Rare 120 is style over substance. It’s a steakhouse that caters to clientele more concerned with getting their drink on in a stylish setting than eating quality food. Don’t get me wrong, the food isn’t awful, but compared to other steakhouses around town it just doesn’t measure up.
The complimentary pretzel bread wasn’t warmed up enough. Parts of the outside of each piece were warm but after tearing into it I realized that the inside was cold and the texture of it was overly dense.
The crab cake appetizer came out looking like a deep fried hockey puck. There was plenty of crab meat and not much filler in it, but that didn’t make up for it’s dry taste
For entrees, I got the braised short rib. It was a huge slab of meat (off the bone) that was almost fork tender, a little too fatty, and was accompanied by an intensely rich sauce that needlessly amplified the saltiness of the beef. My wife got the 6 oz. filet, which turned out to be the best dish of the night. They are a steakhouse, afterall, so they get points for putting out a filet that was tender and had a nice char to it, although it was slightly under seasoned.
We shared a side of their trio of mashed potatoes. My favorite was the lobster, which had several succulent chunks of lobster laying on top. The sweet potato mash was decent, and the truffle mash was good for a few bites then the truffle taste become too overwhelming. All were incredibly rich, buttery, and creamy. If you’re trying to eat healthy, this isn’t the dish for you.
Service throughout the night was spotty. We wanted a second round of drinks but finished our meals before the waiter ever made it back to our table (although he did check in right after we got our food). I have no idea how many tables each server had, but they were clearly understaffed, as evidenced by every single employee speed walking back and forth trying to get everything done.
The highlight of the dinner was the comfy, plush booth we were seated in which made for a cozy dinner and a good spot to people watch.
Damn you restaurant.com for enticing me to come here with your discount gift cards (which our server forgot to deduct until we reminded him). If it wasn’t for that, we probably would not have tried this place. And, now that we have, there’s little chance we’ll ever be back.
2 Stars
Hard Rock Hotel and Casino
4455 Paradise Rd
Las Vegas, NV 89169
