As far as we can tell, the oldest restaurant in Las Vegas is El Sombrero at 807 S. Main downtown, across from the Gamblers General Store.
It was opened as a bar in 1950 by Clemente Griego, who, the story goes, won enough money to buy the joint playing cards in a casino. A couple years later, Clemente got married; in 1952, he began cooking meals, which were served to the bar patrons by his wife. The Korean War was winding down, Dwight Eisenhower was being inaugurated, the smart money was predicting that television would spell the end of motion pictures, the Sands and the Sahara had just opened (the sixth and seventh resorts on the incipient Strip), and south-of-the-border cuisine was called Spanish, not Mexican.
El Sombrero has always been strictly a family affair. A nephew of Clemente's, José Aragon, started working in the restaurant as a teenager in the '60s. After a tour in Vietnam, José returned to the restaurant and resumed his duties. He took over as chef when Clemente retired in the mid-'70s and has been running the kitchen ever since. Thus, the oldest restaurant in Las Vegas has had only two chefs in its 57 years (and counting).
Which is why, of course, the food is so dependable and the quality so high. Also, because El Sombrero remains in its original location and building, it looks like a Tijuana jail, with old adobe siding, bars on the windows, an antique neon-sombrero sign, and all of 12 tables inside.
But don’t be put off by the ambience. The atmosphere is festive, the service is excellent, the jukebox and Mexican sodas are authentic, and history oozes from every inch of the place. The chips and salsa (smoked chili and tomato fresca) are bottomless. Our favorite entrée is the huevos rancheros, served day and night with chile verde. Also excellent are the pesole (pork stew with hominy), the sopaipillas (deep-fried pastries); burritos "smothered" in enchilada sauce are the house dish. The portions are generous, the prices are reasonable, and you’ll definitely feel like you're in the know just by being there.
