There’s something about James Trees’ restaurants that understands your needs. From the second you walk into Esther’s Kitchen, Ada’s Food & Wine, Al Solito Posto or Bar Boheme, you get the feeling that the place recognizes your wants and is hustling to meet them. The vibes, service and food feel personalized, bespoke: Hey, long week? We’ll make you some pasta, pour you a rioja, simmer you up a boeuf bourguignon. We’ll make you a steak.
Located on the 50th floor of the Rio’s Masquerade Tower, High Steaks Vegas is Trees’ first major project inside a casino property, likely the first Strip corridor restaurant run by a born-and-raised local chef, and, arguably, Trees’ first effort at interpreting a tried-and-true Las Vegas staple. This city is built on this restaurant genre and Trees knows it; I’ve no doubt he’s dined in Vegas steakhouses all his life. High Steaks embodies both the sophistication and the high value we’ve associated with Vegas steakhouses since we went to dinner before prom.
Created by Trees with an all-star team that includes executive chef Joe Swan, general manager Tylor Kezar, wine director Todd Tooms, pastry chef Christina Phat and mixologists Jonah Gibbs and Tucker St. John—with input from Timeless Hospitality’s corporate executive chefs Sean O’Hara and Adam Rios, and corporate pastry chef Jake Yergensen—High Steaks gets a whole lot right. The cuts coming out of the kitchen—the 10-ounce Mishima Reserve American Wagyu hangar steak ($46), the 18-ounce O’Conner Beef MB5+ Tasmanian Wagyu boneless ribeye ($87), the 40-ounce prime Creekstone Natural tomahawk ($245) and more—are exquisitely prepared, and as tender and buttery as you’d want them to be.
Game fans have options, as do—amazingly—vegans. The “Hunt” section of the menu includes a 10-ounce Beck and Bulow Farms bison filet ($64), an 8-ounce Pamu Farms venison backstrap, and a lion’s mane mushroom from Desert Moon Farms, marinated in beet juice and grilled to tender perfection ($48).
And you can furtherload the plates with tasty swag. The steak toppers range from lobster tail ($49) to a simple blue cheese crust ($5), and the sides include a crab and asparagus gratin ($29), French fries prepared in garlic beef tallow ($15) and a gnochetti macaroni and cheese with Vermont white cheddar and broccoli ($19).
But these cuts and sides are all the better for what surrounds them, beginning with what’s probably one of the top five restaurant views in this Valley. The view from the east patio is flat-out cinematic; you need to get a selfie out there after dinner.
Even if you go to High Steaks and avoid the entrees, cuts and sides completely, you’re still advised to go for the starters—thick-cut bacon in a bourbon brown sugar pastrami glaze ($17), bone marrow with red wine onion jam, frisee and sourdough ($28) and the prime rib sliders with a horseradish cheddar sauce ($18)—and the desserts, especially the donuts with key lime curd and toasted meringue coconut ice cream ($16). Every bite rewards you. Every bite just gets what you needed.
HIGH STEAKS Rio, 702-777-7902, highsteaks.vegas. Daily, 5-11 p.m.
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