Clique Hospitality is well on its way to replacing Mexican restaurant Mercadito at Red Rock Resort with a declared opening date and the quiet shuttering of the Chicago import.
Now scheduled to debut on Feb. 4, Libre Mexican Cantina will drop into the space with "slight but elegant renovations" and new creations from chef Brian Massie, who already oversees Salute and Hearthstone Kitchen & Cellar at the resort.
On the menu, "street corn fritters and shrimp dynamite tacos," plus a focus on healthier options including brown rice bowls and vegan and gluten-free dishes. In keeping with the cantina name, the bar will offer "varying Mexican cervezas, as well as a cache of tequilas."
Ahead of the grand opening, Libre has also launched a contest for locals to win free tacos for a year.
Mercadito arrived in Las Vegas from Chicago in June 2014, nearly 10 months after being first revealed. Their original bold expansion plans called for them to create another Mercadito outpost at the Green Valley Ranch in Henderson and bring along another Chicago project, the Tippling Hall cocktail bar. The original Tippling Hall has since shuttered in Chicago and Mercadito has also closed its New York branches.