The end of the year saw several restaurants call it quits in Las Vegas. This included two brewpubs, a decades-old pizza place (for a move across town), and a pair of family-run restaurants that said goodbye after less than a year in business. Below is a curated list of the city’s most noteworthy restaurant and bar closures along with those that have publicly announced upcoming final service dates.
Sorellina Cucina Italiana, Emilio’s Contemporary Mexican Kitchen
Citing economic conditions, the team behind a pair of restaurants — Sorellina Cucina Italiana and Emilio’s Contemporary Mexican Kitchen — shuttered both on December 23 after operating them for less than a year. In announcing the closures on the Sorellina Instagram page owners Lin Jerome and Alexandra Lourdes said they were sad to have to close both establishments, calling the restaurants “love letters to our families, our team and this community.” The restaurants, which shared a wall, were located near South Grand Canyon Drive in the southwest valley.
As anticipated, the one-year Netflix Bites residency is over. The pop-up, which closed January 4, was a playful space where the streaming service promoted its shows with a series of themed screen-to-table dishes. There were Bridgerton-inspired high tea trays, Stranger Things Eggo waffles, and a Squid Game gin-based cocktail called the Pink Soldier. The MGM Grand space has already re-opened as a diner called Avenue Cafe.
Without warning, a longtime breakfast spot inside Rio Las Vegas simply disappeared. Hash House a Go Go’s sudden closure was announced with a sign at the entrance that steered hotel guests to other breakfast outposts. Two weeks after the abrupt closure, the resort opened the Kitchen Table in its place. Hash House, an import from San Diego, was known for its giant plates of red velvet pancakes, sandwiches speared with sprigs of rosemary, and a mammoth sage fried chicken and waffles platter. It opened at the property in 2007. Hash House’s three other Vegas locations remain open.
When one door closes, another opens. That’s the case for Metro Pizza, which shut down its original location on November 27 to focus on a new restaurant called Metro Pizza Sliceteria, scheduled to open at the Bend this spring. Metro had been in the East Tropicana neighborhood for more than 37 years. Co-founder Sam Facchini cited its other nearby locations as the reason for the closure.
Music fans are singing the blues as another live entertainment venue pulls the plug. Sand Dollar Downtown closed December 13 after operating for just three years at its location inside the Plaza. The sister venue of the Sand Dollar Lounge on Spring Mountain (established in 1976) opened with a bang — a 2022 grand opening bash with Blues Traveler’s John Popper and ZZ Top’s Billy F. Gibbons performing. A Hogs and Heifers pop-up has already opened in the space.
SkinnyFats has closed its shop in Downtown Summerlin. The fast-casual destination was known for having a mix of healthy options like grilled chicken Caesar wraps and poke bowls alongside comfort food such as a spicy Nashville chicken sandwich. Skinnyfats opened at the Summerlin mall in November 2017. It will be replaced by Marufuku Ramen.
The tiny Beer Zombies taproom at Downtown Summerlin has poured its final pint. The cozy spot with just eight bar seats and a couple tables was known for its great happy hour specials and as a place to stop in for a shopping break and a good craft beer. Despite closing in Summerlin, Beer Zombies still has a draft room on Warm Springs and a brewery site on West Bonanza Road.
HUDL Brewing, an Arts District fixture for the past five years, closed on December 13. The brewery, which served house-brewed craft beers from its South Main Street location, felt the pinch of lower than usual foot traffic and, when combined with the impacts of rising costs and a 25-percent drop in sales, was forced to close.
Federal Donuts and Chicken
Red Rock Resort continues to reimagine its food court: While the restaurant categories remain the same (pizza, burgers, and donuts), the brands for each are being swapped out with the hope of injecting some excitement into the property’s fast-casual options. The latest casualty is the now-closed Federal Donuts and Chicken, which will be replaced by Los Angeles-based Randy’s Donuts.
