23 places for casual American cuisine
Each week Neon spotlights a different cuisine in the Dining Guide, with casual American restaurants this week. Restaurants are rated on a letter-grade scale, from A to F. Opinions by R-J critic Heidi Knapp Rinella (H.K.R.) are indicated by initials. Price symbols are based on the cost of an average entree: $ = entrees less than $10; $$ = entrees $10 to $20; $$$ = entrees $20 to $30; and $$$$ = entrees more than $30.
BABYSTACKS CAFE
2400 N. Buffalo Drive; 541-6708
Red-velvet pancakes with cream-cheese syrup are a specialty of the house at Babystacks Cafe and, sweetness aside, they’re pretty good. But we liked even better the Portuguese sausage and eggs, Mexican omelet and buttermilk pancakes. And next time we’ll try the lemon-ricotta pancakes. (3/4/11 H.K.R.)
Overall: A-
$
BLACK BEAR DINER
6180 W. Tropicana Ave.; 368-1077
You might as well go big at Black Bear Diner, because the only alternative is to go home. But it’s worth it thanks to the charming atmosphere, solid service and good food, such as crispy-edged chicken-fried steak with creamy gravy, eggs and potatoes; housemade corned-beef hash — the meat shredded — with eggs and fried potatoes; and a flaky, cinnamon-rich bear claw that was, well, about as big as a real bear’s paw. (5/10/13 H.K.R.)
Overall: A
$
BON CHEF CAFE
10720 S. Eastern Ave., Henderson; 269-4700
Bon Chef Cafe impressed us with its ability to balance a huge party with us regular restaurant customers, but no less than it impressed us with its food and smooth service. We thoroughly enjoyed a Caprese salad with grilled eggplant tucked between the layers of tomato, mozzarella and basil, plus macaroni al forno with a velvety Bechamel sauce and the Mixed Grill Kebab, with chicken, lamb and beef, and an all-American piece of carrot cake for dessert. (8/9/13 H.K.R.)
Overall: A-
$$
BORN AND RAISED
7260 S. Cimarron Road; 685-0258
Sliders are the way to go at Born and Raised; they have a lucky 13 of them, many of them quite creative — and delicious, in the case of the Cubano trio we tasted. We thought the barbecue sauce on Bucky B’s Jack Daniel’s Ribs was on the too-sweet side, but a grilled artichoke was right on the money. (9/16/13 H.K.R.)
Overall: B+
$$
BOULDER PIT STOP
802 Buchanan Blvd., Boulder City; 293-7080
The Boulder Pit Stop isn’t fancy — no doubt about that — but its kitchen makes a mean hamburger, filled with beefy flavor. We had the Double Pit Burger with its two-third pound patties and also liked the fries, which are served in mountain-sized portions, and the fish and chips, whose shatteringly golden crust cloaks the moist cod within. (9/2/11 H.K.R.)
Overall: B+
$
BREAD &BUTTER
10940 S. Eastern Ave., Henderson; 675-3300
The simple name of this breakfast-and-lunch spot belies its broad selection of excellent baked goods and such made-to-order delights as the huge waffle sandwich, in which a pile of creamy scrambled eggs plus cheese and ham rest between two delicate waffles, with an addictive Bechamel ladled atop. We also like the flatbread of the day, which on our day involved potatoes, asparagus and a creamy sauce, topped with a sunny-side egg. (9/21/12 H.K.R.)
Overall: A
$
BRONZE CAFE
The Center, 401 S. Maryland Parkway; 202-3100
A friend’s attempt to tempt us into a vegan offering — the Tree of Life sandwich — failed but we ended up tasting it anyway, and seldom has vegan tasted so good. The Vegan Specialty Cake wasn’t as successful, but we thoroughly enjoyed the LGBTQ with its bacon and bacon jam, and the baba ghanoush with warm pita triangles. (8/23/13 H.K.R.)
