Golden Gate review
Quote:Just about every casino downtown as what I call a "pleasure pit."
Looks like it should be "has."
Also, you say it has a "snack bar" then call it a "shrimp bar." One or the other should be changed so they match, it is a little confusing as-is.
"Towards the end they ..., and I quite ("quit", strike the "e")eating them. However, eventually they raised the price to $1.99, but also increased the size of the shrimp as well..."
DuPar's
"In my opinion, the quality of the food at DuPar's is about equally good to the old Bay City Diner."
I suggest that this be reworded to remove the, "about", "equally" or "good".
***************
I note that the House Edge is left off for the Blackjack rules described. I don't know that it makes a difference. Also the minimum on the Craps table was only $3 when I was there on a Saturday afternoon a few months ago. It would be nice to mention the current limit spread.
As for entertainment, the GGate also has a bar on Fremont serving Slurpee like drinks with alcohol, the bargirls dance on the bar from time to time. I personally wouldn't buy a drink from a bar that someone has been sitting on in a bikini bottom, or walking on with their boots, but to each their own.
Some good suggestions too.
Quote: EvenBobI was gonna say... All your other articles are usually
mistake free. The mistakes you have here are the
kind Nareed makes.
Fixed your post.
Quote: EvenBobI was gonna say... All your other articles are usually mistake free. The mistakes you have here are the kind I make when I'm tired. Or sick.
Usually I run anything I write through a proofreader before showing it a wide audience. However, I admit that could have cleaned that up a lot better on my own. Maybe I caught something at the gaming show because I'm feeling rather tired and loopy today, which I think is partially to blame.
-You say the TV is a cathode-ray tube, but the picture displays a flat screen LG.
-Not to be argumentative, but does it make a difference what the size of the shrimp are, as long as the net weight/volume is the same? You are getting the same amount of shrimp flesh. Do the bigger ones really taste any different? :)
-I miss the anecdotes ... unless, nothing really interesting happened during your stay. Also, I may have asked for a comp even playing two hands of $10, since I've heard they are pretty generous.
-Sloan valve and what looks like original tile in the bathrooms -- pretty cool!
Quote: teddys-You say the TV is a cathode-ray tube, but the picture displays a flat screen LG.
Dang, I missed that one. Good catch..
Quote: EvenBobDang, I missed that one. Good catch..
Sheesh! I don't know why I thought it was a cathode-ray. Probably because the cheap hotels tend to still have them, and it was a unit meant for one. It just goes to show how someone can recall something one way, and simply have it honestly wrong.
Quote: TeddysI miss the anecdotes ... unless, nothing really interesting happened during your stay. Also, I may have asked for a comp even playing two hands of $10, since I've heard they are pretty generous.
I started to write about one story, but it was running rather long, and I was concerned the reader would find it too trivial and boring. The kind of thing you had to be there for. Let me try here and see what you think.
As is common with me, I like to give the cocktail waitresses an extra trip if they answer a trivia question. To put them in a good mood and get things going, I always start with an easy one. In this case I asked "Who was Popeye's girlfriend?" The waitress, a nice lady of about 60, gets a huge smile and says "Olive oil of course?! Who doesn't know that?" To that I responded, I will bet you another dollar that the dealer doesn't know. The dealer never confirms the bet but said something like "Of course she'll know, everybody does, go ahead and ask her." So I asked the cute young Asian dealer in front of me. As I thought, she had no idea. In fact she had to ask who Popeye was. The cocktail waitress was beside herself that anyone could live in this country and not know about Popeye and Olive Oil.
She was going on about it so much that I didn't want the dealer to feel badly so I said to the waitress, "Okay, since you're so smart about Popeye, what was the baby's name?" She knew. Who liked hamburgers? She knew. Who was Popeye's enemy? There we got into the usual Bluto/Brutus confusion, but basically she knew. What was the name of Popeye's pet who could turn invisible? Dead silence. Not only did she not know, she had never even heard of said creature.
