Las Vegas is all abuzz as the hockey season is about to begin and our own hometown Vegas Golden Knights begin their first season in the NHL. The Vegas Golden Knights practice in Summerlin at the City National Arena located in downtown Summerlin near Red Rock Casino.
I stopped in last week to check out the facilities and watch the Vegas Golden Knights practice. Fans get an up close and personal look at our hometown team the first professional sports franchise in Las Vegas.
The cool part of this facility is the fact that a restaurant separates the two ice rinks. MacKenzie River Pizza Grill & Pub is a glass-enclosed restaurant that overlooks both skating rinks. I decided to check out the restaurant while I watched the Vegas Golden Knights practice.
This is a great place to meet friends grab a drink and enjoy a bite to eat. On this trip I was there for lunch. I was in the mood for a burger and MacKenzie River has seven different burgers to choose from. I found one that was very interesting – the Poutine. It is a half-pound all beef patty with fries, white cheddar cheese curds, beef gravy and scallions all on the burger. Yes, this burger sounds messy but it was so good.
My buddy went with the Ol’ Prospector burger topped with golden cheddar cheese, smoky bacon and smoked Gouda. All the burgers come with a side of fries. and range from $10 to $14, which for gourmet burgers is right along Las Vegas Strip prices. Considering we’re in Summerlin and not the Strip some might think they are a little pricey but considering the atmosphere of the restaurant, the quality of the burger and the ability to watch the Vegas Golden Knights practice makes it a cool place to hang out and well worth the price.
The Grill & Pub is known for their pizzas and although I didn’t order one on this trip I will be back to try one. They have 14 different signature pizzas. I saw a few of them at other tables and they looked and smelled quite good. All of them are baked on fresh original or thin crust, you choose the type of crust you prefer. They even offer a gluten-free crust for customers.
The menu is quite diverse including pulled pork sandwiches, fish tacos, Reuben sandwiches and fish and chips just to name a few. There’s something for everybody’s taste buds on this menu.
Save room for dessert as they have several tempting offerings including their mud pie, which is coffee ice cream with almonds and fudge on a chocolate cookie crumble crust. The other dessert that caught my eye was called Mack Lovin, which is warm chocolate chip cookies served in a hot skillet with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce. Need I say anymore?
MacKenzie River Pizza Grill & Pub is a nice bar to hang out and grab a bite to eat while catching a game on one of the many TV’s in the bar. The window seating on both sides of the bar directly over looks both ice rinks. In addition to the Vegas Golden Knights practicing at City National arena there will be many adult and youth leagues playing here.
The waitresses were great and very attentive to all of our needs. The food was good and the atmosphere was even better. I give MacKenzie River Pizza Grill & Pub a rating of 3.75 forks.
Marco D’Angelo is a race horse owner and breeder, professional sports handicapper and bettor. You can find Marco at WagerTalk.com or follow him on twitter: @MarcoInVegas. Email: [email protected]