Las Vegas Foodie Fest – LINQ

You pay to get in to pay for expensive food wtf!!!

This was my first foodie fest in LV. I will definitely learn from my first timer mistakes.
Starting off with the time that I went. I went in October and it was still pretty hot outside. Next time I will definitely go at night. Parking was a nightmare. We just did valet so we wouldn’t have to walk far to the entrance. The entrance was also the exit and was very unorganized. Luckily a couple that was just coming out had an extra pair of tickets and handed it to me for free.
Once inside I was like a mouse in a maze. Not sure which direction to go. Every food truck line was at least 10 people deep. I waited probably around 30 minutes for the Maine Lobster Lady Truck. During that time I had my boyfriend go to other trucks we were interested in to get food. The only line I didn’t wait in was for White Castle.
Sampled the lobster roll from the Maine lobster lady truck, the Dole pineapple float, the roasted corn, and White Castle. There seemed to be a shortage of trucks which was a little disappointing.
I might give it another shot next time now that I know what to expect.

The setup at foodie fest is not good. I had a «VIP» pass to get into the blocked off VIP area, «the red dragon lounge» or something of this nature? The VIP was the worst section of the whole festival. Lines were outrageous and only one dish tasted decent, the only good thing was free drinks but for how long you wait in line you can’t get a ton of drinks anyway.
The rest of the festival was confusing. Some of the booths and trucks are so far spread out that it feels empty. I like a few of the trucks there, but I would much rather follow them on twitter and go to where they are than pay to get into foodie fest to pay again to eat at a food truck.
The only place I haven’t had that I really wanted to try was sushi burrito and their line was literally 50 people deep which was not worth it to me.
Overall, a very boring night and I didn’t even leave full.

I’ve been to every Foodie Fest and I am sad to say this was by far the worst one. I liked the Silverton ones best. Unfortunately, Silverton is building time shares in its parking lot so it can’t be there. But I am not really sure it is even about location because the Linq is pretty cool. My main issue is that there were way less trucks then at previous Foodie Fests. I go to Foodie Fest mainly to try out of state trucks. The majority of the trucks were local and most of the out of state ones had been here before. This time there were not many big name trucks like they have had in the past (Devilicous, Nonna’s Kitchenette, Seoul Sausage, Bacon Mania, Buttermilk Truck). Obviously some of those trucks are no more, but there are a ton of awesome Cali/​AZ trucks. You can’t get any of them to come? I hit up my usual favorites Maine Lobster Lady, Jogasaki, Fluff Ice but there wasn’t anything to get excited about. I went early in the week so crowds were light and lines were short. The food trucks have to pay to be a part of the event, I understand they raise prices to cover these costs along with gas, etc for the out of area trucks, but $ 4 for a can of Pepsi? Come on. I’m looking at you TruckU BBQ and you’re local! I think I will walk my ass down a couple stalls, pay a buck more and get a fresh lemonade with ½ off refills. Come on Red Dragon bring back the Foodie Fest I loved.

This is my second Foodie Fest and I had a great time. I think a lot depends on when you go… I was there on Sunday evening and used the free valet parking. It was quick to get in and out and the lines weren’t bad at most of the trucks. My first two stops were favorites from last time. I was a little worried that I had built up the Pork Sisig burrito from White Rabbit too high in my memory, but the reality was delicious. I will be dreaming about that until next time.
I also really enjoyed the refreshing options at Twisted, the cherry limeade concoction was not too sweet and tasted fresh, not artificial.
In the run up to Foodie Fest, I heard a lot of negative reviews from friends and I can kind of understand it. A lot of the fun for me was wandering around to see what all of the trucks offered and the great people watching. Some of the food was disappointing and over-​priced. I actually returned my meal at the NY Delicatessen truck, which was a first for me, but they were friendly about it.
The dessert options were a big disappointment and I deeply regret the choice to try the $ 9 deep fried-​bacon-​wrapped Snickers. There was a significant layer of raw batter under the outer fried shell. The bacon was rubbery and hard to bite through and the candy bar was still frozen in the middle.
Even with the disappointments in food, I had a great time and White Rabbit would have me coming back next time!

