Popular Carlos’n Charlie’s Mexican Restaurant to Close as Part of Flamingo “Master Plan”

By Scott Roeben, on August 30 2025
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Las Vegas Las Vegas Bars Las Vegas Restaurants

A popular and well-loved fixture on the Las Vegas Strip, Carlos’n Charlie’s at Flamingo, has been given what amounts to an eviction notice.

We’ve learned exclusively Flamingo’s owner, Caesars Entertainment, has given Carlos’n Charlie’s notice it’s terminating the restaurant’s lease early, which means the restaurant and bar will close in early 2026.

The “master plan” calls for replacing the lively venue with slot machines, presumably because slots will generate more revenue than rent from the restaurant. This news turns our “successful things don’t close in Las Vegas” rule on its head. Let’s dive more deeply into this steaming pile of nachos, shan’t we?

Cue the guitarrón plunk, the mariachi equivalent of a sad trombone.

Carlos’n Charlie’s is a Mexican restaurant and bar and party spot. It opened at Flamingo on April 18, 2012.

While there have been critics of the restaurant’s “Mexican” food, management has always handled the criticism with grace and humor as the money kept rolling in.

We are a huge fan of self-deprecating humor as a way to regulate ego inflation, discharge latent anxiety and create a parasocial bond by signaling vulnerability while still maintaining control of the narrative.

We like one of their dishes so much, our endorsement is on the menu.

Carlos’n Charlie’s has been rated the #1 Mexican restaurant in Las Vegas for at least a year. It’s not for everyone, but for the people who love it, they really love it.

It’s a popular spot for wedding receptions (the restaurant hosts more than 100 wedding receptions a year, the Flamingo’s chapel is a few feet away) and bachelorette parties, corporate events and myriad other gatherings.

Just a typical day at Carlos’n Charlie’s.

The restaurant is an unmitigated success, reportedly generating $14 million a year, making it a rare breed in the restaurant business. The restaurant averages 1,000 covers (you know, customers) a day.

All that said, after crunching the numbers, Caesars Entertainment has decided to kick the restaurant out.

Here’s an internal communication sent to employees of Carlos’n Charlie’s Las Vegas.

Havana 1957 is tanking. Maybe move Carlos’n Charlie’s into that space?

In the simplest terms, slots generate more revenue than rent.

This decision follows a pattern that was evident when chairs in Flamingo’s sportsbook were removed and replaced by slot machines. The sportsbook space is right next to Carlos’n Charlie’s.

The poker room at Flamingo closed and was replaced with slot machines. Not it’s home to Pinky’s by Vanderpump.

The bottom line: Sportsbooks and poker rooms aren’t big moneymakers for casinos.

Based simply upon the numbers, the rationale behind booting a tenant seems sound, but it’s also short-sighted.

First, Carlos’n Charlie’s employs about 100 people.

Second, Carlos’n Charlie’s is a destination restaurant and bar for lots of visitors. It’s a whole vibe. It generates energy (sometimes too much, as they’ve recently started playing music at a deafening level into the casino) and really does feel like the “heartbeat” of Flamingo.

Third, casinos need more personality, not less. Slot machines aren’t market differentiators. Popular restaurants and nightlife spots are.

It’s clear the owners and management of Carlos’n Charlie’s would like to stay, but it sounds like the process of looking for another location may have already begun.

If the rent’s too low, why not just raise it and see if Carlos’n Charlie’s is up for it? It’s baffling. Then again, we are not a giant casino company with a crapload of debt and a painfully low stock price.

Flair is king at Carlos’n Charlie’s. Hangovers are queen, but mostly that flair thing.

All we know is we’ve never had a bad time at Carlos’n Charlie’s. The staff seems genuinely interested in being there, and the irreverent humor (including the restaurant decor) and sassy social media are unique in Las Vegas. (Unless you count the intentionally rude service at Dick’s Last Resort, and that gets old quick.) No, it’s not “authentic Mexican food,” but it doesn’t claim to be gourmet anything.

Finally, a fee we can get behind.

It’s drunk food at reasonable prices, at least compared to other restaurants on The Strip.

This news has truly bummed us out, and we’re hoping there will be some kind of divine intervention to alter the direction things are going.

Other resorts would love to get their hands on Carlos’n Charlie’s, but moving is an expensive pain in the ass, especially when the venue is such a good fit at Flamingo.

As the kids say, pinches bean counters.