICE
If you're looking for prompt service with an attention to detail, it's hard to beat Delmonico's. That's something they have down really well. Only Envy & Charlie Palmer's probably rival it and Envy only gets the nod because there's rarely many people there so service is often 1 to 1. Everyone else kinda pales in comparison - especially CUT & StripSteak where I've consistently gotten sketchy service. I strongly suspect that my service would have been 3x better had I had my host make the reservation instead of calling it in myself.
3) DÉCOR
It's darker, candlelit ambiance is romantic but not very illustrious compared to the views of PRIME or the décor of Carnevino. Most steakhouses I've noticed are pretty bland and non-descript in general (N9NE is utterly weird - what with all the white walls and junk) though so I'm not sure this is really a big point.
CONCLUSION:
Delmonico's, while it's lost some luster compared to some of the other big name talents in the Vegas steak industry, still holds its own amongst the heavyweights. Kind of a reasonably reliable, middle of the pack, horse that you can depend on for a decent - but pricey - meal.
3 1/2-stars... rounded up, as a tip of the hat to tradition.
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INSIDER'S TIP: GETTING INTO DELMONICO'S WITHOUT A RESERVATION
Very simple: $50 to the maitre d' will quietly grease your way from having a cocktail at the bar to a table with immediate service usually within 60 seconds - no questions asked. You'll either need to reach over registration to pass the bill to him/her or call him/her around to shake his hand and simply mention that you appreciate their hard work getting you a table.
...In general, tips really work at Delmonico's in all aspects of the restaurant. From the wait staff to the bartender to the resident sommelier. I've pulled this more than a dozen times without fail with the maitre d' during booked solid conventions from CES recently to going back to the COMDEX days.
...This may seem obvious to some, but the key is that the tip angle on 'immediate seating' only works in places where tables are reserved for hotel VIPs. (For example, Nobu's really has no such seating other than "next table available")
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