The Flame Steakhouse

The Flame is No longer burning. This Vintage, Iconic Steakhouse has closed its doors for good in September of 2014.
Construction has begun on a new place. So Sad.

This restaurant is located inside of a casino that wasn’t on the strip. Sure the casino may not look upscale or modern nor trendy… but it sure has a yummy steakhouse!
I came here with a group of people who I mostly met for the first time. I had a blast and I was very excited. Why? Well, coming from California I already had a mission leaving the Golden State: have foie gras.
So simply, I ordered:
TOURNEDOS OF BEEF ROSSINI — $ 28
Seared twin filet mignonettes, pâté foie gras, madeira demi-​glacé.
Are you kidding me?! I get both filet mignon AND foie mignon?! Oh man am I in for a treat! I was hesitant to order a while steak like everyone else but my tiny self don’t need all that meat! I’d much rather pay a bit more for better quality meat (in my opinion) that is a good portion for me. I get these two decent size filet mignon that was so rich and flavorful that is topped with the wonderful page foie gras! AHHHH!!! I ate the while thing! However the steak entrees here do not come with sides. You’ll have to order that separately. The side I chose to order and share with my new friends was:
GARLIC MASHED POTATOES — $ 9
Roasted Garlic, buttermilk
This was. Sharing portion so it was plenty! It was delicious creamy mashed potatoes that had a slight hunt of garlic! Perfect with steaks!
For dessert our server verbally explained to us what they all are. Here’s what I ended up choosing because it sounded so fantastic:
STRAWBERRIES ROMANOFF — $ 8
Fresh hulled strawberries macerated in Cointreau, orange juice, ice cream, whipped topping.
Okay, so the way our server describe this dessert was like a truffle. He elaborated so poetically how it has a layer of this and that and then this as if it’s the most amazing piece of art! So of course I had to have it! It sounded like something unique and the name alone had me thinking I never had such an exotic sounding dessert! So the dessert comes out and placed in front of me. This is a strawberry milkshake. I had my first taste. This tastes like strawberry milkshake. I was so amused! Don’t get me wrong this romanoff tasted like a decent strawberry milkshake! I should have gone with the chocolate cake… that’s called chocolate cake, heh.
I had wine but I won’t bother talking about it cuz I’m no wino so I’m no one to elaborate on any okay wordy smokey berry tastes I get having it. :P
Overall I had a wonderful time with great company. My entrée was amazing and I consider myself a lucky Californian ;) (stupid CA law). :P

This «steakhouse» was so bad, it made me question the integrity of some of the awards thrown around in this town. I heard that it was closing this sunday and now I know why. First of all, the quality of product is so cheap. Lavosh that was set upon bread service was inedible due to so much salt. Maybe the clientele is so old, they’re taste buds don’t notice. Ordered a few sides, mac n cheese was mediocre at best but best thing we ordered all night. Among appetizers, the calamari was rubber. Not just «rubbery», Thick cut and overcooked, then piled into a deep bowl so it steams itself as it sits. Horrible. The crab cakes were cold inside and flavorless. My steak was not seasoned at all, and I took two bites before I asked for the check. Never was my table touched or anyone asking why we did not eat more than two bites of anything. Service is worse I’ve had since I left a Philadelphia diner at 2am ten years ago. Very sad place with no feeling of a classy «old school» steakhouse. More like everyone gave up. Best business decision for EC is to close this cult followed abomination. two stars because you don’t say bad things about people on their funeral. Good riddance to the flame…

I decided to try this place before it shut down this Sunday. Unfortunately it didn’t hit the mark.
Calamari — Cut too big, undercooked, watery marinara, chewy
Mash Potatoes — No Seasoning, lumpy, dry…
Crab Cake — Cold, sat on a bed of Smith’s grocery store cabbage, Sour tasting Remoulade.
Cream Corn — Canned Cord!
Bread — Lavosh was so salty it was inedible.
Prices were good but the food preparation was awful. Surprised flame lasted this long.

My boyfriend brought me here a few weeks ago. When he made the reservation online, he noted it was my birthday. So… it’s true the ambiance could use a little more pizazzle, but don’t let that deter you from trying out this gem. Our server was outstanding. He also greeted me with Happy Birthday! So did the manager and the piano player, who also asked if I wanted to make a song request: D
Both of our meals were awesome. I had the tournedos filet. The whole dish was so frikkin delicious I still think about it to this day and can’t wait to go back. I was also brought a dessert with a candle to top off my amazing meal. They went above and beyond to make sure my birthday was memorable at this restaurant. We spent three hours there we were so comfortable and having so much fun. Everything from the food, to the entertainment, the wine, to the service was top shelf. Thank you for making my birthday extra special! Cheers!

