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