Since opening in the spring of 2019 as an upgrade on minor league baseball at Cashman Field Downtown, the Las Vegas Ballpark (thelvballpark.com) in Downtown Summerlin has become a summer staple for Las Vegans. A hot dog and beer with a leisurely game is simply a classic experience of the season, no matter where you are. But Vegas cannot resist amping things up, and at the ballpark, the Elote Street Dog ($10) offers new summer flavors, a bacon-wrapped Wagyu beef frank topped with grilled corn, tajin and crushed Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. It pairs well with the signature golden Aviator Ale ($12) crafted by Tenaya Creek Brewery, or spice things up with the MyVegas Mule ($14), a ginger-and-citrus delight.

What’s the most summery cocktail? We believe in the margarita. It’s easy to drink and easy to make, and the flavors are beyond customizable. That’s also the case at Downtown’s La Comida (lacomidalv.com), which offers a rainbow of margarita options by the glass ($12-$16) or the pitcher ($40-$45). Here, vivid colors—electric pink prickly pear, deep crimson blood orange—equal vibrant flavors, which is most certainly not the case with those frozen concoctions on Fremont Street.

One of the great things about summer in Vegas is it can taste like summer anywhere else. Every Tuesday after 5 p.m., Honey Salt (honeysalt.com) will serve up its East Coast-style summer seafood boil, a traditional meal of shrimp, clams and crab with Andouille sausage, corn, potatoes and more ($42). You can also order it with lobster or as a two-course meal with salad or char-grilled pork ribs.

If we’re getting personal, one of our hot weather traditions is sharing a platter of cool and crisp fresh spring rolls ($10-$13) at Weera Thai (weerathai.com), which now has three Valley locations. We usually hit the original West Sahara spot, because they always have these beauties on the menu—rice paper rollups with mint, basil, lettuce, cucumber, carrot and glass noodle threads surrounded by sweet peanut sauce for infinite dipping. We typically add tofu, but you can get yours with shrimp or roast duck.

May 28 is National Hamburger Day, and a cheeseburger sizzled up on your backyard grill feels like the epitome of Memorial Day weekend cuisine. But we want someone else to make it, so we’re heading out to Hamburger Hut (hamburgerhutlv.com) in North Las Vegas, a tiny shack with no seating and no drive-thru window; only great, griddled burgers ($5-$6) sealed together with melted American cheese with a side of steak fries ($3). This is as summer—and as local—as it gets.

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