Fido-friendly eatery looks to fetch fans to Downtown Summerlin

For its 16th location, Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar broke free of its California leash and came to Las Vegas.

The franchise’s first Nevada location opened in April at Downtown Summerlin, 1725 Festival Plaza Drive. The eatery features a dog-friendly patio, hence its name.

“There are not a lot of places here in Vegas where you can go with your dog,” said Kayla-Jo Rosoff, who lives nearby and was there having dinner with her mother, Ellen, and their golden retriever, Joey. “There are only a couple, and they’re not as nice.”

Inside, the decor includes elements of the founder’s favorite spot: Jackson Hole, Wyo. There are birch poles behind the hostess station. A bear claw cutout is another accent. The tabletops are black walnut. The high ceilings are crossed by wood beams and a steel one that lends an industrial feel.

It’s no surprise that the company chose Downtown Summerlin for its flagship Las Vegas location.

“We wanted to be part of a new thing,” said Chris Simms, Lazy Dog founder and CEO. “We took a tour with the Howard Hughes (Corp.) people … I thought this could be a good fit for us. I didn’t want to go somewhere where it was just a bunch of chain restaurants all in a row.”

General manager Phil McMaster, who has more than 20 years experience operating restaurants, said a pre-opening allowed the waitstaff to have mock runs so that it was up to speed for the April 6 grand opening. That trial run proved necessary, as the place was packed the first official week when View visited.

“It’s been awesome; every day (more diners) come as the word gets out,” McMaster said. ”As our guests, we want you to come in and feel like family.”

Chef Gabe Caliendo’s menu touches on everything from home comfort foods such as the Campfire Pot Roast to the All-American Burger, a two-patty cheeseburger. It also brings in the unexpected, such as Caramelized Brussels Sprouts and an Inside-Out Quesadilla.

To help differentiate itself, Lazy Dog uses locally brewed beers. For alcohol shunners, the menu offers fun, crafted drinks such as its lemonades, which are fruity and lack the disintegrating-tooth-enamel effect.

While patrons’ pooches must stay on the patio (and with their paws on the ground, per county health codes), they do get their own dog-friendly menu — hamburger patty or chicken breast, each available with brown or white rice, or just rice. A bowl of water is always free.

Simms called his eatery one of the new breed of upscale, casual spots that’s kicking things up a notch.

“At first, people will go, ‘Oh, it’s just another chain restaurant,’ but no, no, no,” he said. “You’ve got to eat the food. You’ve got to experience the experience, and you’ll realize we’re not just another chain restaurant.”

Lazy Dog is in a stand-alone building on the north end of Downtown Summerlin and is open from 11 a.m. to midnight Monday through Friday (happy hour specials served from 3 to 6 p.m.) and from 10 a.m. to midnight Saturday and Sunday, with brunch service running until 2 p.m.

For more information, visit lazydogrestaurants.com or call 702-727-4784.

To reach Summerlin Area View reporter Jan Hogan, email jhogan@viewnews.com or call 702-387-2949.