Diego Mexican Cuisine

Unfortunate that this place closed (per other Unilocalers posts, and the fact MGM removed Diego from the list of restaurants) I really was a fan.
Table side guacamole was always really good.
Dinners were always good to great, depending on which dish.
The selection of tequila was always diverse and quality.
The wait staff was always knowledgeable — particularly Saul — my favorite waiter who I asked for on every trip for the last 5 – 6 years & multiple times per year.
Now, I have to find a new source for tequila tasting in Vegas!

There is nothing wrong with Diego, but there’s nothing that really sets it apart, either.
The service was friendly, and they bring you chips and salsa right away, always a plus. The salsa was smoky and had some heat that sneaks up on you.
Chicken empanadas for a starter; tasty, moist chicken on a bed of guacamole. Not a huge portion, so you may want to get multiple apps if you’re really hungry.
Chili Colorado and Pollo Mole for dinner, both were prepared and presented nicely, and no complaints about the flavors, but like everything on the menu they’re things I can get just about anywhere.
We shared a pitcher of sangria, which was excellent, and we skipped dessert.
There aren’t too many great Mexican places in Vegas, so it’s a bit of a shame to see this place get right to edge of being great and not quite get there.
PS: three stars to me is a good restaurant.

My friends wanted Mexican food for dinner and although I was in the mood for sushi, I went along with there suggestion.
We sat in the front area with a view of the mall area and viewed all the rowdy drunks coming in from the pool area. I wanted to sit inside to experience the restaurant, but we were already seated.
Started out with some tasty chips, salsa and ordered the $ 13 table side guacamole. The combination fajita isn’t on the menu, but if you request it, you will get it and pay dearly. It was $ 42, yes you read that right.
The plate was huge and sizzling with veggies, steak, chicken, and shrimp. It also comes with tortillas, rice, beans, lettuce, tomato, guacamole and sour cream. The steak was cooked perfectly medium rare, shrimps were huge and tasty, but the chicken super dry.
Are waiter was super nice and even brought me an extra $ 4.50 soda before I even took a sip of the first one. I told our waiter Leo that the chicken was too dry and he asked what he could do to make it better. I asked for a couple more shrimps and he delivered 3 more.
My total bill was $ 53.00 which is pricy for Mexican food, but the food was mostly good and the service excellent!

Love Love Love everything about Diego.
Amazing staff, delicious food, and thee best drink I’ve ever had– a Cachonda.
Get it while the getting is good. Diego is closing in September. Don’t miss out!

Me and a couple of girlfriends ate here twice this weekend. After scouring the restaurant area for places to grab a relatively inexpensive meal, we chose to go Mexican.
Both times we ate in the bar lounge area which is this cozy room decorated with these big, unoffensively pink tiles, a wall fountain, and a floor to ceiling shelf full of the devil’s elixir — tequila!
The service was super friendly. During our second visit, I had to give props to our server who was doing his best to convince us to try sipping tequila. There was the slight possibility of doing shots preceded by a few «never again» stories. That prompted our server to go into his sales pitch about the joys of reposado tequilas, however, no one was really mentally or financially ready to take the tequila drinking to the sipping level.
We opted for pitchers of the house margarita both times, the second time being with strawberry flavored one as touted to us by the Herradura girl who had giving us free samplings of it.
On to food, Diego’s serves up a tasty guacamole that seems to be fresh-​made. Their chipotle wings are a-​may-​zing. I don’t even really know what makes chipotle chipotle but if it’s supposed to be sweet and yummy, I like it… a lot. I ordered those off of the happy hour menu on the first day, and on the second day I had their steak caesar salad.
The salad was light in that they didn’t drown the lettuce in the dressing, however, I could barely make out the flavor of the dressing. So I couldn’t tell if it was «Mexican-​ized», traditional, or if it was just plain bland.
Their chips were okay, nothing memorable. They were addicting only because they were in front of my face, but when I go to Border Grill at Mandalay, when I’m with people, we usually tear up basket after basket after basket. The salsa was just okay as well. No kick and nothing special but not offensive.
I mostly loved the atmosphere and that it was a chill place to be out of the crowds of people. It didn’t hurt that they have an exceptional coconut flan, with a nice, creamy texture, served in a pool of melted sugar. The happy hour prices and food choices are decent (for the strip). I’d check this place out again if I ever find myself at the MGM Grand in the future.

