41 Best Restaurants in Las Vegas, Nevada

Le Thai

$ Fodor's choice

Noodles are the house specialty at this intimate restaurant in the Fremont East district of Downtown. Although most of the dishes are Thai (try the Awesome Noodles; the name isn't hyperbole), others lean more toward Chinese and Japanese influences. Also worth trying: the three-color curry, and the decadent Short Rib Fried Rice. Whatever you order, request "spicy" dishes at your own risk; chefs here spice things up the way they'd like to eat them, not the way you'd like to eat them. The restaurant itself is truly tiny, with only a handful of tables and seating at the bar, but a large patio with pergola covering is complete with misters for summer and heaters for winter. The patio hosts a DJ and serves a late-night menu Thursday through Sunday. (Le Thai's success led to Chef Dan Coughlin opening a sister restaurant, 8 East, inside the new Circa Resort & Casino.)

Archi's Thai Kitchen

$ | West Side

Fans of Thai food flock here for spot-on exceptional chow with few surprises—just expertly prepared curries, tom yum soups, fish cakes, and pad Thais. In particular, the shrimp "ginger ginger ginger" (or you can choose it with meat or tofu) has drawn raves; yes, it really is that gingery. Locals rank Archi's among the best Thai restaurants in town. Reasonably priced three-course lunch specials are served from 11 am to 3 pm weekdays. This original location has been a locals' favorite for more than 20 years, but there are three other branches at 6345 S. Rainbow Boulevard, 9350 W. Sahara Avenue, and a fast-casual spot at 9310 S. Eastern Avenue.

Biscuits and Bourbon

$

What warms the blood more swiftly at this down-home hang: the fresh-from-the-oven biscuits or the 80-plus varieties of bourbon? Find out at this unique addition to the ongoing refurbishment of the Water Street District in downtown Henderson, where you will find drinks served in Mason jars and a menu of smoked meats, from pulled pork to apple-brined chicken, in big portions. The biscuits are served à la carte with your choice of flavored butters, honeys, and jams. (You can't go wrong with the classic buttermilk biscuits topped with apple cider caramel butter, clover honey, and mango habanero jam.) The room is small, with a rustic-yet-modern, wood-grained decor. (Those with truly formidable stomach capacities can take on the "All In," which pairs three-quarters-of-a-pound servings of three meats with an equal number of large sides.) Brunchers would do well to indulge in the fried chicken waffle, as good a reason for getting up early on the weekends as any.

109 S. Water St., Las Vegas, Nevada, 8015, USA
702-986–0307
Known For
  • gourmet biscuits served with a variety of flavored butters, honey, and jams
  • a wide selection of 80-plus bourbons
  • mouthwatering smoked meats

Recommended Fodor's Video

Blueberry Hill Family Restaurant

$ | East Side

If you're looking for a type of place where the waitress calls you "honey," this locals' favorite has an old-fashioned, family-owned vibe. The food is better than the chain places, serving up hearty Mexican specialties, fruit-topped pancakes and waffles, and senior specials. Blueberry Hill has four locations, two of them near each other on the East Side a couple of miles apart on Flamingo Road. Both are open 24 hours.

Border Grill Mandalay Bay

$$$$

Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger are the popular, green-minded chefs who created this cheery, sophisticated outpost of their now-closed Santa Monica restaurant. Service is snappy, and you'd be hard-pressed to find a tastier margarita in town—particularly the blood orange and chili-citrus versions. Starters include green-corn tamales, three citrusy ceviches, and house-made guacamole, and grilled sustainable fish and hormone-free meats, such as skirt steak and short ribs, make healthful, flavorful fillings for tacos and tortillas. For dinner, opt for dishes such as jamon Serrano pollo relleno, seafood molcajete, or portabello mushroom mulitas with black beans and roasted peppers. The all-you-can-eat weekend brunch, served from 10 to 3, features creative small plates, such as horchata French toast, diablo chicken with a churro waffle, and cajeta churros with cinnamon and raspberry sauce.

