Summer House — Restaurant in Spring Valley

My family and I stopped in the cookie shop at the front of this restaurant after a few weeks of this property's inception. I wanted to return for another cookie experience, but this time, I wanted to try the restaurant as well. It took a while to return because I don't reside on this side of the city, but my wife and I finally stopped in on the evening of 9 Nov 2024. We showed up ~30 minutes before our reservation time and luckily for us, the hostess was gracious enough to seat us early considering how busy they were that evening. The evening temperature was slightly on the "chilly" side and we reserved outside seating; however, there were several heat lamps so it was beyond extraordinary with respect to comfort levels.

The ambiance/atmosphere, décor, and customer service was top-notch. Our main server was Michael C., and he did a remarkable job throughout the evening. He was very personable, extremely attentive, professional, and highly efficient. Displaying and maintaining workmanship traits like that in a server while the restaurant is super busy, makes me very appreciative of the dining experience and displays the type of "people-first" attitude that this business values.

We ordered the Endless Summer Old Fashioned, 1996 Spritzer, and glass of Sauvignon Blanc (not pictured) to drink; Signature Guacamole with Chips/Crab and Old Fashioned Chicken Noodle Soup for our appetizers; Angry Crab Bucatini and Skirt Steak Frites for our main entrées; and Pumpkin Chiffon Pie and Oatmeal Scotchie Cookie (not pictured) for dessert. We ended up taking the cookie home for the next day because we were already full. The drinks were great; the appetizers and main entrées were good; and the dessert was exceptional. I wasn't too big of a fan of the Chicken Noodle Soup because of one key element - the soup was missing the noodles. We ate the majority of it before realizing this because we're more into the Signature Guacamole, so by the time of realization, we just brushed it off. I mean I don't think it was just a Chicken Soup considering the receipt states, "Noodle" in the name. Also, the Bucatini was just ok. It wasn't my dish but I tried it and I felt that dish missed the mark in two ways: (1) there wasn't enough crab; and (2) the portion size in general would make a grown man cry because it was tiny.

The price-to quantity/quality ratio was good. Based on the restaurant concept, I can, however, understand why the prices may appear to be slightly higher than what someone would want to spend. I respect this business for their continued support to the servicemembers of the Armed Forces, including its Veterans - I appreciate that! This restaurant is one of those businesses where I couldn't decide if it's going to be a high 4-rating or low 5-rating because it literally is in between. There were some missed marks from this visit; however, between the service, atmosphere, décor, vibe, and the entrées (that did hit the mark), it would definitely make it a 5-star rating. Clearly you can see what rating I ended up giving this business. As much as I enjoyed the experience, I probably won't rush to return for another dinner visit anytime soon (but I will eventually). On the other hand, I can see myself trying out their brunch menu sometime soon. Regardless of my experience, I am still highly recommending this restaurant...

As a Celiac, I legitimately LOVE Summer House in Las Vegas at the new Durango Resort that opened in December 2023. I've already eaten here multiple times!

I have had the fish and chips (x2) $35.95, the steak frites $38.95, the picnic fried chicken basket $22.95, the 2 Tickets to Paradise cocktail $18, the potato salad deviled eggs $9.95 for 3 halves (delicious but too pricey) and the shishito peppers for $12.95. I've also had the $3.95 gluten-free chocolate chip cookie and brownie from their bakery bar in the front.

According to our first awesome waitress, Shelby, they don't have a marked menu but they have a dedicated fryer! The batter on the fish and the chicken is gluten-free! I already contacted them via survey to let them know how important it is to mark their menu because this is an incredible selling point.

I get it, some people are weird about seeing "gluten-free" on a menu and won't order those items. So don't mark it on the regular menu. What is important is to at least have a separate menu so that people who care can ask, "do you have a gluten-free menu" and can find it online or in the restaurant. (BJ'S Brewhouse also doesn't mark "GF" on their regular menus, but has a separate stand alone menu with items that can be amended to be gluten-free.)

--- I'll say it a zillion times - not advertising that you have gluten-free options or a separate gluten-free menu is LEAVING MONEY ON THE TABLE. I have to research restaurants before I go to see if they accommodate me. If there is no indication that you can serve me, I'm not going to necessarily call every restaurant and ask for a host to talk to a chef and get back to me.

--- As a Celiac, Las Vegas casino resorts generally do not have microwaves in their rooms and almost none have mini refrigerators. If you have a medical dietary restriction, not only can you not bring your own fresh food to your room because there's no way to store or heat it, the restaurants on property can't accommodate you either! Summer House, you can and have accommodated me. Rather than eating a protein bar in a hotel room, I want other celiacs to patronize your business. At least have an online menu for "allergens."

--- Celiacs, people with wheat allergies, EoE, Crohn's, Hashimoto's, and rheumatoid arthritis all need to follow a gluten-free diet. Nevermind the amount of people without a diagnosis that are actively seeking foods that don't contain gluten (it takes on average 7 years to finally get a diagnosis of Celiac.) There are so many of us that want to spend our money at restaurants like Summer House but we have no idea that you exist if I can only find out by talking to our waiter once I'm already there. I only found this place on a fluke because my initial visit was during a mock service before opening.

--- Lettuce Entertain You Group, Help us spend money at your restaurants by at least having a separate menu with marked, gluten-free options! I don't care if it's just a QR code. I told my Gluten-free online groups about this place and gluten-free people are so...

So! Today, my wife, our 1-year-old son, and I went to Summer House a restaurant inside Durango Casino in Las Vegas. We were excited to try it for the first time as locals. Upon arrival, we were greeted and seated, and the hostess told us our server would be right over.

While we waited, a couple seated right after us got immediate service—water, drinks, and their full order taken. One of them even pointed out that we were there first. Their server replied that we had a different server, then continued helping them. Meanwhile, several tables around us were served, while we continued waiting—20 minutes with no acknowledgment.

I finally got up and found a facilitator. When I told her no one had helped us, she said she’d get our server, then asked if I didn’t want to dine in anymore. I told her we definitely did and that’s why we asked to sit on the patio. A minute later, she returned with a Black server—how ironic, considering my family is Black, and only now, after 20 minutes, someone who looked like us came to help.

The new server said he had just started and took our drink orders. Moments later, the original server we had seen walk past us multiple times finally showed up, claiming he was now "taking over." This upset me even more—he had clearly ignored us, and now suddenly wanted to serve us like it wasn’t his table all along.

We demanded a manager. She brought out our food and immediately said our meal would be comped—before even hearing what happened. That felt patronizing and racially motivated, like we were assumed to be looking for a free meal. My wife, who’s worked in service for years, knew it was just a comp they can give at their discretion. I told her I didn’t want anything free—just an apology and some accountability.

The original server stood behind the manager smirking during the conversation. No apology, no ownership. It was clear to me we were judged from the moment we walked in. No one cared until I stood up. Until then, we were invisible.

At that time, we were the only Black family in the restaurant—and the only time we got service was when they sent a Black server. That says a lot. What’s funnier is when I later looked up what some of the staff makes. Let’s just say—you never know who you're judging.

In the end, I accepted the comp, but I tipped over $100 anyway—because respect matters more than revenge. Still, Summer House needs to do better. The food was bland. The place looks nice, drinks were nice but the service was disappointing.

To the managers and owners: if this is how you treat your Black patrons, it’s unacceptable. Address...