It shouldn't be too surprising to learn that a town devoted to themes (what hotel worth its salt doesn't have one, at this point?) has one of virtually every theme restaurant there is. Almost all have prominent celebrity co-owners and tons of "memorabilia" on the walls, which in virtually every case means throwaway items from blockbuster movies, or some article of clothing a celeb wore once (if that) on stage or on the playing field. Almost all have virtually identical menus and have gift shops full of logo items.

This sounds cynical, and it is -- but not without reason. Theme restaurants are for the most part noisy, cluttered, overpriced places that are strictly tourist traps, and, though some have their devotees, if you eat at one of these places, you've eaten at them all. We don't want to be total killjoys. Fans should have a good time checking out the stuff on the walls of the appropriate restaurant. And while the food won't be the most memorable ever, it probably won't be bad (and will be moderately priced). But that's not really what you go for.

The House of Blues, in Mandalay Bay, 3950 Las Vegas Blvd. S. (tel. 702/632-7607; open daily 8am-1am on event nights and 'til midnight on nonevent nights), is, for our money, food and theme-wise, the best of the theme restaurants. The food is really pretty good (if a little more costly than it ought to be in a theme restaurant), and the mock Delta/New Orleans look works well, even if it is unavoidably commercial. You can dine here without committing to seeing whatever band is playing, as the dining room is separate from the club (note, though, that HOB gets very good bookings from nationally known acts). The gospel brunch might also be worth checking out (the food is good, but there's too much of it), but be warned: It's served inside the actual club, which is miked very loudly, and it can be unbelievably loud, so bring earplugs (we left with splitting headaches).

Presumably filling the hole left by the demise of the All Star Café, so that you sports fans won't feel left out in the theme restaurant race, ESPN, in New York-New York, 3790 Las Vegas Blvd. S. (tel. 702/933-3776; open Mon-Thurs 11:30am-11pm, Fri 11am-midnight, Sat 9am-midnight, and Sun 9am-11pm), is a gigantic facility featuring rather wacky and entertaining sports memorabilia (such as Evel Knievel set up as the old "Operation" game, displaying his many broken bones), plus additions such as a rock-climbing wall/machine. It's pretty fun, actually, and the food, in a couch-potato-junk-food-junkie way, is not bad either, especially when you're sitting in one of the La-Z-Boy recliners, ordering delights such as three Krispy Kreme donuts topped with ice cream, whipped cream, and syrup, and watching sports.

There are those who rave about the warm Tollhouse-cookie pie at the Harley Davidson Cafe, 3725 Las Vegas Blvd. S. at Harmon Avenue (tel. 702/740-4555; open Sun-Thurs 11am-11pm, Fri-Sat 11am-midnight).

The Hard Rock Cafe, 4475 Paradise Rd. at Harmon Avenue (tel. 702/733-8400; open Sun-Thurs 11am-11:30pm, Fri-Sat 11am-1am), has decent burgers. The serious hipster quotient at the adjacent hotel means that the people-watching opportunities are best here.

Visually, the Rainforest Cafe, in the MGM Grand, 3799 Las Vegas Blvd. S. (tel. 702/891-8580; open Sun-Thurs 8am-midnight, Fri-Sat 8am-1am), with its jungle interior, complete with sound effects and Animatronic animals, is the best of the bunch.