Overall: B+
$
BULDOGIS
2291 S. Fort Apache Road; 570-7560
Buldogis specializes in fusion food — that would be Korean flavor added to the classic American hot dog — and it works pretty well, as in the Banh Mi Dog, which comes with Vietnamese-inspired slaw and a slice of pork belly. Buldogis is breaking out into burgers, too, and the Bulgogi Burger successfully melded the two cuisines with bulgogi (Korean grilled beef), slaw and mayo. Fried pickle spears were pretty good, but we thought the Classic Buldogis fries needed a bit more seasoning. (11/16/12 H.K.R.)
Overall: B+
$
CARNEGIE DELI
The Mirage, 3400 Las Vegas Blvd. South; 791-7310
The Carnegie Deli’s prices are up there — no doubt about that — but so are its portions and the quality of its food. It’s been eons since we tasted sauerkraut as wonderfully pungent as that which topped our open-face Reuben with its tender pastrami and blanket of Swiss, or corned beef with as many layers of flavor as that which formed the foundation of our huge platter of hash. And borscht was a bracing, refreshing feast of textures and flavors. (5/11/12 H.K.R.)
Overall: A
$$$
THE DAILY EGG
5255 S. Decatur Blvd.; 431-4714
Service at The Daily Egg was with a smile but without a sense of urgency, but the food was so good we decided to just relax and go with it. What made it all worthwhile was the Classic Gyro Omelet, the chicken Shawarma Breakfast Pita, crispy home fries, a big fluffy pancake and a cup of well-varied fresh fruit. (1/11/13 H.K.R.)
Overall: A-
$
THE DILLINGER
1224 Arizona St., Boulder City; 293-4001
The Dillinger feels more like a bar than a restaurant but don’t let that put you off, because it’s warm and welcoming, just like its home community of little Boulder City. And the food transcends any idea of bar fare, with such dishes as a deftly fire-roasted artichoke, the brisket sandwich, the Ortega burger with its split-and-roasted Ortega pepper, and sides of onion rings and slightly sweet cinnamon-dusted sweet-potato fries. (12/14/12 H.K.R.)
Overall: A-
$
THE DINER
Las Vegas Motorcoach Resort, 8175 Arville St.; 263-0146
We love reader tips because we never would have found The Diner without one and it turned out to be a hidden gem, decorated in classic diner style without being too kitschy. That kind of applies to the food, too; we highly recommend the over-the-top Killer Club, the Frisco Burger, chicken fingers and sides of onion rings and potato salad. (12/27/13 H.K.R.)
Overall: A-
$
EAT
707 Carson Ave.; 534-1515
Eat — one of the latest additions to the burgeoning Fremont East entertainment district -— has a novel concept: simple food, kicked up a notch or two, served in streamlined but cozy surroundings. We had a few quibbles but really liked everything we had: green chile chicken posole; roast beef on ciabatta with blue cheese, sauteed mushrooms, pickled red onions and arugula; and the DWBLTA, a BLT with avocado and chipotle mayo on toasted sourdough. (11/30/12 H.K.R.)
Overall: A-
$$
EDDIE D’S FAMOUS ITALIAN SANDWICHES
6870 Rainbow Blvd.; 541-8792
Eddie D’s has fantastic service — friendly and affable and efficient — for a counter-service place, and it was on an employee’s initiative that we tried the excellent meatballs. And so, naturally, we loved the meatball Parmigian sub as well as a Genoa salami sandwich, though we thought the tiny meatballs in the Italian wedding soup were kind of bland and rubbery, especially by comparison. (2/10/12 H.K.R.)
Overall: B+
$
THE EGG &I
4533 W. Sahara Ave.; 364-9686
A car-restaurant wreck this spring certainly hasn’t kept people away from The Egg &I, which was positively packed when we went late on a weekday morning. The draw, no doubt, is the simple American fare, kicked up a notch in dishes such as housemade shredded corned beef hash and eggs, a Sicilian Skillet with Italian sausage, marinara, peppers and onions and warm banana muffins rich enough to qualify as an indulgence. (6/21/13 H.K.R.)
