Border Grill chefs to open Mexican BBQ take-away window at Mandalay Bay

Border Grill’s Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken are the latest big-name chefs to get into the grab-and-go game, with some help from their local chef Mike Minor.

The team is preparing to open a take-away window in Mandalay Bay, offering quick-service Mexican cuisine with a barbecue twist. It will be located just across the walkway from Border Grill, on the promenade that connects the hotel and casino to the convention center and Shark Reef.

Minor, who recently returned to the executive chef position at Border Grill’s Mandalay Bay location, will oversee the operation. The “Chopped” alumnus has a history of combining Mexican and barbecue cuisines.

In 2014, he left Border Grill after nearly a decade to pursue the fusion of styles full time with a food truck called Truck U Barbecue, earning a dedicated local following. He was later announced as a partner in Bandito Latin Kitchen & Cantina, where he was expected to offer the same style of cuisine. But he parted company with the project before it opened. During his subsequent tenure at Lorena Garcia’s Chica, and since his return to the Border Grill fold, fans have wondered when he might get back to his smoker.

There’s no word yet on an official name for the new venture. But construction is expected to begin within the next couple of weeks, with an eye on a spring opening.

Contact Al Mancini at amancini@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlManciniVegas on Twitter.