The Only Keith Lee Approved Restaurants On The Las Vegas Strip
Keith Lee is a food critic (former MMA fighter) known for his honest restaurant reviews. Lee has certainly become a go-to voice among food enthusiasts. But not all places he visits get his approval. In fact, Lee's just as likely to give an eatery a bad rating. Even if he likes a restaurant overall, he still tells you if one of their dishes doesn't meet his standards. As a result, many people have come to trust his blunt, unbiased reviews and seek out the spots for which he gives a high rating.
Lee is based out of Las Vegas, so when it comes to its food scene, you can count on him knowing what he is talking about. To compile our list of Lee approved restaurants on the Las Vegas Strip, we referenced the Keith Lee Food app and his video reviews on TikTok. Keep reading to follow Lee on his journey along the neon boulevard — to get a taste of what food he's into, and what food he's not.
CHICA Las Vegas
CHICA Las Vegas is a trendy fine dining restaurant in the Venetian Resort. It serves innovative Latin cuisine in a chic atmosphere, and it is the only place on the Strip Keith Lee has given a 10 rating. He said it is a great place to enjoy a fancy night out and loved their food.
To start, Lee reviewed the Wagyu Empanadas and called them amazing. He said the crust was thick, and the meat was tender and juicy. He gave the empanadas a 9.5 rating out of 10 and said the only thing preventing them from getting full marks was that they were slightly too salty and could use a pinch more spice, according to his tastes.
Next, Lee tried the Fire Roasted Salmon and gave it a 10. "That's immaculate," he said. The salmon was well-seasoned and crispy, and the broccolini was perfect. Then, Lee sampled the Venezuelan Braised Short Ribs with cotija mash. The mash got an 8.5, and the short rib only scored a 6 because it was slightly tough.
To finish, Lee tried CHICA's signature dish, The Corn. It looks like a piece of corn on the cob but is actually molded cheesecake and flan filled with strawberry sauce and graham cracker chili crumble. He said all the textures combine to create a delicious balance of flavors, and thanks to the incredible filling and innovative presentation, it earned a 9.6 rating.
(702) 805-8472
3355 S. Las Vegas Blvd., #106, Las Vegas, Nevada 89109
Best Friend
Best Friend by Roi Choi in the Park MGM also got a top-notch Keith Lee review. It fuses a bodega with a bar and restaurant, complete with resident vinyl DJs. At first, it looks like an unassuming convenience store, but tucked behind red curtains, you'll find an energetic restaurant serving incredible Korean BBQ.
Lee started with the Buttermilk Fried Chicken served with honey mustard and sweet and sour chili dipping sauces. According to Lee, it was crunchy, seasoned, and delicious, earning it an 8. The sweet chili sauce got a 7.5, and the mustard only got a 4 because it was a bit bitter. Lee also tried the BBQ Kalbi and the Kogi Short Rib Tacos, both of which received a rating of 7.
Next, Lee moved on to the Elote, a dish he loved. It was simple and flavorful, earning it an impressive 8.5. The final savory dish Lee tried was the French Fries with ramen seasoning. He said they were seasoned really well and gave them an 8.2, but they could have been a 9 when hot. For dessert, Lee tasted the Mango Cheesecake, which only got a 6.8, and the Date Cake. He said the Date Cake looks and tastes like a brownie and is worthy of an 8.3. Overall, Lee said Best Friend was slightly overpriced, but they had really good food — but it might be fire if you eat it on-site.
(702) 730-6770
3770 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas, Nevada 89109
Tacos El Gordo
A Las Vegas institution, Tacos El Gordo, has a long-standing reputation for serving tasty, authentic Tijuana-style tacos. It sits right on the Strip North of Encore and South of Circus Circus in the Gold Key Shops. It is open late and often has long lines, but it is well worth the wait. In his review, Keith Lee gave it an impressive 9 rating overall. It is inexpensive, fast, and consistently has good customer service. It's also his wife's favorite restaurant, so he has quite a bit of experience trying their food.
Lee chose three adobada creations at Tacos El Gordo: The Adobada Tacos, the Adobada Quesadilla, and the Adobada Fries. All three feature the spot's signature adobada, which is pork shaved from a rotating skewer, and according to Lee, it is fire. They also contain onions and cilantro, which Lee notes are crispy and fresh. The tacos are topped with a tasty sauce, too. All of the ingredients together earned the tacos a high rating of 9 and the quesadilla an even higher 9.2. In addition to the above ingredients, the fries come with sour cream, guac, and cheese. Lee said the fries could use some more salt, but he still gave them an 8.5 rating. However, he also mentions that loaded fries are one of his favorite foods, so getting a good rating from him is hard.
(702) 331-1160
3041 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas, Nevada 89104
The X Pot
The X Pot is Keith Lee's self-proclaimed favorite restaurant on the Strip. He may not be a huge fan of the Strip in general, but he likes this one a lot. It is located in the Grand Canal Shoppes at the Venetian Resort and has an unbeatable atmosphere. From the beautifully presented food to the immersive art projections on the wall, every detail is thoughtfully curated to bring you an experience like no other.
In his review, Lee's friend tried the Wagyu & Uni X Roll and gave it a 7.5. He got it without uni because he's allergic to shellfish and gave it a 7.9. Next up was the Wagyu Pot Pie and the Goose Liver, both of which he said no to without even bothering to rate. This may not seem like a strong start for one of his favorite spots, but the Wagyu Hot Pot is what he really comes for. In fact, he liked it so much that he stopped filming while he enjoyed it. Of course, hot pot is often messy and always hands-on, so filming would have been a considerable distraction. Either way, The X Pot's hot pot selections, including broths, meats, noodles, and veggies, are known for being some of the best in town. If you want to indulge, the Wagyu Feast will blow your mind regarding quality, presentation, and taste.
