12 Best Restaurants in West Side, Las Vegas

After a 2018 makeover, Palace Station is nearly unrecognizable from the old days, but for one holdover: the justly popular Oyster Bar, which has a cult following among the cognoscenti, not to mention long waits during peak hours (reservations aren't taken for the limited seating area). You won’t go wrong with chilled seafood or steamers, but the pan roasts are truly sublime, with a base of brandy-infused tomato creating a seafood stew. It’s open 24/7, so avoid the long lines by going at an off-hour.

Fans of Thai food flock here for spot-on exceptional chow with few surprises—just expertly prepared curries, tom yum soups, fish cakes, and pad Thais. In particular, the shrimp "ginger ginger ginger" (or you can choose it with meat or tofu) has drawn raves; yes, it really is that gingery. Archi's was one of the first Thai restaurants in Las Vegas and still holds a reputation among locals as one of the best. Reasonably priced three-course lunch specials are served from 11 am to 3 pm weekdays. This original location has held its own for more than 20 years, but there are two other branches, in the Southwest part of town (6345 S. Rainbow Blvd., Summerlin and 9350 W. Sahara Ave.), and a fast-casual spot (9310 S. Eastern Ave., Henderson).

This East Coast transplant with locations all over the Valley satisfies Sin City's cravings for giant sub sandwiches, including a Philly-style cheese steak, a hot pastrami sandwich, and a divine creation called the Bobbie—basically Thanksgiving dinner on a bun. Numerous locations around town include outposts in a few outlying casinos, such as Red Rock, Santa Fe, and Green Valley Ranch.

Old-timers will recognize the building as a vintage Taco Bell, but for years it has been the grounded location of a popular food truck. The burgers have that adventurous food-truck flair, and all come with one modest, uniform price, they're topped with fusion combinations such as wasabi mayo and pickled red ginger. A lively little place (open until 1 am), it's adorned with Japanese pop-art, and seems to sell as much beer as soft drinks. There's another location in the Southwest part of town (7365 Buffalo Dr.).

This is maybe the best example of a Las Vegas adage, "Never judge a place by its ugly strip-mall facade." In a shopping center you'd usually drive by lies a coffee and tea house that's about as beautiful as they come. An indoor greenhouse covers the central kitchen area, amid a well-appointed warehouse feel with plants, art, and cozy seating and a singular three-tiered reading and browsing area (shoes off, please) in back. The coffee's first rate as well, and it's not unusual for customers to take way too long to ogle the display case of delicious-looking pastries or read the full menu of specialty-drink temptations. There's a soup, sandwich, and quiche menu for those who want to extend a coffee break into a meal. Gäbi now has a second location in Henderson (136 N. Stephanie St.).

Hearty appetites will be richly rewarded at this quirky purveyor of so-called twisted farm food. Heaps of savory comfort food are cooked to order in this spacious restaurant done up in industrial, urban-farmhouse decor. Breakfast skillets runneth over, with tender, house-cured hashes, fresh eggs, house-made biscuits and jam, and sage-fried chicken and eggs. Non-breakfast platters include sage-fried chicken and waffles; griddled meat loaf, or a hot-chicken sandwich. This national chain has another West Side location inside the Rio (3700 W. Flamingo Rd.) as well as casino outlets on the Strip at The LINQ Resort & Casino, downtown at the Plaza Hotel & Casino; and another stand-alone building in Henderson (555 N. Stephanie St.). Only the casino outlets are opening evenings; most close by 2 or 3.

This busy eatery has developed a loyal following for its delicious, fresh seafood, where crawfish from Louisiana is delivered regularly and available with five seasoning choices at five heat levels. But other choices can be just as good. The shellfish (Dungeness, blue, king, or snow crab; lobster, clams, shrimp, black or green mussels, and, of course, crawfish), priced at the going market rate, is ordered by the pound. When your shellfish boil appears in its plastic bag, put on the plastic bib and dig in! Baskets of fried poultry and seafood are neater alternatives and come with Cajun fries. Sides include crispy pork skin, calamari, and sweet potato fries, plus a credible étouffée. There are five po'boy choices as well. The two West Side locations are fairly close to one another (the other is at 3863 Spring Mountain Rd.); other locations can be found n the Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood on the Strip, downtown Las Vegas, and in Henderson (9560 S. Eastern Ave.).

