Mesa Grill

I love this place. We go to Vegas about 3 times a year and I can't wait until I can eat here again. The food is wonderful. I have never had a bad meal. The prices are reasonable and the service is great. This is my favorite restaurant of all time. Not too fancy but not to dull - just PERFECT! Pros: Best place ever! Cons: nothing bad to say more

We had our concerns about Mesa Grill but they came through big time. The food was very good (but heavy). I had the veal and my wife fish. The fish was borderline over cooked but the flavor on both was great. The tamale appetizer very good and the dessert (flan - not exactly) was as well. Ask to sit in Encina's section..she and the buss boy provided excellent service. Pros: Good food. Good Service (but might depend who your server is) Cons: Pretty heavy (butter, sauces, etc), might be too noisy for some more

We went in with no reservations (Wednesday night) and were seated within 15 mins. I ordered the house margarita - that never came until we finished our main course. The fried green tomatos are really tasty. Breaded in cornmeal then fresh crab meat is dressed on top. The sauce is a bit spicey with a kick after eating it. Bone in ribeye is excellent. Bobby Flay saved himself with his grilling skills. The steak was seasoned with a southwest spice flavor to it. It literally leaves spicey-ness into your mouth. Maybe that's why our waiter (Richard) waited (I actually had to reminde him twice) for my house margarita...which I had to pay for. Pros: Excellent steak. Interesting combo on the green tomatos and corn meal Cons: Terrible service. Terrible service. The only time I saw Richard was In the beginning and when he handed me my check. more

My wife and I watch the Food Network quite a bit and let's just say that Bobby Flay is not one of our favorite celebrity chefs. Nonetheless, we decided to give Mesa Grill a try during our recent trip to Vegas and were pleasently surprised. So much so that we had lunch here twice during our stay. The service was excellent. Our waiter was personable and patiently explained his recommendations to a ""T"". During our 2 trips we had the raw tuna nachos, wild mushroom quesadilla, and ceviche for appetizers. Each dish was spot-on. The white truffle oil accented the mushroom flavor of the quesadillas perfectly, while my Dad commented that the nachos were the best he had ever tasted. The ceviche was light and refreshing. As for the entrees, the mesa burger was juicy and simply one of the best I have had, while the cuban burger presented an interesting contrast between the saltiness of ham and grilled beef and the sourness of the pickles. We loved the spicy smokiness of the the Grilled Mahi Mahi. The fish was grilled to perfection.... firm yet juicy enough to flake off in your mouth. This place is definitely worth a visit for lunch where there is less of a crowd. Well done chef Flay! Pros: Top notch Southwestern cuisine Cons: Too crowded at dinner? more

This place is very over-rated. TV chefs think way to much of themselves. Food was nothing to write home about and they tried to seat me next to a family with small children. Never will go back there. For this type of food try Cafe Terra Cota in Tucson, much better. more

I went there for my birthday, and I was amazed. The drinks are fantastic and unique. Never before was I so enamored by Southwestern flavors until I ate my entree. Bobby Flay is a culinary genius. Pros: Amazing food, fast & friendly service. more

It was so good we ate there twice! Dinner the first night and lunch the following day. Mesa Grill's definition of southwest cooking is like no other. While not a huge fan of the southwest faire their recipes brought a higher respect of that region of cooking. I only wish Bobby Flay opened a restaurant in the SF bay area. I recommend bringing a group of 4 or more people with you just so you can also sample different plates! Excellent, perfect, and close to heaven with just the right amount of heat: 5 stars! Pros: Food & Service more

On our first-time visit to Las Vegas, we had the opportunity of sampling the wonderful cuisine at Mesa Grill. The roasted corn soup was superb, porterhouse lambchops were mouth-watering (order a bottle of Simi) and chocolate lava cake for dessert was decadent! This is a MUST for everyone. The taste is authentic, ambience is inviting, and service impeccable. Our only regret was that Bobby Flay couldn't fly home with us. Bravo! Pros: Everything! Cons: Nothing! more

Great food. The appetizers are good and the muffins & breads are awesome. I've been there a couple times and their qualities have never disappointed me.\r \r I was a bit surprised when they changed their dress code policy to no hats. A bit inconvenient but still an awesome place. more

I had high expectations for this restaurant. Unfortunately, the eatery did not live up to expectations. The best thing on the menu is the filet mignon sandwich, but that is only served during lunch. The hefty price tag of $27 will usually scare most away, but it is the only thing that looked appetizing on the menu. Nevertheless, I gave it a second go around at dinner time. Steaks were overcooked, potatoes were small, and most of the food was tasteless. There are SEVERAL other good restaurants in the Caesars...avoid this one. Pros: FILET MIGNON SANDWICH Cons: EVERYTHING ELSE more

