​Grimaldi’s Pizzeria has served up New York slices since 1990, where it opened its first location under the Brooklyn Bridge. Their technique goes much further back, however, utilizing coal-fired brick ovens that encompass more than a century of pizza-making. Now, with nearly 50 properties across the US and several international projects in the making, Grimaldi’s has proven its ability to scale classic production while retaining a heartwarming vibe.

The menu is somewhat of a rarity to the typical west-coaster: a full-service restaurant that’s almost entirely focused on pizza and salad. Read: no pasta, no chicken wings, no oversize meatballs or other usual suspects you’d typically find at a family-style Italian joint. What this means is an In-n-Out kind of focus—limited menu, but each item is done very well. What this also means is that the kitchen doesn’t even have a stove. Those old-fashioned brick ovens are the lifeblood of the fishbowl-style kitchen, going through more than 200lbs of coal a day.

The finished product is a classic New York-style crust, thin and crispy on the outside with an earthy element delivered from those coal ovens. And with a strong lineup of specialty pizzas and toppings for build-your-own creations, the choices are hardly limited. Corporate Executive Chef Cory Lattuca, a 15-year Grimaldi’s veteran, consistently churns out seasonal items to make  the menu pop even further. Buffalo chicken pizza, anyone?
Lattuca takes Grimaldi’s a step further with sweets and drinks. Somehow those ovens are rigged to make some mean cannoli and New York cheesecake [Oreo and sugar cookie crust?!?]. Add a strong lineup of beers, housemade cocktails and—of course—wines. Fun fact: Grimaldi’s makes its own house wine in Italy.

Grimaldi’s has multiple locations nationwide. Hours can vary but hover around 11a – 10p Sun – Thu and 11a – 11pm Fri/Sat. Avg. Out-the-door price for split salad, split pizza and 1 – 2 drinks is ~ $30/person. For more information, visit GrimaldisPizzeria.com

Slice of Vegas has called The Shoppes at Mandalay Place home for more than six years, joining the ranks of its wildly successful neighbors along the stretch of casual eateries within. Part pizza joint and part sports bar, Slice of Vegas is the friendly neighborhood destination you never knew existed on the Strip; a safe have of sorts to eat pizza, drink beer and watch sports in a homey environment that doesn’t break the bank.
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While finding a quality low-cost meal on Los Vegas Boulevard can be a challenge, Slice of Vegas saves the day with surprisingly affordable pizzas and other American-Italian menu options. Pizzas that feed two hover around $15-20 and include toppings spanning from your basics, like pepperoni and sausage, to the more exotic, such as three-meat meatballs and truffle oil. With both featured specialty pizzas and build-your-own options, Slice of Vegas is sure to cook up a pie for just about anyone.

Non-pizza lovers will still find themselves at home with a list of salads, pastas and other entrees to choose from. Vegans will be equally pleased, as Slice of Vegas has gone to great lengths to develop an extensive plant-based menu.

And what would a Las Vegas pizza place be without an extensive drink lineup? Slice of Vegas features a rotating draft beer list, which highlights craft brews local to Las Vegas as well as favorites from across the country. The bottled selection rounds out strong coverage across lagers, pilsners, IPAs, ciders and just about everything else that pairs perfectly with whatever sports might be showing on the many TVs throughout the restaurant.

In the mood for something sweet? The skillet cookie and its mound of vanilla ice cream on top melds hot and cold with a chocolatey, brown butter taste that will put a smile on your face.
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Slice of Vegas is located at The Shoppes at Mandalay Place, 3930 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89119, near Ri Ra and Burger Bar. Open 11a – 11p Sun – Thu, 11a – midnight Fri - Sat. Average out-the-door price for split appetizer, split pizza, and 1-2 drinks is ~$32/person. For more information call (702) 632-6470 or visit SliceOfVegasPizza.com. ​​

Slater’s 50/50 is Las Vegas’s hottest burger spot, and one of the best things to hit the local dining scene since sliced bacon. Starting out as a backyard barbecue experiment, Slater’s 50/50 and its signature half beef-half bacon burger patties have taken off like wildfire across Southern California and finally jumped the border to Las Vegas, finding its first home in Silverado Ranch.

​Eye-catching burger compilations, a seemingly endless draft beer lineup and some of the most Instagram-friendly milkshakes you’ve ever seen highlight the menu, but it’s the all-encompassing ambiance and neighborhood-friendly price point that has allowed Slater’s 50/50 to build a cult-like following in such a short time. f

​The menu presents a variety of burgers and other American classics so intriguing that it warrants multiple repeat visits. Everything from the B’B’B’ burger, with bacon infused cheese and bacon dressing, to the hi-brow burger, essentially a steakhouse between two buns, to the ever-illustrious PB & jellousy—literally peanut butter and jelly on a burger a la mode—reinvents the American staple. Bacon mac and cheese balls and the pork-a-palooza bacon flight are just two more of Slater’s 50/50’s renditions on carnivorous indulgence.

If there’s anything that pairs with a good burger, it’s a good beer. Slaters 50/50 features 50 of them on draft. These, in turn, pair well with the multitude of TV’s that line the walls, broadcasting any sporting event going on in the moment. In addition is an inventive cocktail menu that serves as a breath of fresh air from the over complicated, undersized libations that are taking over the modern bar scene.

Milkshakes are a must-do at some point during the experience. If it is sweet and delicious, you’ll find it in one of Slaters 50/50’s works of art. The happy happy birthday shake, for example, features a funfetti shake garnished with sour tape, a cupcake and a whole twinkie, finished with sparklers to put on a small firework show prior to the main event.
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Slaters 50/50 is located at 467 E Silverado Ranch Blvd #100, Las Vegas, NV 89183. Open 11a – 10p Mon – Thu, 11a – midnight Fri, 9a – midnight Sat, 9a – 10p Sun. Average out-the-door price for split appetizer, entree, split dessert and 1-2 drinks is ~$45/person. For more information call (702) 766-5050 or visit Slater's 50/50 here.