Isla Mexican Kitchen

Chef Richard Sandoval also has restuarants in New York and Denver. He is the master of Mexican-fusion cuisine, which takes everything you love about Mexican food and turns it into a work of art. My favorites are the rock shrimp ceviche, carne asada tacos, sauteed jumbo prawns maya, and the lobster guacamole! The restuarant features a tequila bar that has a "Tequila Goddess" which offers explanations on any of the more than 100 different tequilas they serve! They even offer "The Goddess Elixir" drink, which is a $99 margarita with 100 year anniversary gran marnier among other ingrediants. This is Mexican dining at it's best!

Pros: Incredible food and over 100 different tequilas.
Cons: Seating can be a little tight in some of the booths. Ask for a full table instead.

I'm neither Mexican nor Spanish, but to me the food tasted very authentic and not at all tex-mex as I expected. The starter portions such as the empanadas and tortilla samples were very generous. You can stick with the traditional fair such as tacos and burritos but I highly recommend the main courses. I've dined here twice and tried the skirt steak pyramid, pork medallions, and sampled my girl's pepper stuffed with spicy beef. Each main dish was unique, flavorful and well prepared. The service was attentive and relaxed. Wait staff did not try to shove those $7 bottle water. On the weekends in which we dined, the restaurant was almost full but not crowded which made the atmosphere pleasant. Entries are sub-$20 coupled with the high food quality, makes Isla is one of the best fine dining values on the Strip. Its definitely a hidden gem among restaurants in Vegas. We will be coming back here again.

Pros: Very tasty food, not overly crowded, nice relaxed decor, excellent service.
Cons: There really is none that I can think of.

We didn't have lunch exactly, the restaurant portion of Isla was not yet open. But we did have drinks and the best guacamole that we've had in Vegas. The bar staff were very friendly and happy to recommend from the appetizer menu items they considered to be the best. They were right, the guac rocked! My husband tried one of the tequila's from their extensive lsit- he enjoyed it. I did not, but then again, I don't like to sip tequila. The bar area itself is very nice...dark, classy, with seating at the bar and at lower tables lining the bar entrance. It was pretty empty when we arrived (ok, it was only 11 a.m.) but by the time we left, numerous couples, older familes were in the bar area having drinks and waiting for the main restaurant to open. The staff was so friendly, one even pointed out to me that I should not casually hang my purse off of my chair, lest I wanted it stolen. She had a good point, and I appreciated the tip.