Mingo Kitchen & Lounge

The day mundo had closed its doors was a sad day for me. The refreshing take on Mexican food that was housed at world market, had been a hidden gem. When I found out that they merged their menu into Mingo, like some delightful version of a Siamese twin I was ecstatic. Their food is so ridiculously cravable and I was ready to be reunited.

Full disclosure I have only ever eaten off of the mundo menu. Also while I had only had a handful of items off the menu, I had many more at the original location. Since they had executed the food very closely to the original location. I hope all items are as delisious. I have had the Filet mingon chilli Rejeno. Oh my gosh, tender meat, seasoned and cooked perfectly, and the creamy goat cheese smooths it out, while the sauce they serve it with is a flavor explosion. It's super savory and dare I say has an umami quality. It pairs so well with their sangria. Their sangria happens to be amazing. Citrus and spices create a bold concentrated flavor. No watered down while sangria here.

The calamari is also super yummy, but I will say the original mundo had a slightly more refined hand at the execution. The sauces are still so addictive, one sweet chilli aoli and the other savory cilantro aoli . But when you mix them they also taste oh so perfect.

One dish I haven't tried there specifically, but on the old menu that I really do want to go back for is the Shrimp Tamale. At the original location it had been the best Tamale i have ever had. They have this life changing creamy sauce, big succulent shrimp, and the fluffiest yet moist masa ever with chunks of corn inside. It runs on the sweeter side, and the sangria may not match it as well. This is why I had not ordered it before. I really wanted the sangria, so I went with something more savory. Taking a break on drinking these days though, so it shall be mine next visit for sure.

Thank you Mingo for keeping mundo alive!

P. S. I have once had deep fried oreos here which were technically a Mingo item, they were yummy but a dipping sauce of some sort to add some contrast in flavor, moisture, and texture would have elevated it.

A friend and I stopped by Mingo's for a bite to eat during First Friday. It's conveniently located within the event in the Arts District. We sat at the outside bar stools since that was the only dog friendly portion.

We started with drinks, my favorite part. The bartender asked what I liked and made me a special concoction which was very tasty. For food we shared the chips & salsa as an app. They were pretty standard, nothing too special. For an entree I had the chicken tacos. These were also pretty normal. They didn't have any unique flavor or special twist. The food overall was okay, but nothing special.

I think I'd come back again if only for convenience sake. The food is definitely nothing to go out of your way for.

Not bad, not bad at all. When you first walk in, the overall bar/lounge area is small...but size doesn't matter here. My homegirls and I stopped in for a couple rounds of hard alcohol drinks since First Friday's was only serving beer and wine.
We found a cute table right by the entrance and made ourselves comfy. We got to people watch as people walked in- best seat in the house, *wink.

The hostess, Savannah really made our visit memorable. She kept checking in on us, made sure we had everything we needed and even recommended the BEST appetizer they have on the menu- which I absolutely 5 Stars agree with, which is the tuna tostada! I've never had anything this refreshing and tasty before. It's exactly what it says it is: a huge tostada with slightly cured tuna with parsley and sour cream atop. Wow, I can eat this all day it's so light and tasty. Thanks for everything Savannah!

As far as drinks, they have a nice hefty pour here- definitely worth the $8-$9/drink!

A great Vegas original!

Want to get an awesome bite to eat, done!

Want to get a great cocktail with friends, done!

Mingos has it all, funky decor, great food, drinks, and atmosphere. Plus a cool and hip owner that you can High five for a coupon.

Try the Steak Salad at lunch and if you get the side of Sprouts you will not be disappointed.

Let me just say the interior and decor is absolutely astonishing! The place doesn't look like much from the outside but as the old saying goes "Never judge a book by its cover." This place is a hidden treasure. The food and service was top notch. I ordered the tamales! Perfection.

Definitely recommend if you're looking for an affordable and elegant dining experience.

While the ability to travel and dine at several of the World's greatest Restaurants is undoubtedly a privilege to be grateful for it also comes at a cost, the financial aspect obvious to most but the risk of becoming 'jaded' also something to be taken into consideration; an elevated sense of what is possible often setting a bar too high for more casual circumstances, though in the case of Mingo Kitchen + Lounge it seems as if the average local Diner or even Denny's may have higher standards for what they serve.

