{"id":2992,"date":"2022-01-11T14:35:36","date_gmt":"2022-01-11T22:35:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/?p=2992"},"modified":"2026-08-30T22:04:43","modified_gmt":"2026-08-31T05:04:43","slug":"barrys-downtown-prime","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/barrys-downtown-prime\/","title":{"rendered":"Worth the Wait: Barry\u2019s Downtown Prime Is A Las Vegas Steakhouse That\u2019s Well Done"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Chic<\/span><\/div>
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This article was printed in<\/em>
\nChic Compass Magazine - Issue 10<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>

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The Garden Room, one of Barry\u2019s Downtown Prime\u2019s semi-private dining areas, is centered around a lush olive tree with glimmering lights. Photo courtesy of Pathfinder Productions<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>

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Worth the Wait: Barry's Downtown Prime is a Las Vegas Steakhouse that's Well Done<\/h1>\n

BY HEATHER TURK<\/p>\n<\/div>

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Chef Barry S. Dakake (N9NE Steakhouse and Scotch 80 Prime at Palms Casino Resort) was always interested in having his own restaurant one day.<\/p>\n

Dakake previously worked for celebrated chef Charlie Palmer in New York City before relocating to Las Vegas to help open Aureole inside Mandalay Bay and Charlie Palmer Steak Las Vegas inside the Four Seasons Hotel. Dakake told Chic Compass, \u201cYou can\u2019t just stay stagnant and keep doin\u2019 what you\u2019re doin\u2019. You have to always challenge yourself in life to get better.\u201d<\/p>\n

Although opening a new restaurant is always a challenge, Dakake faced unprecedented challenges when he was finally offered the chance to open up his own steakhouse in Las Vegas with his team, Make It Happen Hospitality. Located within downtown Las Vegas\u2019 first new ground-up hotel and casino in more than four decades, Circa Resort & Casino, Barry\u2019s Downtown Prime opened its doors in October 2020 \u2014 right in the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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The striking bar lounge area at Barry\u2019s Downtown Prime features custom wall coverings, marble surfaces, and a gold ceiling. Photo courtesy of Pathfinder Productions<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>

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\u201cWe didn\u2019t know what the government was going to mandate,\u201d Dakake said. \u201cWe didn\u2019t know what would be allowed. We didn\u2019t know how many covers we could do. We didn\u2019t know anything! Our hands were really tied up behind our back. We just had to go and follow the laws, but we made it happen.\u201d<\/p>\n

One of Las Vegas\u2019 most exquisite new restaurants, Barry\u2019s Downtown Prime has quickly become a destination unto itself. While Dakake noted that anytime there\u2019s a brand-new restaurant in town, people are always ecstatic to visit and see what\u2019s going on, he and his team truly go \u201cabove and beyond\u201d to serve up an exceptional steakhouse experience.<\/p>\n

The only venue at the 21-and-older resort open to guests of all ages, Barry\u2019s Downtown Prime transports diners back in time to old-school Las Vegas with its vintage \u201950s and \u201960s glamour. Housed in Circa\u2019s secluded bottom floor, the seductive steakhouse welcomes guests via an underground elevator entrance situated directly beneath the restored Vegas Vickie neon sign in the hotel\u2019s lobby. Once inside, guests will notice such touches as burnished brass furnishings and moody antique mirrors throughout the 17,000-square-foot space, as well as warm brown and white oak parquet floors and plush booths upholstered with deep velvet jewel tones and rich leather.<\/p>\n

