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There are restaurants where you simply eat, and then there are places like La Vecindad Cantina, where every bite feels like a direct homage to the culture that birthed it.
The newest outpost from husband-and-wife duo Raul Martinez and Vanessa Barreat opened its doors in March in the historic Commercial Center. The energy is electric, and the mission is simple: feed the people like they’re family.
“Everything we do is to support the community,” says Barreat. “And I think that’s why we get it back.”
Back in 2016, the couple’s humble, homemade dishes served up at the Broadacres swap meet started building a quiet following. Martinez, who cut his teeth in the taco trade back in his homeland, had the flavors down. Barreat, with her front-of-house finesse honed during her years of working in food and beverage at Caesars Palace, knew how to keep things humming. Add in Margarita Ortega, their Puebla-born mole poblano crafter, and you had lightning in a tortilla.
The nudge to go bigger came from the people who lined up weekend after weekend at their swap meet stand.
“They’d say, ‘We wish we didn’t have to wait ‘til Saturday to eat this,’” Barreat says. In 2018, La Vecindad was born, a brick-and-mortar rooted in the warmth of a Mexican neighborhood, its name and decor a nod to the TV classic El Chavo del Ocho, its walls bursting with striking color and nostalgia.
Then came 2020, and the world hit pause. They shut the doors for a few months, but when they reopened, they came back swinging.
The cantina, their newest and largest venture, is no quiet dinner joint. It’s a technicolor, tequila-soaked playground with drag brunches, live DJs, karaoke Thursdays, and more Instagramable corners than you can count. There’s even house-brewed beer and cocktails served in giant buckets meant for sharing—or not.
But don’t let the party vibe fool you; the food’s the anchor. Handmade tortillas cradle the queso fundido that’s wheeled out in a mini firetruck. The mole poblano is still made from scratch. Carne en su jugo brings homestyle memory to the table. There’s fresh menudo on the weekends, chilaquiles with steak and eggs all day, and beef costillas that’ll leave you loosening your belt.
And then there’s the torta Cubana. Over four pounds of sandwich piled high with beans, ham, grilled chicken, grilled beef, crispy Milanesa, eggs, cheese and all the other necessary fixings. It’s as absurd as it is delightful. “We have a challenge for it,” Barreat says, laughing. Good luck.
The real victory at La Vecindad is discovering what this Vegas family has known since their swap meet days: the best meals happen when strangers become neighbors, and neighbors become family.
Here you can genuinely feel, see, and taste that everything is made with intention. And no matter how much this family business expands, they’re going to keep true to the essence of their community and honor it by showcasing its best flavors.
LA VECINDAD CANTINA 975 E. Sahara Ave., 702-848-5138, lavecindadlv.com. Daily, 9 a.m.-2 a.m.
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