The Steakhouse at Circus Circus

01/13/2008 Posted by coloradotodd

The Steakhouse at Circus Circus was very crowded when I dined there on 12/27/07. In spite of it being just after Christmas, Las Vegas was very crowded this year, and Circus Circus was filled with families, which means lots and lots of children running around. This is (or should be) atypical from what you expect to see in Vegas, but it seems like too many people still buy in to the failed "family friendly" Vegas ad campaign of years past. Regardless, The Steakhouse couldnt give me a dinner reservation until 9:30 p.m., but they did seat me promptly then, and the place was packed until we left. Its decor, which includes dark wood and dark green walls, tries to give the impression of an old school steakhouse, but I found it dated and in great need of a makeover. That is probably the snob in me talking, who prefers the dark wood decor at Smith & Wollensky or Del Frisco's much better. Frankly, for its audience, many of whom are probably guests at Circus Circus Hotel and Casino, the decor is more than acceptable. The menu at The Steakhouse is traditional, with soup and/or salads, basic cuts of beef, and several dessert selections. My two guests and I all opted for steak entrees, choosing the porterhouse, the filet and the ribeye. None of them were properly cooked - two were underdone and one was overdone. A complaint to the waiter resulted in him removing one of the entrees from our bill. Even if they had been cooked correctly, they still only tasted fair. Our salads were plentiful in quantity, but the blue cheese dressing tasted heavy on the mayo, resulting in one of my guests getting sick at 4 a.m. The desserts were both hearty and tasty, and you would be safe to try anything chocolate. For the price, The Steakhouse is a good value, as any other traditional steakhouse in Las Vegas will be more expensive. But if you are wanting really high quality food, or not wanting to have to walk through a busy playground to get to your restaurant, go somewhere else.

Pros: good value for families or those without high end tastes for steakhouses

Cons: average food quality, lots of kids to get through to get there

11/23/2007 Posted by chabes

The service here is very good and very welcoming, my partner and I shared the king crab legs as a starter, and they were nothing short of fantastic. We both had steaks and both felt the steaks were a little *too* smokey, we ordered them on the rare side of medium rare. They were a little too charcoal on the outside but the center of the steak was cooked to perfection.. possibly they are cooking the steak too hot and fast to get such a charred outside. It could have been better, but overall the night was good. A little on the expensive side..

Pros: Crab legs and service

Cons: Price

11/08/2007 Posted by lkoesterer

I've been to The Steakhouse at Circus Circus at least three times while visiting Las Vegas over the past 10 years. Each time has been excellent. I've gone with large groups (more than 10) and a smaller group. It was an unexpected dark, quiet oasis amidst the flash and noise of the casino. The food was excellent, the ambience was great, the service outstanding. I'm planning to go back when I'm in Las Vegas again.

Pros: Great food, great ambiance

Cons: It's in Circus Circus

10/20/2007 Posted by habitez

We ordered the crab legs for an appetizer and although they were good they were not any better that the Wynns Buffet ones. My significant other got the porterhouse (which is their specialty and recommended by us) medium-rare and was very happy with it. It is your basic steak- no intricate flavor- you are paying and receiving the meat. It wasn't super soft, but it was a formidable steak. I ordered the filet mignon medium-rare which is what I always order. My steak was short of terrible. I've had better steaks at Outback. However, I really thought it was a cooking error so I told the waiter. My steak was charcoaled where it tasted like I was eating just burnt meat straight of a someone's backyard grill and was pretty tough for a filet mignon. Waiter told me this is just the way a wood burning grill tastes. I told him that my SO's had the grill lines he was speaking of and that it didn't taste like charcoal. He then pushed a prime rib on me- seriously, asked me what I would want then he suggested a prime rib and I was unsure and he went off to go get it for me in less than 3 minutes. Now, I wouldn't have had a problem with it if he thought it really was a good choice considering my tastes. But, if someone likes the lean-ness of a filet mignon I don't understand how you can suggest the prime rib. It was alright, but, it was nowhere near the top 10 or 20 steaks Ive had. I didn't say anything again because I didn't want to make a fuss. We had the porterhouse, prime rib, Alaskan crab legs, 2 soft drinks, no dessert- after tip it was $135. My overall opinion for me is that this is a do-not-return. However, it is still a great value for steak on the strip. I suggest you stick to something fattier for the taste and to withstand the wood burning grill. If this is something like a magical 25 yr anniversary and you are into the whole experience then I suggest you try somewhere "nicer".

