Today I am going to take a break from my usual wine related reviews and do something I don't normaly do. Today I am going to do a review of the Fire Rock Steakhouse. While this restaurant does have a very fine wine selection and cellar that won't be the focus of this article although I will, of course review that as well.
So let's go ahead and begin this little review. This restaurant deserves to be talked about for much more that it's wine list.
If you live in or are visiting Las Vegas there are lots of places to go for Steak, Chops and Seafood so you might ask what is the big deal here? Well the big deal here is that the food at this restaurant isn't reheated or siting around for hours under a heat lamp waiting for you to order it or to be brought to the Buffett (and yes there are so called "nice restaurants in Casinos that share the same kitchen between them and the Buffett). These particular restaurants will charge you $12 for a Buffett and $25 for the very same Prime Rib served in the restaurant right next door to it. The big deal here is that the food and service was outstanding. From what my wife and I saw as well as tasted, this food is cooked fresh and as you order it. The food here is not cooked half way and then thrown under a warmer until some poor soul orders it and then finished up quickly and brought to you in five minutes. Going back to the Casino end here for a second. There is also the fact that while some of you might not mind walking thru a Casino and seeing all the sad, angry & drunk gamblers, my wife and I choose not to see that. While some of you might like to walk thru a Casino and see the "Adult Entertainment" that Vegas is known for that is not our style. We also choose not to go to the "Tourist District" where my Wife and children are subjected to half naked Women being advertised on the back of Taxi Cabs or on flashing Neon Billboards. We choose not to drive by the advertisements for topless clubs or foot massage joints (yeah O.K) with half naked Women on the advertisements, Call us Prudes if you want that's fine, but we still believe in good old fashioned parenting. One more thing about the Casinos is that while some of you might not care if you stink like Cigarettes when you leave, my family and I do. I think one Shower a night is enough. Now all those problems are solved with the introduction of the FireRock Steakhouse to Las Vegas. One other item that had my Wife and I excited to try this new Restaurant is the fact that in our area of Las Vegas there is only 1 Casino and no Steak or Seafood Restaurants near us aside from in a Casino so even if we made an exception to go to a Casino for some half decent Steak we would have to drive a nice distance. Being close to my house or not however doesn't matter if the food is not good. Was the food good or will my Family and I continue to drive around town for good Steaks & Seafood? Let's see.
As mentioned earlier the restaurant I am reviewing here is the FireRock Steakhouse. This is a big restaurant, with 7,934 square space, two bars, a private 14 seat private wine room as well as a 980 square foot outside covered Patio with 13 tables. The place also has gambling machines at the bars as well. FireRock claims that they pride themselves in only serving U.S.D.A Certified Aged Beef which is aged for a minimum of 28 days, hand cut and cooked over Almond & Oak on a wood fired grill. The owner, John Johnson also owns another FireRock location in Casper Wyoming as well as some Outback Steak Houses I am told. The restaurant is listed as casual ( I wore nice shorts and fit in nicely) and from the dress of the customers present that is accurate. That is not to say that the restaurant is not suitable for a serious business or even a romantic dinner because it most certainly is. The restaurant is also kid friendly and has a kids menu although I did not request one since it was only my Wife and I.
What my Wife found strange was that there was no traditional Cocktail Sauce to go along with it although I discovered on our second trip to the restaurant that it is available. I ordered the Crab Cake ($9.95) which was served in a "creamy reduction sauce with a Parmesan crust and topped with cracked Black Pepper". The Crab Cake was superb and was a pretty decent size as well. For those interested, the Reduction Sauce did not overpower the taste of the Crab. 
For our Entrees my Wife ordered the Cajun Spiced Ribeye, Cowboy Cut ($25.95), VERY rare. I ordered the Rack of Lamb ($29.95). For drinks my Wife had Water and I ordered the Carnivorous Cabernet Sauvignon. I ended up sending back the wine however because it tasted like Nyquil. I should add that I do believe that the problem here is the wine and not the restaurants fault since I do not believe that the wine was spoiled, I simply didn't care for it. Amy apologized and took it back with a smile. What I thought was really cool was the fact that the restaurant offers the option of a 6 or 9 ounce pour. I of course took the 9 ounce pour however this time I took Amy's suggestion and ordered her suggested wine ( don't ask, I forgot). The FireRock has a very cool way of presenting wine. (see link to the video of how it operates below). The wine and drink menu is actually on a Tablet (https://www.facebook.com/DesertWineGuy) which is touch screen and operated with your finger and allows you to pick and choose Reds, Whites, Blends as well as by varietals. This completed our ordering. While waiting for our food Amy continued to check in with us and keep us up to date on our order as well as to chat with us. We waited about 20 - 25 minutes for our Entre which I consider average for quality cooked to order food.