4.5 stars
All you really need to know is ;
The Frida margarita is forget-​your-​own-​name Fabulous !!! (berry and pineapple infused Patron) and that the puffed tacos, Diego’s nachos, and gauc are damn delicious… but, will in no way, shape, or form help keep you from getting loaded off a few Frida’s! lol
Great lounge area !

This place fits perfectly with the rest of the restaurants that line this area of the MGM. I’m so used to the little hole in the wall Mexican restaurants with decore exploding of pink, green and yellow and mariachi singers galore that this was a welcome change, with it’s red and silver modern décor. I’m not big on fancy Mexican, because to me, authentic is always those whole in the walls or street vendors and you never spend more than $ 10 to be stuffed, but Diego far surpassed my expectations.
I met some friends staying at MGM for dinner and they picked this place for dinner. I ordered the carnitas enchiladas and my friend ordered the Diego special. I can’t remember what my other friend ordered… tacos? Anyway, we also ordered table-​side guac. I had a margarita on the rocks and my friend had a mojito.
The table-​side guac was SOOO good. My only complaint was it was a very small serving and barely enough for 3 people. My enchiladas were good, it could have used a little more sauce. Also, I don’t usually eat the beans and rice, but they were really good when I tried a bite so by the time I was done eating, my plate was nearly clean. My margarita was also pretty perfect. The food presentations were on point as well. Again, my only complaint was that the portions are pretty small.
The restaurant was pretty empty so quick service was not an issue. Our server was friendly and fast and we never had to wait to get waters refilled. Overall, a great experience and I’d go back if I had friends staying at MGM craving some Mexican.

Overpriced Mexican food! But we were tired and since it was in our hotel (MGM) we gave in… would not come back just for this place unless it was happy hour and we were staying at MGM again.
$ 65 total (with tax/​tip) for 2 girls that split an entrée of enchiladas, guac and chips, Margarita (very sweet), and a Michelada (kind of watered down).
The guacamole was DELICIOUS and «entertaining» since they make it at your table. If some of your group can’t do spicy you can ask for chopped jalapenos on the side.

I think this might be the first three star or lower dinner experience I’ve had in Vegas? Or maybe the second? I have such good luck with restaurants here, that this was disappointing.
Dinner started with a salsa that I think was about 50% garlic by volume. Absolutely inedible. I had one chip worth, and pushed it away so I wouldn’t have to think about it. Probably the worst salsa I have ever had. And I’ve had the salsa at Chili’s. But that was saved by the table side guac, which was made nice and citrus-​y, with serrano chiles, tomato, and no onion, per my request. Tasted very good, and I like their chips, which are the right amount of salty, with almost a sweet taste to the chip itself.
I can’t turn down ceviche, so the bay scallop with grapefruit, mango, and habanero was next on this list. And this was really very good. Nice big helping, great citrus flavor, plenty of heat, and sweet, tender scallops. Absolutely worth getting again. Unfortunately, the main entrée, barbacoa enchiladas, was just… nothing special. I wanted it to be better, but the beef didn’t have much flavor, and the rice/​beans similarly lacked any kind of punch. The whole dish was just blah.
Service was a little indifferent? It was fine, not rude. Just… aloof? Not that I expect them to make friends. Anyway. I expected the least from this meal of all the meals I had planned during this week’s trip, and I think that’s been borne out as I sit writing reviews for them all at once. I’m not… too angry about this, but in a place like Vegas, the thought that I know of restaurants where I could have had anywhere from a very good to a transcendent meal is floating around in the back of my head.