Then, the last thing happened I would have ever expected. The pretty well-endowed blonde at the next table overheard all this and chimed in for the first time, "Eugene the Jeep." She was absolutely right! Not only did I think nobody except me knew Popeye trivia that well, but I'm put in my place by about the last person I would expect. It just goes to show you never can tell. After that I tried to challenge her with some more questions but she would have none of it and gave me the cold shoulder.
So that is my Golden Gate anecdote; I hope it wasn't too boring.
Quote: WizardSheesh! I don't know why I thought it was a cathode-ray. Probably because the cheap hotels tend to still have them, and it was an a unit meant for one. It just goes to show how someone can recall something one way, and simply have it honestly wrong.
C'mon, thats funny. You saw one thing, even took a pic of it,
reported what you 'remembered', and posted the pic. It shows
why lawyers say eye witnesses are the worst witnesses of all.
We can convince ourselves of almost anything, its really kind
of scary.
would walk around selling rolls of coin
get a computer that highlights simple misspelling as you type. Mine does that but I don't know what it is you have to have exactly
I should know the name of the Popeye kid. I'm going to try to recall it without looking it up, that's going to be really bugging me today.
PS: just came to me. don't know how to spell it. Sweetpea or similar. Was always crawling across steel beams 30 floors up and stuff like that.
Quote: WizardAs is common with me, I like to give the cocktail waitresses an extra trip if they answer a trivia question. To put them in a good mood and get things going, I always start with an easy one. In this case I asked "Who was Popeye's girlfriend?" The waitress, a nice lady of about 60, gets a huge smile and says "Olive oil of course?! Who doesn't know that?" To that I responded, I will bet you another dollar that the dealer doesn't know. The dealer never confirms the bet but said something like "Of course she'll know, everybody does, go ahead and ask her." So I asked the cute young Asian dealer in front of me. As I thought, she had no idea. In fact she had to ask who Popeye was. The cocktail waitress was beside herself that anyone could live in this country and not know about Popeye and Olive Oil.
I think you may be dating yourself, me, the waitress, and 95% of the board. As much as I liked "Popeye" as a kid, I would bet the same $1 that if you asked 100 people under 30, and certainly under 25, they would miss most if not all of them. (For me I knew the dog eas "Jeep" but not the whole name, wonder if it was a WWII naming thing? And I don't know the baby's name I admit. What was it?) "Popeye" cartoons are not only old but they look older than they are. They have a very 1930s/40s feel, and the B&W of most does not draw the kids. Heck, I even remember one where some nazi comes out of a submarine and says, "Heil Hitler" right in the cartoon. As soon as he did, Popeye whalloped him. Doubt they would even run that one today.
Quote:So that is my Golden Gate anecdote; I hope it wasn't too boring.
Your anecdotes are never boring, they make the reviews more personal. Hope you are feeling better.
Quote: AZDuffman"Popeye" cartoons are not only old but they look older than they are. They have a very 1930s/40s feel
The old Popeye cartoons are very strange, and kind
of spooky. Whats with the vanishing kid. Whats even
weirder are the old Nancy comic books. Who came
up with that stuff..
Nancy scared the crap out of me in the '50's..
For anything involving a casino named GoldSomething I think there should be a short listing of them all. Just a one sentence as to what and where and when. Its too confusing without a scorecard.
For review purposes the questions about comps are simply too important so I would say even if you played for a lousy two hours, ask for something and find out what they say and what they do. That you didn't expect anything is fine, but if the manager comes out and laughs at you for wanting anything for your lousy two hours, that should be part of the review. Also if you play two hands for 10.00 each that is the equivalent of one hand for four hours. Now that is a decent session to earn some comps, like maybe a free peanut or something, I don't know. I just think you should ask and put the response in the review. It would be a hoot if the manager replied that for tormenting our poor waitress we are assessing you a ten dollar penalty or the waitresses voted you the most trivia aware tipper they've ever met.
I don't know if shrimp are plumped up chemically or not. I've heard they are but really don't know.