Brera Osteria

$$$$

One of the more recent entries in the Viva Italiano! culinary scene, the Milan-inspired restaurant at Grand Canal Shoppes is a creation sitting right on The Venetian's replica of St. Mark's Square. Taking its name from the Brera neighborhood of Milan, the menu focuses on Milanese favorites. Try these mouth-waterers: squash blossoms, braised pork shank, lamp chops, calamari, branzino, pizzas, and pastas; there also are vegan selections. Top it off with premium Italian wines and cocktails for an experience that aims to be thoroughly and authentically northern Italian. A tasting menu augments the à la carte choices at lunch, and there's a prix-fixe pre-theater menu. During Apertivo Hour from 3 to 5 pm daily, pizzas, cocktails, beers, and wines by the glass are half-off.

Capriotti's Sandwich Shop

$ | West Side

This East Coast transplant with nearly 40 locations in the Valley satisfies Sin City's cravings for giant sub sandwiches, including a Philly-style cheese steak, a hot pastrami sandwich, and a divine creation called the Bobbie—basically Thanksgiving dinner on a bun. Numerous locations around town include outposts in a few outlying casinos, such as Red Rock, Aliante, Santa Fe, and Green Valley Ranch.

Doña Maria Tamales

$$

You'll forget you're in Las Vegas after a few minutes in this relaxed and unpretentious Downtown cantina. All the combinations and specials are good, but the best play here is to order the house-made tamales. There are five tamale options in all: pork, chicken, beef, cheese, and a sweet dessert tamale with pineapple and raisins. You also won't go wrong with the Mexican sandwich, served with guacamole, tomatoes, and fries. Stop in on a Wednesday night, and you might see a crowd gathered for the fútbol game on satellite-provided Mexican TV. There is another area location at 3250 North Tenaya Way in Summerlin.

eat.

$

Eat may serve only breakfast and lunch, but chef Natalie Young's food is so hearty (and so uniquely appealing), you may not feel the need for dinner. Among the specialties are cinnamon biscuits with warm strawberry compote, shrimp and grits with bacon, and the "DWBLTA" (thick, toasted sourdough bracketing thick-sliced bacon, tomato, lettuce, and avocado). The "Killer Grilled Cheese with Kick Ass Tomato Soup" lives up to its name on both counts. Then, of course, there are the deviled eggs, for which the whites on the bottom are fried. Need we say more? 

El Dorado Cantina

$$

Every day is Día de los Muertos at this chic, skull-festooned cantina in Tivoli Village, where a pair of brightly colored calacas guard the entryway. Once inside, prepare to encounter a different kind of spirit: namely, a vast selection of tequila, with over 100 varieties available in this eye-popping, high-end Mexican eatery. The menu is as inviting as the rose-covered walls, ranging from gourmet filet mignon tacos to lobster fajitas to signatures like their cedar chipotle salmon. Brunch is served all day, and there are family packages to feed the whole brood. The focus here is on using organic and non-GMO ingredients made fresh daily, meaning there's not a microwave in the house.

Famous Foods

$$

Food halls have replaced buffets in several Las Vegas casino-resorts, but nobody does it as well as Resorts World, which has one with 16 minirestaurants and a pour-it-yourself bar. Famous Foods is inspired by the street markets of Southeast Asia, and the cuisine skews in that direction, with dumplings, hand-pulled noodles, Hainanese chicken rice, yakitori, and Thai-styled braised beef. But you’ll also find Indian and FIlipino food, burgers, Texas barbecue, and Marcus Samuelsson’s Nashville-style hot chicken.

Gordon Ramsay Burger

$$

Since Gordon Ramsay's been known to flame a contestant or two, it's only fitting that his burgers are cooked over a hardwood fire. If you're looking for something a little different, consider the UK Burger, with Dubliner cheese and Major Grey's Chutney, or the Stout Burger, with Guinness mustard aioli, Gruyere, mushrooms, and crispy onion strings. Dig into one of Ramsay's rich desserts while enjoying the roaring fire.

Gordon Ramsay Pub & Grill

$$$$

Three things stand out at this comfortable, casual restaurant, conceptualized by notoriously tyrannical celebrity chef Gordon Ramsey: the libations, the cheery across-the-pond ambience, and the elevated British pub grub. Drinks have names like Goodbye Blue Sky and Bloody Orange; or slake your thirst with a Kilkenny Irish Cream Ale or Fuller's ESB Champion Beer. Hum along with classic Brit pop and rock tunes and watch soccer on any of the numerous flat-screen tellys. Seating is easy on the bum, the place settings rich and rustic. Bread isn’t complimentary, so get your yeast fix with the Ploughman's Board that also includes bone marrow, cured meats, cheese, and vegetables. Or start with maple glazed bacon or a poached shrimp cocktail. The roasted beef Wellington, braised short rib and cabbage, steak and ale pie, oak-grilled meats, crispy fish-and-chips, and lobster mac and cheese are standouts. Warm sticky toffee pudding has fans aplenty.

