A Different Beast — Restaurant in Spring Valley

The first time I tried A Different Beast, it was a group of friends, two from the UK (both having vacationed in Spain & and one of them lived in Spain for a spell). I asked them how it compared to the pintxos in Spain, and he said they were on point.

We shared a couple of their regular menu (dinner) items, and indulged in all of the (cart) pintxos items offered that evening. We all thoroughly enjoyed them.

A few weeks ago I got a notification of a special night offering of all-you-can-eat pintxos for a fixed price of $45/person, so I immediately made a reservation. There were 16 items offered, with 2 being 1-order per person (Braised Wagyu Short Rib and Foie Gras), not including the 2 desserts (Basque Cheesecake and Churros Con Chocolate). We each got one of each (3 choices/round), and then reordered a few of our favorites. Of the 16, only 2 of them were in their normal menu, so most of them served this night was special.

I had been eyeing their normal Tastings menu ($89) to try on a future visit, but this special night's offering would have been similar I think, but half the price.

Some of them weren't our cup of tea, but what one or two of us didn't like, the other would. All three of us enjoyed having things we never had before, and it was truly a culinary experience.

They also had an all-you-can-drink option, including Sangria (red or white) for $35. We opted to just a single drink each instead, as we aren't big drinkers in general. Both sangrias were delicious and paired well with the food.

Our Server explained how the pintxos cart worked our first visit (asking if we have been there before). Both times, they checked on us often, cleared plates, refilled waters, and asked about wanting anything else in general. On the special night, they also asked if they wanted us to fire up the next three in line, so we never had a lull in "courses", so as we were gobbling up the last of our current one, they next ones were being delivered to the table.

We look forward to a future visit and hope they have another special menu night again. If you are looking for a nice place to have a dinner that's different from other "normal" fancy night out establishments, I highly recommend.

Oh! ...and the Basque Cheesecake was...

This beast is the best! I found this place while reading an article about places and desserts and this place came up with the basque cheesecake in Las Vegas. I saw that the restaurant was having a Pintxos Fiesta on Aug. 21 which was yesterday for $45 per person so I asked my husband to make reservations for us and another couple of friends. We really enjoyed the pintxos as we were able to taste and experience a wide variety of food in small packages. We felt like we were transported to Basque enjoying pintxos and sangria. Everything was very good from taste, texture and presentation of the food! I never had foie gras this good before as this one was perfectly cooked and melt in your mouth. The basque cheesecake was creamy, delicate and just simply delicious! I could just go on and on and say the same positive notes to all the little treats. We were all full and very satisfied and couldn't wait for the next pintxos Fiesta. Kudos to the chef for an amazing spread and for the staff for a...

My friend and I went in try the tapas because we heard about it from a coworker. As a food and beverage professional and having worked in the industry for over a decade, I can say with confidence that the food and service were top notch. The ambience is fun and bright with a splash of whimsical Spanish decor, and the floor plan is open to make the space feel larger and inviting. We tried a bit of everything but what stood out to me the most was the Calamari Sandwich. I make it a point to try Calamari at every establishment that has it, and I was definitely not left disappointed here. The only thing to be mindful of, is the parking challenge. As with most places in Chinatown, there can be a shortage of immediate parking as it shares a lot inside a strip mall. But that aside, I highly recommend giving this new tapa...