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Three years after opening its first location in Silverado Ranch, Slater’s 50/50 eyes a second, debuting on the edge of Summerlin as soon as early 2022. The combination of half ground beef and half ground bacon burger patties takes over the former Osaka space at Lake Mead Boulevard and Buffalo Drive. Co-owner Andy Kao says he was slowly looking from a second location when the space became available. “It’s one of those opportunities for a fantastic location that doesn’t come around very often,” he says.
Osaka closed after a 23-year run on Lake Mead Boulevard and Buffalo Drive on September 26. Owner Joy Faas-Nakanishi decided to retire and move to Florida. The last day of service was September 26.
Kao says he plans to renovate the 4,500-square-foot standalone space, adding two patios. One of the former private dining rooms converts into a walk-in refrigerator to accommodate the 50 beers on tap.
Kao tasted his first Slater’s 50/50 burger when he celebrated his birthday in Pasadena while in college. The wait was three hours, so he returned the following Monday and only waited an hour for a seat. He moved back to Las Vegas, got married, and had three kids when he thought about where to take his family for dinner that had food that kids like, beer, and good dishes for the adults with an easy-on-the-wallet price point. Kao opened the first location in Silverado Ranch in 2018 with Vegas-style marquee letters greeting diners at the entrance, two walls made from hundreds of tap handles, and pop art pieces of Slater’s signature burgers.
The menu at Slater’s 50/50 includes a wide collection of burger choices, including unconventional ingredient combinations, such as the P B and Jellousy burger, made with peanut butter and strawberry jelly. A robust collection of local and regional craft beer on tap line the menu, beer pairings for each entree. Kao also opted to add an only-in-Vegas burger with the whale burger, featured on Netflix’s new culinary show Fresh, Fried & Crispy. The whale burger comes with a fried lobster tail, one pound of wagyu beef, three slices of gold dusted “billionaire’s” bacon strips, truffle cheese, arugula, bacon jam, and roasted garlic aioli, sandwiched between a gold-dusted brioche bun. This $100 special menu item is served with Slater’s fries with bacon ketchup and includes a 375-milliliter bottle of Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label Brut Champagne. Customers can find the whale burger menu by touching NFC tags placed throughout the restaurant or by pointing their QR scanner at the whale tail mosaic.