edit

5 Great Las Vegas Restaurants Near the Rio

So you're at the Rio, and you've been playing poker all day long. You don't feel like driving long distances; ideally, you want a place you can walk to. Because after being cooped up in the casino all day, fresh air feels vital and important to your well-being.

We're here to help with a list of 5 great restaurants near the Rio

100℃ (Distance: 2.4 miles/5600 Spring Mountain Rd, Unit B)

If you're a fan of hotpot-style restaurants, this is about as good as it gets in Las Vegas. Located just off Spring Mountain (a 6 minute drive or a brisk 50 minute walk), 100℃ delivers delicious and spicy broth and a wide selection of meats and vegetables. I'm a huge fan of their various Chinese soups, too.

Krung Thai (Distance: 1.2 miles/4130 S. Decatur Blvd)

Krung Thai delivers excellent Thai food at a good price, but the atmosphere is what pulls you to this tiny restaurant just up the road from the Rio. And by "atmosphere," of course, we mean the full-fledged karoake setup. If you're truly lucky, the owner of the joint will get up and start rocking solo karaoke sessions. You haven't lived until you've heard a Thai man cover Michael Bolton tunes in perfect, accent-free English.

N9NE Steakhouse (0.5 miles/4321 W Flamingo Rd)

Located inside the Palms (just across the street from the Rio), N9NE Steakhouse is the absolute best steak you'll find within a short walking distance of the Rio. The surf and turf is excellent, too. But trust me on this: if you end up at N9NE, go for the lobster mashed potatoes. They might just change your life, if you have any soul at all.

Village Seafood Buffet (Inside the Rio)

In 2006, I took my first-ever trip to Vegas, and I stayed at the Rio. On my first night there, I won $7,000 on a slot machine and thought to myself, man, Vegas is the best place ever and they're just giving me free money.

The second part of that sentence obviously wasn't true, because Vegas has taken far more from me since that night than it has given. But on that night, I rounded up my friends and decided to pay for all of us to go to the Village Seafood Buffet. It was $60 a person and well worth every penny, because you can get pretty much every kind of seafood you can imagine. Lobster? Crab? All of it is available, and in great quality and quantities.

Alize (0.5 miles/4321 W Flamingo Rd)

Be forewarned that this French restaurant atop the Palms is not cheap, but it is good, and the views of the strip and the mountains surrounding Las Vegas are sublime. The service here is nearly unapproachable in its excellence, and the food is one of the most memorable and best meals I've ever had.

What do you think?