The Steakhouse at Circus Circus

“If there ever was a true hidden gem in Las Vegas, this is the place,” says Golden Tiki and Evel Pie owner Branden Powers. “It’s a throwback, not only to how Vegas used to be, but how steakhouses used to be -- long before $25 hamburgers with bone marrow foie gras toppings.”

The Steakhouse is an oasis of maturity and old-school cool, hidden among Circus Circus’ signature blend of cotton candy, carnival games, budget-conscious tourists and Hunter S Thompson fans on a bender. While it wasn’t established until 1982, it’s easy to imagine the Rat Pack filing into this joint, walking past the paintings of cattle on the walls to their reserved red leather booth.

The chefs make a mean steak here: USDA Prime beef that’s dry-aged in-house and cooked on a mesquite charcoal broiler that can be viewed from the dining room. Soup or salad and your choice of potato are included in the price of your steak -- which is still well below what you’ll pay at just about any other steakhouse on The Strip.