This was my second foodie fest so I knew what to expect. Unfortunately it’s always over priced. But the food at most trucks is amazing and unique so it’s worth the extra few bucks! Come hungry and bring people you can share with so you can try more different options. This visit I tried Buldogis gourmet hot dogs, tornado potato, get porked, the main lobster lady and of course… White castle.
One disappointment of this visit was the lack of a beer garden that they had at the last event. They still served beers but nothing on tap and only very limited bottle selections

$ 10.00 Just to get in the gate and be able to buy food from Food Trucks that sell on Las Vegas streets everyday. There is no discount after paying the gate charge. It’s a ridiculous event with massively-​over-​priced Food and Drinks, yet people come. It blows my mind.
Except for the kiddie rides for the families, there is no justification for the gate charge. I will not come to another one!

Went to the foodie fest. Was not impress for $ 10 per person. The bathrooms were disguising! My 4 year old said she’ll wait til she gets home. I’d say maybe 15 food trucks were there. Most were over-​priced. Overall I was not impressed

Time: 12:40pm/79°F partly sunny
Purpose: Was sent here due to the fact that I’m known for being food truck/​café expert. Got free VIP pass and T-​shirt among other goodies. So excited to check it out as I left my stomach at 10% full thinking I can pack in as much as possible.
Ambiance: Located behind The LINQ and High Roller Wheel in the HOT searing sun is a lot fill with food trucks and other pop up/​up and coming food venues. After I saw the carnival ride section right there and then, I knew exactly what I’m in for. Not too serious and certainly not worth the price to get in. It didn’t matter for me media pass holds more front seat credentials. Tables and tents were sent up w/​o shades for people who wants shade then the ones who don’t. Porta potty and stationary sinks were a joke you can’t even get water out of there. Lot’s of trinkets and junk for sale. There was this vendor who was selling sports memorabilia bags and ponchos made in Mexico. Who comes to a food event in the desert and buys a poncho jackets? By estimate there could be more than 60+ trucks alright. That’s if you count all the non food trucks with out them maybe half. It’s a whole different vibe here most are wanna hardcore. Some looks like first day out of prison and landed a job here. Anyways in short here they don’t care where you’re from, what you wear, who you represent if you have greens for them that’s all it matters. Some of you will say it’s like that everywhere. True to a certain degree but back in bay area OTG rules. This place is like the Laney College carnival during easter pair with flea market of San Jose Ca.
Staff: Janitors with spring grabber claws and trash bags walking around looking at the girls, slacking. First sign of trouble were the Securitas security with orange glow sticks and fluorescent vest. These security are so f**king rude I ask them and even show them here’s my media pass I need to enter. Told me to walk around the other side of lot due to the high roller ferris wheel attention and traffic was out of control. Later I found out they’re not part of Red Dragon event, the ones that are wears red polos. It was hot the more I walk the more I got mad and piss. Saw a fence about 6ft high thinking I can be an Olympic hero, second thought, no you’re not a kid anymore.
Cleanliness: Grade B-​, Some trucks are clean and some looks like a deal done with under the table funds look the other way. Porta potty stalls reeks a smell of chlorine or some strong agent.
Eats/​Drinks: (White Rabbit truck)-chicken adobo $ 8 bland chicken tasted like in can chicken of the sea with juice not drain but cook in. (Truck U BBQ)-smoked brisket dip $ 12 bun was hard on the brink of turning into brittle. Brisket was tender but lacks flavor too much salt, mayo substance tasted off. (Liam’s Lemonade)-blueberry/lemon mixed $ 5 first cup with refills $ 2.50 there after. Its ok nothing stands out only the blueberry seeds settling on bottom. (Mario’s West side)-3pcs catfish $ 6 this order was completely inedible. It was so salty my lemonade couldn’t revive it. It was batter nicely and all but looks are deceiving. Not sure if they had it before serving. (White Castle)-2 original sliders snack size $ 2 it’s just ok not like bar like sliders but passable. (Lollicup)-mango boba $ 5, this is the worst type of boba use in these type of drinks. Hard and slimy inside undercooked chalky like.
Products/​Services: Food trucks, pop up stands, up and coming vendors, amusement rides, carnival themes, non food vendors, DJ w/​music stage, household items, government agencies, collectables, beef jerkeys, sports memorabilias, photo stand, VIP Lounge, demos.
Punch Lines: Located on the Vegas strip, near The High Roller Wheel, wide open lot, security in/​out surrounding areas, paid admission, carnival rides, shaded tents/​canopies, 50+food trucks, in/​privileges, runs till midnight, nearby most casino/​resorts, family environment, not much entertainment, most portions small, snooty vendors, workers looking for a handout, some seems out of place.
Tradeoffs: You might as well name it Vegas carnival fest. You pay to eat carnival type of food and most are fried, nothing healthy. Could’ve done that back home.
Final Thoughts: Despite being a Red Dragon event, its not the same Red Dragon of Rush Hour 2 were it shows a lavish rich lifestyle with Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker. Together both having fun trying to solve a case. This event was so boring that I actually almost feels asleep at the table as my head was tilting forward. It felt like eating in a concentration camp with those fences holding us like pigs at a farm. They even got smart and use ad banners to cover the activities inside so you don’t get discourage. Guess they knew what was coming on Unilocal.Never again I will attend a food truck event in Vegas again, it’s just a different crowd and vibe. I’m not feeling it here, ya dig!

