Las Vegas Weekly

Oscar Goodman to open Oscar’s steakhouse at the Plaza

Former Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman will be opening a steakhouse inside the dome of the revamped Plaza Hotel and Casino. The downtown hotel-casino is currently undergoing a $35 million renovation and will reopen later this month.

Courtesy of Plaza Hotel and Casino

When your tenure as “the Happiest Mayor on Earth” is over, do you retire quietly to some breezy suburban porch and reminisce? You do not—not if you’re Oscar Goodman.

Less than a month after his wife Carolyn replaced him in the catbird seat, Oscar has announced he will maintain a close purview over Downtown Las Vegas by opening a steakhouse in the renovated Plaza Hotel and Casino’s iconic dome. Oscar’s (which has been playing with the well-suited tagline “Beef, Booze and Broads”) will transform the space recently inhabited by Firefly Kitchen and perhaps best known for a memorable scene in the film Casino (in which Goodman appeared) into a classic Vegas celebration, using many of the iconic memorabilia items Goodman formerly displayed in his office. “Many people may remember that I once called for the Plaza to be torn down,” Goodman said, in a prepared statement. “But the much-needed investment by its committed owners has transformed it into the coolest place in Vegas.”

The considerably large space with a dramatic view of Fremont Street and will also include an Italian restaurant and “speakeasy.” Expect a serious spirits program, undoubtedly heavy on drinks featuring Oscar’s beloved dry gin, when it opens in late fall. And by the way, don’t even think of doing any graffiti in the bathrooms.

For those keeping score, Oscar’s joins two other recently announced steakhouses planned for this year: Old Homestead at Caesars Palace and a Gordon Ramsay concept at Paris Las Vegas.