Barry's Downtown Prime Steakhouse

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

Where Old Vegas Cool Meets Serious Beef

Barry's Downtown Prime is the steakhouse concept from Make It Happen Hospitality, LLC, set inside Circa Resort & Casino at 8 Fremont St. — a deliberate return of fine-dining ambition to Downtown Las Vegas. The premise is straightforward: the city's finest steaks and seafood, fresh tableside preparations, creative cocktails, and the kind of unhurried service that makes every guest feel like a regular.

The room earns its reputation before a single dish arrives. Design draws on the classic cool of the 1950s, 60s, and 70s — navy and oxblood plaster tones, warm ebonized white oak parquet floors, walnut millwork, burnished brass, and moody antique mirrors. Deep velvet jewel-tone booths and rich leathers invite guests to settle in. A three-dimensional glowing rose-inspired ceiling adds drama overhead, while a sexy bar lounge finished in Calacatta Borghini Gold marble and a glitzy gold ceiling anchors the space. Intimate booth seating beneath a glimmering olive tree, live performance areas, and a flexible private dining room round out a room designed for every occasion from a quiet dinner to a large private party.

The Team Behind the Kitchen

Owner and Chef Barry S. Dakake leads the culinary vision, with Chef de Cuisine Patrick Hodge III running the pass and Director of Wine Zack Vasilev overseeing a program that earned Wine Spectator's Best of Award of Excellence in 2024 — recognition that reflects genuine depth and curation rather than a token list. General Manager Freshta Soltero and her team carry through the hospitality ethos the restaurant was built on.

What's on the Plate

The American steakhouse menu is expansive without being unfocused. USDA prime beef, cooked over assorted fruit woods and 900° coals, is the anchor. The 12oz. Rib Cap — dubbed "Barry's Steak" — comes from Creekstone Farms in Kansas, while the 46oz. Mishima Reserve Tomahawk Ribeye and a 20oz. Bison Ribeye from Grass Run Farms signal real sourcing conviction. A chilled shellfish platter loaded with Maine lobster, colossal lump blue crab, and East and West Coast oysters opens the meal with equal confidence.

Beyond the steaks, the kitchen moves through Braised Short Rib Ravioli with fresh truffle, Dover Sole Véronique prepared tableside-style, Colorado Lamb Chops with a Parmesan-pine nut crust, and a house-made fettuccini finished with a Madeira wine bone marrow luge. Sides — from Whole Maine Lobster Mac 'n' Cheese to Truffle Twice Baked Potato — are treated with the same seriousness as the mains. A thoughtful vegan menu, including a Lions Mane Mushroom Steak and Vegan Truffle Meatloaf, ensures the kitchen's ambitions extend well beyond beef.

At Barry's, the beef is sacred, the charm is old-fashioned, and the wine list is award-winning. It's a proper American steakhouse that Downtown Las Vegas has long deserved.