You may notice a growing trend in Las Vegas, and it’s a delicious one. The oft-maligned food court has begun growing up, and in the past few years has seen an evolution into the food hall. Celebrities and chefs have their own offerings at these smaller venues that feature communal seating areas. In Las Vegas, you’ll find them in major resorts and smaller hotels—check out some of the highlights of these foodie havens at the Aria, Fremont Hotel & Casino, The Cosmopolitan and Resorts World Las Vegas.
Laughing Buddha
One of the newest venues is Proper Eats Food Hall at Aria in the former buffet space, a light, airy, upscale place. At Proper Eats, you’ll find names that you might recognize from other areas of the country, like Egghead, a Tao Group Hospitality import from New York, cooking breakfast classics with a gourmet twist, and Wexler’s Deli, an L.A. legend offering grilled, handcrafted pastrami on rye. Shalom Y’all’s Mediterranean cuisine is perfect for sharing. Get tonkatsu, miso ramen and crispy eggplant bao buns at Laughing Buddha; gourmet pizza at Pizzaoki, from superstar DJ Steve Aoki; fried chicken sandwiches and K-Tots at Food Network star Judy Joo’s Seoul Bird; and sushi from Temaki, a new concept from Clique Hospitality. In the center of it all is Proper Bar, which serves up handcrafted cocktails.
Fremont Food Hall
A smaller concept is Fremont Food Hall at Fremont Hotel & Casino downtown, with several options that elevate its food scene. Roli Roti specializes in rotisserie-cooked chicken that created a sensation in the Berkeley, Calif., food truck scene; and CRAFTKitchen, where you’ll find churro-style waffles and crispy avocado tacos. Tomo Noodles offers a variety of Asian-inspired items like shoyu chicken ramen, Hawaiian-style wonton mien and boba tea. And a Southern favorite, Huey Magoo’s Chicken Tenders, brings the burgeoning chain’s first location to Vegas, delivering the “filet mignon of chicken.”
Ghost Donkey
The Cosmopolitan’s Block 16 Urban Food Hall has been around a few years, and it’s a hit. It’s tucked away on the second floor near Marquee Nightclub and offers excellent options, from Lardo’s meaty sandwiches like the Bronx Bomber (smothered with house provolone “whiz”) to Nashville export Hattie B’s Hot Chicken. There’s a speakeasy, too, Ghost Donkey, which offers food options like truffle nachos. District: Donuts. Sliders. Brew. has huge, tasty pastries, inventive sandwiches and craft coffees, while next door is Tekka Bar: Handroll and Sake, serving up highly popular sushi. And David Chang’s Bang Bar lets you grab favorite flavors from Momofuku, including a fermented chickpea dip with fresh hot flatbread to dip with.
Sweet Eats
When Resorts World Las Vegas opened in 2021, it featured Zouk Group’s 24,000-square-foot showpiece, Famous Foods Street Eats, and brought in a ton of options from chefs around the globe. The food hall stretches in a U-shaped design, with two circular bars in the center, one featuring beer and cocktails while the other, Sweet Eats, serves desserts. The awesome options include Kuru Kuru Pa Yakitori from Steve and Kevin Aoki; Pepita’s Kitchen, from Dedet de la Fuente (you’ll know this one by the whole roasted pig on display); Geylang Claypot Rice, with chicken and beef options—the original location earned a Michelin Plate; Streetbird Las Vegas, with poultry recipes from Michelin award winner Marcus Samuelsson like M’s Fried Chicken; and FUHU Shack, where you can get duck burritos.
If the Center Bar doesn’t have your preferred cocktail, check out Here Kitty Kitty Vice Den, a speakeasy with some of the most talked-about drinks in town. There are lots of other options here, from barbecue to Springleaf Prata Place’s Indian cuisine. It would be hard not to find something amazing—Tiger Sugar even has a stall here, so get that first and sample your way around the perimeter.
So, like your grandma used to say, “Eat, eat. You’re so skinny.”
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