Patrons at the El Rancho Vegas had several dining options from which to choose.  The dinner theater opened as the Round Up Room but in Beldon Katleman's 1947 renovations was reborn as the Opera House.  The Opera House served as the venue for several notable star performers.    

As a dinner theater, the Opera House was charged with offering both high-quality food and out-of-sight entertainment. The room us ually lived up to billing.

 As the menus below reveal, dining at the El Rancho Vegas was quite reasonable, with very attractive price points.

El Rancho Vegas Menu #1-Cover
El Rancho Vegas Menu #1-Inside

El Rancho Vegas Menu #2-Cover
El Rancho Vegas Menu#2-Inside
El Rancho Vegas Menu#2-Back

Opera House Stage

Opera House

The Chuck Wagon

The Chuck Wagon Buffet was a widely-copied feature of the El Rancho and the forerunner of the all-you-can-eateries that have become an indespensable part of casinos everywhere and, indeed, an icon of Americana.

By today's standards, of course, the selection was miniscule. Sure, the carving station is there, but where are the Mexican, Italian, or Chinese selections? A buffet without make-it-yourself tacos is hardly a buffet.

Do casino buffets even offer cold cuts these days?

The Nugget Nell cocktail lounge was another popular spot at the El Rancho Vegas, as was the Stage Door Steakhouse. Both provided culinary outlets for guests outside of the Opera House, which was the casino's main restaurant.

Inside the steakhouse.