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Posted by on May 1, 2021 in Blog, Restaurant Reviews | 0 comments

Las Vegas Restaurant Review: Milpa (Oaxacan-Style Cuisine)

 

 

A Las Vegas Restaurant Review: Milpa (Oaxacan Style Cuisine)

 

Is there such a thing as healthy Mexican food?

There is now. Introducing Milpa, located on the west side of Las Vegas.  What a great discovery!

Let me tell you how we discovered this rare gem.  While driving down Durango Blvd. recently, we noticed the same spot that’s been a graveyard for would-be restauranteurs had been revamped and reopened again.  This time, the theme was Mexican.  Imaginary eye roll.  This location has been cursed despite being the epicenter of some wonderful cuisine over the past decade.  First, it was a takeout fish place (grilled halibut for $6! — no wonder they went out of business!).  Next, it was a small Italian bistro (marvelous, but way too small, only 8 tables).  Then, it was a Greek restaurant (Elia — read my review HERE, the location has since moved).

Now, it’s Milpa.

Think of Flower Child meets El Segundo Sol. I kept expecting Terry Lynch to walk out of the kitchen.  Authentic. Healthy. Affordable. And, delicious! Everything is made in-house and most ingredients are farm to table.

If you’ve tried Hummus Bowls or Parsley Modern Mediterranean before, you know the new hot trend is creating your own bowl-platter. Pick your meat, vegetables, sides, sauces, and it’s all for one set price. I’m a huuuuuuuge fan of the concept, especially for a fast and tasty lunch. However, the previous attempts to apply this to Mexican have been disastrous (I’m talking to you, Rio). Milpa takes the build-you-own concept and does it right with great attention to detail. Start with the basics, then add your own protein — that sort of thing.

Milpa offers counter service, then meals are brought to your table. Nothing fancy here — plastic utensils.  Small interior but cozy, and very clean.  Uber modern with techno music (not a fan, but I get where the hipster owners are going with this).  The liquor license is still pending, but future tequila tastings are planned, including a special event the week of Cinco de Mayo.

We fell in love instantly with the vegetarian mixed platter containing about 10 different items and added the grilled chicken (optional) as our protein for an extra $3.95.  But the superstar of the day is the Steak Barbacoa served with shredded cabbage.  Wow!  The owner conveyed that they only use prime beef, which is slow-cooked for 24-hours, and braised in an original house sauce.  This was stupendously marvelous. In-house tortillas were also served, corn and blue corn.  We ordered the veggie plate, side of chicken, side of rice, the Barbacoa Steak, two homemade sauces, and got four tortillas and we were out the door for $36 which included a $3 tip (we make our standard tip for counter service 10 percent/table service 20 percent — YMMV).

The owner (Danny) informed me of special events (he had no idea I write reviews, by the way). Danny spent considerable time describing the menu and making recommendations.  He also noted the head chef for the Resorts World Casino (soon to open) is on staff in some capacity.  So, this place has some serious gravitas.

One other note: I’m a huge fan of trying different provincial Mexican dishes and recommend you do the same. While I love my Tex-Mex dishes, there are some extraordinary discoveries in other regions, namely Oaxaca. I can’t wait to go back and try a few different things. Surely, there are some additional items just waiting to be sampled and raved about.

Las Vegas locals, I urge you to try Milpa. This is a wonderful family-owned gem that’s very original and gets high marks in every category from me.

Milpa
4226 S. Durango (just douth of the Flamingo intersection)
Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but closes at 7 pm.

READ:  Milpa reviews on Yelp here.

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