Smashed Pig adds hearty dishes to growing food scene in downtown Las Vegas

The term “gastropub” has gained popularity in the past few years among bars serving specialty food. But what does it mean?

The Smashed Pig Gastropub defines the term on its website as “a pub that specializes in serving high-quality food,” and it has the quality covered but isn’t for the calorie-conscious — or for penny-pinchers. Fish and chips, for example, will run you $16, and that’s not counting the suggested beer pairing, an IPA that costs $7. The roasted salmon with roasted pasilla mash costs $19.

During a recent lunch visit, a party of four wasn’t sure where to go upon arriving. It was crowded at the pub’s front, and we eventually realized we needed to take a number. Fortunately, the wait to be seated in the back wasn’t long, and the decor was stately and eye-catching. It was a bit dark for lunchtime, likely because the overcast day didn’t allow light to flow in via the pub’s skylights.

Our party’s order included a cheese and cold-cut platter for $12; chicken lettuce wraps for $7; two orders of fish and chips; and the Smashed Pig burger with cheddar cheese for $15. The lettuce wraps, which also include water chestnuts, mushrooms and crispy noodles, arrived first and were the meal’s highlight. Most of the other orders arrived next — excluding one of the orders of fish and chips, which reached our table a few minutes later. One person in our party was pleased with his fried fish, while another said hers had been too greasy.

The burger was tender, and the fries were seasoned well. The cold-cut platter had been ordered as a meal and would have been better-served as an appetizer, while the lettuce wraps had been ordered as an appetizer and could have been a tasty meal for one.

Our dining group was diverse; so was the music that played during our 40-minute visit. We identified T-Pain, Rihanna, Stevie Wonder, Madcon, the Beatles, Katy Perry and Ke$ha, with the latter three artists featured multiple times.

The Smashed Pig opened in late 2015 and is part of an evolving downtown Las Vegas food scene. It doesn’t just aim for the lunch crowd; it’s open until 1 a.m. Thursdays through Saturdays and offers beers such as Pabst Blue Ribbon and Great Basin Milk Stout on draft, various wines and speciality cocktails.