VEGAS RESTAURANT ROUNDUP: New Foodie Options Open Along with Durango Casino

Posted on: December 5, 2023, 12:45h. 

Last updated on: December 9, 2023, 01:04h.

Corey Levitan Read More
Expertise: Commercial Gaming, Entertainment, Expert Insight, Las Vegas, Las Vegas Myths.

Station Casinos opened its $780M Durango Casino Resort southwest of the Las Vegas Strip at 6915 S. Durango Drive on Tuesday. And while its 83K square-foot casino boasts the latest in slot machines and table games, the selection for foodies is no less impressive.

The entrance to Nicco’s Prime Cuts & Fresh Fish at the freshly opened Durango Casino. (Image: Durango)

Here’s the lineup:

  • Bel-Aire?Lounge and Bel-Aire Backyard
    Managed by the Millennial-centric Clique Hospitality, this posh lounge, situated adjacent to the Durango’s lobby, specializes in small plates, including Kobe sliders, sushi rolls, and bites of crispy rice.
  • Eat Your Heart Out Food Hall

    A selection of menu items from Shang Artisan Noodle, a transplant from Las Vegas’ west side. (Image: Durango)

    Because the food hall is the new buffet, this upscale addition offers a choice of Hawaiian street food from owner-chef Gene Villatora at Ai Pono Café, Italian fusion from Philly’s James Beard-winning Chef Marc Vetri at Fiorella, ?the LA institution Irv’s Burgers, slices from New York City’s Prince Street Pizza, and New York deli food courtesy of Uncle Paulie’s. Additional stations include Nielsen’s Frozen?Custard, Oyster Bar,?Shang Artisan Noodle, Vesta Coffee,?and Yu-Or-Mi Sushi & Sake Bar.

  • The George Sportsmen’s Lounge
    This hybrid sports bar, 24/7 diner, and outdoor entertainment mecca is next to the STN Sportsbook, whose 4,200 square feet of digital LED screen is fully viewable from the George’s raised lounge. The menu is a similar hybrid that suggests a meeting of Buffalo Wild Wings with Peter Luger. It features baked goat cheese, bacon cheeseburgers, and a 32-ounce Tomahawk ribeye.
  • Mijo Modern Mexican Restaurant
    Coastal Mexico is celebrated with charred octopus with white beans, coconut ceviche, and a 3-lb. grilled lobster. Wax Rabbit, a speakeasy hidden in the back of the restaurant — pull the correct rabbit head to enter — specializes in agave spirits.

    The Australian Wagyu tomahawk steak served at Nicco’s. (Image: Sabin Orr)

     

  • Nicco’s Prime Cuts & Fresh Fish
    Run by Chef Danny Ye, the Durango’s traditional steakhouse is anything but. Sure, it serves USDA prime, dry-aged, and Wagyu cuts in three dining rooms, two private rooms, and a fountain terrace. But the seafood menu shares equal billing. It spotlights crispy Dover Sole, citrusy yellowtail crudo, and bluefin tuna topped with Kaluga caviar and gold flakes
  • Summer House
    This chain opened its first location in Chicago in 2013 and another in Bethesda, M.D., two years later. It serves Golden State staples such as fish tacos, pasta, and salads with Brussels sprouts and Hass avocados.