Vegas
Vegas
Mavens
Isla Mexican Kitchen at TI
Just The Facts, Please.
Location
Treasure Island (TI)
Dining Hours
4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Daily
Tequila Bar & Lounge Hours
1:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. Monday through Thursday
11:00 a.m. to 3:00 a.m. Friday & Saturday
11:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. Sunday
Chef
Richard Sandoval
Cuisine
Modern Mexican
Price Range
Average check: $35 per person (per restaurant)
Suggested Attire
Upscale casual
Notes
Isla Tequila Bar features more than 100 varieties of agave inspired spirits.
Sample Menu Items
Grilled Mexican spiced chicken breast with corn dumplings and pico de gallo $13.95
Chicken Mole Poblano $19.95
Iron Skillet Fajitas: Chicken; Steak; Shrimp $1795-$19.95
Mavens Overview: Isla
Isla Mexican Kitchen at Treasure Island (TI)is one of the better Mexican restaurants on the Strip. However, keep in mind Mexican cuisine is not the Strip's strong suit.
Isla is one of Chef Richard Sandoval's growing empire of restaurants.
From modern Mexican, to coastal Mexican to Latin-Asian, Chef Richard Sandoval's diverse collection of restaurants explores the potential of Latin cuisine. Each unique menu combines authentic Latin ingredients with international flavors and inventive culinary techniques to create a new and unexpected, Latin dining experience. from richardsandoval.com
The Internet Buzz is mixed for Isla, however the margaritas and guacamole at Isla get solidly good reviews.
Internet Buzz: Isla
- They try to create a cool atmosphere with the comfortable lounge overlooking the casino, chic/modern furnishings, and open kitchen. But the entry to the dining room from the lounge seems awkward and narrow -- like you're going in a back way. The coolness factor dipped way down when I saw the clown in front of me grab a handful of toothpicks from the hostess stand as he was walking back to his table. He tried to stuff them in his pocket but only half of them made it.
- Does not reflect owner chef Richard Sandoval's Mexico City background as much as his other restaurants. A fan of Pampano's might find the Isla Las Vegas menu slightly surprising.
- The food at Isla may not be revolutionary, but they use better ingredients than your typical Mexican restaurant. The guacamole was tasty and filled with chunks of fresh avocado, tomatoes and onions. The ceviche was a delicious stack of rock shrimp, cilantro, and tomatoes, but was a little too hot for my tastes.
- The best part was the free chips and salsa that comes in the beginning of the experience when you're the most hungry. The chips were fresh and came with three different salsas: green, red, and pico de gallo. Yummy!
- I ordered the beef enchiladas, my friends ordered the chicken burrito and chicken enchiladas. All were satisfied with their food, but both commented that we can easily have gotten the same quality at an outside Mexican restaurant such as El Torito or even Chili's. For being in a casino, I would have thought the quality would be better.
- The food was very pedestrian and unremarkable. Chips and salsa were OK - neither amazing or terrible. They came on a fancy elevated stand which made things a bit messy. I ordered some carne asada tacos which were pretty much just meat in tortilla without any other trappings. They didn't taste bad, but aren't something I would ever seek out again.
- Cocktails were excellent. Both their primo margarita and mojiito were some of the best ones I've had in a while.
- Isla offers the perfect upscale nachos. Not some bizarre fusion version of nachos, where you can't recognize the dish anymore. And it's all about the quality fresh ingredients, the blend of cheeses and the steak. The melted cheese sauce drizzled over the chips is a cheese blend and includes distinctive Oaxaca cheese. The steak is high quality and not overcooked. I'm dreaming of these nachos right now and I think there's a little drool on the keyboard. Soooooooooooooo good.
- The guacamole was awesome. We had the calamari as an appetizer and this dish was rock solid. It had a sweet spicy sauce with mandarin oranges and it was superb. The squid was cooked to perfection. I had the smoked short rib the short rib was so tender that you did not need a knife.