(866) 888-9768
3327 S Las Vegas Blvd., #2884, Las Vegas, Nevada 89109
Blue Saigon Fusion Grill Las Vegas
Blue Saigon Fusion Grill Las Vegas is located in The Grand Canal Shoppes at the Venetian Resort. It is super low-key, but people come back repeatedly once they are wowed by the affordable, innovative cuisine bursting with flavor.
Unfortunately, the grills are closed for cleaning from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m., so Keith Lee wasn't able to try the signature dish, candied fried chicken with sesame noodles, but he still gave it an 8 overall. Blue Saigon offers bánh mi sandwiches and pho when the grills are down, so Lee tried one of each. He said the Spicy Chicken Bánh Mi Sandwich tasted really good. It was moist and spicy, earning it an 8. The veggies could be chopped smaller, but it was still delicious. Moving on, he sampled the Meatball Pho. The broth had a superb depth of flavor, and all of the ingredients were fresh. However, the meatballs lacked flavor, so the dish only got a 6.5.
In addition to food, Lee ordered a Blueberry Lemonade. While he was impressed it came with whole blueberries inside, it only got a 5. Lastly, he enjoyed a Cocotabs Coconut and gave it a 9. It was fresh, just like a regular coconut, but had a convenient resealable hole. Lee had a good experience and said he would go back to try the candied wings.
(702) 249-4611
3377 Las Vegas Blvd., #2610, Las Vegas, Nevada 89109
Caffé Al Teatro
Keith Lee isn't the kind of guy to frequent upscale bakeries, but he thinks Caffé Al Teatro is pretty good for a fancy spot on the Strip. It is located inside the Wynn Las Vegas and is conveniently open 24 hours a day.
In Lee's review, he starts by trying the Ham and Cheese Sandwich on a baguette. While he wasn't sold with the first bite, the quality of the meat and bread was really good. Even though it was kind of dry, it earned a 7. Lee also had a chai latte, which he really liked and awarded a 7.5 out of 10. Lee was not a fan of the Blueberry Muffin. He said it was gritty, sort of like cornbread, and did not have a lot of blueberries, so it only got a 4. He didn't like the Strawberry and Rhubarb Tart, either. The outside pastry didn't have a lot of flavor, and the inside was too mushy. It only got a 3.5.
Surprisingly, Lee really liked the cup of berries. It was super sweet and perfectly fresh. His favorite selection was the Chocolate Chip Cookie. It had lots of chocolate and earned an 8 out of 10. To finish, he sampled the S'mores Cookie, which was soft and thick. Actually, it was too soft for him, and even though it had really good flavor, he only gave it a 6.5.
(702) 770-3345
3131 Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas, Nevada 89109
Pizza Cake by Buddy Valastro
Compared to other places on the Strip, Pizza Cake by Buddy Valastro did not get the best rating from Keith Lee, but he still approves overall. It is located inside Harrah's Hotel & Casino and has an entrance right on the Strip with a small patio. In Lee's review, he mentions it is the type of place that makes you want to exercise before and after eating the food, so he rode his bike seven miles there and back.
As the name suggests, Pizza Cake is known for serving pizza and cake, and Lee tried some of each. For pizza, he had a slice of Pepperoni and a slice of Garlic chicken. The Pepperoni was too salty for Lee's taste, and it got a 5 out of 10. A member of the staff recommended the Garlic Chicken with a squeeze of lime, but Lee found it to be salty and bland. Due to its lack of flavor, it only got a 2.
The Rainbow Cake was awarded a 7, making it Lee's highest-rated item. He said it was crazy soft and, overall, decent. He also tried the Chocolate Cake, another variation of Rainbow Cake. Sadly, it only got a 1 from Lee because it was too sugary for his preference. Whether you decide to give the cake a try or not, make sure to check out Pizza Cake's one-of-a-kind cake vending machine when you visit. It is a marvel all by itself.
(702) 799-9200
3475 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas, Nevada 89109
Crust & Roux
While not technically on the Strip, Crust and Roux is pretty close. It is located just South of the Strip in Town Square. As is evident by Keith Lee's stellar review, where he gives it a high overall rating of 9, it is well worth a quick detour from the main drag. This cute spot has an eclectic menu featuring various inventive pizzas, homestyle pot pies, and dessert pies, all made with their famous crust.
Lee began his review with the Nacho Pizza, which is made with chili bean sauce, carne asada, jalapeños, cream cheese, and olives. According to Lee, it was delicious and unique, making it worthy of an 8.8 rating. Next, he sampled the Sunny Side Up Pizza. He didn't like it and gave it a .5, which may be why it is no longer on the menu. After pizza, Lee moved on to the Chicken Pot Pie, which earned an 8.5. He liked that it was well-seasoned and equated it to a tasty chicken soup in a bread bowl.
While not considered a specialty, he also ordered the Filet Mignon Sandwich. The flavor in the bread was okay, but the meat was overcooked, and the mushrooms were bland, so it only got a 5. Lee finished his meal with a piece of Strawberry Pie and loved it. The crust was flaky, and it tasted like home cooking, so he awarded it an impressive 9.7 out of 10.
(725) 204-8522
6825 S. Las Vegas Blvd., #120, Las Vegas, Nevada 89119