Las Vegas' Rio Casino set to open Canteen Food Hall on January 19th, unveils vendor lineup
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The Canteen Food Hall, formerly the Carnival World Buffet, is scheduled to open its doors on January 19th at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino, continuing Las Vegas' trend of transforming former casino buffets into food hall destinations.
The development is part of a$350 million investment announced by the new owner of the Rio. It comes as many Vegas casinos seek to open food halls instead of buffets or launch them as independent destinations.
The trend has already seen the openings of Proper Eats Food Hall (formerly The Buffet) at Aria, Promenade in the new Fontainebleau tower, Eat Your Heart Out at the new Durango casino in southwest Vegas, The Sundry food hall at UnCommons, Fremont Food Hall (constructed atop a former parking lot) on Fremont Street, Famous Food Street Eats at Resorts World, Eataly at ParkMGM, and Block 16 Urban Food Hall at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.
Six vendors have been announced for the Canteen Food Hall:
1. Attaboy Burger: Led by chef Alex Resnick, this burger joint offers a concise menu featuring just three burgers, including a double cheeseburger with Swiss-American cheese and dill pickles on Texas toast. Burger add-ons are straightforward, with options like an egg or bacon. They also offer Mexican Coca-Cola, onion rings with barbecue sauce, and an ice cream sandwich.
2. Nama Nama Sushi & Sake: From the creators of Tekka Bar at The Cosmopolitan, this establishment offers a communal social experience of Japanese street food stalls. Their dinner menu includes sashimi, long roll combos, hand rolls, a poke bowl, five sakes, and nitro matcha green tea. A smaller takeaway menu features nigiri, long rolls, and sake.
3. Shogun Ramen: Combining the ramen mastery of Foo Kanegae and restaurateur Takashi Segawa, this spot showcases Kanegae's characteristic balance between traditional and innovative ramen. Attendees should look for classic tonkotsu broth, neo tonkotsu broth, and a chicken miso version.Steamed buns are filled with braised pork or chicken chashu.
4. Southland Burrito Co.: Specializing in Sonoran-style burritos from northwest Mexico, these burritos use soft, crepe-like flour tortillas common to the region. Chef Marco Herrera offers six burritos (plus a build-your-own option), including the Tejano made with brisket barbacoa. Burritos can also be ordered as salads or bowls.
5. Tender Crush:From the founders of Black Tap Craft Burgers & Beer (with a location at The Venetian), this new concept offersfried chicken tenders with various New York-inspired neighborhood sauces, fried or grilled tenders with multiple sauce options, fried chicken sandwiches, and sides like spicy greens.
6. Tony Luke's: The South Philadelphia cheesesteak chain makes its West Coast debut at the food hall, serving around a dozen sandwiches, including a classic cheesesteak, a chicken cheesesteak, steak or chicken hoagies, a roast pork Italian, and The Uncle Mike, which combines broccoli rabe, spinach, sweet peppers, fried onions, and marinara.
During the official launch of the project in November 2023,Trevor Scherrer, President and CEO of Rio Las Vegas, commented on the new space. “When we started planning the revitalization of the resort, one of the first things we wanted to deliver was an approachable yet exciting dining destination that appealed to a wide variety of people, much like the Carnival World Buffet did back in its heyday,” he said.