When our food arrived my Wife's steak was served first and I must say it was a pretty decent size. While the name of her Entrée started with the word Cajun, the Steak was not spicy at all but at the same time did have many different Cajun spices and was super flavorful. While watching her cut the Steak I could tell that the Steak was quality meat and I saw as well that the Steak was cooked as she ordered it. Upon her first bite her reaction on her face was all I needed to know how the food tasted. My Wife actually used the word "perfection" which she does not normally use since she is a very hard sell. She commented that the seasoning was perfect as well. Since my Wife does not like spicy food at all I would have to say that she was extremely pleased with her Dinner. My thoughts on the Steak were identical and I am not an easy sell either. I thought the Steak was loaded with powerful spices and NOT Salty nor spicy. The spices on the Steak did jump out at you in a wonderful way yet did not cover up the fact that you were eating a high quality grade of Steak. The Steak was cooked consistently and evenly throughout, there was very little if any fat visible nor were there any areas which were inedible. On the side was a large Baked Potato which was not your average run of the mill Baked Potato. This was a pretty decent sized Potato. The Potato was delivered exactly as she had ordered as well. 
Now on to my Rack of Lamb. When my meal arrived it appeared to be cooked to perfection as well. The Lamb was served with a Wild Cherry Demi-Glaze. The ribs split apart with just the right amount of effort, signaling to me that the Lamb was not under cooked nor over cooked. The color of the Lamb was not Black which would possibly signify being over cooked but instead was a medium to slightly dark Brown, I couldn't wait to try it. The Rack of Lamb was also loaded with meat and again not purchased from your average run of the mill supplier, there was thought and inspection put into the purchase on the Restaurants end. When I tasted the Lamb it too was cooked to "perfection". The texture of the Lamb was perfect, not falling off the bone but not stuck to it either. a normal bite was all that was needed to take a piece off the bone and you were in Heaven. The Lamb was cooked consistently throughout and there was no fat or areas which were inedible. The Lamb was also full of meat. I enjoyed every bite. The Wild Cherry Demi-Glaze only contributed to the flavor of the incredible taste of the Lamb and was most definitely complimented by it.Now after all of this you would think that the Dinner would be over and after a few minutes to relax and start to digest this wonderful food that my Wife and I would be ready to go home If that is what you thought then you would be wrong, it was Dessert time.
For dessert my Wife and I shared the Caramel Cheese Cake. While the piece is not that big at all it will be just enough after eating the portions served for your Dinner. The Cheese Cake was absolutely AWESOME. I cannot say enough great things about it.
Lets talk about the service. As I already said, our server was Amy who was soooo very personable and easy going. She had a wonderful sense of humor which also seemed very natural. While I am not the most sensitive with my jokes I could tell she seemed ready and willing to meet me there and in a real way while not being offensive or offended. She performed her job admirably and was constantly there when drinks were needed while at the same time not being overbearing. It was a pleasure to have her wait on us.
In closing I will say that our bill ended up being $100 which I admit is not what an average casual dinner tab would normally be. Keep in mind that we both ordered two of the most expensive dishes on the Menu. Looking back on it I cannot say that I will make the FireRock Steakhouse a nightly routine but for a special occasion, business dinner or treat for you and that special person I can't think of a better place to go.
As a quick follow up, my Wife and I went back a couple of days later. Amy was off and we had a young lady named Kim. Kim was right on par with Amy and was just as fantastic. Both ladies are an asset to the company. As for the food, I ordered the Rack of Lamb again which was just as fantastic. My wife ordered the Fried Shrimp ($19.50) which consisted of 5 large Shrimp with Dinner Fries. My wife this time used the word "excellent" to describe her Dinner.
The restaurant is located at Located at 5990 Centennial Center Blvd 702-309-6015
The Desert Wine Guy
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