Robert Irvine Piles On The Beef at Tropicana


Bodybuilder/celebri-chef Robert Irvine readies his restaurant for a summer debut…

With all the coverage I’ve given to the meaty studs of Men of the Strip, it’s clear that Tropicana has added plenty of muscle to their entertainment offerings. Now with Robert Irvine‘s first foray into Strip dining, there promises to be a double helping of grade-A beef at the classic resort this summer.

The massive pecs and biceps of Chef Irvine have graced Tropicana’s west tower since last August. That’s when I gave you my theory on where his new restaurant might rise. It turns out that I was right on the mark.

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August 2016

Irvine 2

May 2017

It’s hard to tell if there will be ground-level shops underneath Irvine’s restaurant. As most Vegas-goers know, today’s Strip hotels can’t seem to get enough retail mileage out of their frontage. Even Wynn/Encore is erecting a second shopping plaza on their site. This particular corner was once slated for a three-story $100 million shopping expansion, so only time will tell what we can expect.

Aside from being described as Irvine’s take on modern American cuisine, little seems to be known about the restaurant. Details or signage weren’t posted anywhere during my visit last week. Trop’s own website materials are dated, too, remaining deliberately vague on an opening date.

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Irvine 4

A conversation at the resort’s concierge desk did little to clarify when diners should plan to line up. When asked, the reply was “It’s supposed to be in April. Oh, wait….it’s May already!”. After scanning the staff information printouts, the concierge told me that nothing was there. But, he assumed June would be a likely target. “It’s gotta open by summer,” he said.

Luckily for all of us (Tropicana employees, take note), Google exists. A simple search yielded an EaterVegas article from last month announcing a moniker of Robert Irvine’s PUBLIC HOUSE…and a July debut!

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Irvine 6

Oddly, that massive image of Irvine no longer graces the hotel’s exterior face. Inside, the lack of advertising is downright odd. Construction barriers usually offer a “stay-tuned” teaser for what’s to come, but not in this case.

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Irvine Wall

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Don’t ask how I got behind that door…

Irvine’s presence and involvement at Tropicana continue to move forward despite the lack of buzz for his restaurant. Last month he hosted a live interactive cooking show in the troubled Tropicana showroom. If you’re a fan, it sounds like you really missed out:

“This unscripted, unbelievable, audience-involving culinary experience is more like a thrill ride where cooking is merely the vehicle. YOU will give Robert a series of insane challenges, and he’ll need your help to help him complete them”.

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Irvine 10

Friday, June 16th will see Irvine hosting SUMMER COOKOUT, a charity outdoor picnic to be held at the resort’s Sky Beach Club. Proceeds will benefit Three Square Food Bank of Nevada (tickets can be ordered here).

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Irvine Timmons

As summer approaches and temperatures rise, Tropicana seems dedicated to satisfying your protein requirements. With the one-two punch of Men of the Strip and Robert Irvine’s PUBLIC HOUSE, we’ll finally have a definitive answer to “Where’s the beef?” in Las Vegas.

Photos: [Sammasseur]

3 thoughts on “Robert Irvine Piles On The Beef at Tropicana

  1. Is he known for any certain kind of food? I have seen him before, but I didn’t realize he was a chef.

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