arts-district
Casa Don Juan on South Main in the Las Vegas Arts District is the family Mexican kitchen plating mole poblano enchiladas and chile rellenos to a backyard patio two blocks south of the lights.
Why locals love it: South Main Mexican family restaurant since the 1990s, two blocks from the Arts District lights and still serving the original moles.
Tip: Sit on the back patio if the weather holds; ask for the mole poblano enchiladas, the kitchen runs the chile rellenos heavy on Tuesdays.
arts-district
Soulbelly BBQ in the Las Vegas Arts District is Bruce Kalman's smokehouse since May 2021, plating salt-and-pepper brisket, Carolina pulled pork and chipotle-cider drumsticks alongside live music.
Why locals love it: James Beard nominee Bruce Kalman left Pasadena's Union for this Arts District smokehouse; tourists never make it south of Charleston Boulevard.
Tip: Order the salt and pepper brisket and the mac and cheese with pork parm crumbs (panko, parmesan, chicharrones); live music sets start at 19:00 most Thursdays through Saturdays.
spring-mountain-chinatown
Monta Ramen on Spring Mountain in Las Vegas is the 20-seat Chinatown shop since 2010, simmering tonkotsu broth in-house and turning out kaedama refills to a locals' queue.
Why locals love it: Twenty-seat Chinatown shop in a strip mall that locals queue at; tonkotsu broth simmered the slow way since 2010.
Tip: Get on the Yelp waitlist before you arrive; tonkotsu with a kaedama noodle refill is the standard, the seasonal limited bowls go on the chalk wall.
summerlin
Vintner Grill in Summerlin Las Vegas is the patio bistro at the back of a West Charleston office park, with a Mediterranean menu and a covered garden that runs lunch through dinner.
Why locals love it: Tucked at the back of a Summerlin office park, the garden patio is one of the valley's best-kept Sunday brunch rooms.
Tip: Sit on the garden patio if the weather holds; menu draws from Spain, France and Italy, the Mediterranean fish of the day is reliable.
the-strip
Ferraro's on Paradise Road in Las Vegas is the family Italian since 1985, named Gambero Rosso Tre Forchette 2024 and pouring Italian growers in a wine bar that locals know by name.
Why locals love it: Forty years of authentic Italian on Paradise Road, off-Strip behind Virgin Hotel; the wine bar pours growers most Strip lists ignore.
Tip: Sit in the wine room not the dining room; ask for the Gambero Rosso Tre Forchette tasting menu, the by-the-glass Italian list runs deeper than the bottle program suggests.
arts-district
Velveteen Rabbit in the Las Vegas Arts District is the Dylag-sisters cocktail bar since 2013, with rotating drinks built around house-fermented syrups and a small bar plate menu after dark.
Why locals love it: Pamela and Christina Dylag opened this Arts District craft cocktail room in 2013, and it remains the off-Strip bar that Strip bartenders drink at after shift.
Tip: Sit at the bar and let the bartender pour off-menu; the rotating cocktail menu changes every few months and ferments a few of its own syrups.
