“You like lobster?” The words are a warning as much as a question as Barry Dakake gets ready to prepare one of the most indulgent and decadent tableside dishes in Las Vegas today.
The chef behind Barry’s Downtown Prime is manning a tableside cart with a built-in grill, fully in his element while sautéeing about a pound-and-a-half of tail and claw meat from a six-pound Maine lobster.
“We call this Lazy Man’s Lobster back in Rhode Island,” Dakake says with modesty while heads turn in the dining room, taking notice of an aromatic cloud of white truffle butter, garlic and shallots.
Throughout the presentation, the chef also adds fine herbs, a splash of cream, lobster stock, sea salt and toasted black pepper. At around the three-minute mark, a touch of brandy lights up the room with a sizzling flambé special effect. Suddenly, you’re front row at one of the best shows on Fremont Street.
It’s hard to believe Barry’s Downtown Prime is now three years old, but then again, the steakhouse opened during the height of the pandemic, when everything was a blur and the perception of time was in short supply. The restaurant emerged from the chaos without losing focus, locking down a reputation as one of the most ambitious and reliable steakhouses in Las Vegas, mixing old-style swagger with a contemporary edge at the Circa resort.
Dakake’s lobster is a meal unto itself, mixed with asparagus, potato gnocchi and several grams of fresh-shaved truffles in a combination that almost feels random, but works perfectly in both taste and texture. It’s designed to share, so go the extra mile and order the restaurant’s signature ribeye cap ($89) for the ultimate family-style surf and turf. The steak is marinated in olive oil, garlic, shallots, rosemary and thyme. Ask for it sliced, and even if medium-rare is your default, try it medium. The higher temperature renders the fat more thoroughly and evenly in the tender cut.
Dakake always handles the lobster orders personally—sometimes as many as 25 a night—and exclusively on weekends. (However, it never hurts to call in advance and inquire about weeknights. Dakake is a people pleaser.)
The dish pairs effortlessly with one of two smoked cocktails served from a bartending cart with a choice of spirits ($29-$50). The Old Fashioned mixes a touch of simple syrup with Angostura and orange bitters, while a Manhattan follows the classic recipe of Angostura bitters and Carpano Antica sweet vermouth. The former is poured over a sphere of ice with an orange peel. The latter is served up with a cherry.
Guests are free to choose from two familiar brands that overdeliver (Buffalo Trace and Patron Extra Anejo) or bourbon aged in port barrels by Woodinville, a fast-rising distillery that utilizes grains from a single Washington farm. High West Rendezvous Rye is offered as a premium upgrade. A smoking gun, fueled with white oak wood chips, effectively infuses a cloud of flavor within your choice of spirit in a decanter before it’s poured into the glass.
The interactivity continues during dessert when guests struggle to choose between a fiery Baked Alaska ($36)with Neapolitan ice cream flavors or the roast-’em-yourself Campfire S’mores ($26) with graham crackers already slathered with dark chocolate ganache for your convenience. The showstopper, however, is the off-menu Bananas Flambé, which is like a Bananas Foster and Cherries Jubilee in one, brought to life with a flaming presentation, hot caramel sauce and a vanilla ice cream cake infused with cherries and banana bread. It’s the right way to finish a meal that—in many ways—is everything you could’ve ever wanted.
BARRY’S DOWNTOWN PRIME Circa, 702-726-5504, barrysdowntownprime.com. Friday-Saturday, 5-11 p.m.; Sunday-Thursday, 5-10 p.m.
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