Durango Social Club — Restaurant in Spring Valley

November update since review Durango Social Club's mission has transformed to a pop-up chef showcase. Hours and reservation requirements will fluctuate depending upon the chef(s) residency.

29 August 2025 If I were to distill the Durango Social Club (DSC) to one word, that word would be perplexing.

Advertised as an "intimate gathering place...[b]uilt for those who value connection" the space is on the smaller side with its capacity for 40-52 diners. The floor was arranged as a typical restaurant though; I had envisioned a more communal scene similar to é by José Andrés or Kaiseki Yuzu. Decor was somewhat random. Color scheme was old-school club in rich brown and dark teal. Beyond that there was the lack of a discernible theme: some pictures and knickknacks on wood shelves, a TV(?) alongside a painting on the back wall, a buoy-laden rope strung over a section of the bar counter, a suited frog candlestick, three different types of lightshades hanging in rows from the ceiling. Plus a lemon tree by the hostess stand. I guess the mishmash may be intended to spark questions, and it did but probably not in the manner DSC intended.

The perceived absence of a story extended to the food. The five-course dinner ($85) covered the typical animal kingdom - waterfowl, fish, land fowl, cow - plus dessert, but each dish IMO was isolated in taste, technique, and consistency. For examples- The Course 2 rockfish* on my plate was significantly smaller than that of my companion, while my Course 3 quail was a larger bird than his. Observing from the bar the searing of the fish, the steaks in the upper right corner got noticeably darker than the rest. And as far as taste: I didn't care for the texture of the Course 1 duck, nor for the blandness of the fish, and the Course 4 butchers** steak was rather chewy. The quail and all the plates' sauces/garnishes were delicious.

*listed as wild red snapper in the DSC online August menu **listed as zabuton in the DSC online August menu

The doors of the restaurant opened one hour prior to the 7pm dinnertime, to allow patrons to get their drink on. And so I did, because the creative behind the juicy tart and strong cocktails ($15, plus one comped) was Cami from Sparrow+Wolf.

Value: There for the drinks. On paper the food might also appear to have high value, but the execution was too uneven.

Service: Very engaging especially in that first hour; once the kitchen started cranking out plates the service remained friendly while focused on their tasks.

Wrap up: Rating dips close to three out of five. Rounding up for the excellent cocktails, the quail dish, and service, with grace for DSC being barely into its first month of operation.

etc As of the date of my dinner, DSC is open for a single seating only, three nights a week, Thursday through Saturday. Separate 5-glass wine pairing was available at $60 and was described as 2.5oz pours. Unusual for a reservations-only, prix-fixe tasting menu-only spot, there were no amuse bouche nor final mignardises. An 18% gratuity was automatically added to the check (was stated prior to booking this...

I was fortunate enough to attend the August 23rd dinner service and it was an absolutely spectacular experience. The pre-dinner cocktail hour kicked off the evening with inventive cocktails, interesting beers and lovely wines. Bri and Matthew at the bar were wonderful to talk to and set the tone for a fun evening. The wait team whisked us away to our table for the dinner to begin. We were well attended to throughout the dinner service. Renato, the wonderful wine somm, walked us through so many of the wonderfully paired wines. He was an absolute delight to talk to. After dinner, we had some after dinners drinks which made for a fantastic end to the evening. They even brought a candle for me to blow out for my birthday! Chef made so incredible dishes and each one was better than the last. The quail was so good! The entire experience was wonderful and it is a great value. We are so lucky to have this new addition to the Vegas...

had a lovely time at DSC and would recommend. the restaurant was vibey and moody, like an intimate dining room. service was wonderful, everyone so friendly and food was delicious (we had the all seafood menu). only tiny nit is that I wish it felt more like a socializing event with the other guests given the name, but that’s not really on the restaurant so much as the other guests seemed less interested in making it a social experience. maybe some communal tables for those that are interested… either way - give this a try!...