Grimaldi's Green Valley

$

A branch of the legendary coal-fired pizza-baker nestled beneath New York City's Brooklyn Bridge, this casual little joint in Henderson doesn't quite conjure up the atmosphere of the original, despite exposed-brick walls and red-checked tablecloths, but it does have a wine list and an extensive beer menu. What counts, of course, is the pizza, and in this regard, Grimaldi's deserves high praise. The oven-hot pies come in three sizes and with such staple toppings as spicy sausage, meatballs, and ricotta cheese and more updated ones like baby spinach and jalapeños. Finish off your meal with a cannoli or some flavor-of-the-month cheesecake. There are four other outposts in the valley.

Hash House A Go Go

$ | West Side

Hearty appetites will be richly rewarded at this quirky purveyor of so-called twisted farm food. Heaps of savory comfort food are cooked to order in this spacious restaurant done up in industrial, urban-farmhouse decor. Breakfast skillets runneth over with tender, house-cured hashes, fresh eggs, house-made biscuits and jam, and sage-fried chicken Benedict with smoked bacon, griddled mozzarella, spinach, tomato, and chipotle cream. Non-breakfast platters include sage-fired chicken and waffles; stuffed meat loaf, burgers, pork tenderloin and barbecued ribs. This expanding mini-chain has additional locations are in The LINQ Resort & Casino, the Plaza Hotel and Casino (breakfast and lunch only Sunday–Friday); in Henderson ( 555 N. Stephanie St.); and Summerlin ( 10810 W. Charleston Blvd.).

Holsteins Shakes and Buns

$$

Holsteins made its reputation (which has been known to draw the occasional celebrity) on burgers, burgers, and more burgers. But the restaurant is also known for its "Bam-Boozled" shakes, which are just as fun as they sound. Start with Philly Egg Rolls or Buffalo chicken dip, followed by a burger like the Forager Burgera beef and mushroom patty topped with mixed greens, a fried egg, tomato confit, and Swiss cheeseor a turkey or vegetarian burger, which is chicken breast on a bun or a salad. It's hard to miss; just look for the great big cow.

3708 Las Vegas Blvd. S, Las Vegas, Nevada, 89109, USA
702-698–7940
Known For
  • fun seasonal menu
  • thick "bam-boozled" shakes
  • fronted by giant cow
Restaurants Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. and Tues.

Honey Salt

$$$
The brainchild of restaurateur Elizabeth Blau and chef Kim Canteenwalla, Honey Salt is, quite simply, a fun place to eat a meal. The atmosphere is convivial, dishes are designed for sharing, and a creative kids' menu encourages diners to bring the whole family. Stand-out dishes include savory monkey bread, a salad with duck confit, and chicken curry. At weekend brunch, try the pumpkin pancakes or breakfast nachos. Even the desserts are noteworthy: you'll be thinking about the Brookie, a blend of chocolate chip cookie, brownie, and ice cream, for weeks. This is one of the places where chefs in the Vegas Valley come on their days off.

Hot N Juicy Crawfish

$ | West Side

This busy eatery has developed a loyal following for its delicious, fresh seafood, where crawfish from Louisiana is delivered regularly and available with five seasoning choices at five heat levels. But other choices can be just as good. The shellfish (Dungeness, blue, king, or snow crab; lobster, clams, shrimp, black or green mussels, and, of course, crawfish), priced at the going market rate, is ordered by the pound. When your shellfish boil appears in its plastic bag, put on the plastic bib and dig in! Baskets of fried poultry and seafood are neater alternatives and come with Cajun fries. Sides include crispy pork skin, calamari and sweet potato fries, plus a credible étouffée. There are five po'boy choices as well. You'll find two West Side locations that are fairly close to one another (the other is at 3863 Spring Mountain Road), as well as at Planet Hollywood on the Strip, downtown Las Vegas and in Henderson at 9560 South Eastern Avenue.

