10 Overrated Things in Las Vegas You Shouldn’t Waste Your Time On (+ better alternatives)

I love Las Vegas; it’s one of my favorite cities to visit. But as one of the most visited tourist cities in America, I think there are a lot of things, places and attractions that are overrated.

Vegas is a destination that has so much to offer and too many things to see and do in one single trip.

For this reason, I always suggest visitors be very selective with a few top must-dos and then let the rest of the schedule go.

While I know this post will be controversial, everyone has a different travel style and visits Las Vegas for different reasons.

After multiple vacations to Vegas and specifically post-2020, I think there are several places and attractions not worth the hype they’ve been receiving.

That being said, this list is mostly targeted toward first timers or those who haven’t been to Las Vegas in quite some time.

The reason behind this is that there are so many amazing must-do attractions and experiences that are worth your precious vacation time instead.

On the other hand, if you visit Las Vegas quite often and are looking for some new places to check out, I think this list might actually have some spots you might want to consider.

Let’s get to my list of places in Las Vegas that are overrated, with alternatives that are way better!

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Overrated Attractions in Las Vegas

Container Park

This is one of the newer ‘attractions’ in Vegas: a small community entirely built out of shipping containers.

There’s art, shops, restaurant and bars. Compared to the business and the vibe of nearby Fremont Street, I found this was very underwhelming, especially during the day time.

I would visit if you have free time in the area, but don’t make a specific trip.

Where to visit in instead:

Ferguson’s Downtown. This is only a few minutes walk away, and it’s an old motel that’s been converted into a mini artisan market. Think real-life Etsy shop!

Pawn Stars Shop

If you’re a top fan of the show, this place would be worth a visit.

If you’ve only seen it a few times, it’s not worth checking out. It’s small, somewhat out of the way and highly unlikely you’ll see the characters from the show.

If you’re not a fan of waiting in line, stay away!

Where to visit instead:

The Neon Sign Museum. Walk through this collection of all the retired, vintage Las Vegas neon signs to get your fill of antique and unique displays.

Coin Slots

This is mostly for the younger generations like myself who never did get to visit Vegas when all slot machines were coin operated.

In downtown, (Fremont area), there are still some casinos that have coin slot machines.

We found some at El Cortez and were so excited to give them a shot. While it was fun, I believe these are now mostly a novelty item as Chris and I each lost $20 really fast!

We stuck around for several minutes watching others with not one single win.

Happy Hours

Don’t get me wrong, I love a good happy hour deal. Bloggers and influencers have been raving about all the cheap happy hours on the Vegas strip.

But make sure you have the most updated information. Post-pandemic, many happy hours are no longer in existence!

For instance, I was so excited to try the 50 cent beers at the Bird Bar in the Flamingo Hotel, but on arrival we were told they no longer offer this (this was in October 2021).

That being said, there are still plenty of happy hours in existence.

But if you’re not able to find them, you can still get your free drinks in the casino at any hour!

Overrated Restaurants and Bars in Vegas

Ghost Donkey

The Ghost Donkey is the most overrated hidden speakeasy in Las Vegas. You can find on the third floor of the Cosmopolitan. It’s a fun concept and it was exciting to go seek it out.

But, when we actually went inside it was WAY smaller than anticipated and there was no way we could get a drink due to the crowd of people in front of the bar.

There’s a small bar and two tables, and everyone is packed in like sardines.

If you want to enjoy a $32 drink inside a fancy closest, this place is for you.
Alyssa – Like Where You’re Going

Otherwise, there are plenty of other speakeasies all over Vegas now, this one wasn’t my favorite.

Where to visit instead:

The Underground at the Mob Museum located downtown. You need to find the side door and give a password, and the underground prohibition vibe is way more authentic.

Peppermill

I was so excited to finally visit the Peppermill and it was a huge let down. At most, it’s a glorified Denny’s with neon lights.

The fact that the decor hasn’t changed from the 60s/70s is a fun blast from the past, but the menu is processed, cheap glorified diner food.

This is made worse by the fact that the hours of operation are no longer consistent. We showed up twice (after we called to confirm they were open) and were told they were closed for the evening.

Don’t waste an Uber ride here.

Where to go instead:

Vickie’s Diner – an old-school diner where mostly locals frequent. The food is cheap, but hearty and the vintage pink theme is pretty fun.

Hell’s Kitchen

Like any celebrity restaurant, if you’re obsessed, then you should obviously go once.

But if you could take or leave Gordon Ramsay, then there are better places in Vegas to enjoy an expensive dinner.

If you must visit, I recommend visiting at lunch, where it will be cheaper and easier to get in. For dinner you’ll need to make reservations weeks (if not months) in advance.

Where to eat instead:

Hugo’s Cellar on Fremont Street for the best steak dinner in town. The ladies are greeted with a single rose upon entry, too! Or the Mayfair Supper Club at the Bellagio for gin club prohibition vibes and a perfect view of the fountains.

Nacho Daddy

There are a few Nacho Daddy locations in Las Vegas, we ate at the one near Fremont Street.

While we didn’t have nachos, we each ordered tacos. They were loaded with meat (almost too much) but were extremely greasy and our stomachs weren’t exactly happy with us that night.

It was also a 30 minute wait to get in on a Tuesday evening at 10pm. I can’t imagine how long the wait would be on a weekend closer to dinner hour.

I did love my pineapple-mint margarita, and would go back to try the world famous nachos. I’ll report back on this place on my next trip!

Ellis Island

If you’re part of any Las Vegas enthusiast Facebook groups or have been doing your research, you know that Ellis Island’s claim to fame is their big portioned cheap meals!

A steak dinner will be less than $15 and prime rib dinner for $18. They also offer a steak breakfast for $6.99.

While it won’t be the highest quality meal you’ll ever have, you can’t really go wrong with the prices.

However, the reason I’m calling it overrated is that the location is off-Strip not located near anything else, and you’ll need to take a taxi or an Uber (or at least don’t walk here at night).

Unless you’re specifically looking for the cheapest meals on your Vegas trip, I wouldn’t go out of your way to come here. It just takes too much time out of your day to enjoy Vegas.

Where to eat instead:

PBR Rock Bar and Grill where they have $5.95 breakfast Mondays to Thursdays, just as cheap and it’s on the Strip at Planet Hollywood.

Read my full guide about doing Vegas on a budget to find all the cheap food, drinks and attractions.

Stage Door Casino

This local dive bar has been gaining popularity among Youtubers and other bloggers calling it a hidden gem in Vegas where you can get cheap drinks and enjoy a more authentic Vegas hangout vibe.

It’s located just behind the Flamingo Hotel.

While we definitely enjoyed the $1 beers, in reality this place is tiny and not a spot I would enjoy hanging out for very long. It was very small inside and we found the slots and video poker machines were very tight.

You also do not want to walk here at night.

Where to go instead:

Casino Royale is located on the Strip and has the same dive bar vibes with cheap drinks and loose slots.