I loved this place, I’m always spectacle of Vegas restaurants, flying servers, or should I say sommelier’s. I really enjoyed my meal.
Started with a generous portion of chips and delicious salsa, of course we ordered the guacamole, made table side. I’m a huge fan of tortilla soup so when I saw it on the menu I immediately sang the happy dance (in my head). Followed by the carnitas tamales, fantastic flavour. Go hungry because the portions are generous, my only regret was that I was too full to continue or even peek at the dessert menu, next time.

Delicious! We were running late for our reservation & they did not give us a problem when we informed them of it. The hostess was miserable, but the wait staff made up for her personality. The décor makes you feel like you’re in Mexico and kept clean. We ordered Sangaritas, which were a nice sized drink. We found out later on that if you don’t finish your drink, you can ask for a To-​Go cup at the bar, so you can take your drink with you! I suggest getting the appetizer sampler or a combination platter, this way you can taste a little bit of everything off the menu. Our combo platter was delivered to the wrong table, so we were compensated for the inconvenience. It was definitely a good choice for our first night in Vegas!

Full disclosure: the food is a solid three; it’s Dana and the rest of the staff that make Diego a four.
In Vegas for Super Bowl weekend with a teenager in tow and no set Super Bowl party plans, that’s where we found ourselves. Most parties were 21+ or booked. And as anal as we are about making plans and itineraries and reservations we chose to fly by the seat of our pants on this one.
So around rolls game day and we were going to head to another spot but apparently we were too late. We’d walked past Diego a few times and had wanted to try it for lunch so we gave them a call. «Sure, we’ll hold a table, when will you be here!» The daddy long legs of our crew shaved about seven minutes off what it should’ve taken us if we hustled so with about three minutes to spare we called back and they agreed to hold it longer.
For last minute arrivals we were welcomed and given primo seating in a semi-​private area with a big screen. Dana quickly came over to get the drinks flowing and orders started and took very good care of us.
The regular margaritas were great and I usually only drink beer and wine. They were well-​balanced and smooth. I tried a strawberry pineapple one later on but it was far too sweet for me. The beer list is no great shakes but they have what you’ll usually find at a Mexican restaurant so that works.
Starting with the chips and salsa and guacamole we were immediately impressed. Best salsa and guacamole. Like, wow. I can’t believe we didn’t just fill up on that.
We had Taquitos with steak that were excellent. Nicely spiced, not just overdone with cumin or adobo. Also, they left no trace of that scary orange grease that’s a by-​product of bad Mexican restaurant food. They were crisp and surprisingly light — really good. The nachos were also fantastic — a good amount of toppings layered throughout instead of just sitting on top leaving naked hot, dry chips underneath. Also, much to my surprise and happiness, not a single chip was burned. Yay!
Diego isn’t top of the line cuisine, especially not compared to the major names of chefs that have restaurants in the city, but it is a great place for simpler, cheaper fare and fantastic, fun servers.

I want to be fair to ol’ Diego. Unilocalers, I think your experience in this kind of place depends on the context.
Me? I was looking for a tasty, relaxed place to have lunch in a casino.
Key words: tasty, relaxed, lunch, casino.
I ordered the Chile Colorado and my friend ordered the tamales. We were both pleased enough. Would I return for another meal? Probably not. It’s not Diego’s fault. The food was fine. But it would not be worth a trip to the strip for a local. But if you are staying at the MGM, this place is great. And if you are partying at the MGM, this place is even better.
See what I mean about context?
They probably deserve four stars based on my meal. Three things keep Diego from the the coveted four star approval:
1) My friend was slightly less impressed with his meal than I
2) They seemed crazy overwhelmed by a conference. Don’t they get notice about these things? The wait staff remained professional (read composed), but the hostess was clearly frazzled. And why don’t they open more of the dining area for a huge lunch rush? Oh well, I’m sure they have their reasons. Like I said, I won’t be back, so I won’t spend any time worrying about such things.
3) The salsa was rather pedestrian
In short: Everything was fine. I just need more… heart in my Mexican food if I’m going to travel to the strip and battle a crowd.

