6 Recommendations That Everyone Should Try If You're Making The Trip To Vegas For Summer League

Las Vegas Review-Journal. Getty Images.

Finally, we have arrived at one of the best parts of the NBA Calendar. After a bit of a wait coming off the Finals, and with the California Classic and Utah Summer League serving as a nice appetizer for Summer League basketball, the real fun doesn't truly start until we get to Vegas. 

If you've been reading the blog for a while by now, you know I'm a big time Vegas Summer League guy. As far as I'm concerned, it's a must-do trip for any and every basketball/NBA fan. The entire experience rocks. I remember my first-ever Vegas Summer League game came back in 2017 while I was in Vegas for a bachelor's party. Me and a friend managed to snag tickets to see the Celtics/Lakers showdown which was the Tatum/Lonzo game 

You could have told me that was Game 7 of the NBA Finals. The Thomas & Mack Center was so packed that my friend and I were basically in the last row touching the wall up in the nosebleeds. The arena was so electric and loud, I'll never forget it. The thing was, back in 2017 the Vegas Summer League was still relatively small as an event. It was just starting to blossom into the BIG TIME event we see today, tickets were still fairly cheap, and it was a great way to get out of the heat. Ever since that game, I haven't missed a Vegas Summer League.

I also remember that same weekend running into RJ Hunter after the Celts had released him, and he was on the Blazers SL team. I was wearing one of my Isaiah Barstool t-shirts, and I could see he was staring at me/it from like 20 feet away on the casino floor by the slots of some hotel at like 2:30am (Blazers were playing the Celtics that day, he went 2-5 in 18 minutes in a loss). I went up to him and we tried to FaceTime Isaiah Thomas together. Then Denzel Valentine showed up, and they both went into some club I was most certainly way too poor for with no fewer than 10 girls. What a moment that was. 

That's part of the fun of this week. You never know who you might run into in the wild while everyone is getting fucked up into the wee hours of the morning. But that's just one of the many reasons Vegas Summer League is a great time. In addition to that, the basketball is fun, the game viewing experience as a fan is great, especially when the games are played in the smaller gym (Cox Pavilion). For my money, there are few better ways to spend a day than just walking back and forth between both courts watching nonstop basketball all day. When the games are in the smaller gym, it has that classic high school gym feel to it, and I can't recommend it enough.

But if you're going out there for the week or even a few days, chances are you may want to fill your day/night up with stuff to do, and I'm not going to sit here and tell you just go up and down the Strip. Fuck that. Anyone who knows anything about the real Vegas knows that the Strip is most certainly the worst and should actually be avoided at all costs.

So I decided to provide 6 of my favorite things to do in Vegas that are not on the Strip, but are also close (ish) to the Strip. Stuff that's maybe 15 minutes away, some stuff that's maybe 20-25, things that aren't going to be a pain in the dick to get to if that's where you're staying. I've broken them out into 3 categories

1. Food activity

2. Outdoor activity

3. Do while you trip your balls off activity

I can also promise that all of these activities/recommendations are affordable. You're not going to get boned by typical Vegas Strip pricing because we're going to places the real Vegas locals go. You think I want to spend money? For sure not. 

Why take my advice? You don't have to. I'm just someone who has been to Vegas roughly 10 billion times in my life since 2005 as it's where my ASU roommate was from and was only a 4 hour drive away. I've also lived there, so I dunno, I feel pretty confident in these recommendations. I think you'd enjoy them if you chose to do some or all, and if you don't like something in this blog, then that's a YOU problem, not a recommendation problem. Let's begin

Food Activity

I'm not sure if enough people either know this or really understand this, but the best part of Vegas is easily the food. I've lived in a lot of places in my life, from Massachusetts to Arizona to Colorado to Nevada, and I will confidently say that the Vegas food scene/options are up there with the best. And remember, I'm not talking about the food on the Strip. Fuck the Strip, we're not talking about that. I'm talking about the real food scene.

Up first, is one of my all-time favorite restaurants, and where I tell every single person who goes to Vegas they have to try. It's located in Chinatown in the Shanghai Plaza, which is about a 15 minute ride from the Strip

Name: Shanghai Taste

What you absolutely must order: Soup dumplings (Shanghai Xiao Long Bao)

What I would also recommend: Pan-fried soup dumplings (Sheng Jian…careful they are hot as hell, let them cool), House Fried Fat Noodles, Dumplings & Chili Oil

Are you interested in the best soup dumplings you've ever had in your life? OK, that might be aggressive because I don't know anything about your life and there are some damn good soup dumpling places on this earth, but the point is that these are incredible. You're going to hear all this shit about Din Tai Fung at the Aria Casino on and Strip, well allow me to do you a solid and send you here instead. Much better (I've had both), and much more affordable. The best part? Everything is cooked fast as shit, no matter what you order. You can be in and out in the blink of an eye if you want. Reasonably priced, delicious as hell, and quick? What's not to love?

Now, you also have to know that parking in Shanghai Plaza is literal death. It's impossible. There are no fewer than 10,000 cars in that parking lot at all times. You're going to drive around and not even understand how it's possible there are so many cars, but there is a workaround. If you're coming from the Strip, take the right-hand turn after the entrance to the parking lot and go down the side streets to the backside. There's a much better chance of finding a spot that way than going in the main entrance. You can also get there by going into the main and swinging around, it just takes longer due to how many fucking cars there are.