Overall: A-
$
ELIXIR
2920 N. Green Valley Parkway, Henderson; 702-272-0000
Elixir bills itself as “a local lounge” but, following the recent practice among poker bars, its menu lists far more than bar food. Stuffed mushrooms were a good way to start, but we thought the flavors in the French onion soup, beef stroganoff and chicken roulade were a little too generic. (12/16/13 H.K.R.)
Overall: B
$$
GRILL 55
Renaissance Las Vegas, 3400 Paradise Road; 784-5700
Grill 55 is first and foremost a bar — the laid-back counterpart of the hotel’s Envy Steakhouse — so the atmosphere can get a little crazy during busy times at the adjacent Las Vegas Convention Center, but it serves nothing in the way of old-school bar food. We loved the Truffle Reggiano Fries, the Devil’s Eyes fried deviled eggs, the Signature 55 Burger and the barbecued chicken flatbread pizza. (11/9/12 H.K.R.)
Overall: A-
$$
THE GRIDDLE
9480 S. Eastern Ave. (and three other locations, one of which is called Mollie’s Kountry Kafe); 360-3636
Plate-sized pancakes that are light and fluffy but still substantial enough to hold together, porous enough to absorb the butter and syrup, can be somewhat of a challenge. But not at The Griddle, where they come off the griddle perfectly. We had them as part of a Lumberjack platter that also included a couple of eggs and bacon or link sausage. Also worthy of note: the crab cake Benedict, one of a long list of The Griddle’s Benedicts and one with a crab-centric base and a well-executed Hollandaise. (6/29/12 H.K.R.)
Overall: A-
$
HOPS &HARVEST
Tivoli Village, 450 S. Rampart Blvd.; 702-476-3964
Make no mistake; Bradley Ogden’s Hops &Harvest is no clone of his late, eponymous Caesars Palace restaurant, but it’s just right for the ‘burbs — casual, friendly and easy on the wallet. We loved the Pork Belly Bites, the Avocado Swiss Burger, the braised shortribs and the butterscotch pudding. (10/11/13 H.K.R.)
Overall: A
$$
MAC SHACK
8680 W. Warm Springs Road; 463-2433
One step from fast food, the counter-service Mac Shack offers economical, well-prepared pasta dishes in a sleek, casual atmosphere and seems to be of particular interest to busy families. We designed our own rigatoni dish with marinara, meatball and sun-dried tomatoes, and also liked the Farmhouse Pasta, farfalle with creamy sauce, ham and peas. But we’d advised skipping the oh-so-plain garlic loaves. (8/10/12 H.K.R.)
Overall: A-
$
THE MARTINI
1205 S. Fort Apache Road; 227-8464
The Martini replaced the former Martinis and there’s still an emphasis on the classic drink, with a menu that includes lots of variations and art prominently featured on the walls. But the food, which is a couple of notches above bar food, measures up quite nicely, especially the Martini Sliders, Margherita flatbread and chicken scallopine, although the risotto served with the latter was on the chalky side. (3/30/12 H.K.R.)
Overall: A-
$$
MICHAEL MINA’S PUB 1842
MGM Grand, 3799 Las Vegas Blvd. South; 891-3922
If the words “Michael Mina’s” didn’t begin the name of this sports/gastro/American pub at the MGM Grand we’d probably think it was just fine, but we’ve come to expect more creativity than this from Mina. That actually did show in the Tempura Maitake Mushrooms, although the Frickles, 1842 Burger and A Bit of Everything barbecue plate were pretty garden-variety. (11/22/13 H.K.R.)
Overall: B
$$$
SOUL FOOD CAFE
7320 S. Rainbow Blvd.; 998-9780
Perfectly fried chicken is more of an art than a science and the artists at Soul Food Cafe have perfected it, with juicy meat that fairly spurts when the golden-brown crust is breached by knife and fork. We also loved the hot-water cornbread that was served as a starter, the fried okra, black-eyed peas, hush puppies, grilled pork chops and yams and hated the fact that we were too full to even consider dessert. (2/22/13 H.K.R.)
Overall: A-
$$
