Dining Review – Herbs and Rye

Michael James and his poker buddies take time out to enjoy a steak dinner at Herbs and Rye, located just off the Strip near Palace Station.

The planning for my annual poker trip last fall was going smoothly when the subject of the Big Group Dinner came up. Last year for the first time, we decided to play one less poker tournament in lieu of going for a nice steak. We decided to make it on the last full night, in part because you need a break after about three full days of playing cards (or so they say) and it gives us a chance to all get-together and tell our success (or horror) stories from those games. We chose to dine at THE Steakhouse at Circus Circus, and though the overall property is a little rough around the edges, the steakhouse is a true gold mine. We had a great time and decided to incorporate a Big Group Dinner into every trip.

Whereas at first, nobody had an opinion on where to go for the Big Group Dinner, suddenly options came out of the woodwork. As a Vegas regular, I was able to set some parameters so that we weren’t considering restaurants that are closed on Mondays or are quite aways from the next poker tournament. I could also nudge towards places with no parking fees.

I’ve got a friend who is one of the play-by-play broadcasters on the Professional Bowlers Tour’s Xtra Frame streaming service. Las Vegas has become quite the hotbed for all bowling, both amateur and professional, and so my friend spends a lot of time in Vegas and also loves to find new dining experiences. I was intrigued by a Facebook post that he made extolling the virtues of this off-Strip place called Herbs and Rye.

Luckily, being the group organizer offered more votes than any other single person. My five votes (my motto: “My Trip, My Rules”) plus the three guys who didn’t care made it a landslide.

So at 5:00 on Monday, October 23rd we sat in the parking lot waiting for it to open. From the parking lot, there’s not a lot to look at.

Once we entered the building, we walked the very long, darkened hallway to meet our fate. You see, with seven in our group, there were some that lacked that sense of adventure. To them, we were off-Strip in a run down building walking down a dark hallway.

How silly they seemed.

As you walk through the bar to your table, the large, backlit bar is the centerpiece of this business. It was very impressive and showed that they take their cocktails seriously.

The place filled up quickly, giving a surreal feeling of a very dark room with lots of people having fun. Before long, the waiter came by and did his waiterly thing.

(Once Bitten, Twice Shy Alert!!! Prices shown were in effect on October 23, 2017)

“But wait!”, says you, Gentle Reader. “There is nothing about Happy Hour on the menu.”

“Yeah”, says Your Humble Vegas Bright Author. “You’re right.”

Though they do not make it clear on their website, a poorly kept secret is that during Happy Hour (from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM and 12:00 AM to 3:00 AM), all menu items with the double stars are half price. That’s correct. The 120 oz Nectaly Ribeye is only $195.00 during Happy Hour. It also means that the more reasonable 18 oz Ribeye is just under $30.

We ordered a couple cocktails from their extensive menu, though that topic was not discussed much because of the non-drinkers in our group. Our food order was taken, and quickly the appetizers came out.

Not photographed was a boring and unremarkable Shrimp Cocktail ($17). Way overpriced for an unforgettable few bites.

But then came the food, and we became more impressed with each dish that was delivered.

Big and full of flavor without any gristle or silver skin. A beautifully done piece of meat. I added the Au Poivre sauce ($3.75) which was good but not actually needed. Each meal comes with one side, but I couldn’t choose one so I got two. The Garlicky Spinach was fine, but the Whiskey Shallot Mashed Potatoes ($12.00) quite possibly may be the best thing I have ever put into my mouth (Side note; I’ll let you paint your own picture, but I’ve put a lot of stuff in my mouth over the years… that says a lot about these potatoes). The potatoes were rich, creamy but chunky and absolutely popped with flavor. This was an absolute home run.

One other person had a Ribeye, and the other five all had the New York Strip ($21.00) with all manner of accompanying sides and sauces. Most intriguing was the buddy who ordered his with the Herbs and Rye Spice Rub ($3.75).

I got very lucky to sit next to him, as he allowed me to occasionally dip my steak into his runoff. He said that it was too overwhelming for the entire steak, but in small doses, it was really good. Since it was a rub, I am not sure how they solve that issue, but he said that if it were made into a dipping sauce, it would be perfect. His chosen side, the Brussel Sprouts don’t actually look like Brussel Sprouts. For that reason, I had a few when he offered them to me. Unfortunately for him, all I could offer was some of my spinach as my Whiskey Shallot potatoes were long gone when we got to the tasting segment in the dinner.

Dinner was a big hit, and there was no room for dessert.

In the time that elapsed since eating there, we’ve talked about this dinner a few different times. The overriding consensus is that the “bar” part is too much of the focus, especially during the dinner hour. Each of us had to use our cell phone flashlights to read the menu, none of our group photos turned out, yet we had to talk loudly over the din of the rest of the patrons. No particular person or group caused a problem, but the whole seemed more than the sum of the parts. I was enamored with the steak, potatoes and that spice rub, but I certainly see their point. The entire event was a bit of a chore to manage from beginning to end.

This is not a place for a romantic dinner, and truth be told, I am not sure the steaks are worth the non-Happy Hour pricing. But if you are looking for a good steak at dinner time and don’t mind eating in a bar, you can do a lot worse than Herbs and Rye.

[Author’s Note – Wouldn’t you know? I start putting together an article on my recent trip to Las Vegas, and I find a half-completed article from my previous trip. Second time in a row, as a matter of fact! 

[Photos – Michael James, Pete Garcia, Herbs and Rye website, Herbs and Rye Facebook page]

Michael James

Michael James is a true Vegas Nerd. First falling in love after hearing details of an aunt’s visit in the ’70s, and nurtured when the gambling bug hit as casinos started opening on every street corner across the country in the ’90s. When not reading Vegas blogs and message boards, he’s a metals buyer by day and a competitive bowler by night in Milwaukee.