This place never fails to satisfy!
The food is great, the service is awesome and playing here is, well, just plain fun!
Someone wrote about a bad $60 hamburger!?! How is that even possible? Nothing on the menu is over $19.99 and that is a crazy big steak and lobster dinner on Fridays that includes a jumbo shrimp cocktail, clam chowder or a caesar or wedge salad, baked potato, veggies and dessert!
The expansion makes the place feel bigger but still homey and has really cut down on the smoke.
Make no mistake about it, Emerald Island is a niche casino. It is not all things to all people and it doesn't try to be. It has developed a unique brand in a difficult market and owns a very loyal group of patrons. By carefully defining it's market and understanding it's demographic, it's operators have managed steady growth while maintaining superior customer service.
Is Emerald Island perfect? No. Despite a few infrequent glitches and a couple of chronic issues, this casino excels in what it has set out to do...namely to provide value for the players' entertainment dollar.
This is not an upscale location. There are no table games, no hotel, no nightclub and no spa. It is an unpretentious, immaculately clean and well maintained property. Both the interior and parking lot area are constantly being cleaned by dedicated employees. There are times when the casino is busy that it does get smokey. As long as Nevada allows smoking, casinos will be smokey. The smoke issue is everywhere and Emerald Island is pretty much the norm.
The food is a great value and is, for the most part, really really good. Daily specials and a large menu make for a great selection of meals. Servers and cooks are not robots and certainly are not perfect. Occasionally (although in our experience rarely), a meal or service may miss the mark, but the staff's genuine desire to please completely makes up for it. Whenever we have had any issue with food, a prompt and courteous complaint to the staff has always resulted in a prompt and courteous resolution of the problem. Rude patrons or people that clean their plate before complaining aside, the staff is always responsive.
As the food service here is so popular, long waits can occur. A problem that does arise is caused when families insist on brining kids to the grille at peak times. Because they can't be on the casino floor to play while they wait, kids block the entry and, being kids, they become loud and distracting. This is more of a shame on the parents, not management, but annoying none the less.
What keeps us coming back is really three-fold. First, better than expected play for our gambling dollar. Their motto, "We love you longer", really captures the fact that you really do get reasonable play here. Gambling "luck" runs hot and cold. Sometimes you are the windshield... Sometimes the bug. We play here, a lot. On a consistent basis, we do better here than anywhere else we play.
The second draw is their comp program. In addition to over the top generous food comps and complimentary game side snacks, the Emerald Island offers gift vouchers for local restaurants, merchants and services. While they have no spa, you can redeem points for services at at least three different places for nail care, massages and hair care. Vouchers for movies, water parks, golf and other attractions are available as are diverse services such as tax preparation, pet boarding and, on site, car washes. The reward center merchandise is expensive for both cash purchases and point redemption but when you beat in mind that they have huge point multipliers (up to 100x) it isn't completely out of line.
The ultimate factor that keeps players coming back it the service. From porters and security personnel to managers and ownership, the entire staff is friendly and accessible.