Las Vegas is loaded with weekend brunches. Or at least that’s what they call themselves. In most cases, brunch is nothing more than a combo breakfast and lunch menu, maybe with a couple of specials added on. That’s brunch, right? Sure. But we’ve always thought it should be more of a sampling thing, which makes buffets feel like a better format for a weekend brunch. There are plenty of those. But the best format by our reckoning is one that combines a buffet and table service, where you can order multiple items off a set brunch menu. These don’t show up very often. Border Grill (at MBay and the Forum Shops at Caesars) has run a good one for several years and now there’s a new one at the Downtown Grand. It runs Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Freedom Beat.
The price is $20 and for $10 more you get bottomless Bloody Marys or Mimosas. Start with a fresh fruit plate and monkey bread, then order away from a menu of these items: slider & fries, chicken biscuit, fish & chips, maple walnut brioche toast, silver dollar pancakes, velvet waffle, pastrami hash & egg, biscuit & gravy, eggs & potatoes, and three kinds of Benedicts. They’re served in small-bite portions that aren’t really that small, so choose wisely.
Fruit and monkey bread
Our starters were classic Benedict, crab cake Bendict, and hash & egg
Eggs & potatoes
Biscuit & gravy and brioche toast
Two of the best dishes were the IPA slider and the fish & chips.
Everything is brought to your table and you can reorder as often as you like. Of course, it’s not a brunch unless you add some alcohol, so we did.
For $20 you’ll get premium vodka, but it’s not necessary. Get the $10 version and load your drink up with fixins from the make-your-own BM bar and you can’t tell the difference. It’s not the most lavish bar we’ve seen, but there’s bacon, peppers, celery, olives, and lots of spices. Good enough.
The place was busy when we went, so there was a good vibe along with a live performer playing a hit list from Zeppelin, Tom Petty, and Neil Young.
Two of us did the works for $65 before tip.
After or before brunch you can find some good games at the bar, where the keno is the loosest in town with only about a 5% casino edge, and the 25¢ Double Double Bonus video poker progressive is always pushing a 100% return (100.2% when we were there). This is a good one.
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