Monday, November 2, 2026

Now Open: The Circus Circus food court is back, with seven new counters and $13.99 smash burgers

Circus Circus Food Court · Circus Circus Las Vegas, 2880 S Las Vegas Blvd · The Strip

The Circus Circus food court we told you was coming is now open, and Vital Vegas ate there and came away "blown away" by the food, the prices and the service. Tony Ravelo's Ravelo Brands took over the space and built seven new counters for it, and Vital Vegas says the kitchen's secret weapon is chef Vic Vegas (Victor Moea), who has "Bar Rescue" and a stack of Food Network shows on his resume. The menu boards in his photos show double smash burgers at Parkway Burger for $13.99, spaghetti marinara at Miliana's for $12.99, and three buttermilk chicken tenders at Chixies for $11.99 (a dollar more for Nashville hot). That's real value for a Strip food court, so it's worth a stop if you're on the north end.

Opening / coming soon

A single Krispy Kreme Original Glazed doughnut on a white background (Krispy Kreme photo) — Credit: Krispy Kreme

Coming Soon: Krispy Kreme puts its first Hot Light Express shop in the Excalibur food court

Krispy Kreme Hot Light Express · Excalibur Hotel & Casino, second-level food court · The Strip

Krispy Kreme says Excalibur gets the first test shop for Hot Light Express, a smaller version of its stores built around the Hot Light and hot Original Glazed doughnuts, and the company says it's only testing the idea for now. An invite Vital Vegas posted sets the opening celebration for Sunday, Nov 8, from 4 to 6 p.m. in the second-level food court. If you see the Hot Light on, that means a fresh batch is coming off the line.

A strip-mall storefront at Kangnam Square with a red and green Myungin Dumplings sign above the glass doors (ChinatownVegas.com photo) — Credit: ChinatownVegas.com

Coming Soon: Myungin Dumplings signs are up at Kangnam Square in Chinatown

Myungin Dumplings · Kangnam Square, 3650 S Jones Blvd · Chinatown

Myungin Dumplings, the Los Angeles shop known for giant handmade Korean king dumplings and its turn on Anthony Bourdain's Parts Unknown, now has its sign up at Kangnam Square on South Jones, ChinatownVegas reports. WhatNow Las Vegas says the brand's first try here was a counter inside a gas station on South Rainbow that closed in 2024, so this would be its first real Chinatown storefront. There's no opening date yet.

Deals & happy hours

Uni tomato cream pasta topped with sea urchin, basil and red chili threads (Trattoria Nakamura-Ya photo) — Credit: Trattoria Nakamura-Ya

Trattoria Nakamura-Ya turns 15 with a one-night anniversary menu on Nov 11

Trattoria Nakamura-Ya · 5040 W Spring Mountain Rd, Suite 5 · Chinatown

Chef Kengo's Tokyo-style Italian spot on Spring Mountain opened in 2011, and it's marking 15 years with a special menu on Wednesday, Nov 11, from 4:30 to 10 p.m. (last call). ChinatownVegas says the prices drop for the night, with uni tomato cream pasta at $29.50 instead of $42, squid ink pasta at $21 instead of $30, Santa Barbara uni at $19.50 and takoyaki for $4. It's walk-in only, so plan to wait, or get it to go.

Vegas Food News