It’s almost hard to believe that Holstein’s is run by the same people responsible for LBS at the Red Rock. I guess if I had to make an analogy, this place is like Michael Jackson (in terms of talent, not behavior or affinity for boys) whereas LBS is LaToya (or maybe even Janet) and the LBS Patty Wagon is Tito.
What that means, is this place rocks. The menu is more diverse and creative than it’s sibling establishments with it’s spiked milkshakes, apps, burgers, alternative dishes for non-burger folks, and an extensive beer list.
The Rising Sun ($16.50) is an amazing burger made out of a sizable kobe beef patty, teriyaki glaze, nori furikake (yeah, I had to look up furikake to know what it was… I’m not ashamed to admit it), crispy yam, spicy mayo and tempura avocado. The ingredients gave it a rich, sweet, unique flavor and the crispy yam bits a crunchy texture. If I have any complaint about this burger it’s the height of it. The thick patty and huge slices of avocado make it difficult to get the whole thing in your mouth (didn’t Macauley Culkin say the same thing to MJ?).
My wife got the Gold Standard ($17.50) – dry aged beef sirloin with smoked bacon, aged goat cheddar cheese, tomato confit, baby arugula and garlic-chive aioli. She loved it and only let me have one bite. If you want a more traditional burger, go for this. But, I still thought the Rising Sun was better.
Each burger came with an order of fries. So She got the regular fries and I got he steak cut fries. Both were very good — crispy exterior, light and soft interior.
Our son got the kid’s chicken fingers and fries. That’s always a winner with him. It came with 3 big tenders and some carrots and celery.
Even after those big burgers we still had room for dessert. Our choice… lollipops. The chocolate brownie and strawberry were excellent. The lemon meringue and red velvet cake were largely forgettable and uninspired and the blondie was bland and didn’t come close to reminding me of a blondie brownie.
Despite the lackluster dessert, the burgers were so good I can overlook that misstep. We didn’t have any issues with the service, especially the kitchen, which sent out the food surprisingly fast. I’m not sure if I’d say this is my favorite burger place, but it’s definitely one of the top and one that shouldn’t be missed.
5 Stars
— Updated below: 1/14/11 —
On a return visit I tried the Nomnom burger – kobe beef, cheddar cheese, potato chips, 1000 Island dressing. When I first spotted the name on the menu I immediately thought of the Nom Nom food truck and wondered if the burger here would be like a banh mi-style burger. Nope. Not even close. The beef was excellent, but they could have gone more gourment/artisan with their cheese selection. Plus, there were hardly any chips in the burger — only a few on one half of the burger. Overall, it was mediocre. The Rising Sun and Gold Standard are still amazing so if you stop by, get one of those.
5 Stars (Only because of the Rising Sun and Gold Standard)
The Cosmopolitan
3708 Las Vegas Blvd S
Las Vegas, NV 89109
(702) 698-7940