Currently located at 1017 South 1st Street in the Arts Distict, the former Mundo inside World Market Center shuttering in December 2015 and becoming Mingo shortly thereafter, it was on an baffling recommendation of "the food was pretty good when I was there" from one member of the team that the office Christmas Party was booked for Dinner on Friday, a 7:00pm arrival finding vagrants in the parking lot and a bar nearby jumping, the "closed for Private Event" sign on Mingo's door apparently not enough to dissuade rough n' tumble looking regulars who more than once attempted to enter.

Originally toqued by Chef Robert Solano, much of his Latin-inspired menu ported over from World Market as "Mundo Classics" to join a list of "Mingo Faves" and "Sharables" with clever names, everything from Mac n' Cheese Hotdogs and #IMABIGDILL Frickles joining items as pricey as the $28 Boneless Ribeye, it was with a prix fixe offered by way of check-boxes that guests were greeted at their seats, the "decadent & sexy lounge" likely only fitting such a description for those fresh from the Strip Club as tacky glass raindrops blended with mixed lighting, worn leather banquets and the overwhelming smell of Clorox.

One-upping the description of their décor with "an inventive & risqué menu," the inane hashtag descriptions apparently intended to be provocative, it was with drink tickets distributed that guests were left to decide between Beer, cheap Wine or "Well Cocktails" described as "a shot with some mix," the decision to try Sangria finding Fruit and Wine largely inoffensive, as too was Iced Tea that was refilled appropriately.

Originally told that Appetizers were a choice by servers, this fact unapparent on the paper menu and actually untrue as the kitchen sent out individual Salads plus a sparse plate of Calamari to be shared at each table, suffice it to say that dinner got off to an inauspicious start when the jumble of Fruits and Vegetables arrived sloppy wet and best eaten with a spoon while the rings of Cephalopod were largely overcooked and only rescued by bottled Sauces in plastic cups that were the furthest thing from risqué, sexy or inventive.

Next offering one of four entrees, the person who recommended the place actually returning hers to the kitchen because it was too spicy, suffice it to say that anyone seeking 'sexy' vibes or good Mexican food would be well advised to stay at Sapphires and dine at El Dorado or give up the glitz and drive over to Charleston Road for better as the Chicken was nicely roasted but far too sweet while the Filet Mignon Chile Relleno was fair to middling at best, though the Corn Tamale clearly made from a mix instead of actual Masa was a nostalgic throwback to Chi-Chi's Corn Pudding from a Midwestern childhood.

Exchanging White Elephant gifts and playing Trivia throughout the course of two hours, the people present helping to alleviate much of the regret for ever stepping through Mingo's doors, it was with samples of all three Desserts that dinner lurched across the finish-line, the Churros easily the most edible option though everyone agreed they were too hard while the Pecan Bars as well as the "Cheesecake Bites" were confirmed via the internet to be straight out of Costco (see photos.)

Located in the Arts District in Downtown Las Vegas is a fabulous find called Mingo. The black doors with lion head handles, a blackboard with funky art and their wifi password: theboner and a hostess and servers with sleeve tats, the nice and elegantly hip interior = a promising WTF-am-I-supposed-to-expect dining experience. As an art school grad, this place felt like home.

Let's start with some drinks at 4pm, shall we? My friend couldn't decide if she wanted a Moscow Mule or a drink called Kiss My Dragon (or something like that)..."anything with vodka," she said. She got the KMD and liked it. They have a pretty good happy hour menu. We tried some items from the HH menu and the regular menu filled with hashtags.

Seared Brussels Sprouts:
#brusselpatchkid Brussels sprouts, golden raisins, bacon (optional), brown butter, balsamic reduction and candied pecans. I don't think I need to explain how good this is anymore. Crunchy, salty, sweet...the end. 4/5

Bacon-Wrapped Stuffed Dates:
#nofirefly pecans, manchego, piquillo pepper sauce and porcini glaze. Sweet and soft dates, salty crunchy bacon, sweet earthy crunchy pecans, creamy manchego and mildly hot pepper sauce. We usually use marcona almonds when we make these at home but the pecans seem to work too. 4/5

Blackened Mahi Mahi BLT:
#fishdiving I got this sans tomato. Sourdough bread, avocado, sweet herb garlic mayo, fries. I misread the menu as "garlic mayo fries" and my taste buds were already set for garlic mayo fries...my bad! This open-faced sandwich was good though. The bread was grilled, crisp and not soggy. 4/5

Rib Rye:
#rarenjuicy caramelized onions, roasted potatoes and soy balsamic glaze. This was cooked warmer than a medium rare we asked for but tasty and tender. 3/5

Deep-Fried Oreo Cookies:
#fatkid part of the HH. These were ok but would have been better with a drizzle of syrup or sauce of some sort..or maybe, a scoop of ice cream...or both. 3/5

The service was excellent, the food was good and it's not pricey.