I have some mix review about this event. Some bad but pleanty enough experience where I am a fan. We ended up pre-​purchasing VIP tickets and went on the last day, right when it began (11AM). I do agree some of the items they had were over-​priced and the fact that they didn’t post their price, seems like a scam. So come next year, when I see a food truck that doesn’t have pricing, I won’t bother with them because there are other trucks that may be selling similiar food.
But we had a pleasant experience where I would consider coming back next year! And spend the $ 50 for VIP (pre-​purchase) because of the VIP access and the AYCDrink Bar! That was the best part!
Now as for our strategy, we walked around to see what food trucks are not local so we can experience what we normally can’t follow here in Las Vegas. Once we figured out what we wanted to target, we went two trucks at a time and headed back to the VIP tent where we had pleanty of seats and a semi-​busy bar w/​free booze. We ended up spending 2 hours there, eating… the only thing I think I didn’t like some much is the price and how it seems like a perfect situation for the food trucks to gorge on the prices. That may factor in for next year participation. But overall it was a good experience.

Was not too impressed. $ 10 just to walk in and there wasn’t really THAT much of a selection.
All of the food trucks were overpriced and the portions were small on top of that.
You’re better off going to SoCal for the 626 Nightmarket or another food festival.

This was my 4^th and last foodie fest. After selling out to take casino sponsorship the new location was a complete nightmare. 45 minutes in traffic to then pay $ 20 a couple as we witnessed many people sneaking in free. 5 of the advertised trucks to be there were not. Foodie fest started as a local event and turned into a strip location this year. #ThankYouForRuiningThisEvent #RedDragon has to go. #Fuku and #Snowono smart enough to skip this year!

This was my first experience and as excited as I was to go, I was even more disappointed when we left. Not only do you have to pay to get in, but you have to pay for the food. I would’ve rather paid $ 50pp to get in and just walked around sampling foods, but instead I visited the lobster truck and I couldn’t believe that for 3 entrée’s (2 lobster sandwiches and an order of lobster ceviche), it came out to $ 47!!! I could’ve gotten the VIP ticket!!! I think the only saving grace was that there was a white castle truck there… this was supposed to be an experience of trying different foods and after spending almost fifty dollars at just one truck, I was done. Don’t know that I will be going to any future events.

