The Black Sheep — Restaurant in Spring Valley

After a much anticipated tryout of this highly-reviewed place, it was an absolute, expensive disappointment! More fluff than what the menu had described. Their happy hour menu and drinks were pretty lame and expensive for what it is. Our server was morose, emitting a vibe that he was not very happy to serve... at all. First off, we were told when ordering that "the Chef prefers that all food orders are done at the same time "so that food can be prepared and put out in an orderly manner" rather in staggered manner. We said that we were doing little plates and would start with the 4 to pick on and order as we enjoy our drinks. MInd you as we added one other dish, he came reminded us to "order all food at the same time as "the Chef prefers'". I' was quite aghast! I've noshed locally and around the world but have never ever encountered any restaurant (Michelin- or 5- star or less star, trendy or local neighborhood eats) till this day wherein I was told to place my order all in one go as the Chef's preferred". Call me a rebel! Moving on, the food came as we ordered: Raw Oysters- they were soooo little, the flesh was literally sticking to the shell. It was not fleshy nor succulent looking/tasting. Salmon Skin Taco - we liked. Beef Crisps - this is definitely not what we expected. It didn't look anything like beef but rather like fried offal or fat,. We enquired what part of the cow it was, the server said it was cartilage. The menu made no mention that it is not actual beef but rather a cow part. When I see beef on the menu and its description says "thai chili tajin dust, chili lime sauce", I expect it to be so with the seasoning mentioned/described, and not merely a seasoned beef by-product. And I'm not squeamish at all. I've eaten all parts of the cow and other animals! Grilled Spanish Octopus - over-charred. The fusion of over-charring and the tartness of the sambal imparted a sour, off-taste on the chewy/rubbery octopus. Vietnamese Imperial Rolls - the menu says it is "duroc pork & shrimp, pickled heirloom carrots, ninja daikon, yellow frisee salad". It literally tasted like the pork was off (not fresh at all) not as I would expect from a Duroc pig meat... tender, fleshy, and clean. This did not taste anything like that at all. Thankfully they took it off our bill. The only saving grace of this whole disappointing and expensive (especially for happy hour) experience is that the drinks were at least good. It's a shame when simple food is fusionised with chi-chi, trendy, bourgeoisie description that marvel and whet one's appetite only to taste like a compendium of overly seasoned, unlikely pairing of...

The Black Sheep a is a cute, amazing, hole-in-wall type restaurant especially for out of towners. I would consider it Vietnamese-American fusion food with a contemporary twist. Located about 20 mins outside the strip, it is definitely worth the uber trip here! I made a reservation about 1-2 weeks in advance for 5pm on a Friday night, the time they first open. We arrived about 5 mins early, before they opened, but they happily sat us right away. Surprisingly for a Friday night, the restaurant was less busy than I thought, about 30% of the tables were filled at any time we were there. Could possibly be that it was early in the night, or maybe people just rather eat on the strip. Either way, I liked that it was quieter and with less people!

We ordered the salmon skin tacos, the grilled Spanish octopus, and the fried whole rainbow trout. Honestly, I was taken aback by how amazing everything was and that it was one of the best meals I've ever had! We also came during happy hour too, so we were able to get a nice $5 glass of Cabernet.

Salmon skin tacos - loved the crispiness of the salmon skin, and how fresh the salmon belly tartare was. I usually don't like fish eggs (tabiko), but the way they topped it off, it tasted sweet and refreshing. There was also a jalapeño aioli spread to dip the taco in.

Grilled Spanish octopus - this was a recommendation from our server, as it was his favorite dish. He said it was very spicy, and this coming from a white guy, I was a bit skeptical. However, this dish definitely delivered! It was packed with enough heat from the ginger sambal sauce, but not too spicy that I couldn't finish. I also like that it came with the crispy rice and black sesame, as that was reminiscent of a typical Vietnamese snack. Also, the octopus was surprisingly not chewy either.

Fried whole rainbow trout - again, this is reminiscent of a typical Vietnamese dish. And again, amazingly delicious as well! They debone the trout, and the meat was really tender and soft. The ginger and rice wine vinegar sauce was surprisingly really light but still really tasty at the same time. It did not overpower the trout, but instead, was a great addition! It also came with some veggies in the sauce, sautéed rainbow Swiss chard, and a bowl of jasmine rice.

Also a quick note to mention amazing customer service. Our server was extremely nice and friendly, as well as very knowledgeable and honest about the menu. That is always something I really appreciate!

Overall, I could see why The Black Sheep is voted top neighborhood restaurant. If I ever came back to Las Vegas, this would be high on my list to...

I cannot say enough good things about this place. It almost makes me wish there was a special rating we could provide like 5 star plus!

We had a reservation, we showed up early assuming we would get drinks at the bar, but they were able to seat us early, which was perfect. We had wanted an earlier reservation, but they were all booked. It's a small space so its always good to make a reservation at least a week in advance.

Literally everything we got was amazing. With every bite there was such an amazing variety/complexity of flavors. My husband said it a few times during our meal. From the appetizers to the desserts! We both missed lunch and were were celebrating our anniversary so we splurged. The Boa sliders was our favorite of the two appetizers, but the Ceviche was still amazing!!

For our entry I had the slow braised short rib which I loved. My husband had the Grilled Hanger Steak which he thought was fantastic, even down to the naan bread. Both were delicious, but we both liked our own dishes better, which is perfect!

For dessert I don't remember the exact names, but I had the chocolate cake with a hard chocolate sheet on top with some kind of tres leches drizzle and vanilla and coffee mousse dollops on the side. The difference mousses almost made it taste lole a had two different desserts in one! Presentation was amazing, I'll post the video if it let's me... and it was delicious! My husband got a creme puff thing with their house made cinnamon (something) ice cream also fantastic, but I think mine was better. 😉

Oh and if outstanding food wasn't enough the cocktails were also wonderful. I had the corpse reviver 2, my husband had a side car, and we ended with the bartenders recommendation of a carajillo. Simple yet delicious! Highly recommend this place.

It is pricier when you get as much to eat and drink as we did, I still highly recommend it! I would also recommend getting a sitter if you have a little one (not required just a suggestion), it's a small venue and the menu doesn't cater to most children. And let's be honest sometimes it's nice to have a night out...