Royally Flushed

The Mirage's juicy entry into The Strip's upscale burger joints - BLT Burger - wins praise from our reviewer.

This is the first in our series of restaurant reviews where we’ll tell you if a place — new or old, glam or down-home — is worth your cash.  We’re so lucky here at RoyallyFlushed to have highly-experienced, well-respected guest writers who contribute terrific articles like this one.  C.C.

On the Strip, even fast food is flashy. Witness BLT Burger at The Mirage. Its part of Chef Laurent Tourondel’s high-profile restaurant group and if that long, shallow space feels familiar, well, it used to be the resort’s white tiger habitat.

Open to a busy corridor and with an ever-present wait line outside peering in, diners can feel much like the tigers must have. The darkish interior, dominated by a huge black and white photomural of the barren Nevada desert, is eerily cave-like. Customers with less than 20/20 vision must scamper outside to read the menu. No need to hurry back, though, while service is chipper, its tortoise slow.

Once things get going, it’s happy-time. This is rightfully uncomplicated food, but the ingredients are top-notch and everything is meticulously prepared.  For a purist delight, it’s hard to beat the American Kobe burger. Not cheap at $22, but the intensely beefy taste and texture coupled with a good bun makes it worth every penny. A Mediterranean-spiced lamb burger with puckery yogurt sauce is a fun walk on the wild side and the rare tuna burger is, well, so meaty you might just consider going for the less expensive regular burger.

If you’re not a carnivore, that’s okay, decent salads are available or, you could fill up on super-appealing sides like the addictive fried pickle slices, crispy sweet potato fries and sturdily-crusted onion rings.

Or, just skip straight to some of the most stupendous ice cream shakes ever shakerized. Granted, there are weird options. If you want such a thing, there is a “Twinkie Boy” for instance (don’t ask). But the chocolate is true flavored and the strawberry tastes like real right-out-of-the-patch strawberries rather than artificial flavoring. Better still, there are alcohol-fortified options (plus a full and inventive cocktail list).

BLT Burger doesn’t have quite the retro-cool vibe that Burger Bar at Mandalay Bay does, but it’s a great option for soaking up last night’s hangover or getting a good start on tomorrow’s.

Location:  The Mirage

Hours:  Sunday, Tuesday, & Wednesday:11:00 a.m. – 2:00 a.m.
              Monday, Thursday – Saturday:11:00 a.m. – 4:00 a.m.

Dress:  Casual

Info:  702.792.7888