Pros: porterhouse, dark ambience, service was attentive

Cons: kind of a boring steak

09/28/2007 Posted by desertbarb

We should have trusted our instincts....and ran out the door!!! I don't know how in the world they got voted Best....worst steak ever. Tough tough tough....and COLD!!! Felt stupid leaving a tip. Do yourself a huge favor....pay more and go somewhere else. Food especially the steak was horrible and cold. We get a better steak at sizzler....NO KIDDING. And I felt responsible because I told everyone that it was rated very high. Needless to say....my husband was VERY UNHAPPY! Do yourself a huge favor..........CANCEL YOUR RESERVATION. ONLY GOOD THING WAS THE HUGE COSMOPOLITAN IN THE BAR... DRINKS WERE GENEROUS. THAT IS TRUTHFULLY THE ONLY NICE THING WE CAN SAY ABOUT THIS SO CALLED "STEAK-HOUSE". horrible horrible horrible. I CAN ONLY HOPE IT WAS AN OFF NIGHT. CUZ IT WAS A REALLY BAD STEAK. MY HUSBAND HAD A HUGE SLAB OF TOUGH RIB EYE (IS THAT POSSIBLE??) AN D I OPTED FOR A SMALL FILET THAT SEEMED BURNT ON THE OUTSIDE AND COMPLETELY RAW ON THE INSIDE. NOT RARE....RAW. AND COLD. GROSS. WAITER WAS NEVER AROUND. SAT OUT WINE AT A TABLE NEXT TO US TO KEEP IT OUT OF THE ISLE, SO OUR GLASSES WERE NOT KEPT FILLED. DESERT AFTER THE DINNER WAS NOT AN OPTION. WE GOT THE HECK OUT OF THERE. ICK!

Pros: BAR DRINKS

Cons: HORRIBLE STEAKS

09/23/2007 Posted by rbadan

My 16 year old son commented that this restaurant looked like a set from the movie "Goodfellas" with its 1970's ambience. But the surroundings take a back seat to the excellent, tender, flavorful steaks served in this oasis within the Circus Circus Hotel/Casino. The accompaniments are fine, nothing special, but the steaks were worth the trip. All five people in our party ordered the small filet mignon. Prices were not bad for Vegas, about $40 pp, excluding liquor.

Pros: Great steaks.

Cons: None.

09/12/2007 Posted by chefcho008

This place is a great deal, especially by Vegas standards. Forty dollars will get you a full meal-- bread, soup or salad, and steak with sides (carrots and baked potato in my case). The salads were actually very good. My only complaint was about the steak itself-- it was overly charred, making the outsides black and bitter (the grill guy needs to control his flames better) and it WASN'T SEASONED!!! Food needs salt!!! If the grill guy only used salt and controlled his flames, the meal would've been a perfect steakhouse meal.

Pros: classic steakhouse ambience, great deal

Cons: overcharred and underseasoned steaks!

08/14/2007 Posted by hurricane_hannah

After talking about going to The Steakhouse in Circus Circus Casino during our last 4 years of visits to Las Vegas we finally went in July 2007. We found the food to be excellent along with the service. The only glitch was that both of our Petit Filets came out medium well to well done when they were ordered medium. Not tough by any means but not medium as ordered. I would order medium rare next time. The lobster tail was outstanding. Overall it was a bit pricier than we expected but still worth the cost. The one drawback to the restaurant is having to run the gauntlet through the Circus Circus Casino to get to the restaurant. They need a secluded entrance to avoid the masses in the casino. Otherwise, would definitely recommend The Steakhouse and would return when in Las Vegas.

Pros: Great food and service!

Cons: Running the Circus Circus Casino Gauntlet!

05/31/2007 Posted by dabbler_mn

I've eaten at The Steakhouse every year, on my annual trip with friends to Vegas, for the past four or so years. I chose to eat there the first year based on various reviews and recommendations, and it was a *fantastic* steak -- so good that I couldn't imagine passing it up to try another steakhouse. Unfortunately, at our dinner this year, I ordered the same thing I always do (the ribeye), but it didn't hold a candle to the ribeyes I've had at The Steakhouse in the past. Previous steaks were immense, flavorful, juicy, and prepared exactly right -- I order medium rare. This year's steak was overdone: not quite well-done, but much farther from rare than "medium-rare" should allow. It wasn't as flavorful, wasn't juicy, and was noticeably smaller than ribeyes from previous years. The salad, breads, vegetables, and so forth were every bit as good as before, but...it's "The *Steakhouse*," not "The Salad And Side House." One expects Steak. I am disheartened. I won't be able to spend the time between this most recent trip and my next trip remembering the delicious, delightful slab of meat I had remembered from previous years, and looking forward to my next visit to The Steakhouse. Instead, I'll have to scour the 'net for reviews and trip reports, hoping to find my lost ribeye paradise. Any suggestions?

Pros: Outstanding service. Old-school steakhouse ambience. Good salads, sides. Passable steak.

Cons: Not the great steak it used to have. Somewhat pricey (not terrible for a Vegas steakhouse, but not cheap).

02/21/2007 Posted by thegorgeouz

We went to The Steakhouse at Circus Circus for brunch after comparing all the reviews on different website and we were glad we made the right choice. The food is great and the service is outstanding. We knew it's a Champange Brunch but we didn't know the Champagne is unlimited!! and our server pours us glass after glass after glass of Champagne and it's good. What we also didn't know, is besides the buffet items you get to choose one entree from 6 or 7 options. I had Filet Mignon and my friend had Lamb Chop and they were both nicely done. The portion is not exaclty an entree portion, but hey, with all those buffet items such as Oyester, Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail, Roasted Beef, Sashimi and the regular breakfast choices, you would appreciate the appetizer-size of the main dish. The Steakhouse Sunday Brunch is definitley worth the cab ride from main strip.

Pros: Good food, Good price, Good service

Cons: a bit far from the strip.