Classic downtown Las Vegas restaurant faces murky future
Siegel’s 1941, the El Cortez restaurant named for Bugsy Siegel, Las Vegas’ favorite mobster (and onetime owner of the property) — a place that serves American standards garnished with nostalgia (plus some of the city’s best matzo ball soup) — might be closing for renovation into another concept, or closing for renovation into a refreshed Siegel’s, or something else.
Nothing has been decided, said Mike Nolan, chief operating officer of the downtown hotel-casino, stressing that El Cortez is still awaiting bids from contractors. The kitchen needs remodeling, he said, and the property could also remodel the dining room while the kitchen is closed.
Changes of whatever nature, he said, would not debut earlier than the second quarter of 2026. Vital Vegas first reported on potential changes and closing.
Menu history
The restaurant debuted in June 2015, replacing Flame Steakhouse. Besides Bugsy Siegel, the restaurant name nods to the year the property opened, on Nov. 7 of that year, a month before Pearl Harbor. The enduring design features red upholstery, white tiles and black accents overseen by images of Siegel and his Vegas confrères.
Year-one dishes, as the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported, ranged from bananas Foster pancakes (now a Vegas mainstay), eggs Benedict (Florentine or with smoked salmon), a Cobb salad and a Chicago Italian beef sandwich to a pair of Outfit-inspired burgers (a Siegel with applewood-smoked bacon, a Luciano with marinara), meatloaf and shepherd’s pie specials, grilled ahi steak with sesame shiitake noodles, and matzo ball soup.
The menu has changed over the years, of course, and today it features all-day, late-night, dessert and cocktail offerings. The matzo ball soup remains.
Contact Johnathan L. Wright at jwright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @JLWTaste on Instagram.
