I’m not crazy about the name. It reads as Public U.S., why not lowercase the ‘u’? I don’t get it. Despite that bit of odd branding the food won’t leave you scratching your head. It’s good. The place has a hipster vibe. It’s more of what Downtown LV needs — restaurants with delicious food. Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner it’s affordable yet refined. Good casual food that won’t drain your wallet with an interior that’s comfortable, approachable, trendy, and cozy. The friendly, young staff will gladly walk you through the menu and concept.
After a couple visits several months apart I’ve got mixed feelings about the mixed berry muffin. The first time it was a wonderful mix of berries in a soft, squishy muffin with a crystalized sugar coating that added a nice contrast in textures. The second time the muffin was dry and crumbly.
There are plenty of other items to like. The Forbidden fried rice ($13) looked small, but was enough to satisfy with tiny cubes of pork mixed in the toothsome rice, covered in a sweet yakitori sauce. And I can’t forget about the egg on top. After cutting into it and mixing everything together I got the full effect of all the components combing for a memorable dish.
My sweet tooth got the best of me on both occasions. I tried the brookie ($3), part cookie, part brownie. It was the brownie that won out. Moist, chewy, and dense, it was the superior element of the two. The bourbon banana bread ($3) was good too. Dense and cakey, I was a fan of the rich banana flavor, the texture, and the sweetness of it all which wasn’t too extreme.
It’s a little farther east of Fremont than where tourists and some locals tend to go. But, it’s worth the extra couple blocks of walking or driving to get quality food.
4 Stars
1126 Fremont St
Las Vegas, NV 89101
(702) 331-5500
