Virgil’s Real Barbecue Pushed Back to Fall Debut at The Linq

The plywood at The Linq has been promising a summer debut for New York's Virgil's Real Barbecue for months, but a lack of obvious progress has now been confirmed by the promenade's own web pages, now announcing the restaurant will not open until the fall.

Created by the Alicart Restaurant Group, who operate Carmine's at the Forum Shops at Caesars across Las Vegas Boulevard, the 14,000-square-foot project takes over from shuttered Asian street market-themed F.A.M.E. dining bazaar and adds a whole new level.

Virgil's Real BBQ rendering

Virgil's Real BBQ. Rendering/Photo: The Linq/Bradley Martin

Set to offer live music nightly, the upgrades will unveil private dining rooms, seating for up to 300 guests and three outdoor spaces, including a poolside patio at the Linq Hotel next door.

The menu from executive chef Neal Corman is inspired by the regional barbecue flavors of Tennessee, Kentucky, Texas, the Carolinas and Missouri.

Virgil's smokes its meats at a low temperature over indirect heat for up to 10 hours with a mix of hickory, oak and fruit woods. Traditional sides include barbecue beans, coleslaw and cheese grits.

The Linq promenade will continue to be busy with construction and openings for the remainder of the year, with arrivals scheduled over the next six months for Gordon Ramsay Fish & Chips, L.A.'s Canter's Deli, an Amorino gelato store, the return of daiquiri bar Purple Zebra and the first Strip location for In-N-Out Burger.