Review: Village Pub at Ellis Island Casino

Ever had a steak as hard as a hockey puck?

Last night, I went to dinner with Dan Kingerski, Editor-in-Chief of National Hockey Now. He’s an NHL aficionado visiting from Pittsburgh and is here covering the Stanley Cup Final. He just flew in from Miami after seeing Games 3-4 in Florida.

On the eve of Game 5 (tonight), we opted for simplicity and convenience over elegance and ended up at Ellis Island Casino. Years ago, the coffee shop at Ellis Island offered a steak special that was one of the best deals in town. For just $5, you got a tender juicy filet, hot baked potato, fresh salad, baked rolls, and a drink. It was a steal! Think of the old Binion’s Horseshoe $1.99 graveyard special (remember that deal?). Yes, it was THAT good.

Well, the price gradually increased over the years, which is to be expected. When Marieta and I moved here (2002), we went a few times, and it was $7, then $9, but the meals were still pretty good. Later, we found out Village Pub (a chain) had taken over the place, and extended the steak special to ALL of its Las Vegas locations. The last time I went to one was at Desert Shores about three years ago and it was $11.95. It seemed to slip in quality, but I attributed this to simply having very high expectations about how great this deal used to be, years earlier.

So, last night Dan and I were at Village Pub at Ellis Island, and — you guessed it — we ordered the steak special. It was $15.95 each (with a $3 discount if you have a players’ card).

The meal arrived and it was dreadful. Maybe the worst steak I’ve ever had, aside from the truckstop Stuckey’s on I-70 on the Illinois-Indiana border in 1999. The potato was overcooked, and lukewarm. The steak, shaped and the size of a hockey puck, also tasted like one. The steak was HORRIFIC. Dan and I debated whether or not to say anything, and decided this was worth a mention. The waitress babbled something about it being “slightly overcooked,” with no offer to fix or replace it. Dan apologized for what he was about to do, and reached for a bottle of A1 sauce. I like A1, so there was no reason to apologize, but then I told him if he pours ketchup over the steak, I’m vowing not to know him.

Both steaks went barely eaten. Same with the lifeless baked potato, begging the question–how do they possibly screw up a baked potato? The green beans were pretty good. The side vegetable was fresh-snapped green beans, buttery and delicious. I scarfed down the green beans. I liked the green beans the best, but it’s hard to tell if that’s an accurate assessment since the rest of the meal was so dismal. I’ll have to give this more thought before reaching a final conclusion.

We paid the bill and left. Hungry. I joked, “wanna’ stop at In-and-Out Burger?”

Last night’s Village Pub experience was an abysmal decline for one of the top food deals in Las Vegas. It’s really sad, because these specials have become so rare now, and I’d like to support the place and give them props. But Village Pub/Ellis Island was a disaster. I give this place a ZERO.  Okay, check that. I give it a “1” for the green beans.