Movie star Mark Wahlberg has become a bigger part of the Las Vegas community after moving his family here from Southern California a couple of years ago. His Wahlburgers franchise already had a couple locations on the Strip, but his Vegas takeover continued this month with the openingof his second Mexican restaurant Flecha, which made its debut in Huntington Beach, California, earlier this year.
Chilean sea bass filet
Filling the long-empty Town Square space that once housed Miller’s Ale House, Flecha seems like a nice fit for the massive outdoor mall’s diverse audience—and an ideal place to serve margaritas and cocktails made with Wahlberg’s Flecha Azul tequila.
“Town Square is obviously a great center and it attracts not only millions of tourists coming through Vegas, it’s also a great spot for locals to frequent,” says managing partner and co-founder Randy Sharpe. “It was the perfect opportunity for us to showcase a beautiful restaurant.
“Southern California has been his home so when Huntington Beach came up, we jumped on it, and now Vegas is home, so it makes a lot of sense. We really appreciate the community embracing us.”
Wahlberg missed the soft opening since he’s currently filming comedy flick Balls Up in Australia, but he’s expected to be back in time for Flecha’s grand opening festivities toward the end of October.
Cadillac carne asada and chipotle shrimp tacos
Sharpe notes that the 10,400-square-foot restaurant is designed around that broad Town Square demographic, and notes the mall hasn’t had a significant full-service Mexican offering in years, if ever.
“We define it as ‘Mexican redefined,’ definitely more of an elevated dining experience. We have the traditional Mexican you expect, but we also have a braised beef shortrib that will knock your socks off,” he says. “You can go for brunch, you can have an elevated night out, and you can also go for lunch and have a great burrito.
“And we tried to create something that feels like you’re on vacation when you walk in the door—you get the vibe from the music flowing, the greenery, the overall environment. It makes you feel like you’re not on lunch break anymore.”
Cadillac Margarita and Blueberry Bliss
That burrito plate ($18-$20) could be anchored by your choice of achiote chicken, tofu chorizo or carne asada, packed with cheese, beans, rice and pico de gallo. Besides the 32-ounce bone-in shortrib ($59), entree options include chimichurri steak with mashed potatoes ($44) or sea bass filet with grapefruit chimichurri sauce ($42).
Tacos, enchiladas, ceviches, salads and appetizers like coconut shrimp ($26) or pork belly flautas ($22) ensure there’s something for everyone on this menu. And much attention has been paid (unsurprisingly) to the cocktail menu, worth exploring during Flecha’shappy hour from 3 until 6 p.m. during the week (and 9 p.m. until close Sunday through Thursday). That’s when guests enjoy $4 off craft cocktails, $8 off house wine, and $4 off ceviche, appetizers and street tacos.
FLECHA Town Square, 6683 Las Vegas Blvd. South #109, 702-728-2774. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Friday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-11 p.m.; Sunday, 9 a.m.-10 p.m.
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