Ellis Island Casino & Brewery

Ok here is the straight skinny on this place. From an average joe, guy next door type. I went there on my last trip to Vegas 4/16/09. I made a point to go to Ellis Island after reading all the high praise this place gets from sites like this. So I went there with high expectations and in a great frame of mind. Here is my honest review.

What a dirty smoky dump. It looks to be the frequent hangout of Vegas locals on the lower end of the economic scale, to unemployed. I just dont get the high praise for the food. It was certainly nothing special at all. I had the bbq chicken half with side of beans and corn. Start with the corn, it is standard prepared cafateria food, a 1/4 cob of yellow corn soggy as London, with no taste at all. The beans were pinto, absolutely nothing special, average at best. Now the chicken...I had such high expectations due to the reviews....and boy was I somewhat shocked. I could swear that the chicken was baked(almost tasted boiled or steamed?)and then dunked in bbq sauce and that is what they are calling bbq. I honestly do not think they are bbqing over an open flame, or coals. There was no smokey bbq taste at all. It was a very bland boiled or baked taste with the bbq sauce on top. I know this because once I ate away the top layer with the bbq sauce on it, the rest of the chicked below that had absolutely no smoke bbq flavor at all. So there you have it folks, I truly think you get what you pay for as usual, and it is a cheap meal, so you put 2 and 2 together. Oh, the beer was ok and it was cheap 1.50 a beer. But the atmosphere at the bar was down and out. I waited for maybe 30 minutes to get seated. I never experienced the Kareoki(sp?) that others rave about on here...not even sure where they would even do it. I was surprised at the smallness of the place. And just to be thorough, I ate at the BBQ place and not the Restraunt.

So there you have it. I for the life of me cant figure out why all the rousing reviews. Honestly, I am not sure where all that comes from. One theory I came up with on my walk back to my hotel was that maybe people are drunk and worn out from the strip activities and that can make food taste ten time better then it actually is? But I went at about 7pm, stone cold sober and left cratching my head on that one! I am back in Vegas in a couple of weeks and see absolutely no reason to go back to Ellis Island. I will try and find another place instead. Any suggestions? Hope this review helps a few people.

Comments (1)

poohpoohlala40 - 08/19/09
I AGREE WITH YOU 100,000%!! ALL THEY CARE ABOUT ARE THIER EMPLOYEES AND NOT ABOUT THE HIGH PAYING CUSTOMERS THAT HAVE BEEN GOING THERE FOR 10,12,14, EVEN 17 YEARS.TRUST ME I KNOW!! I USE TO BE 1 OF THOSE LOCAL PPL WHO USE TO GO THERE. AND I TELL YOU IM A BEAUTIFUL BLACK WOMAN WHO CAN STAY AT HOME AND COOK BETTER THAN THAT.AND OPEN MY OWN KARAOKE BAR!!!!

My husband & I went to the restaurant last week. The food was excellent & the service was the best we had in Las Vegas...EVER! I found the restaurant on Trip Advisor & it got good reviews. We were NOT dissappointed in the least.

My husband got the steak dinner special & I got the burger. The steak diner was $7.99 if I remember correctly. The dinner salad that was included with DH's meal was so large it took BOTH of us to finish it.

Our server was named Ian. He freaking ROCKED the service & really deserved his tip.

We will definately make this a regular place to eat on our future trips to Las Vegas.

WILL NEVER...EVER GO TO ELLIS ISLAND !
THEIR MALE....FAGIT FOR SURE BARTENDER.....
TONY IS A NOT ONLY A BIG ASS HOLE, BUT A RUDE ARROGANT
BUTT HOLE ! NEXT TIME I GO THERE, I WILL DEFINITELY CAUSE A STIR,
AND IF NEED BE, CREATE A HUGE SCENE IN ORDER TO LET THE REGULAR
PATRONS KNOW. BESIDES.....THEIR FOOD SUCKS.
I HAVE ALSO BEEN TOLD BY THEIR SECURITY STAFF, THAT THEIR KITCHEN
IS SIMPLY A HEALTH HAZARD....DISGUSTING TO PUT SIMPLY !
I WILL TELL MANY, MANY, MANY PEOPLE TO WRITE NEGATIVE REVIEWS
ON THIS ONCE FUN...BUT NOW ARM PIT OF VEGAS UNLESS CHANGES ARE MADE
VERY, VERY SOON ! I WARNED YOU....AND I'M NOW PROVING IT !
I WAS TOLD BY THEIR BARTENDER TONY THE LAST TIME I WAS THERE...
THAT HE HOPES HE NEVER SEE'S US AGAIN...MEANING ME AND MY FRIENDS DESPITE RUNNING A $ 60 - $ 70 TAB AND TIPPING THE DUMB ASS $ 10!
I WILL NOT REST !!