Excalibur Hotel & Casino Las Vegas
Overall Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
Show: 2 out of 5
Atmosphere: 2 out of 5
Food: 2 out of 5
Service: 1 out of 5
Price: $45 from Tix4Tonight
Lets take a journey back to the Middle Ages of castles, knights, jousting and rustic food. This is the main theme of the show. It is more about the show than the meal.
There was a midget dressed in a joker's outfit that cheered on the crowd at times and said things that would get him in trouble. The women were dancing bare footed on the sand looking lovely, but not in any accurate outfit of that time. You have to do a lot of imagining in this show since the story was broken into pieces. The outfits were not completely accurate in order to make it easier to move around in and look appealing.
There was not an even story line in which one would get all caught up in the show and follow every second of it. Even though the entertainers have practiced their parts, it seem a bit on the casual side. Not very well refined in the dancing or the sword fighting. Some parts were quick and some looked more slow motion. If it is about theater where the actors are passionately into their roles, it sure was not at this show.
The audience were sectioned into nations. Each knight represented a certain nation. Everyone was encouraged to cheer on their knight similar to how it would be at a sports game or the Olympics. The roar of the crowd was not easy on the ears. Neither was the speakers that were on too loud to hear clearly. If it is on too loud to hear anything well enough then what is the point of having it on so high? Another factor that made it hard to follow the story line. Adding fire works to the show does not make up for the lack of everything else.
On an adult level and the value for the price of the ticket, it really was not worth going to. Most of the shows in Vegas on a low level cost around $40+. It would be more entertaining to kids than adults unless one is that drunk. From the looks of a small group after the show with beer bottles in their hands, they were wanting the show to continue.
My friend who is an enthusiast and historian of the Middle Ages throughout Europe was not very happy about the overall performance. I was trying to keep an open mind about the whole event and was sadly disappointed as well. It did not have a wow factor to it regardless of how much sparks they have thrown in the air.
The villain of the show did ride a beautiful, black Destrier that my friend was able to pet after the show. The name of the horse is Diablo and was around when the show started some years back. He is close to retiring and those who are familiar with horses would know when they are slowing down and look worn.
Unfortunately, not all of the knights know how to ride a horse. One of them bucked as it went back stage after the rider purposely fell off of it. All the horses knew to run to the back, but one of them happened to buck which is not a good sign.
When the place is too loud to yell, all you can do is wave to get service. Sadly, the ones who are not servers act as if they have nothing to do with the guests. The service was blended into the walls which I do not think would be the case if one was sitting in the royal box centuries ago.
After sitting down for a few minutes, the server came to ask us if we like Pepsi or diet Pepsi. No hello or welcome. I had asked for tea and she said only Pepsi or diet Pepsi so I had water. Not a fan of sodas with my meals.
It will always be a joke between my friend and I about the Middle Ages serving Pepsi. There would be a major uproar in every other nation and culture if tea was taken out of the picture then and now. If they were going with a Medieval theme, it really was not up to par in the drink or the food department.
They state cornish hen in their site, but it was really a small chicken that was roasted till the skin was dry. There was not a lot of flavor in it and no seasoning was in the large chunks of broccoli or the whole, sweet, red potatoes. Only the soup had some seasoning to it. I really wonder if biscuits were served that often back in those days as opposed to flat bread, rustic bread loaf or rolls.
I already had an idea of what to expect from my research. Some sites will show you the rustic and lack of presentation of a meal on a platter. I was a bit too frustrated at the time to think about taking photos of the food. It made me wonder if food was that bad then or if someone could have taken the time to find an old recipe if not tweaked things a bit to make the meal worth eating. After all, if you are going to serve Pepsi then you might as well add some sort of seasoning to the bird to make it tasty or offer some type of sauce.
At the end, the server brought an apple pastry. Not exactly what you think of a turnover nor a strudel. It was wrapped and the pastry was soft, but that first bite had a scent of plastic which is a turn off. Despite that and not much taste to it, I had managed to eat it all since it was not that filling of a meal overall. It was the worst meal I had during my visit to Vegas on the Strip. Off the Strip was a place called Del Taco that opens 24hrs.
I understand it takes a great deal to put a show together, serve that many guests in a single hour. The vegetables and soup came out hot, but the chicken was warm. Only wish that they would put in a little more thought into everything or at least the simple meal. Just a tad of interest in the food would not hurt them. If one could not leave the show thinking it was great then at least leave the memory of a tasty meal. The whole experience was not worth the time or money.
Ways to improve the show would be to add a little more dialogue to the story, lower the volume of the speakers so that every word can be heard well enough, either add more drama or action to each scene and refine the movements. Maybe come up with a better dance routine than one that looks as if it was thought up at the last minute.
Ways to improve the dining experience would be to add some seasoning to the food in general. Offer a better selection of meat, vegetables and food in general. It would also help to offer a second serving to even call it a feast. The food can be offered in a more modern or Medieval sense. Either way it would be more enjoyable when it is more thought out.
If the idea is to offer a meal fit for the kings of that time period then at least be closer to the royal side than what looks more fit for the servants. You think King Henry VIII got that wide of a waist for eating what they serve at this place? He would have the heads of the whole kitchen staff rolling all over the ground.
The site does mention something about $13 worth of food is part of the price of the ticket. Makes me think that I can get better at a grocery store with a whole roasted chicken with flavor that is less than $6 big enough to serve two to three people. You think for that price, they can come up with better food or presentation.
The Pepsi is part of the whole ticket. The domestic beer in a bottle is $3 if I remember correctly. Ahh yes, the Middle Ages serving Pepsi and bottled beer. Not tea, ale, mead or cider. I wonder who came up with the drink selection. It could not be someone who is a lover of tea, ale or mead.
Who is up for a few rounds of scripted jousting and bottles of beer?
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