Sahara is on the north end of the Las Vegas Strip. It is at the end of the monorail line. The casino originally opened in 1952. It closed in 2011. It reopened in 2014 as SLS Las Vegas before being acquired by the Meruelo Group in 2018. The property was rebranded back to Sahara is 2019.
Sahara is home to more than 600 slot machines and 50 table games. There is a William Hill sportsbook counter and a poker room on the property.
Table game selection
There are 14 different table game options at Sahara. The limits typically range from $10 up to $50 during slower business hours. The low end may go up to $15 when it is busy. You may find some $5 table games when it is slow. I have seen $5 Blackjack Switch there in the afternoon since the reopening.
It normally takes at least $15 to get a 3:2 blackjack game at Sahara. It may be $25 during busy periods. There are slower times when there are no 3:2 blackjack tables open at all. High limit blackjack permits surrender and re-split aces and stands on all 17’s. These rules are not available on the casino floor.
Craps is 3-4-5 times odds. All roulette is double zero, including in high limit. Triple zero roulette has not infected Sahara.
Sahara table games available with minimum bet
- 00 roulette: $10
- 3:2 blackjack (hit soft 17): $15
- 3:2 blackjack (stand soft 17): $50
- 6:5 blackjack: $10
- 6:5 Free Bet Blackjack: $10
- Baccarat: $25
- Blackjack Switch: $10
- Craps: $10
- Face Up Pai Gow Poker: $10
- Fortune Pai Gow Poker: $10
- Jackpot Hold’em: $10
- Three Card Blitz: $10
- Three Card Poker: $10
- Ultimate Texas Hold’em: $10
Sahara video poker
Sahara video poker is above average for the Las Vegas Strip, while below what is found downtown and in the locals market. The best game at Sahara is 8/5 Bonus Poker. It returns 99.17% with perfect play and five coins wagered. It is available in $1 and higher denominations. Players will find $1 and higher 9/7 Double Bonus (99.11%) and 9/6 Double Double Bonus (98.98%) on the floor. The bars offer $2 and $5 versions of Double and Double Double Bonus.
Sahara sportsbook
William Hill operates the sportsbook at Sahara. It is a betting counter embedded in the Beer and Bets tavern. Deposits and withdrawals for William Hill’s mobile betting app may be made here.
Sahara poker room
The Sahara poker room had the misfortune of opening just before the pandemic. It was one of the first smaller Las Vegas poker rooms to reopen. Steven Pique is its manager. It is operated like a poker room in a locals casino. Management is always happy to listen to customers and spreads any game when there is interest. It has regular mixed games as well as 1/2 no limit Texas Hold’em.
Tournaments have returned to the Sahara poker room. A $120 no limit Texas Hold’em tournament is held every Saturday and Sunday at 1pm. Read more about the Sahara poker room here.
Sahara restaurants
There are five restaurants at Sahara that are currently open.
Bazaar Meat by José Andrés is the flagship of the resort. It offers one of the best upscale dining experiences on the Las Vegas Strip. Its menu ranges from soups, salads and appetizers to a wide variety of meats, including traditional steak, wagyu, suckling pig, chicken and lamb. It is open Friday through Sunday for dinner. Sunday’s special is 50% off bottles of wine.
Northside Café & Chinese Kitchen offers a full breakfast menu seven days a week, as well as lunch and dinner items like salads, sandwiches, burgers, pasta, steak and salmon. The Chinese menu is available during dinner service. Its hours are 7am to 2pm and 5pm to 10pm Sunday through Thursday and 7am to 10pm on weekends.
Uno Mas Street Tacos + Spirits is open from 11am to 11pm daily. It offers Mexican snacks, tacos and bowls. Happy hour runs from 9pm to 10pm daily, where margaritas are buy one get one free.
There is a Starbucks on the property near the front desk. CASBAR Lounge has a full bar and small menu with snacks, salads and sandwiches. Happy hour is from 3pm to 5pm and 8pm to 9pm daily. Featured cocktails are $5 off. Beer is buy one get one free during happy hour. There is also a $5 shot menu.
Some Sahara restaurants and lounges are temporarily closed due to the pandemic business conditions. These outlets include Beer and Bets, Bella Bistro, Paradise Lounge, Prendi and the Tangier.
Sahara hotel
There are 1,616 hotel rooms at Sahara. Rates start at $35 for a Blanca King on weekdays and $74 on weekends. Below is the price for an upgraded room beyond the base on select nights. The first price is weekday. The second is the weekend and holiday rate.
- Marra King: $10/$15
- Marra Double: $14/$20
- Marra Junior Suite: $70/$150
- Marra One Bedroom Suite: $105/$200
