5 places in Las Vegas that elevate the humble chicken dinner
NoMad Restaurant
The signature whole roasted chicken here ($94) is large enough to feed two and decadent enough to seem at home in this gorgeous, library-style dining room. It’s stuffed with foie gras, black truffles and brioche, and the dark meat is fricasseed.
NoMad Hotel at Park MGM, 702-730-6785, thenomadhotel.com/las-vegas
Big Chicken
The chicken sandwiches here ($7.25-$9.19) may not be quite as big as owner Shaquille O’Neal, but they’re definitely large. More importantly, the quality of the ingredients and creativity of flavor combos such as Shaq Fu BBQ (kimchi, pork belly, Korean barbecue sauce), Big Aristotle (muenster, crispy onions, bacon, Memphis barbecue sauce) and Superman (Swiss cheese, smashed avocado, barbecue ranch) are much better than most counter service sandwich shops.
4480 Paradise Road, 702-675-3333, bigchicken.com
Harvest by Roy Ellamar
Chef Roy Ellamar describes his half chicken ($37) as “a Harvest classic that will remain untouched,” no matter how the menu may change seasonally. It’s an all-natural, pasture-raised chicken from Temecula, California, that’s brined in CraftHaus Saison and then smoked over hay.
Bellagio, 702-693-8865, bellagio.com
China Tang
This MGM Grand Chinese restaurant creates its signature Hammer Chicken ($108) by stuffing a bird with mushrooms, pork belly, ginger, shallot and garlic before wrapping it in a dried lotus leaf and clay, and baking it for more than five hours. Finally, the dish is doused in rosé wine and lit ablaze tableside as the table host uses a hammer to crack the clay open.
MGM Grand, 702-891-7380, mgmgrand.com
Yardbird Southern Table & Bar
The signature chicken here, brined for 27 hours and dredged in secret spices before it’s fried, is available two ways. You can get a half bird along with honey hot sauce ($26), or have it on a cheddar cheese waffle with chilled spiced watermelon and bourbon maple syrup ($36).
The Venetian, 702-297-6541, runchickenrun.com
The Review-Journal is owned by the family of Las Vegas Sands Corp. Chairman and CEO Sheldon Adelson. Las Vegas Sands operates The Venetian.