The Poker Kitchen at the Rio in Las Vegas

Players at this year's World Series of Poker have discovered a way to eat for just $20 a day. Located right outside the Amazon room at the Rio, the Poker Kitchen is an all night bar and grill, a deli, and a bistro, all wrapped up inside one giant tent. Convenient, fast, and friendly, the Poker Kitchen is the perfect alternative to casino dining and the arduous walk from the World Series of Poker room to any other eatery outside the convention center.

The Poker Kitchen is open from 10:30 a.m. until 7 a.m. daily, with hot food available until an hour before closing. A diner can order a latte and a muffin for breakfast, pick up a generously stacked turkey roll for lunch, and then enjoy a hot meal for dinner. The Poker Kitchen also offers everyone's fast food favorites, such as giant oven fresh pizza slices, quarter pound grilled burgers, foot-long hot dogs, half-pound portions of spicy chicken wings, chicken-Parmesan sandwiches, double fisted Philly cheese-steaks, and old-fashioned tubs of hot and crispy fries. And it's easy to stay under budget, especially when a WSOP participant can apply each of their $10.00 vouchers to the bill.

Famous poker player Josh Arieh first visited the Poker Kitchen halfway through the series. "I liked the grilled chicken sandwich," said Arieh as he dressed his plate from the fresh and plentiful condiment bar. "I'll be back, I'm sure."

"I eat here everyday," said Jonathan Gaskell, who is visiting Las Vegas from across the pond and making a name for himself at this year's WSOP. "I usually have the Caesars chicken wrap, but the burgers are pretty good too." Gaskell also commented on the quality of the food. "I've been trying to eat healthier, and everything here is fresh." He adds, "And the cookies are unbelievable."

In addition, there are snacks, sodas, juices, coffee, teas, chips, side salads, fruit bowels, ice cream, power bars, along with a variety of savories and sweets. So there's surely something that will satisfy anyone's craving, yet everything is reasonably priced, with no item costing more than $6.50.

Coined the, "Poker Kitchen," its location and cuisine was part of the careful planning of Harrah's executives and Rio head chef Pete Chione, in an aim to better satisfy WSOP participant's dining needs. Cost and availability were high on the list of priorities, and the Poker Kitchen was designed to allow poker players to eat cheaply and quickly, as they have little time to spare during their short breaks.

Inside the Poker Kitchen is also a bar stocked with a variety of alcohols. And for those who choose to dine in, the Poker Kitchen, offers an "imbiss" style eatery inside an air-conditioned tent. For those who prefer to eat outside, there are shaded standing tables located outside the dining facility.Thus far, the Poker Kitchen has been a hit with players and spectators.

"I'm hooked on the Philly steaks," says professional poker player Jimmy Tran, "and this place is a big improvement over last year." The Poker Kitchen is not only convenient, but the food and drinks are reasonably priced, the service is friendly, and most importantly, a player can be in and out in less than five minutes. It's clear why the Poker Kitchen receives the heaviest flow of repeat customers during tournament breaks, along with steady new traffic throughout the day and night.

Overall, the "Poker Kitchen," has been a great addition to this year's series, and one of the most popular dining attractions available at the Rio. Given its success, the Poker Kitchen promises to become a staple of the new and improved design of the World Series of Poker.

cowritten by Lisa Wheeler

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