Recommendations please.   We are staying in Paradise, but we have transportation.

Looking for less expensive and local favorites options, I can't convince most of the group I'm with to go to expensive places.  

Ohjah for Japanese/Benihana style food
Heidi's Deli for really good sandwiches

What are you looking for?

Anything good.

Giordano's.  Their Chicago Classic deep dish pizza is really good.
Kona Grill has pretty good appetizers, sushi and dinners
Grimaldi's has good pizza
Jenni Pho has great pho and Vietnamese food
Pit Stop in Boulder City has great burgers
Tiki in Boulder City has good food
Chicago Joe's Restaurant has really good Italian food

You can eat at all the places I listed for $20 or less per person.  Not including alcohol.  We have been to all of them numerous times.  They all have good food.

Thanks.

I havent had deep dish in 20+ years, I'll try to get some guys to go there.

You can always go out to eat a really nice meal by yourself.

"The Sicilian" on E. Tropicana, Everything is good. "Chapalas" for Mexican. Great food and very reasonable . They are both in Paradise about two blocks from each other.

Pho Aimee
Yuxiang (Korean-Chinese)
Weera Thai on Sahara
The Oyster Bar at the Palace Station, prepare to wait

Thanks... keep them coming.  

So far from the suggestions we've had: (All were at least good)

Giordano's

Not from the previous suggestions:

Tacos and Beer
Tacos El Gordo
Capriottis

Golden China in the Smith's plaza Flamingo and Sandhill.  ask for the New York Eggroll. Amazing.

If you happen to be on Freemont street the Circa has a BBQ truck directly out front. The day I had the pulled pork sandwich it was delicious. I think I had beans and slaw for the sides,,very tasty.

I can vouch for these also.

Sakana all you can eat Sushi on Flamingo and Maryland Prkwy. In and Out burgers are good and cheap.

Thank OP, I just got to Mandalay Bay last night and needed some suggestions for tonight.

Capriotti's sub "the Bobby" is a good one if you like Thanksgiving style sandwiches. Pretty unique. One of the owners is a 2A guy. They have Wagyu too.

Le Thai has awesome lunch specials if you like Thai. One of the best Thai places I've ever been. Crowded though, can be a long wait for parties bigger than 1.

Settebello pizza is awesome Napoli style wood fired pizza. Good cocktails and a great happy hour too.

some carnicerias have some of the best tacos cheap but I think a lot of them weren't doing sit down with covid.
Pretty much anything outside the casinos is going to be less expensive by a good margin.
You could probably spend an entire trip just eating from places in chinatown. Saporro revolving sushi is pretty good. Lotus of Siam was always a favorite for thai, haven't been since they moved to a nicer location.
The casinos off the strip often times have good deals on prime rib and buffets. Bareleys brew pub and casino on sunset was one i usually enjoyed for inexpensive beer and prime rib. Great sushi place by there with all you can eat called bluefin.

Couple places like town square and the district in green valley have slightly upscale food that is still a good bit less than some of the strip stuff.

There is really a ton of stuff, just search what the group is interested in and check out some reviews for places not right on the strip.

You also have to factor in the convenience though. If you have a larger group and everyone is trying to uber or something you have to be mindful of those costs. If you really want to get away a little cheaper buy some stuff for breakfasts and lunches at the grocery store and you can do fairly simple stuff like grabbing pizza and wings or whatever.

The whole having some stuff for breakfast and lunch can't be overstated though. You could get a $7 coffee plus some $4 pastry for breakfast and a $15 sandwich plus $3 coke and $2 bag of chips for lunch and still end up spending $40-$300 a head for dinner.

or spend like $5 for shit for breakfast and lunch and not be bothered as much spending on a nicer dinner

There is a fuckload of great food in the city. Very few places that suck last long.

I've been meaning to try them we had been going to sin city smokers in henderson and even had them cater our wedding but they closed down.

yeah that's one thing I left out, there are some decent food trucks if you can find them.

plus 1 for settebello. Usually not that cheap with alcohol app and dessert but the pizza is arguably the best.

Here are some of my favorite restaurants that are reasonable:

Ondori - great Chinese food at The Orleans
KJ Dim Sum - at The Rio - quality dim sum at a reasonable price - Chinese food after 5pm is 25% off with local id
Orchids Garden - serves dim sum until 8:30pm every day
Grand Lux @ Venetian or Palazzo - most entrees under $20; better quality than Cheesecake Factory
Taco Y Taco on Eastern
Casa Don Juan - get the fried whole tilapia with garlic sauce
Lindo Michoacan - get the fried whole snapper with garlic sauce
Firehouse Subs - hot pastrami sub
Grimaldi's
Wing's on Eastern/St Rose
Maggiano's - at Fashion Show Mall
Fatburger
Yama Sushi - AYCE I think it's $27pp - on the Strip across from Resorts World; parking is hard to find but worth the effort

If you have a local or seasonal resident i.d., Ri Ra (Irish Pub) at Mandalay offers 40% off food on Fridays (fish & chips, corned beef & cabbage)

Good eats. Busy and loud as fuck though. To close to the college I guess.  Damn techno music.