I now know what I want and fron research know what I want to try. So with that I went straight to white castle and got six of their jalapeño cheddar sliders. Pretty much the cheese makes these little buggers great! A little heat and grilledbonions are alright with me. Although with Quickee burger in town my cravings for bite size sliders are now craved. But i will still go and get some of the jalapeño cheddar sliders from white castle anytime I can. Then went to jogasaki and white rabbit. Got the California delight and the #3A from jogasaki and it great as always! Sushi burritos are easy to eat and they are very tasty and jogasaki has it down! The #3A is to me a spicy tuna with shrimp tempura in it amd its awesome! The tuna tasted good with freshness and spiciness abound! It was white rabbit next and their pork sisig burrito and its pork, rice, a fried egg, and awesome seasoning! A def must try! Came to this years foodie fest pretty much because I seen Frach’s fried ice cream. Not so much the fried part but with ice cream made in house who could resist?! On my way their a friend recommended recess ice cream. So we gave them a try with their French toast slider, the french toast was great, crisp, soft, ice cream was good. Nothing special though, just ice cream you could find anywhere good just nothing that stood out. It also has chocolate syrup on it which I was not a fan of. This place could be of great stuff just not this time for me. People from recess were great and the guy that explained the menu was helpfully and a very friendly person! So we then went to what I been waiting for FRACH’S! we couldn’t decide on flavors (very unique flavors) they had the usual vanilla, chocolate, strawberry. But they also have flavors like lychee, ginger, green tea, coconut, and lemongrass. We were offered samples and decided on ginger and lemongrass and found that their ice cream is smooth, creamy, flavorful, and well mixed! I can’t believe how great Frachs ice cream is! The lemongrass was a great ice cream to finish off the day, light, refreshing, and a total surprise. The ginger was full of flavor, a more full bodied flavor with ginger greatness! I would def recommend Frach’s fried ice cream to anyone! Happy Foodie hunting!

Mildly disappointing. Considering all the great food options in Vegas the foodie fest does not quite pack the punch you would expect.
We are glad that we had VIP tickets that we did not pay for because the overall experience was lackluster. If only the food trucks were a little leas expensive and maybe had a sample or two during the festival could you have a more enjoyable experience rather than risk $ 20 on something you may not enjoy. We may not be back in the future if we have to pay admission.

More like 3.5 stars for me. We came opening night, which was a Wednesday so it wasn’t so crowded. Lots of choices with all the food trucks. It’s expensive for the portion of food you get. So I say, don’t come here starving unless you’re willing to drop a good amount of money. We probably spent $ 60 at least and we weren’t even full. And definitely don’t come if you’re on a diet. Lots of fried, covered in cheese, dessert type food. Its a good thing to share your food with your group so that you can try more items. The definite favorite was the sisig burrito from White Rabbit and the Dole Pineapple float.
P. S. Print tickets to avoid long lines and don’t forget to bring lots of cash.

Luv the foodie fest everytime! So many slider trucks to choose from & DJ stage
Hey it’s fun!

Red dragon continues to lead with money first customer second so this one is no different than the other foodie fest. They keep changing venues which lets you know that they are gonna run out of places willing to host. Las Vegas is full of great places to eat without having to fill the pockets of a greedy company that doesn’t care about its ticket holders or your feedback.

Highly overrated. The Dole Whip I got was $ 6 and it’s cheaper at Disneyland! Imagine that Disneyland with it’s overpriced food. the portion was about ²⁄₃ that of the one at Disneyland.
White rabbit food trick fell major short– adobo taco was dry and bland and tiny tasteless! Wanted to throw it straight to the trash and after 1 bite that’s what I did.
Snow Fluff thai tea was bland and gross. Tried hard to eat it but it went into the trash. Maybe other flavors are better?
White Castle was the best food I tried here and soon they will have a restaurant at the Las Vegas strip.
Major rip off. Overpriced and greasy food. Long lines and waits. You are better off going elsewhere. If you want to feel forced to eat disgusting food for your hard earned money, go here. I won’t be back.

All I can say is… eh. Don’t get me wrong there are lots of cool food vendors that whip up some decent grub, but it’s nothing amazing. Most everything here is fried, food truck style, or carnival style. I just don’t like feeling like I’m shoveling down crap just because it’s a «foodie fest.» Honestly it’s not worth the inflated prices for average greasy food. Overall, highly overrated. You can find way better food else where and for way cheap.