Its good to hear the three dollar minimum and 10x odds but even if you didn't play craps, surely you noted how many tables, how many were active, what was the crowd like, etc. Your experience there might not be a valid sample but even if it you went at an unusual time of day I would still discuss what it was like. Even if the tables were closed, you can say the layout was freshly pressed and lightly starched and the dice all looked happy together. I think its better to say something about your experience while there rather than just the 3.00; 10x that we can get from the craps summary page.
Quote: WizardAfter that I tried to challenge her with some more questions but she would have none of it and gave me the cold shoulder.
The waitress or the "pretty well-endowed blonde"?
I vote to add the anecdote. It personalizes the review.
Quote: kpThe waitress or the "pretty well-endowed blonde"?
I vote to add the anecdote. It personalizes the review.
The "pretty well-endowed blonde." Thanks for your support. I will add the anecdote.
Quote: teddys-Not to be argumentative, but does it make a difference what the size of the shrimp are, as long as the net weight/volume is the same? You are getting the same amount of shrimp flesh. Do the bigger ones really taste any different? :)!
Yes! The bigger the shrimp the better they taste. The tiny ones taste like pink goo but the big ones have a juicy living taste that I love. There is also more pleasure in the texture of the big ones.
Quote: konceptumAn off-the-topic-but-slightly-related question. Do you pay the models to appear in your photographs? I know some models will do such work for free, for greater exposure, but I was just curious.
Yes. I found out after the fact I significantly overpaid them, having no idea what was an appropriate wage for such work. I imagine that models would work for free in exchange for publicity, but they had no idea who I was nor my sites. Most of the model pictures were taken before the site launched. The models did not really seem to care what I was going to do with the pictures.
Quote: WizardYes. I found out after the fact I significantly overpaid them, having no idea what was an appropriate wage for such work. I imagine that models would work for free in exchange for publicity, but they had no idea who I was nor my sites. Most of the model pictures were taken before the site launched. The models did not really seem to care what I was going to do with the pictures.
There's always some models who will work pictures-for-time. You're likely to get less experienced models in such trades. That might not be a problem.
Quote: WizardYes! The bigger the shrimp the better they taste.
If it comes to that, I doubt any shrimp tastes well at all. But
Quote:The tiny ones taste like pink goo but the big ones have a juicy living taste that I love. There is also more pleasure in the texture of the big ones.
I am so not saying some things I learned about shrimp that people generally don't know.
Quote: kpThe waitress or the "pretty well-endowed blonde"?
Is that pretty and well endowed, or pretty well endowed?
Quote:I vote to add the anecdote. It personalizes the review.
I'm sorry but that amde me smile. The Wizard's style of review is unmistakable. So much so that other contributing reviews tot he site have copied it down to a T. The Wizard is so reliable that when I'm looking for specific info about a hotel, from whether it has a coffee maker to how the lines work, I search in this site first.
Quote: dlevinelawAgreed as to the texture of the big ones, but what on earth is a "juicy living" taste?
The Wiz feels the same way about the souls he buys.
Nareed, you reminded me of something I read just this past week about previous winners of the Bulwer-Lytton (bad) Writing Contest. If you are not familiar with that contest, here is the link to the web site. Quick explanation: Submit the worst possible opening sentence to a story. The title/contest is derived from Bulwer-Lytton's atrocious entry sentence, "It was a dark and stormy night...", which drones on.Quote: NareedI am so not saying some things I learned about shrimp that people generally don't know.
Anyway, the winning entry in 2004 was from a Dave Zobel and went like this:
Quote: Dave Zobel's 2004 contest entryShe resolved to end the love affair with Ramon tonight . . . summarily, like Martha Stewart ripping the sand vein out of a shrimp's tail . . . though the term "love affair" now struck her as a ridiculous euphemism . . . not unlike "sand vein," which is after all an intestine, not a vein . . . and that tarry substance inside certainly isn't sand . . . and that brought her back to Ramon.
