One out of four Las Vegans is Hispanic and seven out of 10 Hispanics are Mexican. Thus, la comida Mexicana in Las Vegas is plentiful and authentic, inexpensive and filling. The best Mexican food in Las Vegas is generally not found in the casinos, but in the neighborhoods; beaneries such as El Sombrero (oldest restaurant in town), Lindo Michoacan, Dona Maria’s, Viva Mercado’s, and El Taco Fresco usually get the nod over most casino-Mex, which tends to be either generic (and not inexpensive) or haute (and expensive).
Of course, "best Mexican" is entirely subjective, and a sur de la frontera gourmet feast to one diner might be plain old arroz y frijoles to another. Indeed, according to an LVA staffer who doesn’t care for Tex-Mex at all, "The food looks and tastes the same no matter what you order. Usually, even the wait people can’t tell the dishes apart."
Still, a couple Mexican restaurants in Las Vegas casinos rate an honorable mention.
The Cabo Wabo Cantina at Planet Hollywood is the new party restaurant on the Strip, made famous by rocker Sammy Hagar, who’s part owner of the place. We reviewed it last month after sampling some ceviche and the famous Waborita drink ($10 each), calling it "quick, good, and cool." It’s rated with four stars at LasVegasAdvisor.com based on two reviews.
Willie and Jose’s at Sam’s Town gets pretty good reviews from readers (including this one on the website: "We live in Central California where there are many of the same type of restaurants and none can compare! Try the orange-juice garlic chicken."). This restaurant has been serving Tex-Mex food for nearly 30 years, so it certainly has staying power.
However, in the opinion of this reviewer and many others (all five comments on the LVA website are glowing, with four and a half stars), the best Mexican food at a casino in Las Vegas is found at Border Grill at Mandalay Bay. It’s expensive ($20-$30 per person), but the high-end fare here is a giant step above Mexican in terms of quality, creativity, and price.
From the moment you taste the trio of salsas that come with the warm tortilla chips, you know you’re in for a special experience. Appetizers start at $7 for the black bean dip and top out at $18 for two tamales with plantain empanadas; the crab nachos are excellent. Five different ceviches run $14-$15.
Entrées are all in the $20s. The skirt steak receives uniform raves all over the Web; at LasVegasAdvisor.com, one reviewer writes, "It cuts like butter." The chile relleno is a huge poblano pepper stuffed with manchego, panela, and cotija cheeses and served with roja and tomatillo salsas. You can also try Kobe beef tacos, smoked pork chops, and Southwestern halibut.
The last time we were there, we ordered the tecate carnitas ($22) and chicken chilaquiles ($23), both luscious. The cucumber citrus slaw was the best cabbage side we’ve ever tasted and the chicken simmered in tomatillo salsa for the chilaquiles was excellent. The margaritas are definitely expensive ($12), but they come in pomegranate, honeydew, sangria, and fresh fruit. Two of us spent $70 with drink and tip.
Most items are served at lunch for a couple bucks less and it’s a snap to make dinner reservations online at MandalayBay.com. If you want the absolute best Mexican food in a casino in Las Vegas, this is it. Best of all, there's a 2-for-1 entrée offer from Border Grill in the 2010 LVA Member Rewards Book, which can save $30 or more off your bill.
