Bonnie Springs Restaurant, fine western dining in Old Nevada

I like a restaurant that serves good food (first and foremost; very important to me,) is fun to eat at, and as an added bonus, reasonably priced. When you think of the wild west, does a place called Bonnie Springs, Old Nevada come to mind? No, I didn't think so, as when I think of old western towns, my mind seems to wander to Dodge City, Tombstone or El Paso. However, when you're visiting the entertainment mecca of Las Vegas and you want to have a different kind of fun, a visit to Bonnie Springs, west of town, is in order. And after hiking around Bonnie Springs, petting the animals and, perhaps going on a trail ride, you're going to get hungry. Forget about your picnic lunch or Ronald's fast food, when you're at Bonnie Springs, head to Bonnie Springs Restaurant.

Left: Bonnie Springs Restaurant. You walk across a wooden bridge, which spans a small stream, which is the outflow of the pond, to enter the restaurant. Right: Inside, looking into the crowded dining room, with the tacky A.T.M. to the left.

As you walk into Bonnie Springs Restaurant, you'll remark, "Am I at the Long Branch Saloon in Dodge City?" You'll almost expect to be greeted by Miss Kitty, and perhaps see Doc enjoying a beer at his table in the corner. To your left is the well-equipped bar, complete with a pretty bartendress; look to the ceiling and you'll see lots of fake dollar bills. Of course the walls are adorned with western artifacts, in fact if you were looking for a couple of words to describe how the place is decorated, the words western decor would probably come to your mind. There are tables around the place and an A.T.M., which looks really out of place. As per the norm in Nevada bars and eating establishments, there are plenty of slot machines. You'll also notice the intoxicating odor of a cocktail of wood smoke, fried food, musty wood, with a touch of cigarette smoke. That may not sound like a good mixture, but trust me, the place smells good.

Left: The huge fireplace in the center of the room. Right: At the bar, our friendly bartendress gets another one ready.

We arrived for lunch on a early Saturday morning in March 2005, and the place was packed. However, we only had to wait a few minutes for a table, which isn't all that bad, as the well-equipped bar and the friendly bartendresss make the wait quite pleasant.

The place isn't just a bar, as they feature a full-menu of food, not surprisingly, very western-oriented. After you've marveled at the bar, a friendly hostess will be happy to escort you to the right, where the very large dining room is located. As you're being escorted to the dining room, you'll pass by a huge open fireplace, where a cheery wood fire burns. You'll be seated at a table, asked if you want anything to drink, and you'll be presented with a menu. What to order? This isn't a burger joint, as they offer a full menu, with choices for every taste. In our case, we had burgers and fries on the mind, so that's pretty what all of ordered.

Left: I sit at the bar, order a drink, watch the friendly bartendress at work, and chat with the guy next to me, as he enjoys his burger. Right: Jacquie, Jack and Sharlene enjoy the meal.

After we were seated at our table, and ordered our food, it seemed like our food was ready in only a few minutes, perhaps as we were looking about our fascinating surroundings, and engaged in spirited conversation. The food is not what you'd call "gourmet" or "fancy," it's basically good ol' home-cookin' from the heartland, which tastes good, features an attractive presentation, and fills you up. Considering the fact that Bonnie Springs is a resort, of sorts, we feel the food if very reasonably priced, and a good value. When you visit Bonnie Springs, don't pass up the food at Bonnie Springs Restaurant.

Left: We enjoy a fine meal of burgers, with all the fixin's. Right: After a fantastic lunch, we walked out on the deck and watched the kids feed the turtles. Note the turtles just to the left of the railing, as they enjoy being fed. Hey at Bonnie Springs, turtles are treated to a good lunch too!

Wait, there's more! After you've finished your meal, head out on the large deck and admire the pond which the resident ducks and geese really love, and the turtles adore. They have machines where, for a quarter, you can purchase turtle food. The turtles will swim up the edge of the pond, and ogle you to feed them. Trust me, this is a total hit with the kids. Our grandson Paris was in seventh-heaven feeding the turtles.

Bonnie Springs Restaurant features, good food, western decor, and is a fun place to eat and a good place to relax and have a cold beer.

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