Restaurant families can be complicated. In the case of Herbs & Rye, Las Vegas’ revered cocktail bar and late-night lounge and restaurant, a sister concept like Cleaver built upon what was already great. Owner Nectaly Mendoza surprised us next with the arrival of Morning News, a breakfast joint no one quite expected but everyone quickly loved. Now there’s another addition to the family with Middle Child, a new brunch and lunch eatery determined to stand out.
Middle Child marketing manager Kei Chua sees the restaurant as a happy medium between all Mendoza’s concepts. “Herbs & Rye is like the oldest sibling. It kind of had a scrappy start, has a really cocktail-focused program, and we just so happen to have a great steakhouse, Cleaver,” says Chua. “We were able to build from ... the experience with the first one and we’re able to be a little more upscale. Middle Child is kind of in between. It’s a brunch spot, it’s still upscale, but we like to have fun here.”
In contrast to Cleaver’s moodier interiors, Middle Child is radiant in look and feel. Natural light spills in from large windows looking out at Paradise Road, calling attention to the contemporary design of the restaurant and the brightly plated cuisine.
Raw bar selections of freshly shucked and charbroiled oysters and seafood platters leave a dominant mark on Middle Child’s menu, followed by more upscale offerings like octopus carpaccio ($22) and beef tartare with a sous vide egg yolk, horseradish and capers ($18). There’s a healthy list of benedicts to consider, like the sliced sirloin surf and turf ($25) and the lobster and truffle benny ($35).
All of that’s pretty buttoned-up fare—great cuts of meat and ethically sourced seafood that’s aligned Cleaver and Herbs & Rye with high quality. But when it comes to the rest of the menu, Middle Child establishes itself as a freer, more eccentric spirit. For instance, the chef’s Wagyu burger ($22) features a decadent amount of truffle pecorino and truffle aioli and comes served on a black brioche bun. There’s also a soft-shell crab sandwich ($19), with a whole fried crab slipped between a mound of spicy slaw and a potato bun.
The bone marrow that’s paired with Middle Child’s biscuits and gravy ($25) also delivers a subtle but savory punch—and it’s a combination we wouldn’t have expected. The same goes for the chorizo bacon crispy rice ($17). It’s a grand slam of color and texture, with building heat that’s enhanced by a very crunchy and flavorful marriage of chorizo, deep-fried rice and a sunny side up egg.
Middle Child’s fare often straddles the line between casual and charmingly bougie. But frankly, we’d expect nothing less from a brunch and lunch spot with its pedigree. Chua says the restaurant will soon open for dinner, with an emphasis on prime rib.
The goal has always been to deliver an experience that’s both elevated and accessible to locals.
“We’re not on the Strip, we’re a family-owned business. We have been for the past 15 years, but what we’ve always wanted to do is make sure that the average working person can have a nice, fun meal without going super crazy and breaking the bank,” Chua says.
Middle Child has some growing to do if it wants to reach the level of its sister concepts. But as first impressions go, this kid is going places.
MIDDLE CHILD 3900 Paradise Road, 702-749-8152, middlechildlasvegas.com. Daily, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
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