23 places to try for casual American dining
Each week Neon spotlights a different cuisine in the Dining Guide, with casual American restaurants this week. Restaurants are rated on a letter-grade scale, from A to F. Opinions by R-J critic Heidi Knapp Rinella (H.K.R.) are indicated by initials. Price symbols are based on the cost of an average entree: $ = entrees less than $10; $$ = entrees $10 to $20; $$$ = entrees $20 to $30; and $$$$ = entrees more than $30.
BORN AND RAISED
7260 S. Cimarron Road; 702-685-0258
Sliders are the way to go at Born and Raised; they have a lucky 13 of them, many of them quite creative — and delicious, in the case of the Cubano trio we tasted. We thought the barbecue sauce on Bucky B’s Jack Daniel’s Ribs was on the too-sweet side, but a grilled artichoke was right on the money. (9/16/13 H.K.R.)
Overall: B+
$$
BRADDAH’S ISLAND STYLE
2330 S. Rainbow Blvd.; 702-222-0767
Add to Las Vegas’ fusion profusion the Hawaiian-Mexican cuisine of Braddah’s, where you can get a burrito, bowl or taco (or salad) with things like kalua pig and huli-huli chicken instead of carne asada or carnitas. It’s counter-service; you follow along the line and tell them what to add to your order. We loved our kalua pig burrito despite the grease that drained from it, and also tacos with huli-huli chicken and pulehu steak (no, not together) and a starter of guacamole and chips. (2/21/14 H.K.R.)
Overall: A-
$
BRONZE CAFE
The Center, 401 S. Maryland Parkway; 702-202-3100
A friend’s attempt to tempt us into a vegan offering — the Tree of Life sandwich — failed but we ended up tasting it anyway, and seldom has vegan tasted so good. The Vegan Specialty Cake wasn’t as successful, but we thoroughly enjoyed the LGBTQ with its bacon and bacon jam, and the baba ghanoush with warm pita triangles. (8/23/13 H.K.R.)
Overall: B+
$
CREPE EXPECTATIONS
9500 S. Eastern Ave.; 702-583-4939
If you thought for a minute that crepes aren’t sufficient to sustain an entire restaurant you’d be sadly mistaken because at Crepe Expectations it’s all crepes all the time. The menu of this tiny place is well varied, and we loved our sweet and savory choices, the Avalon with buttered pears, candied walnuts and goat cheese, and the Greek, with grilled chicken fresh spinach, feta and tzatziki. (2/15/13 H.K.R.)
Overall: A
$
THE DAILY EGG
5255 S. Decatur Blvd.; 702-431-4714
Service at The Daily Egg was with a smile but without a sense of urgency, but the food was so good we decided to just relax and go with it. What made it all worthwhile was the Classic Gyro Omelet, the chicken Shawarma Breakfast Pita, crispy home fries, a big fluffy pancake and a cup of well-varied fresh fruit. (1/11/13 H.K.R.)
Overall: A-
$
THE DILLINGER
1224 Arizona St., Boulder City; 702-293-4001
The Dillinger feels more like a bar than a restaurant but don’t let that put you off, because it’s warm and welcoming, just like its home community of little Boulder City. And the food transcends any idea of bar fare, with such dishes as a deftly fire-roasted artichoke, the brisket sandwich, the Ortega burger (a special) with its split-and-roasted Ortega pepper, and sides of onion rings and slightly sweet cinnamon-dusted sweet-potato fries. (12/14/12 H.K.R.)
Overall: A-
$
THE DINER
Las Vegas Motorcoach Resort, 8175 Arville St.; 702-263-0146
We love reader tips because we never would have found The Diner without one and it turned out to be a hidden gem, decorated in classic diner style without being too kitschy. That kind of applies to the food, too; we highly recommend the over-the-top Killer Club, the Frisco Burger, chicken fingers and sides of onion rings and potato salad. (12/27/13 H.K.R.)
