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VegasEats: Du-Par's at Golden Gate
When I first heard that vintage Los Angeles cafe Du-Par's was taking over the Bay City Diner at Golden Gate, I was less than enthralled. My previous experience eating at the Du-Par's in Studio City shortly after I moved to California in 1993 was disgusting. Bad service, bad food, bad company, just bad, bad, bad. I had very high expectations for the joint too... being a huge fan of the old Nic Cage flick "Valley Girl" which prominently features the very same Du-Par's.
I haven't been back since.
Last Thursday, I ducked into the Golden Gate's Du-Par's to give them another shot. I was seated by the hostess at the counter, my preferred location at all greasy spoon diners. I knew going in that Du-Par's is known for their pancakes, they keep the 80 year old recipe locked in a big black safe at the Du-Par's in the Farmers Market in Los Angeles. My server Andrea, whose uniform and demeanor earned her the title of "The Florence Nightingale of Flapjacks" took my order and slid a cup of coffee at me.
Without haste my food arrived... a "Vegas" stack of pancakes (3) and a side of bacon.
Du-Par's pancakes really are something else. It doesn't hurt that they dump a ladle filled with melted butter on them before serving. As a result, they don't serve butter with them, just hot maple syrup straight from a coffee percolator. The flavor? Buttery. A slight crisp on the outside and a creamy deliciousness on the inside. Dare I say that these are the second best pancakes in Vegas? Eeek.
The bacon on the other hand was incinerated as most institutional bacon is. Baked to maximize saltiness and that crunch that precludes a mouthful of gritty pork sand. Boo.
The coffee was exceptionally good.
In the battle between C.monster and Du-Par's Vegas flapjacks, the flapjacks won, but I certainly had the last word.
The bill was horrifying. $7.75 for a short stack of pancakes, $4.50 for a side order of bacon and $2.50 for a cup of coffee that got refilled once... $16 for breakfast for one.
I certainly enjoyed the atmosphere, the service and the pancakes, but the price is a little steep even by Strip standards. I was intrigued enough by Vegas Du-Par's, that I dragged Miss Monkay to the Studio City location for a late night slice of pie and coffee a few days ago.
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Comments & Discussion:
Pie.
The coffee at the Studio City location was a horrifying $2.95.
Du-Par's is one of my favorite places to eat in Las Vegas. In three trips to Vegas since last June, I've eaten there eight times. I could have eaten there a lot more times, but when I stayed at the Golden Gate for three nights back in March, I ate there once and opted to eat breakfast buffets two of the mornings and ate at the Gold Spike the first morning.
The portions are ample, but thankfully not as massive as what Hash House serves. While you can eat at one of the buffets Downtown for a couple of bucks less most of the time, the quality of the food at Du-Par's makes it worth it. The corned beef hash is the best I've ever eaten and it's hard to eat the stuff from a can once you've had the corned beef hash from Du-Par's.
Myself, I found the coffee to be a little weak for my tastes. I like a stronger cup of coffee, but restaurants in general go for a milder blend that doesn't overpower their customers. Now looking at their standard menu, their locations in California offer French Press coffee, which is something not on the menu at their Golden Gate location. Now I bet that is a really good cup of joe.
Lisa and I still like eating there, but it isn't as good as Bay City Diner. That was the best, by far. I don't know if Derek Stephens or Mark Brandenberg was behind the change, but this is a step down, IMO. Although I will admit it goes from a 10 to an 8.5 on the Greasy Spoon-0-Meter, it just isn't the same.
P.S. I like my bacon crispy. Not as burned black as Elvis did, but close. Crunch!
omg pancakes. That is all.
BTW, a really underrated place is Tinoco's across the way inside the Las Vegas Club. Locally owned, it is where you can get the classic Las Vegas 2 eggs, bacon (or sausage), hash browns, toast and coffee (or soft drink) for less than $10, as I recall. Tasty and less busy. I hope it doesn't get lost in the Plaza renewal and maybe Mr. Santo rewards it when the Las Vegas Club gets the next Tamares makeover.
Wait. omg! pie, too. My love knows no bounds.
What are the best if these are 2nd best?
I only ate at the Bay City Diner once and I was disappointed in it. If I remember correctly, the company that had the food service contract with the Golden Gate was not retained when their contract was up and this is how Du-Par's got into the Golden Gate. There's also a bit a history that connects the Golden Gate with Du-Par's that brings things full circle for Du-Par's owner Biff Naylor. His father, Tiny Naylor, was one of the original 22 partners that purchased the Sal Sagev in 1955 and renamed the property the Golden Gate (the group was from San Francisco). Biff Naylor actually built the kitchen for what was then called the Bay City Diner back in 1964.
@hiker Terrace Pointe Cafe at Wynn
It's crazy the variation fried batter can make from 'inedible wall spackle' to 'yummy fluffiness'.
Du'Par's is great as Vespajet mentioned the corned beef hash is amazing as is the meatloaf. Last time there Marv ate 4 pieces of great pie as well
I had dinner and breakfast at the Bay City Diner a couple of years ago, and was pleased with the food then..but..those pancakes look excellent...I once spent $27 for steak and eggs with a couple of sides at Mandalay Bay's coffee shop around 3am one morning after a long night of video poker and other stuff..so in comparison, $16 isn't all that bad...
We used to eat at Bay City Diner rather often. But, the prices here are just too steep. We have migrated to El Cortez for our breakfast now. They better watch it if Denny's opens down the street.
Think about Du-Par's prices like this, you're more than likely not going to need to eat lunch after having breakfast there. Just about every time I've had breakfast there, I ended up not eating another big meal until dinner and just snacked on some goodies from the ABC Store to tide me over. The prices are in line with what many hotels charge for room service even before the delivery charges.
Do any of the smartest, best informed on the Internet readers know if DuPar's operates the snack bar at the Golden Gate?
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