BLTA

BLTA at Eat

eatdowntownlv.com

A+

Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce you to the definitive Las Vegas bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich. We're willing to cop to the fact that the Club must be the official sandwich of Las Vegas because it is the de facto room service order. But the BLT has got to be right there behind it, and though it seems like a simple task to assemble one, it's often fucked up somehow (just like the Club). But not at Eat. Like it does with just about everything on its compact, perfect menu, Eat takes the basic ingredients of this classic creation, emphasizes that each element is the best it can be, and then elevates everything with some special little twists. You can see those twists right here in the picture: there's bright, fresh, creamy wedges of avocado topping things off, and the bread is unbelievably thick, toasty and buttery. The layers of crunchy, wonderful bacon, crisp lettuce and juicy tomatoes are distinct and generous. There's a slight spread of chipotle mayo on each piece of toasty awesomeness, too. Usually when a sandwich is built to look good, it tastes good, too. This skyscraper isn't easy to bite, but it's worth the effort. Best BLT in Vegas, hands down.

Pulled Pork

Pulled Pork at Lulu's Bread & Breakfast

lulusonthemove.com

A-

You better hurry up if you wanna eat this baby, a mass of tender pulled pork crisped together into a brick of barbecue goodness and then panini'd in a perfect French baguette with chunks of pickled carrot and daikon and fresh cilantro. Act fast, because the sandwich guy at Lulu's is switching up the menu soon. This will become a version of a Cuban sandwich, which will almost certainly be just as delicious as this pulled pork. Lulu's is quietly and quickly becoming one of the best sandwich spots in Las Vegas. Stay tuned as we'll have more beautiful bites from this up-and-comer.

Red Rock Dog

Red Rock Dog at Pink's

redrock.sclv.com

B+

Now we're talking. The Red Rock Resort way out on the west side of Vegas has its very own Pink's hot dog shop, hiding in the casino corner near the sports book and poker room. The signature, namesake dog is a slightly spicy, extra garlicky Polish sausage topped with sauteed mushrooms and onions, cheese sauce and full strips of bacon. I call it a delicious disaster. One of the things that sets the Las Vegas versions of Pink's (there's one at Planet Hollywood, too) apart from other local hot dog joints is that they always serve their crazy creations on warm, soft, fresh buns. Buns are so important. They can never be dry or crumbly; that's just hot dog blasphemy. Pink's buns are great, especially when you get a bite smothered with nacho cheese and bacon.

Grilled Cheese and Peppers

Grilled Cheese and Peppers

homemade

B-

It's nice to have a garden. The thought of walking out back, grabbing something and eating it is very soothing. And then there's the thought of plucking some sweet banana peppers and pepperoncinis from that backyard garden, slicing 'em and sizzling 'em up with some olive oil, and melting them in-between toasty bread with gooey cheese. And then you take that thought, and you make it real. And then you bite that thought.

Bacon Jalapeño PBJ

Bacon Jalapeño PBJ at Border Grill Brunch

bordergrill.com

A

You already know this is a winner because of its name. Seems like it gives everything away, and it also makes you think Of course, why hasn't someone thought of this already? But there are a few delicious elements to this breakfast sandwich not described in its lengthy moniker. Yes, there are crispy strips of swine, nice-sized coins of raw, bright green pepper, salty peanut butter and sweet jelly, but there's also a fried egg. Usually, we're all about runny egg goodness, but on this sandwich it's the only thing that doesn't add much to the package. It doesn't take anything away, either, it's just that the egg doesn't seem to meld with the other ingredients in the same perfect way as they do with each other. But the oozy yolk and crispy-edged white part of the egg do pair nicely with the house-made biscuit that provides this masterpiece's foundation, and the biscuit really makes the whole thing. It's dense and slightly buttery, and just adds a rustic touch to a bite that could be a little over-the-top otherwise. Basically, this baby—one of the most popular items on the all-you-can-eat small plates brunch at Border Grill—is the breakfast sandwich to end all breakfast sandwiches.

Mr. Ho's Burger

Mr. Ho's Burger at Bachi Burger

bachiburger.com

A

I know, I know ... too many burgers on allsandwich. We're trying to mix it up more, but the fact is we are eating mostly in Las Vegas, and there's a whole lotta burgers here. They're impossible to avoid. And though we sometimes get sick of burgers, many are delicious enough to keep us wanting more. This is usually the case at Bachi Burger, where lots of different Asian ingredients get incorporated into lots of different, delicious burgers.

Mr. Ho's might be the most bizarre of Bachi's burgers. An angus beef patty is blended with pork, garlic and ginger, lacquered in some sort of sweet soy after being charred to perfection, and dropped on a taro bun. That's right: it's purple. It's soft and sweet with a very gentle yam-like flavor, and it's a nice contrast to the super savory burger. Adding to this mouth rainbow are sauteed mushrooms, crisp lettuce and some Chinese sausage. There are a lot of varying elements that somehow work together on this burger, but that's pretty much what they do at Bachi.