Hit this spot for a hoppin' happy hour, 3-7PM daily with food and drink specials. Popped into this cool lounge-style bar in the arts district with my eyes bigger than my belly, and snagged 3 large-portioned apps for $17. Bartender was super friendly, service was on point, and the food was great!

ONO-LICIOUS FISH & CHIPS: My favorite dish, four small pieces of nicely-battered fish with a spicy tartar sauce and a side of seasoned fries. BF didn't care for this and insisted the breading was too thick, but that just meant more for me!
CRISPY WINGS: Order of 6 wings is $4 for HH pricing, served with a buffalo sauce and a bleu cheese dip. Good crunch!
NOTORIOUS P-I-G: Gotta love the name! It's a thick bacon-wrapped dog topped with horseradish mac and cheese and pickled jalapenos. I'm not a horsey fan, but staff assured me the flavor was mild. I wouldn't get this again, but it wasn't bad.

I'm not a fan of the rocky, unpaved parking lot but I was pleasantly surprised by everything else I found here! The menu is a bit outdated and headache-inducing with a million different clever hash tags describing each dish, but the food was tasty. Bummed that the roasted Brussels sprouts aren't on the HH menu, I'll have to make another trip out here to try those.

Hidden in plain sight! - Take heed and bookmark Mingo.

Came here with the lady after a long day of running errands and needed some nourishment and an adult beverage, Mingo to the rescue! This eatery is located in the Arts District, in a huddle mass of amazing art venues and great boutique shopping options.

Mingo offers an amalgam of upscale bar food, weiner jokes, and tasty cocktails. We pretty much had the entire place to ourselves and bellied up to the bar. Roman, our bartender greeted us and started us off with couple beers and three-dollar mystery shots. These mystery shots were very good, I'm guessing; Vodka, lemonade, and something else? Mingo has a decent beer options, but you're better off ordering cocktails in this joint. They have a huge selection and are also willing to create stuff on the fly.

Happy hour was going strong so we ordered accordingly. We got the Notorious P.I.G., Three Cheese Baked Mac N' Cheese, and Brussel Sprouts with Bacon.

The Notorious P.I.G. is a basically a hot dog covered in awesome. That awesome being, pickled jalapeños, horseradish mac & cheese, and crispy bacon. I did attempt to pick this beast up and eat it the classic hot dog way, but this mammoth meal needed a fork and knife. There's some great texture going on here, the crispy bacon mixed with the creamy mac n' cheese was stellar! This dish wasn't too spicy even with the jalapenos and horseradish; it just had a baby kick. More flavor than anything.

The seared brussel sprouts were a great side dish for the meal. Even though it says, "seared" on the menu these green veggies weren't overcooked. Mingo lightly seared these in a balsamic reduction, and added candied pecans, golden raisins along with bacon upon request. Crispy, fresh, and even with the addition of bacon these lighten up the meal nicely.

I would definitely recommend this place for a daytime adult beverage stop. I hear that soon they will be hosting movie night on Wednesdays!

Stay tuned Mingo-ites!

Minho Kitchen Lounge is a terrific place for lunch, cocktails or brunch. You will feel yourself transported right out of Las Vegas and into a gothic hip locale where food is effortlessly but delectably prepared, and service is like that at an all-night diner no matter what time of day. It's a great place. You may even find the eponymous owner walking around being fabulous.

The restaurant is in the Las Vegas Arts District downtown. It's a definite must if you are visiting downtown Las Vegas, or are visiting during First Friday.

The food is self-conscious comfort food, with slight irony. Try the tomato soup and grilled cheese which has gourmet cheese and artisanal bread. I like the steak salad with horseradish sauce! So tender and juicy is the steak and the salad part is good too! I have never heard of anyone not liking the food here.

Yes, it is a hipster vibe, but not obnoxious like so many others. It really is like a high-class diner. Or like a hipster "Cheers". You feel like you are in a place that, if you came often enough, "everybody will know your name."

For what you get, it is pretty economical also, especially at lunch.