Il Fornaio Las Vegas

$$$$

This soothingly neutral Italian restaurant will satisfy carb cravings as well as yearnings for dishes that Grandma used to make. Crusty loaves of freshly baked bread, pasta, and dough for the excellent thin-crust, wood-oven pizzas are all made in-house. You can not only taste the love in your lasagna, but also feel the comfort that comes from watching it prepared in the exhibition kitchen, whence seasoned fish, grilled meats, and pork osso buco are also created and plated with fresh ingredients. Tiramisu is a must and best enjoyed from the terrace, where you can watch passersby. Buy a loaf to go in the diminutive bakery, just steps away; other foodie finds are also available.  Il Fornaio is a great place for breakfast and brunch or for pastry takeout from the bakery.

L2 Texas BBQ

$$ | East Side

Taking its name from two owners (both named Larry), this barbecue joint moved to inherit the smoked meat addicts left stranded when Memphis Championship Barbecue abandoned the same location. The atmosphere is unchanged, and they didn't have to worry about the delicious smell of smoke that saturated the sheet-metal–accented interior. Barbecue fans are picky, but L2 seems to have held its own. It certainly delivers on quantity: the big hook is a $35, all-you-can-eat-in-one-hour special. Smaller appetites will find the usual one- or two-meat dinner platters, and those not so infatuated with barbecue will be happy to find an array of sandwiches and burgers to choose from for about $14, and even—gasp—a healthy roster of salads.

La Pizza e La Pasta

$$$$

If you’re looking for something a little more sit-down-and-relax than Eataly’s forage-style food hall, consider this mid-priced part of the Italian behemoth. Two towering, gold-tiled pizza ovens turn out Neapolitan-style pies in numerous varieties, while the pasta side offers house-made fresh pasta dishes, such as pappardelle con funghi, lasagna Emiliana, and ravioli di zucca, and others made with dried pasta imported from Gragnano, Italy, such as spaghetti cacio e pepe, and linguine con frutti di mare. Antipasti and salads are also served.

770 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas, Nevada, 89109, USA
702-730–7644
Known For
  • fresh pasta and dried imported from Italy
  • pizzas made in state-of-the-art ovens
  • price point not far above food hall
Restaurants Details
Rate Includes: Two-course prix-fixe menu available at lunch

Lindo Michoacán

$$ | East Side

Javier Barajas, the congenial owner and host of this colorful cantina group, named it after his birthplace in Mexico. He presents outstanding specialties that he learned to cook while growing up in the culinary capital of Michoacán. Don't miss the carnitas and try the cabrito birria de chivo (roasted goat with red mole sauce). Guacamole is made tableside, and the flan is a silken wonder. There's no reason to stick to Mexican-restaurant basics when the menu is so expansivethe lunch menu alone offers 37 choices. Two newer locations are in Henderson and Summerlin, but the original is a singular experience: A dense labyrinth of rooms with arched ceilings and brightly colored walls covered in bric-a-brac, and table visits from strolling mariachis.

2655 E. Desert Inn Rd., Las Vegas, Nevada, 89121, USA
702-735–6828
Known For
  • specialties from Michoacán region
  • table-side guacamole
  • colorful, lively atmosphere

Mabel's BBQ

$

Michael Symon, TV celebrity chef and the man who revived the Cleveland culinary scene, took his show on the road to Las Vegas with this meat-centric spot at the Palms. "Pig Parts" (crispy ears, tails and cracklin's) may seem like a novelty to some, but there's no doubting the seriousness of his pork, beef, poultry, and carefully conceived sides, as well as the long list of brews to go with them. Those looking for a daytime party will find it at the weekend brunch (but only during football season), when the airy, two-level space has either a DJ (Saturday) or live music (Sunday) and "bottomless" cocktails.

4321 W. Flamingo Rd., Las Vegas, Nevada, 89103, USA
702-944–5931
Known For
  • house-smoked meats
  • crispy pig parts
  • bottle-aged cocktails
Restaurants Details
Rate Includes: Closed Tues. and Wed. No lunch

Metro Pizza

$ | West Side

Younger Las Vegans call this local success story "the pizza they grew up on," while the smell of dough when they walk in the door may trigger older patrons' own childhood memories of their youthful pizza parlors. Look for size and value on the deep-dish pies, not fancy salads or artisan experiments, on the family-friendly menu. Metro is more about big stuffed pizzas with names such as the Stockyard or the Zamboni that are as hearty and meat-filled as you might imagine, and it's been growing with the city since the 1980s. The modest Westside original still has a 1950s-style diner look in a strip mall next to a supermarket. As native Las Vegans grew up and went to UNLV, home base might have become the second, freestanding location near campus ( 1395 E. Tropicana Ave.). The large freestanding Henderson location ( 4001 W. Decatur Blvd.) may be chain's pride and joy, and the fourth arrival is coming way north in the Centennial Hills area.

