Cafe' at Harrah's - restaurant review

Harrah's Garden Cafe' was renamed the Cafe' at Harrah's after a complete renovation in 2008. Open 24 hours a day, the Cafe' offers breakfast, lunch, dinner, and late-night dining selections in a quiet, casual atmosphere.

The Cafe' is situated in the middle of Harrah's Hotel and Casino, and all of the main walkways will lead you past the entrance. You would think that the location would cause the Cafe' to be noisy, but it isn't. Like most HET properties' eateries, a separate Platinum/Diamond/7-Star entrance line is available for immediate seating, which leaves us lowly Gold members and the general public to wait together in a separate line. Still, I've never had to wait for more than 10 minutes to be seated, even when the Cafe' was crowded.

For a casual, quick dining experience, you can't go wrong with the selections here. I've eaten here on many occasions, and I've been happy with my meals every time.

In addition to the meals, a Keno runner is available to take your keno bets on a regular basis. One of my favorite Vegas things is sitting down to a relaxing breakfast and enjoying the company of my travel companions while playing keno and planning out our day.

At breakfast, you can choose something unusual, like the Biscuit and Sausage Benedict. I had this during my March 2009 trip, and it was enough for two people. Instead of eggs and an English muffin topped with Hollandaise sauce, two biscuits and eggs are smothered in sausage gravy. Delicious, but I could've shared it with someone and still had plenty to eat as leftovers. They do offer a traditional Eggs Benedict for purists, so don't despair.

Something that I would highly suggest if you love Bananas Foster - the Bananas Foster Pancakes! They make a traditional Bananas Foster topping with spiced rum and pour it over a full stack of pancakes and top it all off with whipped cream. I would also suggest sharing this with someone, because it is HUGE...and delicious.

For a different kind of lunch, I've had their Loaded Potato Skins, which is actually on the appetizers list but is definitely a full meal if you're craving baked potatoes. Something else I love for lunch is their New England Clam Chowder - an edible bread "bowl" filled with deliciously chunky chowder that is yummy and filling.

When I've wanted something a little lighter, the Crab and Lobster Salad is a good lunch option. Served with a lemony vinaigrette dressing, it's great for a hot day. In fact, every salad I've tried has always been fresh and very tasty, so I wouldn't put any of them off of my list. The same goes for their burgers; I've often ordered a salad and had my dining companion order a burger so that we could split them between us because of the size of the orders - and the huge amount of fries that come with the burgers.

I'd like to say that I would split a Club Sandwich and fries with someone if they wanted me to, but I'm not sure I would. Following the theme for all their offerings, the Club Sandwich seems to be extra-large, and they are served with fries or chips. This sandwich has always been fresh, crisp, and delicious, and I become very possessive and don't want to share once I get to the Cafe' and get ready to place my order. And if you serve me a sandwich with half of a Claussen pickle, you can bet I'm not sharing that, either.

Dinner finds me repeatedly ordering the Open-faced Turkey Sandwich if I don't go back to my lunchtime favorites, as I find that the dinner offerings are a little too pricey for my tastes. Still, they offer steaks, chicken, pizza, and even a surf and turf special for those who'd like to try something a little more "dinner-like".

When I come back to Harrah's after a long day on the Strip, I'm usually starved! I'm so happy they also offer a late night menu with some of my favorites on it from the day menu: the clam chowder, loaded potato skins, and the club sandwich are all available from 1 a.m. until 6 a.m. In addition, they offer a steak and eggs special that is really good and a reasonable price.

Out of all my visits to the Cafe', I've only once encountered a waiter who seemed to be a little on the snotty side. Of course, I didn't say anything to him while I was dining, but I made sure that his service was reflected in the tip I left, and I also made sure that the hostess was aware of our displeasure with his surly attitude.

I've always had really good meals at the Cafe' at Harrah's, and I plan on visiting again and again. The good food, great portions, reasonable prices and nice staff are great reasons to visit.

On a scale of 1 to 10, I give the Cafe' at Harrah's an 8 across the board.