Our party of 4 expected near perfection for a Bobby Flay eatery, especially for the high prices. What we got was average if not less than average. The rib eye steak was 40% fat, the filet steak was overdone, dry and had to be returned, the double baked potato was overcooked and small. All in all the experience was less than pleasant and the bill hefty. The waiter was nice, but you got the feeling he really wanted to be somewhere else. The manager was very pleasant when bringing back filet #2 and the water/bread man was the friendliest of all the staff. Ambiance was nice, a bit noisy with the casino music filtering to the establishment. Would we go back? 3 of the 4 of us said no. Too much hype with average food and service. Pros: Ambiance Cons: Poor food and lack luster service. more

I had high expectations for Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill, and they were much more than surpassed. I had the Mexican-spiced pork, and it was absolutely perfect. It had this sweet potato thing with it that was basically a dessert in and of itself. The service was wonderful, and there was a great choice of wine. Interesting cocktails. The selection on the rest menu was just right in terms of how many choices there were. It was a while ago, but we had the appetizer with goat cheese and blue corn, which it's was basically chips and a goat cheese dip. Not only was it so terrific, but it's turned me, a lifelong chips-and-dip fiend, off from nasty bar chips and cheese for good. If you're in Vegas, this is the place to eat. Pros: Pretty much everything Cons: You have to go Caesar's Palace more

As a local here in vegas, I have been to many restaurants here and mesa grill is definately one of my favorites. Have been to mesa a few times and the food is consistantly delicious (my fave was the rabbit) and the margaritas are a must. The atmosphere is colorful and busy, not exactly romantic but the tables up top are nice and cosy. The bar/ lounge area is nice for waiting. Definitely make reservations, although we did show up once some time after 10 and were able to get seated within 20 minutes or so. Definitely one of the best meals in vegas for the price. Pros: Delicious food Cons: always busy more

I finally got a chance to try Rao's at Caesars. After everything that I had heard about the NY eatery I was expecting the best Italian meal ever. What a let down.The service was sub par. We spent allot of time waiting, and it was very rare the server came by to ask if we needed anything. I tried the Rao?s bottled EVOO that was on the table for the bread. It was horrible. I've never had such a terrible tasting olive oil in my life. I asked for butter which I never do in an Italian restaurant. We started with the Antipasto for two. For $25 I was expecting a little more. Two not so ripe tomato slices with two slices of mozzarella, a few olives, some tasteless prociutto, and parmigiano reggiano cheese. AND blue cheese! Who ever saw an Italian antipasto with blue cheese on it! I ordered the Fusili con Cavolo e Salcicce, italian sausage, cabbage in San Marzano tomato sauce. It was in a word, disgusting. As any Italian would know San Marzano tomatoes are the best. My mother will not use any other kind. This plate had absolutely no tomato taste at all. It wasn't nice and red and flavorful like a San Marzano sauce should be. It was pinkish and watery. My guest ordered the Orecchiette con Broccoli Rabe, italian sausage, broccoli rabe in evoo. She at less the half the dish and just pushed it away. I tried a bit and it had no taste at all. Normally anything made with broccoli rabe, garlic, and olive oil would make any Italians mouth water. But this was not even worth the effort of picking up the fork. We should have stopped, but we ordered dessert. Ricotta cheese cake. It was flat and dry. Normally a good ricotta cheese cake should be light and high, the cheese moist and with some texture. The crust was dry and brittle, obviously over cooked. If this is what the NY Rao's is like, I'm glad I was never able to get in.There are much better Italian restaurants in Las Vegas that you could try instead of wasting your money here. Pros: Close to better resturants at Caesars. Cons: The juke box gave me a headache more

After living in NYC most of my life and hearing about RAO's and NEVER able to get a reservation. ( Rao's in NY is not really a restaurant, it's a private club with One seating nightly) We decided to try RAO's in Vegas where we now live. THE FOOD IS JUST OK. Nothing special. The booths are way too small for 4 people. The service however is GREAT. Everyone is friendly, but the owner only talks to celebrities and high rollers. We came dressed up and discovered that there is NO dress code (people in shorts and ballcaps) The last time we were there they served SOURDOUGH bread!!! SOURDUGH!! They have had different bread every time we've been there. They should just buy the BEST bread in town at Montesanos Bakery on Sahara. They should stop shoving their brand name products in your face at every turn, stop being so full of themselves and stop trying to cram as many people through the door as possible. Be selective, charge more, SLOW DOWN!!! Make it an eating experience not just another Italian joint. And they can dispense with the goomba Sopranos-esque feel they are trying to create too, who needs it. I felt like I was in the Disney EPCOT centers Brooklyn Pavillion, too contrived!! Just serve greatfood and provide great service. Pros: OK FOOD Cons: BOGUS SCENE more

