Four New Restaurants to Try in Las Vegas Right Now

WESTSIDE — La Cruda By El Compa, a sister restaurant to Birria El Compa, specializes in birria, carnitas, and menudo dishes. Try birria de res (beef), birria de chivo (goat), cueritos,and lengua de puerco, each served with free chips, salsa, frijoles, and a small bowl of onions, cilantro, and limes. La Cruda By El Compa, 3111 S. Valley View Boulevard, Suite 101, 702-913-7918. Open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday through Tuesday. [EaterWire]

UNIVERSITY — Take a trip back in time at Back to the ’80s Cafe & More with rad desserts, time warp milkshakes, smooth criminal smoothies, burgers, and sandwiches, many with catchy names that nod to the New Wave era of television, film, and music. Try chili cheese Tetris tots, a Paul Reuben sandwich, Doc Brown burger, or a Culture Club sandwich. The restaurant features a full bar, arcade games, and ’80s memorabilia. Back to the ’80s Cafe & More, 4755 S. Maryland Pkwy., 702-895-7885. Open from noon to 2 a.m. Tuesday through Sunday. [EaterWire]

WESTSIDE — Trask’s Chicken & Fish replaced the shuttered Flame Broiler on the westside, located at the Rainbow Business Center, close to the intersection of Rainbow Boulevard and Washington Avenue with a south side of Chicago take on its fast-casual menu. Operators La’Charles and Larry Trask offer chicken dinners in half and quarter birds, white and dark meat, as well as chicken wings and catfish. The restaurant features a mural depicting a CTA Red Line train at the 95th Street station inside. Trask’s Chicken & Fish, 651 N. Rainbow Boulevard, 702-209-3448. Open from 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and until 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. [EaterWire]

NORTHWEST — District 7 Pho simmers its broths for 20 hours before adding them to pho with steak, tendon, brisket, beef meatballs, or fatty flank. The restaurant also offers dry pho tossed with proteins and served with veggies and broth on the side. A novelty phoritto makes the dish into a burrito with pho for dipping. Rice plates and vermicelli dishes also make the menu. District Pho 7, 4343 N. Rancho Drive, Suite 120, 702-478-7998. Open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and until 6 p.m. Sunday. [EaterWire]

Sinsational Boards/Facebook

August 26

THE STRIP — The home of the hot Cheetos burrito opened on the Las Vegas Strip. Southern California’s Sayulitas Mexican Food brings a fusion menu of Filipino-infused, fast-casual Mexican dishes at an easy-to-find location across Las Vegas Boulevard from Mandalay Bay. The restaurant moved into the shuttered Mirchi Indian restaurant space, sitting between Rocco’s NY Pizza & Pasta and a drive-thru McDonald’s at the Akita Plaza retail center. The Filipino twist on its counter-service menu includes spamsilog, pork longanisa, and quesa lumpia burritos, plus spam and tocino fries. Diners can also add hot Cheetos to an already stuffed burrito, or order breakfast plates, tortas, tacos, chimichangas, bacon-wrapped burritos, and seafood choices, including fried tilapia and a shrimp cocktail. Sayulitas Mexican Food, 3999 Las Vegas Boulevard S., 702-268-8898. Open Sunday through Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Thursday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. [EaterWire]

DOWNTOWN CONTAINER PARK — Mob Pie specializes in stone baked pizza with homemade sauces and a variety of topping combinations with ingredients such as ham, pepperoni, sausage, bacon, onions, olives, tomatoes, green pepper, pineapple, jalapeño, and mushrooms. Mob Pie, Downtown Container Park, 707 Fremont St. Open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. [EaterWire]

DOWNTOWN CONTAINER PARK — Sinsational Boards brings charcuterie and food boxes to the outdoor shopping venue. Customers can choose cured meats, cheeses, nuts, fruit, crackers, and spreads as well as sweets. Sinsational Boards, Downtown Container Park, 707 Fremont St., 702-831-7064. [EaterWire]

Bun Bun Chicken

August 11

NORTHWEST — Bun Bun Chicken replaces the Shawarma House Mediterranean Grill with “hot, hot, hot,” chicken and waffles, plus grilled cheese sandwiches prepared with garlic butter, deep-fried Cajun corn with Parmesan, and ice cream sandwiches for dessert. Chicken wings come with sauce options such as Buffalo sauce, honey sauce, and jalapeño ranch sauce. Bun Bun Chicken, 5861 W. Craig Road, 702-819-0785. Open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from noon to 8 p.m. on Sunday. [EaterWire]

