Feast for Less: Top Spots for Family-Style Italian on the Vegas Strip

Dining on the Las Vegas Strip can add up quickly, but family-style Italian dining remains one of the best ways to stretch your food budget. These restaurants specialize in massive platters designed to feed multiple people, giving you serious bang for your buck.

Carmine's Italian Restaurant (The Forum Shops at Caesars Palace)

Direct from New York City, Carmine's is famous for massive platters designed to serve four to six people per dish.

• Signature Dishes: Chicken Parmigiana, Penne alla Vodka, garlic bread, and the Titanic ice cream sundae.

• Why It Is a Great Value: A single pasta platter and a meat entree can easily satisfy a table of four to five adults, keeping the per-person cost remarkably low for center-Strip dining.

Buca di Beppo (Excalibur Hotel & Casino)

Located on the south end of the Strip inside Excalibur, Buca di Beppo serves authentic Italian classics with two portion tiers: Buca Small (serves 2 to 3) and Buca Large (serves 4 to 5).

• Signature Dishes: Half-pound meatballs, baked ziti, and spicy chicken rigatoni.

• Why It Is a Great Value: The tiered sizing lets smaller parties take advantage of family-style savings without ordering too much excess food.

Maggiano's Little Italy (Fashion Show Mall)

Situated right across from Wynn on the Strip, Maggiano's offers generous à la carte dishes as well as a multi-course "Family Style Experience" for tables of four or more.

• Signature Dishes: Mom's Lasagna, Rigatoni "D", and warm apple crostada.

• Why It Is a Great Value: Their family-style menu includes unlimited refills on selected pasta and salad courses, making it virtually impossible to leave hungry.

Tips to Maximize Your Savings

• Order in waves: Start with one appetizer and one pasta platter for every three to four people. You can always add another entree later once you see the actual platter sizes.

• Check your room setup: If your hotel room has a refrigerator or microwave, taking home leftovers turns one dinner bill into lunch the next day.

• Sign up for e-clubs: Chains like Buca di Beppo and Maggiano's regularly email $10 to $20 discount coupons or free appetizer vouchers to loyalty members.

• Skip individual drinks: Opt for carafes or bottles of house wine to share rather than buying single cocktails, which carry the highest markup on the Strip.