It will, however, make me more apt to remove that sand vein!
Quote: dlevinelawAgreed as to the texture of the big ones, but what on earth is a "juicy living" taste?
When you bite into a really big shrimp the outside is more firm but the inside is sweeter and softer. It seems to gush in your mouth. Perhaps the process of boiling the shrimp to peel off the shell is more invasive on smaller shrimp, ruining the taste. The big ones seem to taste more raw.
Quote: NareedIs that pretty and well endowed, or pretty well endowed?
Yes. Pretty AND well endowed. Always a nice combination. I omitted the word pretty in the review.
Quote: DocNareed, you reminded me of something I read just this past week about previous winners of the Bulwer-Lytton (bad) Writing Contest.
I've heard of it. But don't you think that's an odd connection to make solely on the word "shrimp"?
Not as odd as the fact that people who work in the food industry remain capable of eating :P
Spell Check can't catch that one. Try "packed".
One small nitpick, as I recently was in Vegas and visited the Golden Gate to get the $1.99 cocktail.
Isn't the "shrimp bar" actually called "DuPar's Deli"? I recall seeing this on a large sign as you enter the 'cafeteria line' on the left where you grab a tray.
Quote: desertairIsn't the "shrimp bar" actually called "DuPar's Deli"? I recall seeing this on a large sign as you enter the 'cafeteria line' on the left where you grab a tray.
I think it goes by different names. I went with Shrimp Bar & Deli because that is what is on the folder they put my room key in.
Quote: WizardYes! The bigger the shrimp the better they taste. The tiny ones taste like pink goo but the big ones have a juicy living taste that I love. There is also more pleasure in the texture of the big ones.
I have to ask: does pink goo taste differntly from, say, red goo ? :)
Anwyay, all joking and teasing on shrimp aside, I had a thought:
Since people seem enamored of the quality 99 cent shrimp cocktail, and since the price is no longer sustainable, woulnd't it work better as a promotion? Suppose you got a small cocktail with big shrimp for 99 cents with the purchase of any entree. no one's nostalgic nor enamored of a particular priced burger or steak. So you coudl make up the price difference with the entrees and still boast about the 99 cent cocktail.
Of course, bought by itself it would cost $1.99, and the big one would be a whole different offering.
Quote: NareedI have to ask: does pink goo taste differntly from, say, red goo ? :)
Pink goo has more of a phony seafood taste. It is hard to tell the difference between the taste of tiny shrimp and the cheap pink salmon spread some people put on bagels, who are too cheap to buy lox, or at least a decent salmon-based cream crease, like the kind they have at the Bagel Cafe on Buffalo Blvd.. Red goo has more of a tomato taste.
Quote: NareedSince people seem enamored of the quality 99 cent shrimp cocktail, and since the price is no longer sustainable, woulnd't it work better as a promotion? Suppose you got a small cocktail with big shrimp for 99 cents with the purchase of any entree. no one's nostalgic nor enamored of a particular priced burger or steak. So you coudl make up the price difference with the entrees and still boast about the 99 cent cocktail.
It is supposed to be a snack bar, not a whole meal bar. You see lots of people just ordering a shrimp cocktail. I could perhaps see the 99¢ price if you paid with your points, but the deli is not set up to accept points, and most of their customers probably don't play there.
Quote: WizardPink goo has more of a phony seafood taste. It is hard to tell the difference between the taste of tiny shrimp and the cheap pink salmon spread some people put on bagels, who are too cheap to buy lox, or at least a decent salmon-based cream crease, like the kind they have at the Bagel Cafe on Buffalo Blvd.. Red goo has more of a tomato taste.
I'm sorry. I took "goo" to be a generic term for, well, "goo". So I wonderd if the color made any difference. Some years back some Catsup brands came out with green and blue versions. They tasted exactly the same, of course, but children were supposed to like them better. it tunred out children dind't want green Ketchup.
