Get that patio pounder - a full bottle of sparkling wine plus a small carafe of OJ for $25. Makes day drinking just a little classier.
I find myself eating at Park on Fremont during most Vegas trips. Everyone loves the decor, the drink menu and tots for days. Plus the prices are much more reasonable than a lot of hyped up Vegas eateries. Plus you can hang out for a few hours and decompress before going back to the casino.
Downtown Vegas has changed a lot (for the better IMHO), partially thanks to places like Park on Fremont. Plus they use Yelp Reservations!