Not a "local" but we've been to MATS for the past 7-8 years and used to go to Las Vegas twice a year for my bowling league sweepstakes.
We've got a few favorite restaurants for both quality and decent prices if that will help:
* Our Inland Mopars Car Club always hits the Mexican restaurant at The Cannery (the MATS host hotel) one night during MATS for a group dinner. The food has always been good there - and we have a lot of fun.
* For good BBQ check out Memphis Championship BBQ. There are several locations but we prefer the one at 2250 E. Warm Springs Rd on the south end of Las Vegas, east of the airport. We think it's the nicest location and the food is always consistently good. Check out their banana pudding for dessert.
* Good food and good prices can be found at Ellis Island, a little casino on Koval Ln (east of the Strip and south of Flamingo, behind the Paris hotel). Not a fancy Strip casino, but the kind of place where the locals would go. Good food in the Cafe and they also have a micro brewery on the premises where they brew their own beer and root beer.
* For breakfast one day while you're there, take a drive out to Hoover Dam (you need to walk out on the new bridge while you're there - absolutely outstanding view down to the top of the dam, and a long way down to the river! Stop in Boulder City on your way to the dam and have breakfast at The Coffee Cup. We saw it on "Drive-Ins, Diners and Dives" several years ago. Great breakfasts. The Pork Chile Verde Omelette is outstanding.
Oh yeah, while your at MATS stop by and say "Hi". Our group from Inland Mopars Car Club will be directing the parking of the show car field on Friday and Saturday mornings until about noon. Ask any of them to point out "Ken", then come over and say "Hi" I generally park the A-bodies but I could be anywhere.
