Takeout Stakeout: Southern Highlands plaza has tastes for many palates
Takeout Stakeout is a recurring series spotlighting clusters of restaurants offering curbside pickup while their dining rooms are temporarily closed. It’s designed to take some of the stress out of family takeout night by noting hubs where a variety of cuisines are available in one location.
Today’s pick: Southern Highlands Marketplace
A Smith’s supermarket is the centerpiece of this sprawling shopping center, located on the east side of Southern Highlands Parkway, between Cactus and Somerset Hills avenues. The complex has several restaurants offering a variety of options.
In addition to the restaurants below, the center has several more casual spots, including a Pizza Hut/Wing Street combo, Subway, McDonald’s and Starbucks, with the latter two offering drive-thru windows. For those who want something a little sweet, options include Baskin-Robbins, Tropical Smoothie Cafe and Pineapple Park.
The complex’s more substantive options include barbecue, fried chicken, sushi, Chinese and plenty of Italian cuisine during lunch and dinner hours, as well as a place specializing in breakfast.
Spaghetty Western: This popular Italian spot offers most of its menu for curbside pickup from 4 to 8 p.m. daily. That includes pasta, pizza, entrees and sandwiches, all of which can be accompanied by beer or wine. Find the food menu on the restaurant’s website and check social media feeds for daily food and drink specials before phoning in your order. If you pay in advance, they’ll bring the order to your car. (For those who choose to go inside, there’s a sanitizer dispenser at the door.) Walk-up orders are also welcome. spaghettywestern.com, facebook.com/spaghettywesternlv, @spaghettywestrenlv on Twitter and Instagram, 702-834-4611
Rine & Shine: A Steak & Egg Place: The complex’s popular breakfast and lunch spot is open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily, and offers 10 percent off for curbside pickup orders. The menu can be found on the restaurant’s recently redesigned website, but curbside orders are taken only by phone. When you arrive, you’ll find two doors: one for delivery drivers and the other for curbside pickup customers who have paid in advance. The latter can call or honk their horn, and orders will be placed on a tray outside the door for a contact-free experience. riseandshine-lv.com, 702-202-4646
Kazuki Sushi: The complex’s Japanese restaurant is open for pickup from 4 to 9 p.m. daily, although it can be a little tough to navigate ordering and payment. An employee taking phone orders over the weekend wasn’t able to provide a website or social media account where an updated menu is available and indicated that most of its customers right now are regulars who are familiar with the restaurant’s offerings. He noted, however, that no bento boxes, soups or teriyaki are currently available, while sushi, sashimi, fried rice and some appetizers are. Orders are taken by phone, and guests pay inside. 702-437-8744
Zest Bistro: Offering a mix of American and Italian cuisine, Zest’s menu includes pastas, steaks and chops, sandwiches, kabobs, salads and appetizers, with most items available for pickup from 2 to 9 p.m. daily. Health care workers, police officers, firefighters and other first responders get 50 percent off when they’re in uniform or show proper ID. The menu is available on the restaurant’s website, and orders are taken by phone. Call to have your food brought to your car or go inside to pick up. A maximum of eight people are allowed in at a time, and the staff will maintain a proper distance when they leave your food on a table. zestbistro.vegas, 702-202-2448
Mama Bird Southern Kitchen: Known for barbecue and fried chicken, Mama Bird is open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. The only real menu changes are that the watermelon soft-serve has been temporarily scrapped, and the chef is limiting preparation of ribs (20 racks a day) and brisket (three per day). The menu is on the restaurant’s website, where you can order and pay for pickup. Either way, you get a 10 percent discount if you come to pick up. Call when you arrive and if they have time, they’ll walk your order to the car. If not, it’ll be placed on a table by the door with your order number. Walk-ins are limited to two to three customers at a time. mamabirdsk.com, 702-570-6135
China a Go-Go: This chain operates 18 local locations, just two of which currently take online orders. Sadly, this isn’t one of them, which means you’ll have to peruse the menu on the corporate website, and phone it in. They are, however, offering pickup from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. chinaagogovegas.com, 702-293-5514
Know a strip mall or shopping complex with three or more great restaurants you can hit in one stop? Email Al Mancini at amancini@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlManciniVegas on Twitter.