I probably had burgers at Holsteins 25 times when it was open at the Cosmopolitan. I enjoyed the burger joint a lot, but I understood why the property would want to refresh its roster of restaurants, regardless of how much I enjoy the place.
When I first started visiting Holsteins, I sampled a few different burgers until I found the Gold Standard. It was one of my favorite burgers in Las Vegas and the only one I ordered at Holsteins. I was sad to see it go.
For some reason, it always seemed to be cooked properly, unlike some of the burgers I tried at Holsteins before. Additionally, the topping combination was great. I still haven’t seen a burger topped with goat cheese, arugula, smoked bacon, and the ridiculous chive aioli.
When I learned that Holsteins was reopening in the Arts District, I was tentatively optimistic. The area has some excellent bars and restaurants (I should write about that another time), but would the food be as good as the original location? That doesn’t always happen.
Well, it turns out Movestro was equally as curious to visit the new Holsteins, and we took it upon ourselves to make plans to visit shortly after it opened. As luck would have it, I received a rare invite from PR so we got to sample a couple of extra items than we would have ordered.
I usually like to write in chronological order, but today we must start with the most important piece of information and go from there…
The Gold Standard Is Still Great
The Gold Standard at Holsteins remains the “Gold Standard” for burgers. It’s as good as it was at the Cosmopolitan.
The recipe for the burger is 95% the same. Executive Chef Robert Garcia told us that the only difference is they have a slightly different bun. The Gold Standard now has a little black pepper and salt on top of the brioche bun.
I don’t like cutting burgers in half just for pictures, so you won’t see the perfectly cooked, juicy medium burger. Sorry, not sorry.
This won’t be my last visit, as a friend saw my Instagram post afterwards and said he needs to go after he moves into the area. That happened this week, and I expect to return soon.
Movestro doesn’t waste time and has already had at least one Gold Standard delivered.
Garcia said that most of the menu is the same as the Cosmopolitan. There are a few additions for the hipsters (my word, not his) who hang out in the Arts District.
I’m not one of those people, and I wanted to try something more gluttonous and unique. Movestro and I shared the Ruben Bites appetizer to start the meal. These are exactly what you’d imagine. A fried ball with corned beef, sauerkraut, and swiss cheese.
They were very good, but probably more appropriate as a happy hour snack to accompany a delicious $5 Able Baker Atomic Duck. Not only are there other apps on the menu, but we were both so full that neither of us had room for one of the delicious shakes. Priorities!
Everything we ate was fantastic, and as I said, I’ll definitely return. In a perfect world, my next visit will be during Happy Hour so I can save a few bucks on beer while I slowly destroy another Gold Standard.
Related, Able Baker is two short blocks away from Holsteins. You may remember I visited Able Baker when it opened in 2019.
The Arts District
Holsteins is located at 1216 S Main Street in the Arts District. This area is located between The Strat and Fremont Street for those unfamiliar with the area.
This part of town is as close to a real city as you get in Las Vegas. It reminds me of downtown New York City when I used to live there.
There are plenty of bars, restaurants, and retail shops. Esther’s is one of the best restaurants in Las Vegas. Popular bars include Velveteen Rabbit and ReCar. Coffee drinkers will love Makers and Finders or Vesta. Beer lovers will find a handful of breweries and beer bars.
As you can see from the signs above, there are plenty of places to drink for cheap in just the one block I walked while wandering around before heading into Holsteins.
If you’re looking for something different that doesn’t involve gambling, this is a fun part of town to spend a few hours.
Holsteins Decor
The new Holsteins isn’t the large restaurant you may remember at the Cosmopolitan. It’s now a larger version of the bar and lounge area when you first walked into the old restaurant.
The main dining area at the new Holsteins is about 10 large booths. Obviously, guests can also dine at the bar.
There are different versions of the cow above between each booth. Smoking cow was my favorite of the batch.
I should have asked for information about the cows, but I was hungry at first, overstuffed at the end, and busy eating and catching up with Movestro in between.
Holsteins opens daily at 11 a.m. We had lunch around noon, and the vibe was nice and chill with a few other groups dining. It closes at 10 p.m. on weeknights and 11:30 p.m. on weekends.
After our visit, I shared the experience on social and was surprised how few people knew Holsteins was open in a new location. I suspect, and hope, more people are learning they can still get the great food.
Why do I hope more people visit? I’m greedy and want them to do well so I can have the Gold Standard whenever I’m in the mood.
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Marc grew up on the mean streets of the South Bronx. He's the rare combination of Yankees and Jets fan which explains his often contrarian point of view. He learned about gambling at a young age working down the street from a bookie who took action on anything from the mainstream sports to the last three digits of the purse for certain horse races. Yeah, that's a thing. Today Marc is a freelance writer and social media consultant which allows him to work anywhere there's a wifi signal. This allows him to work from the sportsbook at Red Rock Resort or the food court at The Venetian where you’ll find fast and free wifi. Writing about steak, booze, gambling and Las Vegas is a tough job but somebody has to do it.
