I've been a fan of Roadfood.com since hearing the Sterns on Rick Steves' travel radio show. I've eaten at a few of the "local" restaurant suggestions, but this is my first review.
I recently traveled to Las Vegas (October 21-24, 2011) and most of my dining experiences were at the hotel buffets. I had my three trusty Roadfood recommendations for Las Vegas with me and convinced my friend to stop at Hash House on our way out of town on Monday morning. We were amply rewarded for our efforts!
Hash House is located in one of the 8,462 mini-malls that cover the desert sands when one ventures off the "Strip." The place is an absolutely charming "mom and pop" restaurant but, in this case, it's a "mom" restaurant run by Mary. She came in while we were eating and was very friendly.
Now I want to be certain that readers don't confuse this place with another similarly named place, "Hash House A-Go-Go," a branch of which is nearby on West Sahara Boulevard. I can make no claims about that place, but for a brief moment when passing by I thought that maybe Hash House had relocated (since the reviews are from 2008). But Hash House is where Roadfood said it was, on South Decatur Boulevard.
We pulled up at about 10 AM, long after the breakfast crowd, no doubt, and the place was quiet, with only a handful of customers (Hours: 6AM - 2PM). The decor is very homey and, this being Las Vegas, there are the requisite pictures of Mary and Elvis on the walls. There are also some interesting family pictures as well. The waitress was very attentive and friendly and started us with fresh mismatched mugs of coffee. This gave me the feel of being a "local."
We asked all of the "first-timer" questions and both decided on the Super Hash, a mixture of the four different meats: corned beef, roast beef, ham, and chicken. This is nicely grilled with potatoes, onions, and bell peppers, crisp on the outside and moist on the inside. I chose my eggs over easy to allow the yolks to seep into the hash, and had the hash browns on the side.
I had read other reviews about the selection of jellies, so I decided to try some of the more exotic varieties. I spread the prickly pear and sangria jellies on thick slabs of sourdough toast. They were both great, and the next time I go, I'll try two others. Everything was delicious!
The portions were very large and the price was extremely reasonable. Service was excellent and, after spending a weekend in Las Vegas, where we tipped extravagantly for mediocre service, it was a pleasure to leave a generous tip to someone who truly took care of her customers as if she had invited friends into her home.
Hash House was a wonderful "local" experience in a town built on sand and mirages and I heartily recommend this place to readers who find themselves in Las Vegas and want more than just a hotel experience.
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Homemade Jams and Jellies
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Super Hash
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Hashbrowns
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Sure, there are lots of upscale eateries in Vegas, and my itinerary this week has plenty of those, but I wanted a Roadfood-sanctioned eatery to balance both the stomach and the wallet, and Hash House was the perfect place.
We got there at 9:15 AM, and evidence of the breakfast rush was everywhere: unbussed tables throughout the place and a very harried waitress who appeared to be running the entire restaurant alone. She was gracious and competent, and somehow got our meals to us in a timely fashion, remembered to refill coffee and water, and showed us the delights of their homemade jams and jellies, all the while managing to serve everyone else and bus the tables!
Food was as described: delicious and plenty of it! I had the Party Hash and grits, which was heaven on a plate. This is a combination of all the hashes into one super hash, and there was evidence of roast beef, corned beef, and chicken. Fried crispy, the way I like it, it reminded me of the hash my father used to make.
Hollie had the sausage patty and poached eggs, and the sausage was homemade, robust, and well-seasoned with a hint of fennel, and the hash browns were buttery and crisp. The homemade jams were super and really special with a sugar-free berry jam the waitress brought over just for me, and we were charmed by the presentation style! The toast they went on was great; hearty pieces of sourdough for Hollie and rye for me.
We loved the grits and poached eggs served in teacups, the coffee was better than average, and the decor of the place was utterly charming without being so folksy you could die. I even bought a t-shirt.
I am so glad we went here!
Overall Rating
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