A Guide to Summer Food Pop-Ups in Las Vegas

Las Vegas has no shortage of great restaurants. And when great chefs want to try their hand at something different — and their customers want to sample new dishes in a new setting — the solution is often the humble pop-up. This summer, four pop-ups span from downtown to Mt. Charleston, where chefs who already have their own brick-and-mortar restaurant, or who exclusively serve the pop-up circuit, are communing for temporary dining events. Here is everything you need to know about four pop-up food events this summer.

Vegan Wonderland

A vegan night market will pop up in downtown Las Vegas on July 30 with more than 50 vendors serving vegan fare and selling products like crystals, dog treats, and tarot card readings. The monthly pop-up brings in chefs who will serve vegan versions of cookies, doughnuts, funnel cake, tacos, chicken wings, and more. Chef William Henry, who organizes the events, will serve empanadas and bacon cheeseburgers. Henry says the event is free to enter and will offer music, rhythmic yoga, drum circles and a cook-off for the best hamburger and fries. Vegan Wonderland will be held downtown at the corner of Fremont and 8th Streets, from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. on July 30.

Greene St. Test Kitchen

While permanent plans are yet to be announced for the artsy restaurant Greene Street Kitchen, a trio of test kitchen concepts are taking over the venue at the Palms Casino Resort. Every Friday and Saturday night, June 10 through July 30, Las Vegas chefs are serving a range of cuisines for Greene Street Test Kitchen.

“We wanted to reactivate the space and do something similar to the Vegas Test Kitchen and support local chefs,” says organizer Jolene Mannina, who also owns the downtown test kitchen and pop-up venue. Following a month of pop-ups, Crystina Nguyen will host Mamasan, Fresh and Saucy American Polynesian Chinese Cuisine, on July 15-16, 22-23, and 29-30. The $59 prix fixe menu includes hot and sour soup and scallion pancakes, a platter of roasted pork, egg rolls, skewers and crab rangoon, plus fried rice and egg tarts.

Amelinda B Lee

Vegas Test Kitchen

Jolene Mannina designed Vegas Test Kitchen during the pandemic to build a creative outlet for local chefs. The brick and mortar location in downtown Las Vegas, next to Fergusons Downtown, features a rotating selection of pop-ups on a weekly basis. Upcoming special events for the weekend of July 23 and 24 include menus by PopNPies, Cookies D’Amore, Milkfish Bake Shop and Yukon Pizza. For Monday’s Vegan Monday event, find Phytos Vegan Eats and Down2Earth Plant-Based Cuisine.

Vegas Test Kitchen

Pine dining

Hosted in an elevated temporary structure on the site of the former Mt. Charleston Lodge, Pine Dining will host a series of weekend pop-ups featuring local chefs. Participating chefs will include Chef James Trees of Esther’s Kitchen, Justin Hall of Main Street Provisions, Colin Fukunaga and Robert “Mags” Magsalin of Fukuburger, Dan Coughlin of Le Thai, Sam Marvin of Echo & Rig and Nicole Brisson of Brezza. The Saturday and Sunday events start on July 23 with a menu from Chef James Trees that will include deep-fried lasagna, grilled Spanish octopus skewers, and plum panna cotta. The event will extend through August 14 with more dates planned. Tickets available online.

Mt. Charleston Lodge