Quote:It is supposed to be a snack bar, not a whole meal bar. You see lots of people just ordering a shrimp cocktail. I could perhaps see the 99¢ price if you paid with your points, but the deli is not set up to accept points, and most of their customers probably don't play there.
Oh, well. Then some other Downtown and Strip joints are wasting an opportunity in their cafes.
Quote: desertairIsn't the "shrimp bar" actually called "DuPar's Deli"? I recall seeing this on a large sign as you enter the 'cafeteria line' on the left where you grab a tray.
Yes it is. For such a small eating place, it probably wouldn't make sense to bring in a second operator.
Yes. There is something about them/that place. I tipped a ton last time I was there, and I never tip :)Quote: MrRalphI took a friend to the Golden Gate one night It was his first trip ever downtown. We played Black Jack ,I left to go to the Golden Nugget and shoot dice with a friend he would not leave, upoun returning he was still in the same chair playing. He said he was holding his own. I told him were were going to the sports bar at Main Street Station to eat and then play there he said he was staying. We ate played some VP and shot dice. When I got back to the Golden Gate he was still in the same chair and said he was down some but it was worth it because he was having to much fun and he now new most of the girls names or their dancing names. He was not ready to leave in the mean time they had brought him his own players card and something else I do not remeber what. I then shot some dice there and played some video keno and them some more Black Jack with him. I finally pried him out of the chair 5 hours or so after he started. That place is all he talks about from that trip. We (he) had a great time there. I tried to get a photo of the girls for him my last trip buts the guys in the Black Suits and hats said they would prefer I didn't, which I understand. It is very cool little casino. Great review I wondered what the rooms were like so thanks for the info.
I do have some personal experience with comps there. They seem to offer both points and 'comp dollars' tracking on their player's cards, and after a great night of craps which may have been 3 or 4 hours at the table back in April (the session where I cashed 800 on a 100 buy in playing Pass + Come and odds), I returned the next day and noticed something like 22 Comp Dollars on my account when I was absentmindedly playing a nickel slot while watching a Mavericks play off game.
I thought that was extremely generous and set out on a quest to redeem those comp dollars for something liquid and strong. Curly at the bar (great bartender, saw him again in September and looking forward to having a few more drinks and stories from him in December) let me know that you cannot redeem the comp dollars by just swiping your card a la Total Rewards, MLife, B-Connected, etc. You have to go to the slot club and get vouchers. Those vouchers have to be for a set amount of your choosing, and no change can be returned from them. Bummer.
I ended up getting two 10-Dollar vouchers and turned those into Tequila and Whiskey. Because I could not get change they poured me the approximation of a double, but I don't think booze is that expensive there anyways.
So, just as the Wizard found the slot club contradictory in offering a good rate of return but along with stingier VP, I find the Comp Dollars kind of weird in that they were easy to accumulate (and I think my tipping at the craps table had something to do with that) but hard to redeem. I'm going to check my balance in December and will probably convert them into five dollar vouchers this time. That way you can pay a little cash to get what you need or not be out too much change if you go over when using them.
I'm hoping they get modernized in this respect now that GG has bought out Fitzgerald's.
Are there any other slot clubs other than this one and Binion's that allows for both points and comp dollars?
Quote: progrockerI was absentmindedly playing a nickel slot while watching a Mavericks play off game.
Wha? Just keep playing your nickel slot and ask that waitress (you know, the one that has always worked there) for a drink. Why waste your comps? I would have gotten 11 shrimp cocktails :)Quote:I ended up getting two 10-Dollar vouchers and turned those into Tequila and Whiskey. Because I could not get change they poured me the approximation of a double, but I don't think booze is that expensive there anyways.
Silverton does, and they are very generous with both.Quote:Are there any other slot clubs other than this one and Binion's that allows for both points and comp dollars?
