Dave & Buster’s Downtown Summerlin
Perfect Patron Margarita – Patron Silver Tequila and Patron Citronge
Walk the Plank – Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum, Malibu Coconut Rum, DeKuyper Peachtree Peach Schnapps, Pineapple Juice, Orange Juice and Pomegranate Syrup
Original Snow Cone – DeKuyper Watermelon Pucker, Malibu Coconut Rum, Pinnacle Cherry Vodka, DeKuyper Blue Curacao, Sprite, Pomegranate Syrup
Three Cheese Grilled Cheese Sticks – Manchego, cheddar and mozzarella cheeses melted between giant slices of sourdough bread with a cheddar and Manchego cheese crust. This gigantic sandwich is griddled to a crispy, golden brown, cut into 8 individual sticks, and served with warm tomato basil dipping sauce
Crispy Steak n’ Cheese Tater Cakes – Shredded potato cakes served crispy brown and loaded with thinly sliced steak and melted cheese. Topped with sautéed onions, fresh tomatoes and green onions and served with horseradish sour cream
Kids Size Classic Goldfingers – Hand-breaded, crispy fried chicken tenders served with seasoned french fries and chipotle honey sauce
Bass Ale Battered Fish & Parmesan Potato Chips – 8 oz. wild-caught, sustainably sourced Pacific cod filet, Bass Ale battered and fried until golden brown and crispy, served with crunchy Parmesan-dusted house-made Yukon Gold potato chips and creamy malt vinegar aioli
Maker’s Mark BBQ Burger – A half-pound burger, grilled and smothered in our Maker’s Mark bourbon sauce. Topped with American cheese, smoky ancho pulled pork and caramelized onions. Served on a toasted brioche bun with sweet potato fries
Short Rib & Cheesy Mac Stack – Tender sliced short rib, creamy mac & cheese and bourbon glazed onions sandwiched between two thick slices of sourdough and grilled to buttery, golden-brown goodness. Served with crispy seasoned tots
Coffee
Brookie Sundae Tower – A giant chocolate brownie & chocolate chip cookie made with Ghirardelli chocolate chips, baked into one warm & gooey delicious package, topped with vanilla ice cream and chocolate & caramel sauces
Hot & Sugary Donut Bites – A basketful of warm sugarcoated plain and chocolate donut holes with raspberry and chocolate dipping sauces
Bananas Foster Pie – Chilled banana pudding and vanilla sponge cake layered in a cinnamon-graham pastry with rum sauce and warm caramel
Recently opened in Downtown Summerlin and already making a splash with locals looking to escape the summer heat, I was a bit of a surprised that Dave & Buster’s had not already made its mark on Las Vegas considering the fact that I’d previously visited locations in Detroit and Columbus as far back as the mid-90’s, dining never really the “focal point” but the arcade a lot of fun and the televisions plentiful for watching college football games.
Originally founded in the early 1980s, and now nearing their 90th store Nationwide, Dave & Buster’s at Downtown Summerlin inhabits the space directly across from Regal Cinemas and featuring a vast floorplan of Food, Games and Sports it was just prior to 6pm that our party checked-in at the podium, reservations well-advised during primetime hours, though any wait-time could easily be spent on the video games.
Seated at a sturdy four-top to the right of the bar, a ton of Televisions positioning Dave & Buster’s nicely as *the* place to watch Football, Big Events or UFC in the nearly two-year old shopping center, it was with surprisingly efficient service for a place so new that the evening got started, plenty of managers circulating with the use of headsets allowing the team to fill coverage gaps as small groups continued to file in just as two sizable birthday parties sequentially got situated.
Energetic but not exactly “loud” considering the concept, a bulk of the noise merely that of pop-music and conversation as the gaming area sits a fair distance from the food and drink, positive attitudes and smiles seem to be part of the culture at Dave & Buster’s and although the several-page menu may at first seem daunting, the size is mostly a result of pictures with server’s recommendations helping to narrow the options into a list that is both well-culled and fair priced.
Obviously not to be confused as fine dining, but at least on par with the rest of the outdoor mall in terms of quality and mass-appeal, the order at Dave & Buster’s was intended to take a broad look at some of their classics as well as the new Summertime selections, a trio of adult-beverages to start certainly not the Spirit-forward work of a Strip “Mixologist,” but at the same time still quite tasty with both the Snow Cone and Tiki drink both the sort of thing that could get lightweights into trouble as the alcohol is well hidden by all the fruit and sweeter stuff.
Continuing to order in threes, a Children’s menu affording the ability to taste D&B’s famous “Golden Planks” in a smaller portion with results par-for-the-course Chicken Strips served with addictive Chipotle Honey Sauce, more interesting bites were found in Grilled Cheese Sticks that saw Manchego put to good use alongside more typical Cheddar and Mozzarella in a golden, crunchy package featuring a gooey center, the Steak n’ Cheese Tater Cakes even more impressive as the Hashbrown base was virtually oilless beneath nicely seasoned Beef, Onions and more melted Cheese.
Told that the Burgers were a “must,” but also intrigued by Sandwiches as well as some of the Seafood and Chicken choices, suffice it to say that the Maker’s Mark BBQ Burger outperforms anything tasted at nearby Shake Shack or Ribs n’ Burgers in terms of taste or quality, the 8oz patty grilled perfect medium beneath House-pulled Pork and caramelized Onions, while a delicious half-pound of line-caught Cod fried golden showed an unexpected dedication to sustainable souring, the Short Rib & Cheesy Mac Stack unfortunately falling short of the rest as a result of significant underseasoning.
Not holding back when it comes to desserts, though those dining with small children should be weary that a three-course meal in the middle of a room of flashing lights and temptation will test the patience of even the best behaved boy or girl, there is no doubt a reason that Dave & Buster’s Brookie Sundae Tower is featured at the top of the list as three of America’s favorite sweets are brought together in a stack of pure decadence, the tender Donut Holes a much lighter way to finish the meal on a sweet note while the Bananas Foster Pie offers a more adult option in a portion better suited for singles.
FOUR STARS: Taking about an hour to play games after dinner, the range of options each charged a somewhat arbitrary range of “points” per play, both adults and children will be challenged by everything from Skee-Ball and Air Hockey to shoot ‘em up style games as well as those for which they can win tickets, all-in-all a great way to shake down the food and let the little ones expend some energy at the end of the day.
RECOMMENDED: Walk the Plank, Crispy Steak n’ Cheese Tater Cakes , Bass Ale Battered Fish & Parmesan Potato Chips, Brookie Sundae Tower, Bananas Foster Pie and an extra side of Chipotle honey sauce.
AVOID: Short Rib & Cheesy Mac Stack was dull while the Horseradish Sour Cream was not only too sour, but odd in texture.
TIP: Several Coupons have been going out both online and in the mail recently, these combined with daily deals offering a good bargain on gameplay for savvy shoppers.
WHAT THE STARS MEAN: 5 World Class, 4 Excellent, 3 Good, 2 Fair, 1 Poor.
http://www.daveandbusters.com/las-vegas
