Nacho Daddy is a local chain of three restaurants, one downtown, one at the Miracle Mile Shops, and one on W. Sahara in Summerlin. The first location opened in 2010 and Nacho Daddy’s claim to fame is for being the inventor of the Scorpion shot: Cenote tequila, salt, lime, and an actual scorpion.
Yes, you read that right. At the Miracle Mile location, Nacho Daddy displays a live-scorpion terrarium built by the TV show “Tanked” and this unique “attraction” has been featured on the Food Network, Travel Channel, and Animal Planet. The company claims that it’s served 50,000 Scorpion shots over the past decade-plus as a rite of passage for what we’d call “extreme drinkers.” Of course, the scorpions are dead and their stingers have been removed, but what they call the “ultimate drinking challenge” was an experience that we passed on during our visit to finally review Nacho Daddy.
This is essentially a Mexican-food sports bar with a focus, nachorally, on nachos: a dozen different kinds, with ground beef, six kinds of chicken, shrimp, filet, even lobster and crab and surf and turf, along with the usual refried beans, cheddar and jack cheese, queso fresco, and pico de gallo, plus sautéed onions, guacamole, and sour cream all topping house-made tri-colored corn chips. These plates, big enough for two big eaters and three mediums, range from $18 to $29.
Nachos noch-yo thang? You can also get soup and salads, flaming fajitas ($19-$26), burritos and enchiladas ($15-$17), tacos ($13-$18), a number of vegan options, and several desserts. They also serve Sunday brunch with a big page of breakfast choices and any kind of alcohol you can dream up at all hours. The Scorpion shot is $23.95.
We visited the downtown branch and tried the Fiesta nachos, the basic chicken-breast version ($17.95), and the flaming-shrimp appetizer, a half-pound of chipotle-lime-marinated shrimp served on a sizzling skillet.
Both were decent and plenty of food for two of us, with half of both left to take out. With a couple of beers, the bill came to $72 with tax, without tip. A bit expensive, perhaps, and the nachos don’t travel particularly well, but we’re not too picky about leftovers and we got a second lunch out of the deal.
Maybe next time, we’ll brave the tequila-marinated scorpion. Maybe not.
Try the fajitas next time. They are excellent and go well with a Cadillac margarita.