Wander into Luckley Tavern & Grill at the Rio Las Vegas, and you might feel you’ve traveled back to the late ’60s or early ’70s to some hip family room, or even a single’s sweet pad, with music memorabilia of rock icons, such as the Beastie Boys, Grateful Dead, mounted throughout the dining room. The inviting, horseshoe-shaped bar is adorned with elegant wooden panels curving around the bar, and stools with golden bases arrayed against it. The music selection is almost as sweet as the décor, with a classic rock soundtrack curated by Luckley Tavern operator Oliver Wharton playing.
Photo by: Courtesy
The menu here is also obviously lovingly curated, with choices that echo a high-end American restaurant or steakhouse. Sink into a cushy booth, or at one of the tables set against a long, curving banquette while waiting for your first cocktail, something perhaps like the Guava Gal, a light drink of white rum, Mystic Tiki rum liqueur, lime guava mint and a touch of orange oil that I recently indulged in. The Blood Orange is a bit more strict, mixing gin, lime, rosemary, blood orange and ginger.
A mouthwatering warm artichoke dip had me hoarding chips through to dessert, but your server is certain to be clearing away empty plates from the miso cod lettuce cups, pigs in a blanket, served with pub cheese and a wholegrain mustard, and three shrimp tacos with roasted garlic and avocado. The eye-catching lollipop buffalo wings come with the classic combination of celery, carrots and ranch.
The fresh mozzarella and heirloom tomato salad comes with heirloom baby tomatoes, with a mix of acidity in the tomatoes, a lovely ball of mozz in the center and a sprinkling of pepitas, all drizzled with balsamic. The emerald kale salad here veers off some other version, with grated black kale interacting with a roasted peanut vinaigrette, mint, pecorino cheese and pickled onions for the best version of a kale salad that I have ever had.
Photo by: Jeff Green
Speaking of the best, the wood-fired salmon with broccolini and lemon was one of the best versions my companion had tried, and a surprise to her, the broccolini was incredible. Other main dishes you might consider are Birnie’s Sliders—A Threesome with wagyu beef, smoked short ribs, roasted chicken and a photogenic lobster pot pie. The spicy rigatoni a la vodka is a fiery dish with Calabrian chili contributing the heat and the tomato and basil mellowing that out.
You can order steaks several ways, from the 32-ounce shareable tomahawk to a 6-ounce petit filet (definitely for one) or a 12-ounce New York steak. Try it Oscar-style or with shrimp if you need a touch of the sea, and grilled onions and mushroom are perfect on nearly everything. Sides like the sautéed asparagus and large onion rings round out the meal.
Desserts are always optional, but the tiramisu, accented with traditional cocoa powder and espresso beans atop the latte-colored mascarpone mixture and ladyfingers, is so good.
Rio Las Vegas. 866.746.7671. riolasvegas.com
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