VEGAS DINING NEWS: Century-Old Burger Chain Leaves Strip, Beard Awards Snub Sin City

Two of Las Vegas’ four White Castles have permanently closed. That includes the only location of the slider slinger ever to operate on the Strip — the one that opened at Casino Royale in 2015. The other closure was in Henderson.

White Castle’s corporate office chose to acquire two of the four Vegas locations from its licensee (Terrible Herbst). The company then opted to shutter the Strip and Henderson locations while taking direct control of the others.

The White Castles just east of the Strip (at Paradise Road and Harmon Boulevard) and downtown (at the corner of Fremont and 4th streets) continue to operate under the corporate banner.

Beard Awards Short Serve Vegas

In January, Las Vegas earned a record-setting 14 semifinalist nominations in the James Beard Awards, considered the Oscars of fine dining. It was a breakout moment for a dining scene that has spent more than a decade pushing past its cheap-buffet past.

But only three of those nominees — two chefs and a restaurant — advanced, the James Beard Foundation announced on Tuesday.

The Las Vegas finalists are:

• Outstanding Restaurant: Tamba, the Indian spot at the off-Strip Town Square mall
• Best Chef, Southwest: Sarah Thompson, executive chef of Casa Playa, the Wynn’s coastal Mexican eatery, receives her second nomination in this category
• Best Chef, Southwest: Brian Howard, chef-owner of Sparrow + Wolf a modern American restaurant in Chinatown, receives his second nomination in this category

The showing is strong but falls short of Sin city’s all‑time record of four finalists in 2011. The full list of 2026 finalists is available at jamesbeard.org/awards. Winners will be announced June 15 at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.

Dining Ins & Outs

Mr. BBQ the popular all-you-can-eat Chinatown eatery, has closed. Owners announced the sad news on social media with “full hearts” but provided no explanation. Mr. BBQ opened in December 2022 as an expansion of its first location in Fullerton, Calif., which continues to operate.

A Las Vegas Lebanese staple with roots dating back to the 1960s has returned. The original Hedary’s on West Sahara vanished in September 2013 after founder Frank Hedary sold the business. Under non-family ownership, the restaurant declined and closed in June 2015. This January, Frank’s sister, Maryse Khoury, reclaimed the brand by reopening a Hedary’s at The Gramercy.

Finally, The Aviary — Michelin-starred chef Grant Achatz’s boundary‑pushing cocktail bar known for theatrical pours and eccentric ingredients — will take over The Vault at Bellagio May 19. The pop-up residency will follow the 20th-anniversary pop-up of Achatz’s Alinea at the Bellagio’s Michael Mina restaurant from April 16 through May 17.