Encore’s Botero does steak, but prides itself on seafood, too
Don't think of Botero as a steakhouse. Think of it, Executive Chef Mark LoRusso suggests, as a "steak restaurant."
That's because, in addition to beefsteak, Botero, inside Encore, 3131 Las Vegas Blvd. South, offers a sophisticated menu of seafood dishes and other items that lie beyond the scope of the traditional steakhouse.
"I think you're going to get a good amount of people who want to come here and want steaks," LoRusso says. "But what we try to do is ... give people options with seafood dishes."
Indeed, steak is the No. 1 seller, he notes, but on a recent night about 40 percent of the entrees sold were seafood.
On the steak side, the menu offers cuts in various sizes, from a petite 8-ounce filet ($39) to a 40-ounce porterhouse for two ($96) prepared, as all of Botero's steaks are, in pepper steak, chimichurri or traditional styles.
Then, Botero's seafood menu includes entrees of poached halibut ($39) and pinwheel of wild salmon ($32) and appetizers of a shellfish tower of oysters, Gulf prawns, Maine lobster and crab ($65) and a crudo tasting of tuna, halibut, salmon and hamachi ($22).
Inside, the restaurant -- adjacent to Encore's XS nightclub and pool -- features two sculptures and three paintings by its namesake, Colombian artist Fernando Botero.
Botero seats 266 in its main dining room and patio areas.
Hours are from 5:30 to 10:30 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and from 5:30 to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Reservations are recommended.
Starters: Dungeness crab agnolotti, $21; wild mushroom tart, $15; baby beet salad with warm goat cheese, $13
Entrees: 20-ounce bone-in rib-eye, $52; whole-roasted European loup de mer, $45.
Desserts: Ice cream cupcakes, $12; PB&J brioche doughnuts, $12.
Information: 770-5310
