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When you think of Las Vegas, you probably picture overpriced mixed drinks, dance clubs and gambling tables. I did too, until I found Burger Bar. Now when I think of Sin City, I think of craft beer and killer burgers. Chef Hubert Keller has beget a burger to please every palate at Burger Bar in the Mandalay Bay shops. We talked to Bar Manager and Beer Specialist Lloyd Funtanilla about the bar and brews.

Lloyd told us that Burger Bar was originally slated to be opened by Charlie Palmer, the American chef who is immensely popular in New York. Instead, it was Chef Hubert Keller, who grew up in France and actually didn’t know much about burgers, who opened the joint in 2004 way before the trend of gourmet burgers spread across the nation. The highly acclaimed French chef is best known for opening the very fancy Fleur de Lys restaurants in San Francisco and Las Vegas. He has opened two other Burger Bar restaurants in San Francisco and St. Louis as well.

Hardheaded Woman

Being  a veg-head doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the magic made in the Burger Bar’s kitchen. Lloyd made sure I was happy with my veggie burger, then explained  to me how the corporate chef has been perfecting a patty that’s not your run-of-the-mill soy loaf. The Chef’s Veggie Burger was flavorful with great texture and it didn’t fall apart in my hands. It’s made with caramelized mushrooms, button mushrooms, lentils, peas,  pumpkin puree, potato, bread crumbs, mozzarella cheese, and brown and white rice.

Meat-eaters will enjoy numerous options from Burger Bar’s very own butcher shop. They offer Kobe beef, buffalo, salmon steak, chicken breast and you can customize what’s between your buns with the build-your-own burger menu. Our pal ordered his hamburger as a low-carb burger (above) with plenty of tasty, grilled peppers and sides to boot. Stan had the Hubert Keller burger (below) with buffalo, caramelized onions, baby spinach and blue cheese on a ciabatta bun.

Bring Me My Barleywine

Fortunately, Burger Bar has 24 beers on tap, well over 100 bottles and it is easily accessible from the strip. Unfortunately, I have no self control. The bar staff is extremely educated about their amazing beers. Bartender Eric K. Kelley is a Las Vegas-native who loves to talk about brews with new friends and regulars alike. Eric left BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse to bartend at Burger Bar and you can also catch his “flair” bartending at the Suncoast Casino on Wednesdays, which is now their most popular night. Manager Lloyd has experience working in the food industry all over Vegas and he’s also the mastermind behind the beers you’ll find here.

Fog and Ice

I enjoyed a bottle of Stone Old Guardian Barley Wine and Lagunitas Hop Stoopid, ensuring that I would be “stoopid” well into the night … and morning. After the barley wine, things got a bit foggy, so any other details for this story escape me. One thing I do know is that the Minus 5 ice bar is next door and they have Chimay white and little booties you have to wear if you are sporting sandals. Somehow, I made it back to my hotel room and when I woke up the next morning, I was reminded that I paid $20 for a print of a photo of us that night.

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Where?
Burger Bar Las Vegas
Located on the shopping walkway connecting Mandalay Bay and Luxor
3950 Las Vegas Boulevard South
Las Vegas, NV 89119

Additional information
http://www.mandalaybay.com/dining/burgerbar.aspx
http://www.fleurdelyssf.com/