Mercadito's Spencer Campbell on A Must-Try Deli and an Old-School Bar

Sin City is home to a lot of restaurants and bars, but there are tons of hidden gems that the majority of Las Vegans aren't unearthing. To help guide us to these potential discoveries, we've enlisted some of our city's food players to share their recommendations for a weekly feature dubbed Dining Confidential. Know a chef who wants to share some top dining spots? The tipline is open.

Spencer Campbell grew up with the restaurant industry in his blood. His great grandparents owned The Nevada Cafe on First Street and The Tasty Pastry on Fremont Street in the ’50s and ’60s. His first restaurant job had him polishing glassware at Yellowtail at the Bellagio, then cooking at Liquid at Aria. When the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas opened, Campbell bussed tables at Jaleo and China Poblano before moving up to a server. Now he’s part of the opening team at Mercadito at Red Rock Resort, where he’s the manager.

"When I'm not working my wife and I love having friends and family over for dinner," Campbell says. "Grab some fresh herbs and vegetables from the garden. Turn on the grill, pop up open some bottles of wine and hang out by the fire in the backyard."

Here he shares his favorite go-to spot after work, a deli he frequents twice a week and an old-school bar with a must-order hamburger.

Which restaurants do you turn to when you’re not working?
Raku in Chinatown, Weiss Deli in Henderson and The Dispensary on Tropicana and Eastern.

What dishes are most memorable?
At Raku, the Kobe beef tendon and the enoki mushrooms wrapped in bacon are a must to eat when I go in there. I've always really enjoyed anything they have as a special as well.

Weiss Deli has the mother of all hash with sunny side up eggs and everything bagel. Order the crispy corn beef hash with runny eggs garlicky everything bagel and lots of hot sauce. Use the bagel to sop up the remnants.

At The Dispensary, I order the steak burger with shoe string fries. It’s a great steak burger, perfectly charred to temp. P.S. always ask for the homemade mustard sauce

Why do you enjoy going there?
Raku is always a great dining experience. Nothing better than getting off a long shift late at night and gathering all your friends to go to Raku, drinking beer and eating perfectly prepared yakatori.

Weiss Deli is a Jewish Deli and restaurant right down the street from my house. They make their bread in house and cure some of their own meats. I have been going at least twice a week for the last 10 years. Everything on their menu is fresh and the staff is very friendly. 

At The Dispensary, I love a dirty old man bar It has been there since the ’70s. It has amazing burgers, water wheel features, and shag carpet. What more could you ask for?