OC Food Diva: Road to the 2016 USA Barbecue Championship: Bumbleberry Flats in Laughlin, Nevada

Since we were staying at the Pioneer Hotel & Gambling Hall, we decided to try their new restaurants. One of them is Bumbleberry Flats, a 24-7 joint dishing out American comfort food.

The interior is country meets trendy. The entrance looks like a country bakery complete with baked goods and desserts in a glass case. The dining room has a combination of freestanding tables and booths to choose from. The tabletops are wooden with splashes of reclaimed wood paneling and décor along the walls. The booths in the center have taps so you can have free-flowing beer from the glass-encased keg room in the center of the restaurant.

We partook in two meals here – breakfast and dinner. Let’s take a look at some of the menu items:

Chicken & Waffles ($13) is crispy fried chicken on a crisp cheddar bacon waffle served with Louisiana honey hot sauce. The fried chicken was perfectly fried to a golden brown with crispy exterior and juicy interior. The batter on the outside was definitely country-style, just like grandma would make. The waffle, OMG, the waffle! The waffle was crisp on the outside and fluffy, tender on the inside. The bacon and cheese just pushed it over the top in flavor! With a slathering of whipped butter, the waffle was absolutely to die for! I pulled pieces of the chicken off the bone and dipped it into the sauce. It is just spicy enough to balance out the sweetness of the honey. Rating: 5/5

~~Ribeye~~ Sirloin Steak & Eggs ($12.50) is a grilled hand carved 8oz. USDA choice ~~ribeye~~ sirloin steak served with two eggs and your choice of potatoes. The hubby went with a medium rare grill, sunny side eggs, and country potatoes. The steak was grilled to perfection, but would have preferred a ribeye steak. Sirloin is good, but ribeye is better due to the marbling in the meat. The eggs came out perfect with golden yellow yolks ready to burst. The country potatoes were good, but would have preferred the potatoes to have a crispy edge from the griddle. Rating: 4/5

Belgium Waffle with Fruit and Chantilly Cream ($9) was our “dessert” course. The waffle was cooked perfectly with a crispy exterior and fluffy, tender interior. The berries (strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries) had the perfect mix of sour, sweet, tangy, and tart. Paired with a drizzle of maple syrup, they were scrumptious. The Chantilly cream was a nice touch! Rating: 5/5

Fried Deviled Eggs ($6) are four breaded deviled eggs served with chipotle ranch sauce. I love deviled eggs and knew I had to order them. These little devils are a little hard to pick up. They look like dinosaur eggs! But we got them to our mouths and bit through the crispy exterior, the yolk mixture remained smooth and creamy, just like a perfect deviled egg. The chipotle ranch works well as a dip, but it is a bit hard to dip a second time. It is a messy appetizer, but well worth the effort. Rating: 4.3/5

Cowboy Ribeye ($25) is a 16oz. angus choice ribeye served with ranchero beans, corn on the cob, and your choice of potato. The presentation is beautiful! It is served on a cast-iron skillet, reminiscent of a chuck wagon dinner. The ribeye was nicely seasoned and grilled to a perfect medium rare. The char from the grill added a pleasant smoky flavor. The ranchero beans were a touch too sweet. Maybe toning down the sweetness and adding green chiles would do the trick. The corn on the cob looked great but, unfortunately, was overdone and dry. The mashed potatoes had a good flavor but the texture was gummy. That type of texture in potatoes can be caused by over mashing which makes the starch gum up. Great steak, but the sides need some work. Rating: 3.5/5

Rosemary Crusted Prime Rib ($18.50) is a 12oz. slice of slow roasted, rosemary crusted prime rib serve with baked potato, your choice of vegetable, au jus, and horseradish sauce. The prime rib, cooked to my liking, was rare and juicy. The rosemary added a nice herbaceous flavor along with smoky flavor from the charring of the rosemary. I picked the broccoli & cauliflower gratin as my vegetable. These veggies are perfectly cooked with a rich creamy sauce and melted cheese on top. I would probably cut the vegetables a little smaller for easier bites. The baked potato was perfect with a fluffy interior. However, au jus needs to be hot when served so when you dip the prime rib in it does not turn the meat cold. A cool way I have seen this done is by employing a decanter with a tea light underneath to keep the au jus hot and accentuate the beefy flavor from the meat. Rating: 4/5

Stay tuned for my in-depth review of Carve Deli & Market!

Atmosphere: 4 out of 5 stars

Service: 4 out of 5 stars

Décor: 5 out of 5 stars

Food: 4 out of 5 stars

For more information:

Bumbleberry Flats (inside thePioneer Hotel & Gambling Hall)

2200 S. Casino Dr.

Laughlin, NV 89209

+1.702.298.2442

Hours: Open 24 hours a day

Seating: Interior