Tacos 1986, For the Win debuting in The Resort at Summerlin

Tacos 1986 started as a street cart in a parking lot, For the Win as a pivot from French fine dining to smash burgers during the pandemic. Now, these mainstays of Los Angeles quick-serve cookery are set to enter the Las Vegas market with planned debuts in March at The Neighborhood Food Hall in The Resort at Summerlin (previously JW Marriott).

The Neighborhood is the new name for the property’s collection of restaurants that lie along the promenade near the Palm Tower — not just Tacos 1986 and For the Win, but also Ai Pazzi and Ai Pazzi Pizza from celebrated chef Fabio Viviani, Pearls Oyster & Crudo Bar and Nom Wah, the first West Coast location of the longtime dim sum spot from New York City.

Handmade tortillas

Tacos 1986 celebrates Tijuana-style tacos, deploying handmade corn tortillas stocked with grilled meats (pollo asado, carne asada, thinly sliced pork adobada cooked on a trompo vertical spit), guacamole, salsa, onions and a flurry of cilantro. A hongos vegan version swaps the meat for mushrooms.

The Tacos 1986 menu also features signature perrónes tacos (a Baja specialty) built from house flour tortillas, meat, cheese and pinto beans; mulitas, a “sandwich” layering meat and cheese between corn tortillas; and vampiros tacos, a crunchy communion of corn tortillas, meat, cheese and garnishes.

“Tacos 1986 was born on the streets of Los Angeles with a simple goal — to honor the Tijuana-style taco and do it right,” Victor Delgado, founder-owner of Tacos 1986, said in an announcement. “Expanding to The Resort at Summerlin marks an exciting chapter, as Tacos 1986 extends that philosophy to Las Vegas and connects two dynamic food cities.”

Slim and loaded

For the Win, the second new concept, combines craft with a popular approach to burgers, calling on a patty smashed thin with grilled onions, then topped with pickles and signature fry sauce, all served on a toasted Martin’s potato bun.

The menu continues with a vegetable burger, a grilled cheese, slim-cut fries, sweet potato fries, loaded fries (American cheese, grilled onions, house fry sauce), and crisp Brussels sprouts fried in beef tallow, then spiked with balsamic vinegar and lemon juice.

“We’re thrilled to bring the bold flavors of Los Angeles to The Resort at Summerlin, uniting two incredible foodie cities. We can’t wait to share the taste and experience our guests have come to love with the Las Vegas community,” Santos Uy, founder-owner of For the Win, said in the announcement.

Follow @TheResortAtSummerlin on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook for updates on the openings.

Contact Johnathan L. Wright at jwright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @JLWTaste on Instagram.