High Steaks
Sidecar – Brandy, Orange Liquor, Lemon
Penicillin
Pretzel Bread – Mustard Butter
Prime Rib Sliders – Potato Buns, Horseradish Cream, Aged Cheddar Cheese Sauce
Pastrami Glazed Bacon – Black Pepper, Bourbon, Brown Sugar Glaze
Wild Game Tartare – Spicy Olive Tapenade, Cured Egg Yolk, Crispy Shallots
Winter Market Salad – Grains, Agrodolce Squash, Frisse, Red Wine Cranberry Vinaigrette
Dungeness Crab Cakes – Old Bay, Creamed Corn, Tomato Jam
Fried Artichokes – Spinach Basil Bechamel, Parmesan Espuma
Boar Chop – Broadleaf Farms 16 oz. San Saba, TX
Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes – Brown Chicken Gravy
Crab & Asparagus Oscar Gratin – Crab, Béarnaise, Asparagus
Boneless Ribeye – O’Conner Beef 18oz, AU | MB5+ Tasmanian Wagyu
Salisbury Steak – Classic Mushroom Gravy, Mashed Potatoes, Worcestershire
Bison Filet – Beck and Bulow Farms 10 oz, Santa Fe, NM
Chef Joe’s Scalloped Potatoes
Smoked Jidori Fried Chicken – Calabrian Chili Honey, Gravy, Fried Sage
Macaroni And Cheese – Housemade Gnocchetti, Broccoli, Vermont White Cheddar
Basil Creamed Spinach – Béchamel, Basil, Nutmeg
Mint Hot Chocolate Soufflé – Housemade Marshmallow Cream, Chocolate Ice Cream
Black Forest Piecaken – Cherry Pie Inside Of Chocolate Cheesecake, Cocoa Whipped Cream, Cherry Sauce
Basque Cheesecake – Berry Compote, Whipped Cream
Key Lime Donuts – Key Lime Curd, Toasted Meringue Coconut Ice Cream
Hummingbird Cake – Banana Cake With Pineapple And Toasted Pecans, Cream Cheese Icing, Butter Pecan Ice Cream
Currently Chef James Trees’ sixth Las Vegas venture, and the first proper Restaurant in a Casino following quick-casual concepts at The Strat and Resorts World, High Steaks Vegas opened in early October replacing VooDoo Steak & VooDoo Lounge atop the Rio’s Masquerade Tower.
At one time a premier Off-Strip destination for locals and tourists alike, High Steaks and other new eateries see casino brass attempting to resurrect a derelict property with free parking, affordable Cocktails and the sort of Food worth getting excited about.
Visited very early, service and expediting predictably green across an immense dining room, a few month’s practice now sees High Steaks humming while panoramic views of Las Vegas come at a fraction of the cost of Top of The World, Foundation Room or whatever replaces Vetri at The Palms.
No doubt a space willing to take chances to capture locals, a $16 Sidecar or Penicillin roughly half-off compared to three recently-opened Steakhouses at The Venetian, housemade Bread offers a stretchy surface complimented by Mustard Butter while several sizes of Seafood Tower deliver Prawns and Crudo plus the usual Lobster, Oysters and Crab.
Taking on several common themes for Starters, Bar Boheme’s French Onion Soup ported over perfectly to the Rio, “Prime Rib Sliders” deliver immense impact while Crab Cakes and Bacon are enjoyable if not “wowing” in comparison to Wild Game Tartare and “Fried Artichokes” that riff on classic Spinach and Artichoke Dip with impressive results.
Not an “Italian Steakhouse,” though Trees and team smartly flex their muscles with a couple of Pastas including a “Mac & Cheese” dish that rethinks mom’s advice to “eat your veggies,” diners tired of the same ol’ Steak & Salmon will love “The Hunt” with Boar, Elk, Venison and “Lion” in the form of a Vegan-friendly Mushroom treated to a multi-step process that will impress Carnivores, as well.
Offering 18oz of Tasmanian Wagyu Ribeye for less than $90, unheard of in this city post-Pandemic, Trees elevates Midwestern stable Salisbury Steak to new heights with rich Mushroom Gravy while Fried Chicken is first brined and smoked for great depth of flavor.
Soon planning a few changes, the Salisbury set to become a “Meatball” Appetizer, current sides range from Creamed Spinach to Asparagus with King Crab and Spuds baked, mashed, fried or dressed up as Chef Joe’s Scalloped Potatoes on a bed of Caramelized Onions.
Trusting Chef Jake Yergensen for Desserts, a smart choice after his work at Esther’s and Bar Boheme, suffice it to say High Steaks’ “Piecaken” poses nicely for the #gram while straddling a fine line between French Silk and Black Forest while the Souffle and Donuts with impeccable Coconut Ice Cream are enjoyable, but not quite on the level of Hummingbird Cake made exactly as it aught to be.
www.riolasvegas.com/restaurants/highsteaks