This is a decent steakhouse in downtown Vegas. It is not mind blowing gourmet like many places on the strip but it offers a decent steak at a fair price.

We went to the Flame because it earned Desert Companions best downtown steakhouse award. And it earned it.
Now let’s stArt with this: it’s downtown people, it’s not the strip. It’s not a celebrity chef, it’s not a sparkly new hotel. It’s old Vegas and I am down with it!
The prices can’t be beat for a steakhouse. I started with the garbage salad and I highly recommend it. It’s iceberg with artichokes, kalamata olives, mozzarella and salami with a lemon vinegarette. My friend had the wedge and the dressing was delightfully garlicky.
Next came the filet mignon with bernaise. As good as I have had. For sides we got the Mac and cheese and onion rings.
Now, at six bucks the desserts are cheap, but next time I will skip them. Nothing worth writing about.
On Friday there is generally a coupon in the Neon section of the paper for a free bottle of wine… take advantage!!!

Stone crab special is back. $ 28.99– 1.5 pounds, coleslaw and fried potatoes. Best deal in town. I would suggest going on Friday because they usually sell out by Saturday.

The We 5 of us went. 4 carnivores and me (the vegan). When I ordered off the menu (I asked for stir-​fry vegeys in olive oil), the waiter didn’t miss a beat, and said «sure, no problem». Excellent service.
My friends ordered steaks, and shrimp dishes. Reasonable for the price, was the consensus.
I loved the atmosphere there, as well as at El Cortez. It’s «Old Vegas», not Tacky Fremont Vegas.

Went to dinner tonight and was looking very forward to it…
I gave it one star because we had a great table, although the TV was distracting and we have good service.
We started with the French soup and wedge salad. Both were good, but how can they not be, not too hard to screw up.
Then we ordered the panko fried shrimp, filet mignon & steak Diane.
Not sure what they were thinking on the shrimp. 6 shrimp with a thick batter tossed on top of a few lettuce strips and served with ketchup & butter.
Filet was tough and the Steak Diane appeared to be more like Salisbury Steak.
Onion Rings and asparagus were ok.
Typically I would give a restaurant another chance in case it was a bad night, but this is a steak house and if it was like this the first time, don’t think there could be much improvement on a second trip.

We came here on a Sunday evening and ordered
1. Grilled pork chop, 24
2. Shrimp scampi linguini, 21
3. Cream corn to share, 9
4. Mac n cheese to share, 9
For 50 (we used the casino guide $ 25 off coupon)
— In El Cortez. Upon entering, there is a sign that requires appropiate attire, and I came in wearing a hoody and tennis shoes, but I was fine. The restaurant is fancy so I can understand why. Wish I knew in advance. I’m glad they did not turn us away.
— We were seated immediately and got our orders in within 10 min.
— Service was sub-​par for a STEAKHOUSE.
1. No introduction, «Hi, my name is… i’ll be your server. Today we have…»
— It went more like, «Today’s fish is… Today’s soup is… I’ll give you a moment»
2. Our busser TAPS. The ultimate no-​no! When they fill your water cup their water pitcher touches the cup. Not just once, but consistently… fail.
3. For our left-​overs, we had to PACK it ourselves.
— Compliments for the steakhouse
1. Live pianist. He played nice Christmas songs.
2. Romantic seating and dining.
— Presentation and taste of food was average.
1. The pork chop was grilled well, succulent and not overly seasoned. recommend.
2. The shrimp scampi linguini tasted as if someone spilled their white wine on the dish. 7 pieces of shrimp. do not recommend.
3. Cream corn was okay. I enjoyed the baked layer of cheese on top, but the corn seemed canned, which probably it is not. I just know when I went to ENVY Steakhouse, you can tell they cut off grilled corn on a cob. They did not do that here.
4. Mac n Cheese was delicious. Also a nice baked layer of cheese. Shelled-​noodle.
— This is a nice restaurant to put in El Cortez, but to compare to other Steakhouses, it did not wow me. Although, it is cheaper than most, so that may provide a bit justification.

Service with a smile! I usually get the same funny waiter every time I go. It’s at old downtown so you will require either a taxi or rental car to reach. You may want to consider going. I’ve been here a few times already and believe its worth it. BTW, prices are pretty good for what you getting!
These are the 3 great items I usually order (not at once though):
Porterhouse
Filet Mignon
Prime Rib
They have a few good sides that you want to add to above:
Corn
Mash potatoes
Mac cheese
Maybe we will bump into each other the next time I’m in Vegas (which is probably in a month).