CHINATOWN — Banana Leaf Cafe brings a menu of Malaysian fare to Shanghai Plaza. Try dishes such as chow kueh teow, kang kung, and asam laksa. Hainanese chicken with rice, Chilean sea bass, and Malaysian-style eggplant or string beans are huge hits. Banana Leaf Cafe, Shanghai Plaza, 4276 Spring Mountain Road, 702-889-8000. Open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. [EaterWire]

SPRING VALLEY — Potbelly opens its second location north of 215 off the Rainbow Boulevard exit on Tuesday, August 10. The first 100 people to visit on opening day will receive a free skinny sandwich. After the first 100 visitors, all customers who visit during the first week will receive a free soft drink with the purchase of any sandwich or salad. This is the second shop in a franchise development agreement for 10 locations in the Las Vegas market. It joins the Henderson location on St. Rose Parkway that opened last December. Potbelly Sandwich Shop, 6580 S Rainbow Blvd., 702-992-3562. Open from 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. [EaterWire]

TOWN SQUARE — Rachel’s Kitchen opened its eighth location in Las Vegas. The company delayed the opening for a year due to the pandemic. The new location on the west side of the children’s park offers breakfast all day, wraps, salads, sandwiches and burgers, and pastas. Rachel’s Kitchen, Town Square, 6605 Las Vegas Blvd. S. Ste B-139, 702-485-3636. Open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday. [EaterWire]

EASTSIDE — Famous Dave’s Quick ’Que opened in the former Dog House Biergarten space. The Quick ‘Que overhaul brings counter- and line-serve ordering options for the brand’s St. Louis-Style ribs, Texas brisket, roasted chicken, and Georgia chopped pork. Famous Dave’s Quick ’Que, 4480 Paradise Road, 702-879-7910. Open from 4 to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. [EaterWire]

HENDERSON — PKWY Tavern opened its fifth location, PKWY Volunteer, near the M Resort. The 6,800-square-foot bar offers 15 gaming machines at the center bar, 50 beers on tap, and more than 200 canned and bottled versions. Customers can watch more that 50 TVs, and sit in the dining area, request the private room for large parties, and head to the patio facing Las Vegas Boulevard. PKWY Volunteer, 511 W. Dale Ave., Henderson, 702-586-3557. Open 24 hours daily. [EaterWire]

Meráki Greek Grill

April 29

WESTSIDE — Meráki Greek Grill opened a second location near Whole Foods with a patio, expansive dining area, and gyros, platters, and other Greek eats. The restaurant also offers family feasts such as a sandwich version for $57.95 or a Merάki feast for $69.95. This is the first franchised location. Meráki Greek Grill, 8975 W. Charleston Blvd., 702-478-7885. Open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Online ordering available. [EaterWire]

ARTS DISTRICT — The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill opened its fifth local outpost for Mediterranean fast-casual food in the Herbert with gyros as well as lamb, steak, and chicken souvlaki platters. The 2,000-square-foot restaurant has room for 67 indoors and another 12 on the patio. The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill, 801 S. Main St., 702-476-5556. The Great Greek is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday. [EaterWire]

LV Pho 7/Facebook

April 13

Vietnamese fare, borscht, and Korean hot pots now serving

CHINATOWN — LV Pho 7 specializes in Vietnamese food with dishes such as a house special bean curb skin wrap shrimp; beef noodle soups with brisket, rare steak, oxtail, or beef rib bone; rice dishes with charbroiled beef or charbroiled pork; and rice vermicelli dishes with charbroiled beef or charbroiled pork. Takeout and delivery available. LV Pho 7, 4631 W Spring Mountain Road, 702-430-2851. Open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. [EaterWire]

SPRING VALLEY — Beef kabobs, lamb chops, and Georgian meat dumplings join borscht, stuffed grape leaves, and eggplant rolls on the menu at Cascade Mediterranean Cuisine. While the menu focuses on Armenian cuisine, but Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Georgian, Russian, and Eastern European dishes pop up too. Cascade Mediterranean Cuisine, 4155 S. Buffalo Drive, 702-209-0828. Open from noon to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and until 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. [EaterWire]

CHINATOWN — Korean Hot Pot specializes in all-you-can-eat hot pots for $19.99 all day. Diners select their meat and then cook the hot pot at their tables. Online ordering available. Korean Hot Pot, 5740 Spring Mountain Road, 702-238-1007. Open Wednesday through Monday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. [EaterWire]

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