I've been to Nero's three times. The four-star rating reflects an combined average of each visit.
The first time I went to Nero's was in 2006, while vacationing in Vegas when I still lived in New York. We stumbled upon the place after thoroughly examing the Forum Shops at Caesars. I do not recall the time of day, but there wasn't a wait and we did not need a reservation.
The service was friendly and prompt and our meals were excellent. I remember at the time saying it was the best Filet Mignon I had ever had, hands down. My husband ordered a giant T-bone and also gave it glowing reviews. We ordered a side dish to share (I think it was au gratin potatoes) and each had a French onion soup as an appetizer. Everything was fantastic. We both ordered our steaks with garlic topping, which was this odd kind of mashed, seasoned garlic that formed a crust as it was cooked onto the steaks. It was utterly fantastic, though our breath probably reeked for days.
Once we went home to New York, all we could talk about was Nero's. I still suspect Nero's played an important role in convincing my reluctant husband to make the move to Vegas with me the following year.
We returned to Nero's in 2007 (again, didn't need a reservation, though they seated us in the outside "patio" area). Our meals were once again excellent, but we couldn't help but notice a few changes. The au gratin potatoes were no longer on the menu, so we ordered a fancy-schmancy "mac and cheese" side, very yummy. The steaks were still good, but the service seemed to have declined slightly. It was still a superb meal, but it wasn't the mind-blowing, life-altering experience we recalled from the previous visit.
Most recently, we were there a few months ago. My husband asked me to meet him at Caesars after work. We had originally planned to try Mesa Grill, but they had something like a three hour wait, so we decided to head over to Nero's instead, where we assumed there wouldn't be a wait.
We, of course, got right in. Honestly, business always seemed fine, but I've never really seen the restaurant packed with people. I am a person who enjoys fine dining but is also terrible at advance planning. Nero's will always earn an extra star for not making me wait, or remember to make a reservation, ever!
I talked my husband into ordering the Châteaubriand to share. It was accompanied by potato croquettes and vegetables. We agreed on medium (I lean toward medium-rare, but my husband prefers medium-well, so we just met in the middle). The Châteaubriand was gorgeous and carved tableside. Unfortunately, while I thought it was just fine, my husband found his portion to be closer to medium-rare. It was a bit too bloody for his tastes. We really just should have swapped plates, because my portion was definitely a solid medium. Oh well. The meal was, as usual, excellent. I didn't like the croquettes as much as my husband did, but I thought there was plenty of food for the price. My husband was still hungry afterwards, but he's used to ordering huge T-bones.
My issue, this time around, was more related to the service. The service has steadily declined over the years from what I see. Our waiter wasn't exactly unpleasant, but not at all attentive. He was never around when we needed something. At Neros' price point, the service really can make or break the dining experience for me. On my birthday last year, we ventured out to another, very famous steakhouse. While I thought my Filet was garbage compared to what I was used to at Nero's, I couldn't find fault with the level of service received. It was far more on par for what you would expect at a restaurant where a dinner for two runs upward of $200.
Will I return to Nero's? Of course, on special occasions when I feel like braving the Strip (now that I'm a "local", I avoid it like the plague). However, after such mixed experiences, I don't consider it my "go-to" steakhouse anymore. I'm far more interested in discovering off-Strip establishments with similar cuisine.