Downtown Las Vegas barbecue spot heading to the Strip
SoulBelly BBQ, a mainstay of downtown Las Vegas dining and a sign of culinary resilience when it opened in 2021 during the pandemic, is taking the brisket, pulled pork and crisp mac and cheese from South Main Street to the Strip.
The restaurant, named in 2024 as a Top 100 restaurant by the Las Vegas Review-Journal and a top Texas-style barbecue spot outside that state by Texas Monthly, is planning to open an outpost in 2026 at the Miracle Eats Food Court in Miracle Mile Shops next to Planet Hollywood, according to a Tuesday statement from the shops.
Chef Bruce Kalman, a James Beard Award nominee and “Chopped” champion on the Food Network, owns SoulBelly. At the food court, look for low-and-slow brisket, pulled pork, sausage and other meats, along with rice bowls, salads, and shareables such as cheese bites, crisp mac and cheese and crisp Brussels sprouts.
Openings and closings
Miracle Mile Shops announced Miracle Eats in December 2023. When it opens, SoulBelly will join seven other concepts at the food hall: Carnegie Pizza (pies in New York and other styles), Chipotle Mexican Grill, Dave’s Hot Chicken (spicy tenders and sandwiches), Fat Tuesday (daiquiris), Irv’s Burgers (L.A. burger staple), Lobster ME (lobster tacos and rolls and other seafood), and Tacotarian (vegan tacos).
The new SoulBelly (and the August debut of Irv’s) continue the ongoing changes to the food and drink offerings at the Miracle Mile Shops, including the closing of Ocean One Bar and Grille, one of the cheapest restaurants on the Strip, in late 2024, and the July news that Blue Martini would be moving to a three-story, $9.3 million nightlife space in the former Urban Outfitters in the shops.
Visit soulbellybbq.com or follow @soulbellybbqlv.
Contact Johnathan L. Wright at jwright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @JLWTaste on Instagram.
