Restaurateurs and renowned chefs Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken continue to evolve their hospitality empire and deliver authentic-meets-contemporary Mexican cuisine with the debut of BBQ Mexicana, a quick service smoked dishes concept now open at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. Located across from sister restaurant Border Grill and adjacent to the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, this fast casual eatery continues to reinforce Feniger and Milliken’s penchant for craveable Mexican dishes in an approachable, warm setting. BBQ Mexicana is a convenient takeaway counter featuring a variety of house smoked meats and non-meat options prepared as burritos, bowls, and salads, along with margaritas, aguas frescas, and beers to-go. BBQ Mexicana is ideal for convention attendees and those seeking a good meal on the go before continuing on to the day’s next adventure, whether that be a business meeting or exploring Las Vegas.
“We’ve been serving Vegas visitors and locals for nearly 20 years and felt like there was a demand for a quick and flavorful dining option that’s ideal before or after a session at the convention center, visit to Mandalay Bay Beach, or an exploration through Shark Reef,” says Milliken. “We’ve always been inspired by street foods of mexico, from trucks to taco stands and open air food markets. I love the idea of walking up and getting something delicious, especially in this location where people are looking for an easy grab-and-go option,” continues Feniger.
Created by Feniger and Milliken, in collaboration with Border Grill Mandalay Bay’s Executive Chef Mike Minor, BBQ Mexicana’s menu was inspired by their travels to Mexico, where they fell in love with barbacoa (slow cooked meat over an open fire), and Chef Mike’s Truck U BBQ food truck which married his love for Mexican food and barbecue with innovative menu items such as a Texas-style brisket burrito, habanero molasses barbecue sauce, and pulled pork tacos. Making for an ideal lunch or snack, and catering to meat eaters and vegetarians alike, the fast-casual eatery smokes everything in-house, utilizing only meats raised without hormones or antibiotics and offering mesquite smoked pulled pork, chicken, slow smoked brisket, and tofu. Available in a burrito, bowl, or salad and using the freshest ingredients, menu highlights include:
- Burnt Ends Burrito with slow smoked brisket, chipotle coleslaw, house made chips, Manchego cheese, and BBQ mole sauce
- Pulled Pork Burrito with mesquite smoked pull pork, Manchego cheese, cilantro coleslaw, fried onions, and crispy jalapeños
- Smoked Tofu Bowl with cilantro lime rice, habanero BBQ sauce, charred corn relish, quinoa, cowboy caviar, and smoked almonds
- The Coop Bowl with mesquite smoked chicken, cilantro lime rice, black beans, avocado, charred corn relish, escabeche, and crispy quinoa
- Chopped Kale Salad with avocado, carrot, edamame, watermelon radish, snow peas, marinated red onions, roasted red peppers, and coriander vinaigrette
Guests can wash down their meals with a variety of non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages to-go such as pressed juice, house made daily aguas frescas, freshly made traditional lime or fresh fruit margaritas, Mexican beer, micheladas, plus more. On select days, BBQ Mexicana will open for breakfast at 8 a.m., offering morning specials, such as the Breakfast Burrito with house made chorizo, eggs, crispy potatoes, black beans, guacamole, Mexican cheeses, and salsa fresca on a flour tortilla; and Yogurt Parfait with lime Greek yogurt, golden raisins, granola, chia seeds, and mixed berries (follow online or @BorderGrill for updates).
Keeping it in the family, Milliken’s son Kieran Schweitzer’s colorful artwork is featured in the vibrant and modern exterior. Incorporating bright pops of red, blue, yellow, green, purple, and orange with metal detailing, the art reflects Mexico’s authentic home cooking and street foods culture to further ignite a sense of warmth and energy.
BBQ Mexicana is located at 3950 S. Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89119 and is open Monday-Friday from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m., with select weekends and mornings. Online ordering will also be available soon. Prices for burritos, bowls, and salads range from $10-16; beverages range from $4-11. For more information, please visit http://BBQMexicana.com or follow along on Instagram @BorderGrill and #BBQMexicana, and Facebook at /BorderGrill.ModernMexican.
About Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger
Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger are award-winning chefs, cookbook authors, television personalities, entrepreneurs, and pioneers of world cuisine. They teamed up more than 35 years ago to open City Café and CITY Restaurant in Los Angeles. Widely recognized as ambassadors of modern Mexican cuisine, the duo are co-chefs and co-owners of Border Grill restaurants, trucks, and Ma Maison in Los Angeles and Las Vegas. BBQ Mexicana is the latest addition to Susan feniger and Mary Sue’s restaurant empire, and later this year they’ll return to Santa Monica with a new all-day Mexican restaurant.
This year, they were named the recipients of the Los Angeles Times’ annual Gold Award. Between the two of them, they have co-authored six cookbooks and together starred in nearly 400 episodes of the Food Network’s “Too Hot Tamales And Tamales” television series. Both competed in different seasons of Serves on Bravo’s “Top Chef Masters,” each winning money for selected charities. Active members of the community, the duo joined a handful of progressive colleagues to start Chefs Collaborative with a mission to inspire, educate, and celebrate chefs and food professionals building a better food system, and Mary Sue co-founded Women Chefs & Restaurateurs, an organization promoting women’s education and advancement in the restaurant industry. Mary Sue serves as a board member of both Share Our Strength and the James Beard Foundation.Susan feniger serves on the board of the Scleroderma Research Foundation, L.A. LGBT Center, and L.A. Tourism & Convention Board. Additionally, they are both passionate about the environment and lead the culinary institute of america with eco-friendly policies in their restaurants, food trucks, and catering branches.
About Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino
Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino is set on 120 lush acres featuring Mandalay Bay Beach, a tropical pool paradise with real sand. The Mandalay Bay Events Center, award-winning restaurants, exhilarating entertainment, unique shopping, Shark Reef Aquarium and the recently expanded 2-million-square-foot Mandalay Bay Convention Center combine to make Mandalay Bay a distinctive Las Vegas resort destination. The resort offers three distinct hotel experiences: Mandalay Bay with 3,211 luxurious rooms and suites reflecting a modern tropical ambiance; Four Seasons Hotel, a AAA Five Diamond hotel offering 424 rooms and suites; and the luxury all-suite Delano Las Vegas. Mandalay Bay is owned by MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM). For more information and reservations, visit mandalaybay.com, call toll free at (877) 632-7800 or find us on Facebook and Twitter.