When we got to the table, the dealer (a beautiful girl dressed like a stripper) was dealing to another casino employee, (another girl dressed like a stripper, but with an enormous afro of very long reddish hair). (Just in case you didn't know, 99% of the dealers in the casino are dressed like strippers.) When we went to sit, the girl with the over abundance of red hair, playing the part of a player, gave us kind of dirty look and said, "I'm teaching her the game, right now, do you mind coming back later?" She then proceeded to giggle with her friend and played the part of the player once again. This time she played all of the positions at the table with the chips and giggled with her friend, as they shared whispers, and practiced setting the hands.
My wife and I looked at each other astounded in disbelief, but basically told each other that it's downtown, and what do you expect. My wife left to play a slot machine on the way out. However, I was rather upset with the way were treated and went over to the pit boss. He was wearing the trademark fedoras that the pit crew wears, and was foreign, likely Asian. I attempted to tell him about our situation, but he barely spoke English. While I'm talking to the guy, he's also staring at my wife and watching her as she walks off. He turns back to look at me and says, "Nice huh?"
I then said, "Come again, that's my wife."
He then said, "Oh, then you already know," and then kind of laughed and then said, "We have lots a pwetty girls here."
I don't think that he knew that it was my wife, until later. Either way, I was pissed that he barely spoke English and that he didn't seem to care.
He then said something like that it was ok to go and play Pai Gow, and he went to talk to the girl with the enormous long red curly hair and giant eyes.
When I went back over to the table, she glared back at me like I was dirt and made some kind snarky comment back to her friend, another dealer, and then they once again giggled.
After that, may wife and I left, vowing never to return to the casino again. The casino is, at best, absurd.
I do have one good thing to say about the place, and that is the diner in the back is actually pretty good. Maybe they should consider demolishing the casino and keeping the diner. The diner had friendly people and good food.
-Keyser
Very small hotel by Vegas standards. Main hotel building just 4 floors.
No line at the small checkin .
Quickly taken care of and got my room on the 2nd floor.
Oldest hotel in Vegas, opened 1906.
It has that 1930's gangster vibe which I love.
Old touches everywhere but modern upgrades
Just 1 elavator but no long waits. Elavator very modern.
The room was tiny. Functionable but thats all I need. The decoration classy with old black and white photo of Louis Armstrong and a photo of Frank Sinatra. High def Tv and the standard hotel safe.
Bathroom tiny but totally modern .
Bedding was great, exact same as the D which is what I expected them being the owners.
The view, well worst view I have ever had in my entire life of staying at cheap hotels.
An alley with garbage containers, ugh, keeping the curtains closed this trip.
The windows open so thats a huge bonus for me. Like to take a puff and exhale out the window :-)
Signed up for a players card, 100 points in 24hrs gets 10 bucks freeplay. Not so great. To me thats alot of play to get a small bonus.
VP not great here, played some, will see if I play enough to get a 100 points in 24 hrs.
One promotion is a total bargain and I immediately inquired. Football squares.
The prizes are great, limited entries with 100 squares up for grabs.
To qualify, just buy into a table game for 200. Thats it. I asked the pit boss, just that simple act of turning cash into chips gets me a square. He said yes.
I bought in. I played even though technically I didn't have to. I though about just playing till the the pit boss finished putting my name on the board of football squares. Played BJ and had fun with the dealer so played some more. Was buzzed so I had my strategy sheet out taking my time as i was the only player. When I finally hit a Bj, colored out with a 12.50 profit giving the dealer 2.50. Great AP play, free square with a 10 buck profit :-)
Now I have my football square, have to watch tonights gamd at the golden gate which is no biggie since its where I am staying.
Had breakfast at Dupars. Love the old counter and classic diner outfits. Had the pancakes I have heard about. They were great.
Overall , quite happy here. Especially with all the upgraded Plaza video poker just accross the street.
Quote: terapinedHad breakfast at Dupars. Love the old counter and classic diner outfits. Had the pancakes I have heard about. They were great.
I like Dupar's better for lunch/dinner, and best for desert.
Giants 4 Eagles 3.
After every quarter and the end, if last digit in each teams score matches my numbers, I win.