This restaurant's founder started out as the sommelier at Lotus of Siam, so it makes sense that the wine racks behind the register and the multi-page wine list set this restaurant apart from some of its noisy neighbors, along with a romantic, jazz-music vibe (after sunset, the view of the rear of the neighboring Macy's home store fades away). The menu is smaller and more creative than the standard Thai eatery as well, with crisp-fried meats—Panang Crispy Duck, Pla Crispy Beef—as the focus of several dishes. There's another location in Henderson (2645 St. Rose Pkwy., Suite 150).

This French bistro-cum-wineshop is in a quiet master-planned neighborhood that winds around its own lake (!), a remnant of the era when Las Vegas cared even less about running out of water. The tranquil setting and view are rivaled by a wine list nearly 1,000 bottles deep, and tastings and wine dinners are held regularly. You can buy a bottle at retail prices in the store and then drink it on the premises ($10 corkage fee). Seating is in either the cozy dining room or on the expansive lakeside terraces, which have misters for summer use and fireplaces for winter. When you're ready to eat, start with a cheese or charcuterie tray and move on to seared foie gras with poached seasonal fruit or a roasted beet salad. Entrées might include a classic steak frites or trout almondine. Hear live music on select nights. Marché Bacchus is open before noon for lunch and has a 3–6 pm happy hour.

Younger Las Vegans call this local success story "the pizza they grew up on," while the smell of dough when they walk in the door may trigger older patrons' own childhood memories of their youthful pizza parlors. Look for size and value on the deep-dish pies, not fancy salads or artisan experiments, on the family-friendly menu. Metro is more about big stuffed pizzas with names such as the Stockyard or the Zamboni that are as hearty and meat-filled as you might imagine, and it's been growing with the city since the 1980s. The modest Westside original still has a 1950s-style diner look in a strip mall next to a supermarket. As native Las Vegans grew up and went to UNLV, home base might have become the second, freestanding location near campus (1395 E. Tropicana Ave.). The large freestanding Henderson location (4001 W. Decatur Blvd.) may be chain's pride and joy, and the fourth arrival is north in the Centennial Hills area (6720 Sky Pointe Dr.).

Independent restaurants in Las Vegas have such a struggle that Nora's is a refreshing success story. It's so popular with locals that it was able to build a new home, ground up, within walking distance of the old storefront location (now the equally worthwhile Monzú Italian Oven, owned by a family member) that fueled its 24-year reputation. The newer building adds patio seating and a Josper charcoal oven, which combines traditional grilling with a tandoor effect. But it remains a dark wood-and-white tablecloth kind of place with fetching food and a nice ambiance for repeat customers. There’s traditional pizza, pasta, and veal, but the adventurous won’t be disappointed in Nora’s collection of unique dishes such as wild boar pappardelle, or the “Crazy Alfredo,” which combines fettuccine with shrimp, chicken, sausage, roasted bell peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, and jalapeños. Another favorite is the "Alla Nora" of baked spaghetti and eggplant with a meat sauce plus pesto and Parmesan.

Delicious regional (mostly Cantonese) fare includes marvelous dim sum made fresh daily often compels discerning diners—many of whom hail from Vegas's large Asian community—to brave the smoky, low-rollers casino floor of the Gold Coast, an otherwise unremarkable locals casino. The hours are a testament to its popularity: it's open from 10 am to 3 am every single night of the week. Named for three characters in Puccini's opera Turandot (Pong is head chef of the imperial kitchen), this well-regarded restaurant is kwown for authentic dishes such as chicken lettuce cups, seafood fish mah stew, preserved-egg porridge, or spicy Dungeness crab with peppercorn, along with a glass of chrysanthemum iced tea and sweet pineapple buns for dessert, soft and warm from the oven. Chefs will cater to customers' requests for small, unique offerings not on the menu, as long as the ingredients are on hand.