Beer Park
Ball Park Michelada – Budweiser, Clamato, Lime, Chili Salt rim
Soft Braided Pretzel – Bass IPA Cheese Fondue
Mac & Cheese Egg Rolls – House-smoked Bacon, three Cheese Blend, BBQ Sauce, Chipotle Ranch
Gilroy Garlic Fries – Fresh chopped Garlic, Parmesan, Parsley, Black Pepper Baconnaise
Smoked Chicken Drumsticks – Budweiser brined, Hot Sauce, Blue Cheese, Celery Leaf Slaw
BBQ Platter – Beechwood smoked Ribs, Beef Pastrami, Budweiser Brined Turkey Pastrami, Stella Artois Cidre Pickles, White Bread
Onion Rings – Beer battered, BBQ Sauce
Sweet Potato Fries – Cinnamon Sugar, Maple Aioli
Backyard BBQ Dog – Bacon wrapped Bavarian Sausage, Baked Beans, BBQ Sauce, Potato Salad, Crispy fried Pickles, Stella Artois Cidre Pickles
Kahuna Cowboy Burger – Pretzel Bun, Candied Bacon, Pineapple, Jalapeno, BBQ Sauce, Swiss Cheese, Stella Artois Cidre Pickles
Although all but the upper echelon of Las Vegas restaurants contain at least one television, several of them dozens more, rare is a place that delivers the triple-threat of showing sports with in-game volume while also serving good food in a family-friendly environment, 2016’s Beer Park at Paris happily filling that gap while simultaneously proving that more sometimes *is* more.
Located on top of Hexx and sponsored by Budweiser, access to the rooftop found just outside the Chocolate factory up an elevator or flight of stairs, Beer Park promises the concept of Backyard Barbeque at an affordable price point, the al fresco space specked with games, televisions and several options for seating or standing plus heat posts or misters as the weather dictates.
Headed by Hexx’s Matt Piekarski and Pitmaster Eddy, the menu taking the same approach as downstairs with long brines and slow roasting for all the Meats, plus hand cut Fries, Sides, Pickles and Sauces made from scratch, a visit to Beer Park begins with a quick check-in at the hostess booth followed by seating at picnic tables with built-in Ice chests, panoramic views of the Bellagio fountains on one side and 10,000 square feet of fun, including three-dozen Beers on-tap, to the right.
Bringing along one youngster and his mother for the Raiders and Texans, temperatures hovering at 45°F navigated by a pair of heaters, it was moments after seating that metal Solo cups were filled with water and menus were presented, the nine-year-old quickly gravitating to a jumbo size version of Connect Four and later entertained by oversized Jenga bricks.
Dining with the sky overhead, volume pumped-up and big screens visible from every angle, it was after brief greetings from the kitchen that a young, yet forgetful, female server took an order in two segments, Chef Eddy taking liberties to arrange an off-menu Barbeque Platter that more-or-less deconstructed two Sandwiches and presented their peppery Beef and Beer-brined sliced Turkey with a rack of dry-rubbed, smoky, falling-from-the-bone Pork Ribs.
Given the choice to sauce options to taste, the lightly sweet BBQ Sauce better filling personal tastes than the House-Made Goose Island Mustard, sharable snacks included a soft Pretzel with Beer Cheese alongside crispy sliced Spuds beneath a mountain of Garlic and Pork-studded Mayonnaise while three spicy Chicken Legs again spoke highly of the man behind the smoker with Blue Cheese dipping Sauce provided to quell the heat.
Smiling at the Macaroni, Cheese and Bacon-stuffed Egg Rolls, a seemingly goofy idea that nonetheless works far better than the bar-favorite nuggets that frequently become too greasy, course two consisted of generously portioned sides of Onion Rings and Cinnamon-Sugar Sweet Potato Fries plus a ‘Dog and Burger, the former a snappy artisan Sausage from Colorado served Sonora-style under a mountain of barbecue fixings while the Medium-rare patty ground on-site found itself equally well-topped in candied Bacon, diced Pineapple and Jalapeno sluices plus BBQ Sauce and melted Swiss Cheese on a pillowy Pretzel Roll more than capable of standing up to the heft.
FOUR STARS: Docking half a star for a server whose twice fumbled orders before being corrected and another for offering absolutely zero desserts despite the obvious quality and talent directly downstairs, Beer Park is arguably the best place in Las Vegas to catch a game with the whole family while also offering good food at a fair price for tourists looking for a place to enjoy the Strip views and the Bellagio fountains from a privileged vantage-point.
RECOMMENDED: Pastrami, Chicken Pastrami, Smoked Chicken Drumsticks, Gilroy Garlic Fries.
AVOID: N/A, though the Burger and Sausage may be a little over-the-top for purists and more timid tastes.
TIP: Obviously a desirable location for events such as the “BIG GAME” or NCAA Tournament, those looking for seats are encouraged to consult the restaurant website for the appropriate forms and contact information.
WHAT THE STARS MEAN: 5 World Class, 4 Excellent, 3 Good, 2 Fair, 1 Poor.
www.beerpark.com