Reviewed in the August 2017 Las Vegas Advisor
We finally did it.
We ordered — and ate—the sautéed grasshoppers (chapulines in Spanish, since they come from certain areas of Mexico) at El Dorado Cantina. That’s what we’re about here, folks. We do it, so you don’t have to.
Did we like ’em? Not really, but not for reasons that you might expect.
They weren’t squishy or crunchy or even buggy (whatever that is). If anything, we found them so bland, they were difficult to describe. One in our party likened them to “shrimp skins.” A second said, “Burnt popcorn.” The best descriptor came from the bartender, who pretty much nailed it with “soggy sunflower seeds.”
Bottom line, if you want to eat grasshoppers just to say you ate grasshoppers, you don’t have to worry about being repulsed by the taste or consistency. They’re not exactly cheap either at $12 and there’s also nothing special about the presentation, which elicited the best quote of the night: “If you’re gonna eat grasshoppers, they should at least look good.”
So, maybe you don’t order the grasshoppers? El Dorado is a good Mexican restaurant that’s interesting enough just for its location as an annex to Sapphire’s gentlemen’s club. And it’s open 24/7.