10 Places http://www.jerseycitys.com/ to Eat When the Chips are Down in Atlantic City

In the Mancuso family for three generations, Angelo's is the real deal it's what those big portion chains are trying to be, but can't. Family pictures, exposed brick, cafe tables the decor here is nothing fancy. But the welcome you get from the friendly staff comes from the heart. Family recipes and ample portions let you fill up on fabulous pasta and have a glass of house red, for less than $15. Check out the $7 lunch specials, great subs, antipasto salad, sausage and peppers, that kind of thing. When you see all the contractors' trucks lined up in the lot (free parking!), it's a cinch that this place rocks.

Vibe: Down home Italian complete with red checked tablecloths and a house burgundy.

The crowd: Multi generational families, AC powerbrokers, anybody who knows good food.

Best Bets for Less Than $15: Ravioli with sausage, pasta Aglio e Elio and lasagna with meatballs.

Tucked away in the Treasure Palace on the second level of the casino, Empress is the best of the casino noodle bars, a must have dining option to keep die hard Asian gamers at the tables. But you don't have to be Asian to appreciate the deep bowls of soup swimming with noodles, wonton, shredded pork, watercress, garlic and ginger. Sit at the bar facing the open kitchen, or at one of the table scattered in the no frills dining area. Noodles are the original comfort food from China 1.3 billion people can't be wrong.

Vibe: Fresh food, fast, no fuss, no muss.

The crowd: Serious gamers taking a break from the pai gow poker tables.

Best Bets for Less Than $15: A giant bowl of mei fun noodles swimming in a rich chicken broth, or congee spiked with veggies, tofu and bok choy, $7.95. Clams with black bean sauce and rice, $9.95.

A sports bar that started in Fenway Park, Game On! is the place to go when you want to watch somebody else lose for a change. Banks of flat screens broadcast every sport known to mankind, while the kitchen turns out nonstop oversized portions of crowd pleasing pub fare. Want the biggest bang for your buck? The $9 wings are enormous.

Vibe: Clean lines, exposed brick, a huge, horseshoe shaped bar and flat screen heaven the man cave of the 21st century.

The Crowd: Baseball caps and sports jerseys tell the story.

Best Bets for Less Than $15: Fried chicken with green beans and mashed for $13, and

the burgers are a handful for $9 $11.

You really can have Guinness ($4.50) for breakfast at this popular cash only watering hole, a favorite of cops and politicos since 1972. Open 24/7 and catering to locals and casino shift workers, the Irish Pub is a slice of the Old Sod, a good spot for a chat and a wee dram. The food isn't fancy, but it's tasty and cheaper than you'd ever pay in Dublin. Nightly blackboard dinner specials are $6.95, with choices like fish and chips, chicken tenders and crab cakes. Health food types need not apply fried is one of the major food groups here, so if that's a problem, keep moving. But if it's a beer and a butt you're after there's an enclosed all weather smoking porch this is the spot. Heck, you can even get a room upstairs for $25, with a bathroom up the hall.

Vibe: Old school Irish pub complete with black and white pictures of boxers and baseball players on the walls.

The Crowd: Runs the gamut from police officers to families and grizzled regulars.

Best Bets for Less Than $15: Soup of the Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale day is $1.50, a burger with coleslaw and fries, $4.50, and fried shrimp is $7.95.

Opened in 1990 by chef/owner Lien Pham as an oasis of home cooking for the growing Atlantic City Vietnamese population, Little Saigon introduced the locals to the wondrous, delicate flavors of this healthful cuisine. A BYO just two blocks from the Tropicana, Little Saigon is a haven for anybody who loves a good bowl of pho, a hearty beef rice noodle soup served with bean sprouts and pungent basil, a meal in itself for $6.95. Vegetarians have plenty of options as well, including a tangy sweet and sour vegetable soup with bean curd for $6.95. Finish with a cup of addictive cafe sua ($2.50), French roasted coffee sweetened with condensed milk, a daily ritual in Vietnam.

Vibe: No frills ambiance, save for a few family pictures and landscapes of Vietnam on the walls.

The Crowd: A steady stream of Vietnamese customers and fans of Lien Pham's cooking.

Best Bets for Less Than $15: The deluxe beef pho ($6.95), stir fried chicken on a bed of rice vermicelli spiked with bright notes of lemongrass ($8.95).