It’s a universal truth: summer is for barbecue. And although Las Vegas doesn’t boast a reputation along the likes of Austin, Memphis, Kansas City or Lexington, there is some serious smoking going down out here in the desert. You just have to know where to look.
All the hottest barbecue buzz is coming out of Soulbelly BBQ (702.483.4404), a new joint planted on Main Street, sharing space with equally trendy brewers HUDL and Nevada Brew Works. Soulbelly is the creation of James Beard Award nominee Bruce Kalman, known for fine Italian cuisine as well as his appearances on Top Chef and Chopped. The chef developed a love for traditional American barbecue and chose downtown Las Vegas as his new home, and you can taste his culinary creativity in every bite of Texas-style brisket, smoked turkey breast, house-made pork and cheddar hot links and pastrami-spiced beef ribs. The side dishes are not to be ignored, including collard greens, mac and cheese and pigs in a blanket.
Downtown is also the original home of local favorite Rollin’ Smoke Barbeque (702.836.3621), which has a second nearby location at Pawn Plaza and a third suburban shop in the westside Grand Canyon Center. Find the nearest one and feast on the Biggin sandwich with hot links, pulled pork and chopped brisket, or try the signature smoked meatloaf with loaded mashed potatoes and Mama’s Sweet Sauce. Rollin’ Smoke can keep it simple with meats and sides or spice it up with fried catfish, big burgers and desserts made fresh daily.
When you need ’cue on the Strip, consider going cowboy-style at the legendary Gilley’s Saloon, Dance Hall & Bar-B-Que (702.894.7111) at Treasure Island. It’s known for line dancing and its mechanical bull, but the menu is no joke, especially the baby back ribs, the brisket sandwich with Jack Daniels barbecue sauce and the flavorful brisket “filet” braised in apple juice and finished in the mesquite smoker. Another popular music hall on the other end of the Strip also serves spectacular barbecue—the House of Blues (702.632.7607) at Mandalay Bay. Get your baby backs slathered in sweet and spicy sauce with a side of jalapeño-cheese cornbread or fill up on piled-high pulled pork or smoked brisket sandwiches.
A couple of Las Vegas Strip nightlife executives branched out a few years ago by opening Big B’s Texas BBQ (702.260.6327), an authentic taste of the Lone Star State with two convenient restaurants in Henderson and in the southwest. This is classic, cafeteria-style barbecue, where you grab a tray, move on down the line and choose the meats and sides you crave. Don’t skip the brisket or the seldom-seen beef alternative, tri-tip, and the green beans and fried okra are the perfect complements.
For a real off-the-beaten-path barbecue adventure, head out to Boulder City to sample the goods at Fox Smokehouse BBQ (702.489.2211). An experienced competition barbecue team founded this hidden gem, renowned for its smoked chicken wings, creative sandwiches, St. Louis-style pork ribs and burnt ends (in our humble opinion, the best part of the brisket). Once you get out here and feast on the Fox menu, you might forget you were in Las Vegas minutes ago.
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