Lunch at the Casino Is Pricey

You'd think a casino would be satisfied with taking our gambling money, and at least allow us to obtain sustenance so we could continue gambling. Isn't that how it used to be in Las Vegas casinos? Cheap food? So you could deposit mass quantities of cash in the slot machines? I don't know. I've never been to Las Vegas. But that's what I gathered from being casino-adjacent all these years.

I might have complained mentioned before how the restaurant at our favorite casino has been inflicting shrinkflation upon us. How I used to get the catfish meal, which was a pound of fried catfish chunks, which has now become 3/4 pound of fried catfish chunks. And how Hick's pie for dessert is now half the size it used to be. As if that's not insult enough, the prices have gone up. Oh, that poor, poor casino, trying to make ends meet...

We used to enjoy the buffet there. It was fantastic! So many stations! Chinese food. Ribeyes cooked to order. Fried chicken. Pot roast with vegetables. A baked potato bar. Fish. Shrimp. Pizza. Mashed potatoes. Assorted vegetables. An entire separate island of desserts. I'm sure I have left out a lot, only mentioning the foods that attracted my attention. Poor Pony. He was not old enough to accompany us there when the buffet was open.

Now we get a normal lunch for the price of the unlimited buffet. How fair is THAT? 

Wednesday, Hick and I chose a cheeseburger and fries. We got the combo, so a soda was included. It would have cost the same had we only gotten the burger and fries, and brought in a small cup of soda from the FREE soda fountain out on the gambling floor. They allow it. But you might as well go with the convenience, since the cost is the same.

It's ridiculous these days! A cheeseburger is $8.00. Fries or tater tots are $5.00. The Pony got a salad that is $11.00, I think. With added grilled chicken that costs extra. Maybe $5.00 or more. I don't know for sure, because the receipt is never itemized. Just a total. It cost us $55.86 for lunch. Those two-armed bandits! 

Anyhoo... here's Hick's pie:

He ate part of it before I could get a picture. He always eats the pie first, because they bring it out first. Hick said this was actually a medium-sized slice, compared to the sliver he gets sometimes. It was cookies and cream flavor.

Here's Hick's burger. He got everything they offered on it that doesn't cost extra.

I'm not a fan of that lettuce, but you know what a health food fanatic Hick is, heh, heh!

My burger was delicious. I had cheddar cheese on it, and just pickles and onions. It was pretty light on the onions. The toasted bun was delectable.

I had asked for mayo. There was a slight smear of it on the bun. I thought perhaps I'd get some packets on the side. You could see a basket of packets behind the counter. Mayo and mustard and ketchup and other stuff I didn't pay attention to. They used to have bottles of mustard and ketchup on each table with the salt and pepper. NOW there is only the ketchup and salt and pepper.

Of course I complained to Hick. "You'd think for your $55 lunch you could at least get a bottle of mustard on the table!" Hick agreed that their prices and procedures are ridiculous.

I had a decent serving of fries, which I shared with The Pony. 

The Pony ordered the salad, and said, "With as much Cajun Ranch as you can give me." The counter gal said, "So do you want an extra Cajun Ranch?" And The Pony repeated, "With as much Cajun Ranch as you can give me." The gal said, "I'll put on an extra. You're going to need it." I'm sure it cost extra.

There's The Pony's salad, with the Cajun Ranch poured on out of the first of two ramekin-size containers. After eating the top, The Pony applied the second container. Yes, it WAS needed. The Pony gave me the tomatoes off the salad. You will notice that no Cajun Ranch was wasted on those tomatoes!

Heh, heh. Hick had eaten his pie. The Pony's salad came out. Then my burger and fries. The counter gal apologized. "I TOLD them you both ordered fries! It will be just a minute." Not her fault. Hick had originally forgot to say he wanted THE COMBO when he ordered his burger. It was only after I ordered mine that he said he wanted fries, too.

Not gonna lie. I was pleased with this development, since Hick is always the first one done eating, and restlessly plays with his phone, wanting to leave while The Pony and I are still eating, and then wanting to leave the casino earlier because he runs out of money.

Anyhoo... the food was delicious, though pricey. It's one of the best burgers I've had. Though it might have been better with some "extra" mayo, and some mustard for a bite or two.