Since opening at the very north end of the Strip in 2014, José Andrés’s Bazaar Meat has distinguished itself as one of the best steakhouses in the U.S. — and one of the most distinctive in Las Vegas’s ever-evolving culinary scene. The steakhouse closed at the Sahara on Thursday, July 31, ahead of its move to a new home. The José Andrés Group told Eater that Bazaar Meat will reopen at the Palazzo at the Venetian Resort on September 4.
Bazaar Meat’s new location will sit on the lower level of the Palazzo, in the former home of the restaurant-cum-car museum Dal Toro Ristorante — part of the Venetian’s $1.5 billion reinvestment project. “I really think what is happening with the Venetian will change the Las Vegas landscape as a whole, in particular, on the food and beverage side,” Sam Bakhshandehpour, global CEO for the José Andrés Group, says. “So for us to be at the forefront of that and be one of the leaders coming into this property, we thought it was the right time to make the move over to Venetian.” The relocation south to a more central section of the Strip also puts the restaurant in closer proximity to the resort’s sprawling convention space, the Sphere, and a more heavily trafficked gaming floor. “This is a mix of all walks of life coming to the property,” Bakhshandehpour says.
The restaurant will debut an entirely new design while maintaining the dramatic live-fire grills that helped establish Bazaar Meat as a temple of theatrical carnivory. Much of the original staff is making the move as well, meaning longtime guests can expect to see familiar faces behind the bar and on the floor. The tasting menus — which often span a dozen or more courses — will return with José Andrés classics like crispy caviar cones, beefsteak tartare, and the signature Washugyu bone-in rib-eye, a crossbreed of Japanese Tajima wagyu and Black Angus. Executive chef Frank Medina will also introduce new menu items to complement the restaurant’s new space, though the team is keeping those under wraps for now.
By next year, the Venetian will be a veritable steakhouse destination, with Emeril Lagasse’s Delmonico Steakhouse, Wolfgang Puck’s Cut, and a two-story Smith & Wollensky already in place. Michelin-starred Cote is on track to open this year in a 10,000-square-foot space, and Southern California’s Boa Steakhouse will join the Grand Canal Shoppes. But Bakhshandehpour isn’t concerned about standing out. “Bazaar Meat is a twist on a meat experience like no other,” he says. “It’s rooted in Spanish. You have incredible meats from around the world that you can’t get anywhere else.” That includes the whole suckling pig, slow-roasted over an open flame, and the intensely marbled Spanish vaca vieja from older cows. Other dishes on the menu have become icons of their own, like the jamón Ibérico tacos on delicate nori, foie gras swaddled in a puff of cotton candy, and croquetas de pollo served in a translucent sneaker.
Reservations are now open ahead of Bazaar Meat’s September 4 opening. In the meantime, Andrés’s Bazaar Mar will offer a special menu of Bazaar Meat favorites to tide fans over until the reopening. Back at the Sahara, Bazaar Meat’s former home will soon become chef Kwame Onwuachi’s Maroon, a Caribbean steakhouse and his first Las Vegas restaurant.
The Las Vegas steakhouse has been central to the city’s identity for decades, and Bazaar Meat has helped define its modern form — a genre that continues to evolve. Now, as both the city and the steakhouse tradition keep shifting, Bazaar Meat is stepping onto an even bigger stage.