My reference for «old school» steakhouses in this town is the Broiler at Boulder Station, of which I gave 5 stars. Both of these steakhouses give you high quality at a great value; without the typical Vegas hype and wannabe cool atmosphere. This place delivers a solid meal for a great price in a clean and updated environment away from all of the smoke and desperation that typically emanates from all corners of the El Cortez casino.
On to the meal:
It’s known far and wide that I love a good steak meal. It’s also known far and wide that I refuse to pay 200+ dollars per person to have said meal. In this visit I had the Steak Diane which I rarely see on a menu these days. The steak was good (albeit somewhat thin) and prepared to the proper temperature but it wasn’t as I am used to in cut sizes. I’m also used to the meal being prepared table-​side which is not the case here at The Flame. For sides I had steamed asparagus and baked mac n cheese. Both were quite good and the mini shells were a nice touch. The only minor complaint I have is that there was no crab (or lobster) bisque on the menu and the flat bread was stale and chewy. I feel every steakhouse should offer some type of bisque… self serving requirement as it happens to be one of the only types of soup I’ll actually order at a restaurant.
The service was quite efficient with proper timing and presentation. I can’t comment on the wine selection or quality as I was drinking ice-​tea this evening.
Overall this place is a 4 out of 5 based on my initial visit. I hope to return again soon to try other offerings.

On my second visit to The Flame, I began with a nicely baked dish of Oysters Rockefeller, the cooked oysters dressed with fresh spinach, Hollandaise Sauce, and Pernod,. This was followed by a crock of tasty and cheesy French Onion Soup, before enjoying a «Chicago Style» Garbage Salad which was small but very yummy, boasting chopped Iceberg Lettuce, tomato, Artichoke Hearts, Kalamata Olives, marinated mushrooms, Genoa Salami, cucumber, unmarinated mushrooms, sweet onions, Garbanzo Beans, and Cheddar Cheese with a light Lemon Vinaigrette Dressing.
A large Deep Fried Walleye Pike snuggled inside a light breading was an excellent entrée, while dinner rolls were just okay. Large sautéed Mushrooms were very good and crunchy, and Fresh Cut Fries were an instant hit.
Scoops of Haagen-​Dazs Chocolate and Butter Pecan Ice Cream dipped in whipped cream were a cool treat at meal’s end. Service was good except slow on the pick up of consumed items. The steakhouse ambiance was nice and refined.
XXXX-1−2 overall on this particular outing!

We went to the Flame Steakhouse before a show at the Smith Center and the service was great and prompt. I did order a glass of wine and it was bad. It was a Sangiovese, which I can’t imagine gets ordered too frequently so I wasn’t totally surprised. Our server promptly replaced it with a Pinot Noir. The ambiance was nothing special and the tvs were a strange addition to the dining room.
The food was very good. I had the beef tournedos which had the fois gras on top. The steak was perfectly cooked and flavorful and I could cut it with my butter knife. Next time though I would just order the regular filet because the fois gras didn’t add anything to the dish, especially because it was a tiny slice on each tournedos.
My husband had the prime rib and he said that it was good as well but nothing special as far as p rib goes. I had the «garbage» salad and that was decent. DH had the caesar and said that it was just okay. We shared an order of grilled asparagus with hollandaise sauce and the sauce appeared to be made from scratch. That is always a plus. Overall, not a bad place for the price, but if you are looking for old time Vegas and don’t mind spending a little more, the Golden Steer is the place to go!

We’d never been to El Cortez or the Flame, but when our friends suggested it, we agreed, since I’d heard good things about it.
I don’t like «old,» maybe because I am, and walking through El Cortez to get to the restaurant didn’t buoy my spirits, nor did the atmosphere of the Flame once we got inside. Our friends had reserved a circular booth, but I’m too short to be comfortable in a lot of booths, so we switched to a table. Unfortunately, it was near a foursome that was in the throes of alcoholic exuberance, and they were cackling and shrieking non-​stop, so it was back to that booth, which made it nearly soundproof, even though it wasn’t all that far from the table.
The atmosphere and décor of the restaurant reminded me of several old-​world restaurants in NYC that my ex-​MIL used to us to, the ones senior citizens feel comfortable in. It’s just not my speed.
We rarely go to steak joints, because neither of us is a big fan of steaks. It takes a really special hunk of meat to wow me, and this wasn’t it. The steak was fine, but not spectacular. Our friends ordered a mushroom side for the table, and we shared a couple of baked potatoes and asparagus.
It was a decent meal for the price, and the service was very good, but I’m not racing back anytime soon.

