Bobby Flay’s eponymous steakhouse is the splashiest celeb-chef restaurant to hit Atlantic City, well, ever. It opened last year on the main floor of the Borgata with a sexy, David Rockwell–designed bar, dining room, and private lounge, spread across a whopping 11,000 square feet. Enjoy the excess by ordering a whole lobster for the table—the restaurant will do the messy work for you—or try the lobster-crab cake, which gets its tart kick from a roasted tomatillo sauce.
Embrace A.C.’s inherent kitschiness at the Continental, where neon lights, Formica countertops, and linoleum floors set the stage for updated diner food. Grab a seat at the hexagonal bar to take in ocean views and Tang-flavored martinis, then tuck into tuna-tartare potato skins and Kobe-beef sliders, all served family-style by waitresses in tennis shoes and black minis.
Put aside visions of limp lettuce and cold eggs typical of most casino buffets. The gleaming stations at Harrah’s months-old Waterfront Buffet—the largest feeding station in town—offer made-to-order chopped salads, hearty Brazilian mash, and mounds of fresh seafood. Skip the dim-sum station, where the steamed pork buns and shrimp dumplings can be rubbery, especially during off-peak hours, but don’t shy away from the gooey, breaded macaroni and cheese.
Not everything’s new in town. White House Subs (2301 Arctic Ave.; 609-345-1564), just off the boardwalk, opened in 1946—and hasn’t changed much since. Its walls are covered with photographs of devotees from Frank Sinatra to George Clooney, who came for massively stuffed subs on crisp bread made at the Formica Brothers Italian bakery just a few doors down. If you go at regular meal times, expect to wait for your orange-vinyl booth. Really in a rush? Call ahead for takeout.