JLBRN

My husband and I will be taking our 14 yr old son and his same aged cousin for a few days in Vegas (first time) in August. My sister insists on paying for my nephews eating expenses. I get a sense from this forum that Vegas doesn't offer real cheap eats as it did perhaps a decade ago.
We're planning on eating a good sized breakfast most days (maybe a buffet), light lunch (most likely at our hotel) and a moderately priced dinner someplace on the strip. We'll probably do a more pricy upscale restaurant one out of the 4 nights we're there.
Can someone suggest an approximate amount we'll be spending on food on average per day?
BTW, we're staying at the Monte Carlo. Thanks!

nytraveler

Teenage boys - won't they need about 14 snacks per day as well?

Since it's your sister - why don;t you just keep track and tell her later? Presumably she knows your style of travel - and that you won;t be at the most expensive places for every meal.

(Have never stayed at the Monte Carlo - but the MGM, Mandaly Bay and Venetian all have places at all price points - and certainly the basic ones are plenty inexpensive (on the cheap chain restaurant scale - Friday's, etc.)

nytraveler

Teenage boys - won't they need about 14 snacks per day as well?

Since it's your sister - why don;t you just keep track and tell her later? Presumably she knows your style of travel - and that you won;t be at the most expensive places for every meal.

(Have never stayed at the Monte Carlo - but the MGM, Mandaly Bay and Venetian all have places at all price points - and certainly the basic ones are plenty inexpensive [on the cheap chain restaurant scale - Friday's, etc.].)

tracys2cents

Unless you're seeking out particularly "fine" dining...I don't think you'll spend much more than if you were eating out 3 times a day in your home town.

Breakfast buffets range from probably $8.99 at the Excalibur to $13.99 at Mandalay Bay....lunch somewhere like Chin Chin Chinese in NYNY or the Pub at Monte Carlo maybe $12 to $15? And dinners in the $20 to $25 range at Monte Carlo or MGM Buffet...Il Fornaio Italian at NYNY, Market City Cafe (Monte Carlo), the WichCraft sandwich place at MGM.............be sure to take a walk down to Caesars Palace, lots of good dining there in the Forum Shops area including Stage Deli for breakfast, Cheesecake Factory for lunch, and Bertolini's for brick oven pizza. The kids might like Planet Hollywood there, or Harley Davidson Cafe up near the Aladdin.

You might consider doing your "pricey" splurge at lunch time one day instead of at dinner time, places like Chinois (Wolfgang Puck chinese/fusion in Caesar's forum) have more affordable options at lunch time.

gotribe

Hey, if Rachael can eat for $40.00 a day, so can you.

Plan on $10.00 for the breakfast buffet, $10.00 for lunch and $20.00 for dinner.

mikesmom

We were just in Vegas with our 18 year old son. I would say $60 a day would do it. Somedays you might not spend that much and other days you could spend more.

Have fun!

sylvia3

We were pleasantly surprised at the Venetian's food court, and many of the big places have them. And they'd probably rather hand at the pool than eat pricey food during the p.m., right? (Mandalay Bay is terrific for dumping teens at the pool...)

gail

Depending on sleep schedules of the 14 year olds (mine needs to be blasted out of bed in AM), you might go for a quick muffin/bagel in AM - perhaps by the pool. Then a lunch and dinner buffet. My teens do not each much for breakfast during non-school months and then progressively increase thru the day.

BigJim

There are TONS TONS of cheap eats in Vegas!! It's just that the people here never go to them and/or they never recommend them!! Vegas is just like any other city where there are TONS of fast food places you can eat at. Even if you eat at the casinos/hotels, there are tons of choices for cheap eats.

TripleSecDelay

At Monte Carlo, there's a Food Court w/Nat'l franchisees not far from the Brewery onsite in their mall. Arcade is nearby so, watch 'em. Doors to the pools are nearby. Non-guests enter the pool area via the Brewery doors. All these are on the same hallway as the tram to Bellagio. Innertubes for the river float "pool" are $10 to buy / $20 to rent. Bring your own from home?

BigJim

I agree with Gotribe, if Rachel can do it, so can you!