Great Food! Great Service! Great Atmosphere!
Using a $ 25 coupon we tried the El Cortez’s The Flame Steakhouse for a post-​Christmas dinner and really had a super meal!
Atmosphere/​Décor.
The restaurant is nicely decorated, comfortably furnished and suitably darkened. A not-​too loud piano player adds to the overall feel making it a great place for a romantic dinner out!
Service.
Our waiter was great! When we presented our discount coupon he actually seemed to be happy to get it (we always tip on the full amount anyway).
Food.
To begin, several different types of bread are offered with a wonderful creamy butter! We shared the onion soup ($ 5), which was very tasty, but was topped with a little too much melted Swiss cheese for our liking as it made it cumbersome to eat as it coated the spoon. Our 12 oz. Prime Ribs ($ 21) were cooked as ordered and were absolutely delicious: tender and very well-​seasoned! As with most steak restaurants the sides are extra ($ 5), so we split a baked potato and were glad we did as it was literally the biggest potato either of us had ever seen! All of this was paired with a Woodbridge Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon that was very reasonably priced at $ 18.
All in all an exceptional meal, and we look forward to our next visit!
For those new to the downtown area: the El Cortez is an older casino (but one of our favorite places to gamble) and one might not expect a nice steak house to be inside. Also it is just off Fremont Street, which is an area you want to be careful in at night and you want to be sure you know where you are going (thankfully there are more and more businesses expanding into this part of downtown).

So-​so, even for the El Cortez. I was expecting something super-​old-​school, slightly dumpy-​yet-​ironically-​cool. What I got was the Cleveland Holiday Inn!
Atmosphere is SEVERELY lacking here. There are TVs scattered throughout, I guess so you can watch the game while eating… but they end up lending a very coffee-​shop keno vibe. Décor is pretty much nil. Overall a pretty depressing miasma of middle-​of-​the-​roadness smothers any sort of excitement or romance you may be trying to celebrate here.
Service was fine, food was meh. I had roasted chicken with mushrooms, which was pretty good, but my friend had the trout almondine which was very dry and lacking any sort of aesthetic presentation whatsoever. We also shared a Caesar salad, which was average.
The prices are OK… but not really, considering the grim atmo and complete lack of fun here.
You would be much better off going to Binion’s Steakhouse down the street, which is a MILLION times cooler, in terms of ambiance.

The room seemed pretty impressive thanks to subdued lighting. We started with a basket of warm bread that included an Asiago roll, walnut & cranberry bread and a French roll. We each ordered broiled walleyed pike which turned out to be slightly dry and shared a baked potato (overdone) and creamed corn. We concluded the meal by sharing a crème brulee. The creamed corn, served in a large casserole dish that was finished under a broiler, was by far the standout of this meal. On the downside, the crème brulee was one of the worst we have had the misfortune to eat.
⁰⁴⁄₀₈ 20 years have passed since we last had the courage to dine at the former Roberta’s, but like fine wine this restaurant has improved with age. What it lacks in ambiance is made up by a friendly staff and moderate pricing. Ms. Westie’s 8 ounce filet, served medium rare as requested, was very good though decidedly short of prime. My Chilean sea bass was perfectly cooked — crusty on the outside and moist inside, and accompanied by garlic mashed potatoes, a small fennel salad and sautéed spinach.

I was looking for a good steakhouse that had decent prices and I found a winner! My husband wasn’t so happy to hear that it was in the El Cortez but I told him to keep an open mind. I’m glad he did because the Flame is a hidden gem in downtown Vegas. The food was top quality and delicious!
I started off with the French Onion Soup ($ 4.95). It’s the first time I’ve ever had this soup and it was really good! It had pieces of bread in it and a thick layer of gooey cheese on top. The amount of onion flavor was perfect.
I also ordered a Caramel Apple Martini while I waited. I usually can’t finish Martinis because they are so strong but the base of this was made with Baileys cream which made it so much easier to drink. The caramel made it even better!
While I was waiting for my meal I had the Panko Shrimp appetizer ($ 9.95) that came with Honey Dijon sauce for dipping. I was surprised when I bit into it. Most all of it was shrimp not a whole bunch of breading. The shrimp were really plump and meaty.
My main entrée was the Porter House steak ($ 20.95). I had it medium well with a side of Bearnaise sauce ($ 2.95). I loved that the waiter was really watching out for us because we were going to order two sides of Bearnaise sauce but he said one was enough. He was right… it was more then enough for two people. I also had the Garlic Mashed Potatoes ($ 4.95) to accompany my meal. The sides are also big enough to share.
I ended the perfect meal with some Raspberry Chocolate Mousse cake. The sponge cake was really moist and the raspberry and chocolate sauces were really yummy. It wasn’t overly sugary it was perfect just like the meal.
The service was top notch even though we were using a $ 100.00 coupon the waiter treated us very well. Some places you go into and you use a coupon they treat you different but not here. He was very helpful when we were making our menu selections. This was all around a great dining experience!