Everything was great about the dinner - the appetizers, the entrees, the desserts and the teqila! The service was fantastic - even the manager stopped by to genuinely check on us - something that you rarely see any longer in restaurants. The atmosphere is fun but the food is serious. The ambiance is kick back and the crowd is great - a nice mix of locals, tourists, suits and skirts.\r The one draw back is the restrooms. They are too small and the place for the two men to take care of business are awkwardly angled next to one another. A simple fix would be a larger barrier. Of, and the view from the hall goes straight into the men's room - hell-o! Pros: Ambiance, Food, Tequila, Service, Design of room Cons: Restrooms more

We love this place... The room is very warm, upbeat and fun. The staff in knowledgable and friendly. The wines by the glass are top notch and the food is great. We've been there 5 times and always have great food and service. The prices are very reasonable and I love that they still have their Holiday ornaments and lights up - like they do back East. It is still Winter so why not?\r The music pumps throughout the dining room and on a few occassions a man has walked around the room singing with the tunes. Fun and different. The photo lady doesn't bother you and it fits perfectly with Old Vegas.\r If you are looking for a good time, good food and wine and great memories, try and get into RAO's. Pros: Food, Wine, Ambiance, Service more

It's good Italian food, to be sure, but nothing any more remarkable than what you can find in abundances in New York, San Francisco, or even Los Angeles. Rao's had a nice atmosphere that made you forget you were in Las Vegas for a few hours -- except for the lady taking picktures and hawking photograps and the meatballs (not the food) who were putting out a kitschy, con queso goodfellas vibe. Get the meatballs for sure. Beyond that, the food was unremarkable. Pros: Atmosphere, meatballs Cons: Overhyped more

My wife and I went to Mesa Grill about 6 months ago and it was a great experience, I am a big fan of Chef Flay and was excited to try it again this past weekend. It was an unsuccessful experience. The waitress gave my wife attitude for ordering her meal without cheese and then the dish came drenched in a half cup of Creme Fraiche, it should have been a light drizzle. She sent it back and then they charged us for the dish anyway. When I refused to pay for the returned dish the manager came out with a nasty attitude and accused my wife of eating too much of it. In fact she had cut the dish (chilequiles) open and Creme Fraiche has squrted all over the plate (and table). The manager was really nasty and after arguing back and forth, she finally took it off the bill. They had also over charged me for our drinks and blamed that on a ""computer glitch"". The manager wouldn't let it go, continuing to lecture us in a condescending tone that when we order something we ""really should just eat it even if we don't like it"" especially if they make it special (no cheese is special?). She kept saying. ""in the future..."" and we simply replied that with her attitude there would be no future. I'm confident that Chef Bobby Flay would be completely embarrassed by this manager's behavior. I've never had a manager of a restaurant talk to me like that. Of the $2500 we spent in Vegas this weekend, this is the only $60 that I regret . \r \r On a positive note, after calling the General Manager about the incident, he did issue me and my wife a sincere apology and acknowledged how poor the service was that morning. He seemed to understand our situation and seemed to regret how we were treated. Unfortunately, a return visit in a city with so much competition is kinda borderline at this point. Pros: Good Drinks, Good Heat/Spicy Flavors Cons: Poor Customer Service, Nasty Manager more

I love watching Bobby Flay on TV, so naturally I had to try his place in Vegas. I made reservations two weeks prior to my trip and was surprised to find out that you have to provide a credit card and also if you do not cancel your reservations in time, you will be charged $50 per person. I went ahead with some hesitation. My boyfriend and I arrived early for our reservation, so we decided to get drinks at the bar. Along with our drinks we were offered really tasty jalapeno bread sticks (these weren't available tableside, so very glad we were able to try them at the bar). We shared the shrimp tamale appetizer which was awesome! For my entree I had the pork tenderloin, which was pretty good and my boyfriend had the ribeye steak which turned out to be a bit fatty but good. Overall we had a great dinner and I would recommend trying this place. Pros: Food and Service more