The steakhouse features several showstopping design elements, including an illuminated, three-dimensional, rose-inspired ceiling in the foyer and a collection of multi-functional dining areas able to accommodate anywhere from 12 to 350 people. However, its curated art collection is something Dakake is especially proud of. More than 40 local artists created original works for the restaurant, like synthetic polymer artist Tim Bavington, who created one of Dakake\u2019s favorite paintings, \u201cGod Only Knows,\u201d inspired by the classic Beach Boys song.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll of the artwork that\u2019s in here represents all of the owners and things that we like in life,\u201d Dakake stated. \u201cThere are a lot of pictures of animals on the walls \u2019cause I love animals. I also love boxing, so there\u2019s a painting of Joe Lewis.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even though the steakhouse is stunning, Dakake\u2019s mouthwatering menu is the true star. Sure to have something for everyone, the seasonally inspired menu offers everything from sumptuous seafood plates and succulent steaks to delectable vegan dishes and creative cocktails. Fans of N9NE Steakhouse will even notice a few favorites from the classic Palms restaurant on Barry\u2019s Downtown Prime\u2019s dinner menu \u2014 like the Fire Chicken with sliced red Fresno chilies and the tableside Campfire S\u2019mores. While nothing on the menu disappoints, Dakake recommends guests start their meal with the Chilled Shellfish Platter \u2014 Maine lobster, king crab legs, East and West Coast oysters, shrimp cocktail bites and an octopus and calamari salad complemented by a spicy cocktail sauce and an apple cider mignonette \u2014 before ordering either the saut\u00e9ed Dover Sole or the signature 12-ounce Rib Cap \u201cBarry\u2019s Steak.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI just believe it\u2019s the most flavorful, meaty piece of steak on the whole cattle,\u201d Dakake said of his namesake steak, which is meticulously roasted over fruitwood and 900-degree coals. \u201cIt\u2019s phenomenal.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>

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Barry\u2019s Downtown Prime\u2019s signature cut of steak: the 12-ounce Rib Cap \u201cBarry\u2019s Steak.\u201d Photo courtesy of Pathfinder Productions<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>

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Dakake also highly recommends ordering a Manhattan or Old Fashioned from the restaurant\u2019s tableside cocktail cart and pairing one\u2019s entr\u00e9e selection with the steakhouse\u2019s Whole Maine Lobster Mac \u2019N Cheese. The restaurant features weekly specials, too, and will be offering a special prix fixe menu on Valentine\u2019s Day for couples still making their dinner plans.<\/p>\n

Not surprisingly, the sophisticated steakhouse has welcomed numerous stars to its tables in its first year of operation, including boxers Mike Tyson and Floyd Mayweather, wrestler Bill Goldberg, actors Dennis Quaid and Jeremy Piven, and actress Gabrielle Union. The Vegas Golden Knights also recently dined at the restaurant to kick off Barry\u2019s Downtown Prime\u2019s sponsorship deal as the official steakhouse of the NHL team, which will run through 2024.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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The Whole Main Lobster Mac \u2018N Cheese is one of the steakhouse\u2019s signature sides. Photo by Patrick Miyoshi<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>

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Barry\u2019s Downtown Prime is open nightly from 5 to 11 p.m. While there\u2019s no shortage of great dining options in Las Vegas, self-proclaimed \u201cfoodies\u201d will want to venture downtown to see what Dakake has cooked up, as his long-awaited steakhouse is genuinely a cut above the competition.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s definitely an experience to see what we brought to downtown with the food, the ambiance, and the service,\u201d Dakake concluded. \u201cEverything is the complete package.\u201d barrysdowntownprime.com<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>

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A section of the main dining room at Barry\u2019s Downtown Prime. Photo courtesy of Pathfinder Productions<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

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Located within downtown Las Vegas\u2019 first new ground-up hotel and casino in more than four decades, Circa Resort & Casino, Barry\u2019s Downtown Prime opened its doors in October 2020 \u2014 right in the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2993,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4519,3572],"tags":[3627,3625,3628,267,2816,3626],"class_list":["post-2992","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-dining","category-issue-10","tag-barry-s-dakake","tag-barrys-downtown-prime","tag-heather-turk","tag-las-vegas","tag-nevada","tag-steakhouse"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2992","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2992"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2992\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10696,"href":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2992\/revisions\/10696"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2993"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2992"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2992"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2992"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}