The entire plaza is legit, and there are endless options if you want some sort of sweet treat for dessert afterwards.

OK, now if you're looking for something a little "nicer" while not having to take out a second mortgage 

Name: Primarily Prime Rib

What you absolutely must order: Southpoint Cut, House salad with Blue cheese, mashed potatoes (this will make sense when you order)

What I would also recommend: No idea, I've never had anything else on the menu because there's no reason to

When you're driving on the highway, you're going to see all these billboards for different Prime Rib specials. There is nothing more Vegas than a classic Prime Rib special. My favorite place? The hidden gem known as Primarily Prime Rib. It's located in the South Point Casino, which by itself is a hilarious casino to go to. You see, there's a very big difference between a Strip casino and an off-strip Casino, both in terms of price and clientele. You want to party with some local old people and maybe a rodeo crowd that's in town? South Point is the place. The tables are affordable, the beers are affordable, the vibe is local while being both electric and depressing all at the same time. It truly has it all. It's about 15-20 minutes from the Strip and well worth the journey.

But back to the food. The prime rib at this place has never disappointed. Sometimes you can go to a place and get a cut that leaves you a tad disappointed, but that has never happened to me here. I don't know if that's just luck or what, but it's consistent and it's always solid. Two things I personally consider very important if we're talking prime rib. If you want to get crazy, they have a massive like 24oz cut, but the South Point cut (10oz) is the perfect amount in my opinion. Throw some sides on there, and you're having a high-quality meal for a reasonable price. 

After you eat just walk back down the stairs and enjoy the $10 tables/craps and have yourself a night.

Outdoor activity

I debated having this category simply because we should address the elephant in the room. It's going to be 110+ degrees during Summer League. That's just how it goes in July in Vegas. And when people say, "oh it's a dry heat, it's not bad", that's a lie. That person is full of shit and I'm someone who has lived through both the Arizona and Nevada heat AND the humidity death of New England. Hot is hot. There is no "good hot". Your skin melts if you aren't careful. But maybe if you wanted to get up early when it's only 87 degrees at 7am instead, I wanted to have something for you. There are also psychos who will still explore in the sun, just please be safe and bring water. You really should not mess around with the Vegas sun, you are not tougher than it.

Location: Red Rock Canyon

What if I told you that something like this was only around 25-30ish minutes away from the Strip, depending on traffic?

George Rose. Getty Images.

George Rose. Getty Images.

Brian van der Brug. Getty Images.

A day pass is $20 per car, and the drive around the scenic loop is beautiful. You can also pull over and explore at certain spots if you wish, which is pretty fun. If you find yourself on the verge of death and in desperate need of some actual real "fresh air" after breathing in casino air for days, this is a low cost way to see some cool sights and reset your lungs. Just again please remember it's going to be hot as absolute hell. Still worth it though.

Location: Hoover Dam

A bit of an obvious one, but if you have a day to kill and you're looking for an easy day trip, go see the Hoover Dam if you've never seen it before. I mean, look at this thing

Kevin Carter. Getty Images.

You can literally get there in 35ish minutes depending on traffic, since it's only 36 miles away.

Do while you trip your balls off activity

Now I would never condone drug use, but if you were to find yourself with an urge to get fucked up and experience some trippy shit, I have a few ideas for you. Granted, one is more of a "touristy" thing, but it's still a wild experience to have. 

Name: Omega Mart 

Location: AREA15

I could try and explain it, but just watch this instead

Tickets to the experience are like $50, and you're just going to have to trust me if that video didn't do the trick for you. It's a cool/fun experience that can be kind of trippy, especially if you already have a solid buzz going. 

Location: Fremont Street

If you want to party in a Strip-like environment but not pay Strip prices, Fremont might just be the place for you. You'll also here this referred to as "downtown", and think of it like the store brand Vegas Strip. Everything is cheaper, but I do have to warn you shit gets WEIRD in Fremont. You definitely have to keep your head on a swivel, but that's the reality you accepted when you decided to go to Vegas in the first place. 

There are also fun parts of Fremont, like walking down the Fremont Street Experience where you can trip out looking at the graphics above your head, there's usually live music, you can zipline down the whole thing if you want, there's a mob museum, it's honestly pretty great as long as you're able to avoid the sketchy stuff. 

HECTOR MATA. Getty Images.

It's basically the dive bar of Vegas. An old school Vegas feel but it's one gigantic party at night. It's everything you want partying on the Strip to be for a fraction of the cost, and it's only 15ish minutes away from the actual Strip. Cheaper food, cheaper drinks and gambling, ELITE people watching, it's a great way to get fucked up and have a good time on a budget.

So that's my list. I truly believe if you choose any of these options, you will not be disappointed if you're making the trip. And as always, my same rule applies again this year. Any stoolie that spots me in the stands during the games, the first beer is on me as a thank you for your clicks/support. If you're a fellow Celtics stoolie, we will drink to the 2024 Celts together.

Have fun, stay safe, and brace yourself for chaos both on and off the court.