The Dive

It isn't often that I'll knock something in Vegas, but I thought I'd post my experience at The Dive, a restaurant located in/near the Fashion Show Mall off of Spring Mountain and the Strip, next to Chin's.  In short, for me, it may be the biggest tourist trap on the Strip.  I may have missed previous reviews on this place on the newsgroup, if people's opinions of this are contrary to mine, I'd be interested in hearing this.

7 of us went to the Dive on Friday night and the place really caters to the 18-25 age group.  The windows give the impression of you sinking underwater in a sub, while weird looking "ships" move across the ceiling.  A video screen plays some sort of scene/collage while the place dims, brightens, and red siren lights flash on and off intermittently.

My main problem with the place is the outrageous prices for so little food.  I forget where, but some Vegas guide gave this place something like a 1 out of 4, implying the prices are cheap.  I ended up paying $24 and didn't feel full at all.  The $24 got me a $5.95 pina colada type of drink, fries with two dipping sauces for $2.??, their Tuscan Steak Sub for $11.95, and paying my share of tax plus the 16% gratuity charge.  The fries were unremarkable, though the different choice of dipping sauces was cool.  The Tuscan Steak Sub was one of the more expensive orders on the menu, the steak itself didn't amount to much more than a hamburger patty in size.  A Big Mac is more filling than the sub, which was served with a small side of cole slaw (that was flavorless).  For $11.95 and the small size of the sub, you'd figure they'd throw in the fries with the order or at least have soup or salad for an appetizer -- nope.  They don't bring out bread rolls or some sort of appetizer while you're waiting for your order.  I wasn't "buffet hungry" when I came in and I didn't leave full when I left.  It shouldn't take $30 to eat dinner in a place that doesn't exactly have a world renowned cooking reputation.

Non-food wise, the constant dimming and lighting combined with the red lights and sirens going off, reminiscent of a submarine is INCREDIBLY annoying to eat and socialize to after the first few times.  I wasn't the only one who left the place with a headache.

There were pluses.  Our waiter was cool, the $5.95 pina colada type drink was good and the glass was tall, a friend of mine raved about the clam chowder, and the deserts were fairly big.  However, all 7 of us left with an unfavorable impression of the place.  I'm not one for waiting in buffet lines, but heck for a third of the price I payed at the Dive, I'd gladly wait in line for an hour for the Rio buffet and make sure I leave the place with my stomach full.  Planet Hollywood and the Hard Rock gives you more for your money (The Dive has the gift shop with the T-Shirts and all like these two).  Heck, for less then $24, I remember stuffing myself with great tasting steaks at the steakhouses in both the Fiesta and the Santa Fe Hotel/Casinos

If others differ with me, please respond.  Maybe I just ordered the wrong things (as well as the other 6 of us).  In the meantime, I'm temporarily boycotting Steven Spielberg movies.