Joliet Casinos

What can I say? I like buffet restaurants. I'm picky about what I eat, especially when I'm trying to eat healthy. That's why a buffet is convenient: I can eat however healthy I want to, and whoever I'm with can eat as UNhealthy as THEY want to.

My favorite part about this meal was the steak, made to order. I ordered a medium steak, and it turned out wonderful, although I did have to trim off some fat. I used a couple lemons to add a little more flavor. Even though I don't really like chicken, I tried the baked chicken; it was juicier than I thought it would be. The pot roast looked really good, and I had tried it the last time I was at a Golden Corral, but I didn't have it this time because I was trying to eat healthy. My friend had it though, and she really enjoyed it. (Golden Corral is known for having great pot roast).

I also made myself a small salad, with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, olives, sunflower seeds, and those mini corn cobs. For dressing, I just used a little bit of cottage cheese. A very healthy AND tasty alternative to standard salad dressing.

The buffet also had a make-your-own fajita section. A choice of steak or chicken (I chose steak), grilled onions, grilled green peppers, tomatoes, lettuce, and salsa. Also available for toppings were sour cream and cheese, but I went without. The fajita turned out to be very good, except for the tortilla being dry. I didn't mind so much, since the inside of it was very good.

My side dish was a baked potato. I love potatoes, but since I was trying to be healthy, I passed on the buttery mashed potatoes. But actually the baked potato turned out to be pretty good, after I sliced it and added ketchup. It was like eating french fries!

The Golden Corral has a fantastic selection of vegetables for those eating healthy, or vegetarians. There was a wide variety of grilled vegetables, such as zucchini, red peppers, green peppers, squash, and onions. Of course, many fresh vegetables were available at the salad bar. Look at the photo of what looks like the produce section of a grocery store: that was what was behind the salad bar! I felt like I was walking through a grocery store, deciding what to eat. (For those of you who are not vegetable lovers, this is a good thing!)

I chose not to have a dessert (again, the "eating healthy" thing). But had I gotten a dessert, I definitely would have chose the bread pudding; it looked very delicious. Maybe next time!

The Empress casino is not quite as good as the casinos in Las Vegas, but it's one of the best choices within driving distance of Chicago. You can take Interstate 55 (the Stevenson) straight down there. One of the best parts of the casino located outside of the city is that there is plenty of parking! Believe me, parking is definitely an issue when you live in a busy city like Chicago. But once you exit, that problem disappears. (Unfortunately, the problem of traffic still exists!). You don't want to take I-55 from Chicago during afternoon rush hour (approx. 3:00-7:00 pm, Fridays it starts earlier).

If you can, go to the casino during a meal time (or whenever you happen to be hungry). The buffet is excellent. Especially on Wednesdays, when it is the seafood buffet, including crab legs and shrimp. But every day they have excellent a variety of meat, vegetables, soup and salad bar, and dessert bar. My favorite food is the potato, and typically you can find at least two or three varieties of potatoes at the buffet! As for the desserts, well, you'll just have to experience them for yourself. But let me tell you, I recommend just about everything there: cream pies, carrot cake, cookies, chocolate cake- I wish I could eat all of them! Unless you frequent the casino and have a lot of points on your casino player's card (in which case you get free meals), your best bet is to come on Tuesdays or Thursdays. On these days, if you play the slot machines for an hour, you get a free buffet. This saves up to $17 per person (you cannot use your free buffet for the Wednesday seafood buffet, which is about $23). If a sit-down restaurant is more your style, then the steakhouse Alex is for you. A lot pricier than the buffet (you may end up spending $50 per person), but the steak is worth it. Juicy and succulent, you won't be disappointed! Seafood is also served, and is also a good choice, but I am partial to the steak!

Enough about food, you know you come to the casino to win money! They have all kinds of slot machines, with wide ranges of denominations, from five cents on up. Video poker is also a favorite- that's what my mom likes to play. If you have more money to spend, table games are always an option. The craps tables are usually happening- that's my choice when I have more money burning in my pocket. Although I've never played, my dad loves playing at the blackjack tables. My dad and I both used to play Texas Hold 'Em poker, but unfortunately they removed those tables and replaced them with slot machines. Would I rather play Texas Hold 'Em or the slot machines? Depends on how lucky I'm feeling!

I just started going to Harrah's Casino in Joliet a few weeks ago, and have enjoyed it so far. The day I signed up and got a player's card, I got a free t-shirt and coupon for the new restaurant, Mosaic. The staff member who took my information and signed me up was very nice, polite, and helpful in telling me the benefits of having a player's card. With the player's card, I got benefits right away, including $10 in a drawing my first day there. The second day I went, I won $5 in the drawing. Now, I think they purposely give free money to new members, to get them coming back, but it's working for me so far!

Harrah's has an area called Stage 151, which holds live music performances. However, on Wednesdays, they have a special drawing called "Bonus take it or leave it", which is similar to the TV show "Deal or No Deal". The game is played four times throughout the day (every three hours); and three winners are named each time. If you win, you choose a numbered briefcase and open it to reveal an amount of money. You can keep it, or trade for a new briefcase. You can win up to a million dollars! This drawing draws a lot of people there, but the good part is that they announce the winners through the whole casino, so if you are gaming and your name is called, you have five minutes to walk over to the Stage 151 area and play in the contest.

The gaming at Harrah's is pretty fun. The slot machines start at 2 cents, and get more expensive from there. Of course, even with the 2 cent machines, it's best to play 15 or 20 lines, at 2 or more credits, so it's still almost a dollar per pull. But, when you have multiple credits in, your payoff will be better.

I haven't had the pleasure of playing any table games yet, but probably will on my next trip there. They've got the usual: craps, blackjack, roulette, Caribbean stud poker, three-card poker, and mini baccarat.

Like most casinos, you can eat at their buffet or at their nice restaurant, Mosaic. As previously mentioned, when I signed up at the casino, I received a coupon for a free dessert at the restaurant (about a $7 value). The rest of the menu is American and Tex-Mex, and not too expensive (around $10-$15). The buffet is a bit more expensive ($15-$25) but can be more worth it. They offer Italian, Southwestern, and Asian sections, just to name a few.

And of course, the desserts are sweet and plentiful. They also have a very nice steakhouse called The Reserve; at $25-$40 for a meal, the prices are higher, but the steaks are juicy and mouth-watering. But if all you're looking for is a decent cup of coffee, you can just head to the Starbuck's located conveniently near the casino entrance.