Best Restaurants in Las Vegas – Off the Beaten Path

Everyone knows about the best fine dining options in the resort hotels and casinos on the Las Vegas Strip. But, what about off the strip in Las Vegas? What are the best restaurants off the beaten path in Las Vegas? Well, I have my personal favorites, after exploring around town as a college student for the past few years.  So, I compiled this list of my four favorite off the strip restaurants.

Importantly, my criteria for this review are not the typical – like whether the dishes are original or haute cuisine. Rather these are restaurants that are fun, have good food quality, friendly service, and are affordable for someone on a budget like a college student! Here are reviews of my four favorites, and some of their good dishes to order.

#4 Best Off-Strip Restaurant: Lazy Dog

Lazy Dog is a dog friendly restaurant in the Town Square district. It was so cool seeing all the dogs walk in. I tried this place with with a close friend, and we both loved it. Something I like is that they have a huge menu with different types of food. I also appreciated how creative they get with their dishes, and the huge portions. The only downside is that they are located right next to the Las Vegas airport, so if you choose one of the outdoors tables, it can get some loud noise from the plaines.

What to Order

Queso dip

I was super impressed the first time I tried this. It had so much flavor. It also had beans in it which I had never heard of putting in a queso before.

Chocolate Brownie

This was probably my favorite thing I ordered when we went. The brownie was super warm and paired well with the ice cream. It also was not too chocolaty.

#3 Best Off-Strip Restaurant: Bahama Breeze

Bahama Breeze is a Caribbean themed restaurant chain. The inside of the restaurant is decorated very tropical.  I loved how the decorations matched the food. Also a lot of the menu items are things I had never tried before.

What to Order:

Virgin Bahamarita®

I prefer virgin over regular drinks, especially if I’m going to classes or running around afterward. Bahama Breeze has quite a few virgin drinks but this one is my favorite. There are three ice flavors: mango, kiwi, and strawberry layered on top of each other. They mix together really well to make a refreshing and tropical drink.

Chicken Tostones

This is technically an appetizer, but I ordered it as a main dish because it was a huge portion. It was nachos but with plantains instead of chips. I love plantains so I enjoyed it a lot.

#2 Best Off-Strip Restaurant: Brio Italian Grill

Brio Italian Grill is a more upscale Italian restaurant in Town Square. This is a Florida restaurant chain that expanded west, and is their only place in Las Vegas. It has a lot of traditional Italian dishes well prepared.

What to Order

Virgin Peach Bellini

This is a frozen peach drink. It is super refreshing and perfect for summer, and has to be one of my favorite cocktails (mocktail versoin). My friend also tried a sip and loved it so much she ordered one for herself.

Bruschetta Flight

This is my favorite thing I ordered. It has three different flavors: roasted red peppers, Ricotta and roasted tomato, and steak. My favorite was steak, but I liked all of them.

Update: I visited Brio again recently, and still loved it. The one comment I received is that it was very noisy at times. That created an energetic vibe in the restaurant, but also can make it hard to hear sometimes. The Margherita Flatbread with chicken added, was great!

#1 Best Off-Strip Restaurant in Las Vegas: Café Zupas

Café Zupas is similar to Panera in some ways. It has super good sandwiches and soups. It is an inexpressive place to get amazing food. You can also mix and match half-size dishes. I like to do that, as it gives greater variety. All the meals I have ordered came with a chocolate covered strawberry – a nice sweet touch!

What to Order

½ Mango Berry Salad

This is the perfect summer salad. The cinnamon almonds were super good. I also loved the mango yogurt dressing.

½ Ultimate Grilled Cheese

This is my favorite dish at Café Zupas. I love the pesto on the grilled cheese.