Overall: A-
$
EAT
707 Carson Ave.; 702-534-1515
Eat — one of the latest additions to the burgeoning Fremont East entertainment district -— has a novel concept: simple food, kicked up a notch or two, served in streamlined but cozy surroundings. We had a few quibbles but really liked everything we had: green chile chicken posole; roast beef on ciabatta with blue cheese, sauteed mushrooms, pickled red onions and arugula; and the DWBLTA, a BLT with avocado and chipotle mayo on toasted sourdough. (11/30/12 H.K.R.)
Overall: A-
$$
THE EGG &I
4533 W. Sahara Ave.; 702-364-9686
A car-restaurant wreck last spring certainly hasn’t kept people away from The Egg &I, which was positively packed when we went late on a weekday morning. The draw, no doubt, is the simple American fare, kicked up a notch in dishes such as housemade shredded corned beef hash and eggs, a Sicilian Skillet with Italian sausage, marinara, peppers and onions and warm banana muffins rich enough to qualify as an indulgence. (6/21/13 H.K.R.)
Overall: A-
$
ELIXIR
2920 N. Green Valley Parkway, Henderson; 702-272-0000
Elixir bills itself as “a local lounge” but, following the recent practice among poker bars, its menu lists far more than bar food. Stuffed mushrooms were a good way to start, but we thought the flavors in the French onion soup, beef stroganoff and chicken roulade were a little too generic. (12/16/13 H.K.R.)
Overall: B
$$
FIVE GUYS BURGERS AND FRIES
10271 S. Eastern Ave., Henderson (and other valley locations); 702-405-9555
We’ve discovered our new favorite burger — Five Guys’ bacon cheeseburger with lettuce, tomato, onions, mayonnaise and jalapenos, which is a big, juicy mouthful of flavor (and we try to ignore the nutritionals). Five Guys’ fries are justly lauded by its fans, whether they’re of the regular or Cajun-seasoned camp, and we also enjoyed a regular ol’ hamburger, made much less regular with the addition of complimentary pickles, tomatoes, grilled onions and barbecue sauce. (5/25/12 H.K.R.)
Overall: A-
$
GRILL 55
Renaissance Las Vegas, 3400 Paradise Road; 702-784-5700
Grill 55 is first and foremost a bar — the laid-back counterpart of the hotel’s Envy Steakhouse — so the atmosphere can get a little crazy during busy times at the adjacent Las Vegas Convention Center, but it serves nothing in the way of old-school bar food. We loved the Truffle Reggiano Fries, the Devil’s Eyes fried deviled eggs, the Signature 55 Burger and the barbecued chicken flatbread pizza. (11/9/12 H.K.R.)
Overall: A-
$$
THE GRIDDLE
9480 S. Eastern Ave. (and three other locations, one of which is called Mollie’s Kountry Kafe); 702-360-3636
Plate-sized pancakes that are light and fluffy but still substantial enough to hold together, porous enough to absorb the butter and syrup, can be somewhat of a challenge. But not at The Griddle, where they come off the griddle perfectly. We had them as part of a Lumberjack platter that also included a couple of eggs and bacon or link sausage. Also worthy of note: the crab cake Benedict, one of a long list of The Griddle’s Benedicts and one with a crab-centric base and a well-executed Hollandaise. (6/29/12 H.K.R.)
Overall: A-
$
LAZY JOE’S FISH &CHIPS
7835 S. Rainbow Blvd.; 702-489-6523
It’s really inevitable that whole-bellied clams served this far from the ocean would be on the strong side, but Lazy Joe’s definitely knows how to fry seafood, as demonstrated by its excellent haddock and chips (cod and catfish are other options). We also liked the fries both regular and sweet potato, onion rings, hush puppies and creamy coleslaw. (3/21/14 H.K.R.)
Overall: A-
$$
MTO CAFE
500 S. Main St.; 702-380-8229
While we thought the menu descriptions could be a little more clear we mostly liked the food at MTO Cafe, including a cheesy potato soup with bacon, French onion soup and the Spam Madame. We also liked the atmosphere of the bright, airy space across from Las Vegas City Hall, with whimsical art for a dash of fun. (3/14/14 H.K.R.)
