There are few things that satisfy a craving like freshly made tacos and cold beer. It’s simple perfection, and that’s exactly why Vegas restaurateur John Simmons based an entire eatery around the heavenly combo. Inside this off-Strip taqueria, Simmons and his team cook up Mexican-inspired dishes and serve them alongside a knockout list of beers and cocktails.
“My vision was capturing two things that I love and bringing them together: the craft beer movement combined with the artisanal taco,” Simmons says. He also owns the popular tapas restaurant Firefly.
From tender, slow-cooked lengua with salsa verde, pickled red onion and cilantro to the pork al pastor with avocado cream and pineapple, each taco is a flavor bomb. And since launching Tacos & Beer in the original Firefly location in 2014, Simmons has worked to cultivate a scene all his own.
Last month, the urban cantina celebrated its second year of Techno Taco Tuesdays, a weekly electronic dance music event. “It really ended up [pairing] very well with our restaurant,” Simmons says. “We try for a lot of people who are locals and just get off their shifts on the Strip. We’ve become a destination.” So much so that underground dance music mastermind Claude VonStroke showed up in July to spin during Nacho House Sundays.
Home to Vegas locals like Tony Comfort Jones, Casey Beats, DJ Allen and DJ Shoe, Tacos & Beer also welcomes artists from all over the world. It’s as much a hot spot for the nightlife set as it is for food and brews. Tacos & Beer at 3900 Paradise Road, 702-675-7572; daily 11:30 a.m.-2 a.m.