Nellie’s Southern Kitchen

$$$$

The Jonas Brothers have captured the hearts of a generation of music fans, and Nellie’s has claimed dominion over their stomachs. Named after their great-grandmother and an offshoot of the original in North Carolina, the restaurant serves appropriately Southern riffs-on-classics at lunch and dinner. You can start with a basket of biscuits with cinnamon butter and jam, pimento cheese or collards and artichoke dip, or fried green tomatoes, and proceed to dishes like fried chicken with four-cheese mac and drunken collard greens, a waffle with lobster tail dipped in Nashville hot sauce, meatloaf, or a rib-eye steak. Live music is, as you might expect, a staple.

Pasta Shop Ristorante & Art Gallery

$$

This house-made pasta pioneer (which sells to Strip resorts) is part restaurant and part art gallery, showcasing the owner's works. Pasta is, as you might expect, the specialty here, shown to advantage in dishes such as Artisan Pasta Anne (spinach pappardelle with grilled shrimp, feta, and tomatoes in a scampi sauce). There also are vegan dishes, pizzas, and salads, including the popular "Live Forever Salad" with wild greens, brown rice, tomatoes, and roasted cashews.

2525 W. Horizon Ridge Pkwy., Las Vegas, Nevada, 89052, USA
702-451–1893
Known For
  • house-made pasta
  • friendly, personable service
  • extensive options for vegans

Ping Pang Pong

$ | West Side

Delicious regional (mostly Cantonese) fare includes marvelous dim sum made fresh daily (and available until 3 pm). The great food often compels discerning diners—many of whom hail from Vegas's large Asian community—to brave the smoky, low-rollers casino floor of the Gold Coast. Named for three characters in Puccini's opera Turandot (Pong is head chef of the imperial kitchen), this well-regarded restaurant moved into a larger, upgraded space (the hotel's former showroom) in 2017. Order authentically prepared dishes such as chicken lettuce cups, chitlin spicy fish stew, preserved-egg porridge, or spicy Dungeness crab with peppercorn, along with a glass of chrysanthemum iced tea and sweet pineapple buns for dessert, soft and warm from the oven. Chefs will cater to customers' requests for small, unique offerings not on the menu, as long as the ingredients are on hand. The restaurant is open nightly until 3 am.

Pizza Rock

$$

Eleven-time world pizza champion Tony Gemignani installed four ovens in this heavily renovated, industrial-chic space in the Downtown Third district so he could produce all styles of pizza: Neapolitan, Romano, American, New York, classic Italian, Californian, New York/New Haven, Sicilian, and Chicago. Don't neglect the starters, though; the fried green beans with garlic and olive oil and beer-battered fried artichokes are worth the trip alone. The group table with a roulette wheel in the center is quite a sight.

Primrose

$$$

The sunlit Primrose perfectly reflects the all-about-nature theme of Park MGM and is a great place to stop for a quick morning coffee or pressed juice, a bountiful breakfast, or sparkling rosé all day (or at least until 2 pm). Breakfast ranges from the traditional to the likes of deep-dish pancakes with almond whipped cream, with pastas, poultry, burgers, and salads for later on.

Ra Sushi Bar Restaurant

$$$

Take a break from shopping and step into this dimly lighted restaurant and lounge that's part of a growing chain with a menu of both sushi and cooked entrées. Delicious sushi rolls might include the Gojira (with shrimp tempura, crab mix, cream cheese, and cucumber) or the Crazy Monkey (stuffed with smoked salmon, mango, and cream cheese and topped with avocado, red tempura bits, cashews, and sweet eel sauce). Heartier fare includes chicken, shrimp or steak yakisoba or black pepper New York strip. The happy hour specials here are popular with the locals. Late-night noshers appreciate that it's open until midnight, 1 am on Friday and Saturday.