Overall: B+
$$
MAC SHACK
8680 W. Warm Springs Road; 702-463-2433
One step from fast food, the counter-service Mac Shack offers economical, well-prepared pasta dishes in a sleek, casual atmosphere and seems to be of particular interest to busy families. We designed our own rigatoni dish with marinara, meatball and sun-dried tomatoes, and also liked the Farmhouse Pasta, farfalle with creamy sauce, ham and peas. But we’d advised skipping the oh-so-plain garlic loaves. (8/10/12 H.K.R.)
Overall: A-
$
THE MARTINI
1205 S. Fort Apache Road; 702-227-8464
The Martini replaced the former Martinis and there’s still an emphasis on the classic drink, with a menu that includes lots of variations and art prominently featured on the walls. But the food, which is a couple of notches above bar food, measures up quite nicely, especially the Martini Sliders, Margherita flatbread and chicken scallopine, although the risotto served with the latter was on the chalky side. (3/30/12 H.K.R.)
Overall: A-
$$
MICHAEL MINA’S PUB 1842
MGM Grand, 3799 Las Vegas Blvd. South; 702-891-3922
If the words “Michael Mina’s” didn’t begin the name of this sports/gastro/American pub at the MGM Grand we’d probably think it was just fine, but we’ve come to expect more creativity than this from Mina. That actually did show in the Tempura Maitake Mushrooms, although the Frickles, 1842 Burger and A Bit of Everything barbecue plate were pretty garden-variety. (11/22/13 H.K.R.)
Overall: B
$$$
NOSH &SWIG SMALL PLATES AND DRINKERY
3620 E. Flamingo Road; 702-456-6674
Nosh &Swig has all the makings of a hipster hangout, which translates to young, fresh ideas about food and décor. We were quite taken with the Fromage Fondue with a “hodgepodge of rustic breads,” the pretzel brats, Sticky Bun Tacos, Chinese Churro and the Cock-a-Waffle-Doo, a riff on chicken and waffles. (1/10/14 H.K.R.)
Overall: B
$$
PRESTO NEIGHBORHOOD CAFE
4950 S. Rainbow Blvd.; 702-293-3332
That Presto is different from the average neighborhood cafe isn’t immediately noticeable but is manifested by its healthful emphasis and the Turkish flatbread pides, with a crust that’s lighter than a pizza. We loved our Italian pide and some ahi tuna sliders and were positively crazy about the very offbeat mushroom soup. (3/7/14 H.K.R.)
Overall: A-
$$
SOUL FOOD CAFE
7320 S. Rainbow Blvd.; 702-998-9780
Perfectly fried chicken is more of an art than a science and the artists at Soul Food Cafe have perfected it, with juicy meat that fairly spurts when the golden-brown crust is breached by knife and fork. We also loved the hot-water cornbread that was served as a starter, the fried okra, black-eyed peas, hush puppies, grilled pork chops and yams and hated the fact that we were too full to even consider dessert. (2/22/13 H.K.R.)
Overall: A-
$$
SPICY PICKLE SANDWICH COMPANY
7271 Amigo St. (also at 9985 S. Eastern Ave.); 702-263-4350
We weren’t enamored of the soups at the Spicy Pickle but the sandwiches were just fine — the Yard Bird, with its strips of chicken with fresh spinach, apple, blue cheese and bacon, smeared with honey mustard and served on honey multigrain, and the Three-Cheesini, with Swiss, cheddar, provolone, tomato and red onion on grilled marble rye. We also liked the pasta salad served as a side and the fact that the sleek counter-service spot is a great place to grab a quick lunch. (3/16/12 H.K.R.)
Overall: B+
$
STEWART + OGDEN
Downtown Grand, 206 N. Third St.; 702-719-5100
We wondered if the chicken pot pie at Stewart + Ogden would be just a knockoff of the one served at Triple George across the street, but this was a creative, offbeat take, with cheese-covered biscuits across the top. We also liked the surprisingly mild Buffalo-style wings, the surprisingly fiery Cubana sandwich and especially the butter brioche bread pudding with rum raisin sauce. (11/29/13 H.K.R.)
Overall: B+
$$
