Find your newest lowkey hang out!

My favorite dining experiences are the tiny hole in the wall places. Non-descript locations with fantastic food at affordable prices. There’s something comforting about stopping by a small local business and just enjoying food straight from the heart. It feels as if you’ve been invited into a small piece of someone’s world and experience. Lately, I’ve been craving the intimacy of small restaurants and genuine conversation with business owners and cooks. Despite living in the entertainment capital of the world with renowned chefs and restaurants, there’s something that draws me into unassuming, unpretentious restaurants in older parts of town. It’s authentic.  Here’s a list of my recent favorite places to eat for cheap meals with real food and people.

VeggiEAT Xpress – Located in the 99 ranch market off of Maryland Parkway. The food is prepared fresh with large portion sizes and a variety of Asian fare. Stop by the French/Asian fusion bakery as well for cheap treats to satisfy any sweet tooth.

Fat Boy Burgers – They offer everything from hamburgers, to pizza, to cheesesteak. This place is a must try for delicious food if you’re ballin' on a budget.

Narong’s Thai Kitchen – Narong’s is easy to miss and hard to find parking. Don’t let that deter you from trying them out. It’s a clean little Thai restaurant with friendly staff; it’s never crowded and the lunch special is delicious and filling!

Pon Ocha Soup – This tiny restaurant offers a small buffet of high-quality Thai food. It hosts quite a few people from the military base and can get a tad crowded during lunch. The owners are absolutely sweet and love talking to their customers.

Lucy Ethiopian Restaurant & Bar – It’s a different dining experience, but an exciting change from a lot of the things offered in Vegas. The food is served on injera - sourdough risen flatbread and no utensil are offered (eating with your hand should be an option at all restaurants). The menu has lots of vegetarian options (highly recommend the vegetarian plate) and plenty of meaty options too.

Frijoles & Frescas Grilled Tacos – Frijoles & Frescas isn’t a completely obscure restaurant, but it’s never crowded and it serves fantastic food. The freshly made juices are great to wash down your elote!

Pancho’s Vegan Taco Truck – There’s a restaurant and it’s fantastic, but why go to a restaurant when there’s a taco truck. I promise you won’t miss the meat! J