Vegas may get all the hype, but its smaller, hipper, greener neighbor to the north is well worth a visit. Reno lives up to its nickname of the Biggest Little City in the World. It’s a large enough city to have a little bit of everything while still maintaining a small town feel. Reno is eclectic, authentic, beautiful but a little bit gritty, and it has something for everyone. Here’s a local take on how to make the most of a trip to Reno without breaking your budget.

Eat your heart out

Reno has a burgeoning dining scene, with new restaurants popping up every week. Unique to Reno is All You Can Eat sushi. Located only 200 miles from the Bay Area, this high desert city has surprisingly fresh and well-prepared sushi options, and every sushi joint is AYCE. Ask 10 Renoites their favorite sushi spot, and you will probably get 10 different answers. In midtown, check out the Cajun Salmon at 2 Tha Joint or enjoy free sake Monday through Thursday at Tokyo Sushi. A longtime local favorite sushi spot is Hiroba Sushi in Sparks. Another local favorite for Asian cuisine is downtown’s Golden Flower Vietnamese Restaurant where the Flame Broiled Pork, Pho soups, and spring rolls are highly recommended.

For another dining experience hard to find outside of northern Nevada, try a traditional Basque meal served family-style at Louis’ Basque Corner. Bring your appetite for this hearty multi-course meal, and if you’re feeling brave, try the potent picon punch. If Mexican food is what you’re craving, Reno has everything from taco trucks to high-end Latin fusion restaurants, and there is no shortage of restaurants serving authentic food at good prices, such as Anna’s Taqueria, Fiesta Mexican, and Tacos Jalisco. For breakfast or lunch, try Carlillo’s in Sparks, but either get there early or be prepared to wait for a spot at the counter in this small diner.

In Reno’s midtown area you can find a little bit of everything, including ethnic food, dive bars and hipster farm to table digs. Try one of the local favorites, like greasy spoon burgers at Beefy’s, the flavorful Indian lunch buffet at India Kabab and Curry, and soups and sandwiches made from fresh, local ingredients at Sup. Aladdin’s Market is one of the only places in Reno serving fresh mediterranean deli fare like chicken shawarma and falafel at great prices. For authentic Hawaiian food, Loco One flies in fresh tuna from Hawaii and serves traditional marinated poke, Hawaiian dishes and poke bowls. Whatever you’re craving, Reno has a little bit of everything!

Local spirits

The drinks flow freely 24 hours a day in Reno, which has no shortage of places to imbibe on local craft beer and spirits. Check out local standbys Great Basin Brewing Co. on Victorian Square in Sparks or Brewer’s Cabinet, where you can enjoy a beer and the best tator tots you’ll ever eat on the patio. 10 Torr Distilling and Brewing is owned by a handful of engineers who have designed their own vacuumed distilled equipment. The result is award-winning spirits, fizzy cocktails on tap, and a nice variety of craft brews. Stop by before 5 pm any day of the week for happy hour prices. A livelier option is playing a game of bocce ball downtown at Bundox Bocce, which offers indoor and outdoor bocce courts, local brews and spirits, California wines, and their signature punch blends. Another fun option is The Eddy, a collection of bar stands housed in shipping containers in a shared outdoor area with yard games and food truck options. Summer is festival season in Reno with events like Blues and Brews, an all you can sample craft brew event paired with outdoor concerts, and the Best in the West Nugget Rib Cook-Off in Sparks. From late summer through fall, over 30 food and and drink trucks gather at Idlewild Park for Food Truck Fridays.

Nightlife

Reno’s casinos provide abundant and easily accessible nightlife, including gambling, nightclubs, and music venues. For a local experience, check out the Latin Dance Social Friday Nights at Edge Nightclub in the Peppermill, where you can get free dance lessons followed by an evening of Latin rhythm and dance. Also at the Peppermill Casino, the Terrace Lounge offers free nightly concerts. The Grand Theater at the Grand Sierra Resort is your best bet for concerts, but Cargo at Whitney Peak also provides various music genres in a smaller venue. The El Dorado Casino and Pioneer Center offer opportunities for theater productions and shows. If you’re into sports, catch an Aces baseball game or 1864 soccer game at Greater Nevada Field, or a University of Nevada, Reno Wolfpack basketball or football game.

Get outside

With its location along the Truckee river in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains, Reno provides endless opportunities to enjoy the high desert sunshine. Many people fly into the Reno and make a beeline for Tahoe. While it is worth a drive to Tahoe to enjoy the stunning beauty of the crystal clear lake surrounded by snow-capped mountain peaks, don’t overlook the outdoor adventure to be had in Reno. Tops on locals’ lists of outdoor activities in Reno is floating the Truckee River. This can generally be done June through August, depending on the river levels from snowmelt. When the river is not flowing too high or too low, it is a blast to blow up a cheap river tube, fill up a cooler with beer, and float the two hours from Dorastkar Park to Idlewild Park. Do use caution in early summer when the water can be dangerously high and swift or in late summer when the water levels are low, exposing river rocks.

Another fun option is exploring Rancho San Rafael Park near the University of Nevada, Reno. If traveling with your pooch, let your dog run free at the Rancho dog park. Park at the Rancho baseball fields on the north side of McCarren Avenue to access the disc golf course and to mountain bike or hike the extensive system of single track Peavine Trails. A popular hike is to the N, where the steep but short trek will reward you with a view of the city. Both the Mount Rose and Galena Creek areas offer additional opportunities for hiking or snowshoeing just south of Reno proper. If you’re feeling adventurous, try scaling the world’s tallest artificial climbing wall at Whitney Peak BaseCamp. A great activity for both kids and adults is a visit to Animal Ark, a wildlife sanctuary for rescued animals in Red Rock north of Reno. A short path winds past rescue habitats for mountain lions, wolves, bears, cheetahs and more. If you are visiting in the winter, Mt. Rose Ski Resort is only a half hour from Reno and gives discounted lift tickets for the day you touch down in Reno.

Where to stay

To get more bang for your buck, I normally recommend finding a small, locally-owned, hotel just outside of city center. However, in Reno one of your best bets is staying in a casino hotel. The El Dorado or Silver Legacy Casinos downtown provide nice, reasonably priced rooms, and you can’t beat the location’s proximity dining, nightlife, and just about everything. The Grand Sierra Resort and Peppermill Casinos offer impressive rooms, amenities and pools, but they are pricier, and you’ll need to drive or catch a ride-share to get around. Finally, there are several reasonably priced Airbnb options in mid-town where you will find plenty of restaurants, coffee shops, bars, and shopping within walking distance.