First night in Vegas, and we only had 90 minutes and no reservation (on a Saturday night) before we had to get across town for a show. Diego’s was amazing! Granted, we were absolutely starving by the time we got to Diego’s so anything probably would have tasted great, but the food and service was amazing.
We grabbed a spot at the bar, ordered some drinks and the quac and then split the appetizer sampler. The complimentary chips and salsa were great! I’m not a fan of tomatoes, and usually I avoid all things «pico,» but I decided to give it a try and it was great! Super, super fresh!
The guac was okay, and that’s the major reason for deducting a star. I like guacamole that has bit of a bite — something… anything tangy… some red onion, a bit of lime, even some cilantro or some salt to wake it up. Sadly, this one didn’t have those things, and if it did, at least it wasn’t noticeable. And this is before we received our super-​strong (but so delicious) drinks, so I know my taste buds weren’t completely wrecked yet.
The sampler was heavenly! Everything you want from mexican food — smoky, greasy, cheesy, spicy, and little bit creamy. I honestly contemplated coming back a few days later on the last night of our trip. We didn’t, but I’d love to give the rest of the menu the next time I’m there!

I have to update this review after my most recent experience at Diego.
There is a new Executive Chef — Christina Olivares. She was recently on an episode of «Chopped» on the Food Network, which she won. Way to go, Chef!
Anyway, Chef Christina has made some slight changes to the menu. We were there with a large group and sampled some of the newer items. We still had the awesome tableside guacamole, which is not to be missed. The care and effort put into each order is astounding and the results are delicious.
We also had pork and chicken tacos. They were small, almost bite sized tacos, with the meat, onions and cilantro. The tortilla shells were perfect. I really liked the chicken, but wasn’t a fan of the pork, but everyone else did love the pork, so I guess it was just me! The biggest menu change is the addition of fajitas. We had steak fajitas, which came out sizzling on platters with onions and peppers. The steak was cooked perfectly medium rare and was REALLY good. The basket of tortillas were piping hot and seemed homemade and authentic. Many people in our party commented about how good everything was.
I am really glad I went back and tried some new items and that the restaurant is evolving. And I look forward to going back again soon! They have quite the tequila menu there! (Bad news! Haha)

Above average salsas with fancy salts to try!
Really good salads, we had the Diego Salad and the Pumpkin Seed Cactus Salad.
Braised short rib was developed with flavor and fork tender.
The sea bass veracruz had tasty cornmeal coated onions and a nice flavorful sauce. The fish was overcooked but still OK. I was sort of grossed out by the veracruz paper they made. To the the fancy veracruz paper was like skin of the top of a pudding but seasoned and made from chilies.
If you ask they will make you regular margaritas normal priced so you don’t have to splurge for the $ 100 special one.
I found the patio seats uncomfortable. The seats are very high and when I jumped up to land, my cushion flew out and I had to try again a few times.
3 – 4.5 stars depending on what you order.

Totally underrated. On the pricier side, but IMO totally worth it. You know you’re in for a special Mexican meal when the complimentary chips w/​3 salsas and 3 seasoning salts show up. And don’t forget to ask for the secret 4^th salsa which is an orange-​yellow habanero-​based salsa (different than the dark-​brown Border Grill version which is awesome as well.) Packs a punch, and I can usually handle a lot spice.
Diego’s Carne Asada is a huge boneless rib-​eye, perfectly cooked and way more tender sliced up and put into corn tortillas than you think. You WILL be full when you leave here.
I expected the massive tequila selection to be more expensive than it was. I was able to find a few great tequilas for under $ 10 each.
The Chicken Molé is incredible and doesn’t taste ‘chickeny’. The molé is as good as the best I’ve had. And like the Carne Asada, it’s perfect for slicing into corn tortillas.
It is a relatively long walk from the parking valet — all the way through the casino and down the long hall. But you will appreciate the return trip — walking off your huge meal will feel necessary.
Probably my favorite ‘fancy’ Mexican in Vegas. Doesn’t get much better than this in this category. I know, ‘fancy’ and ‘Mexican food’ are sort of oxymoronic, but if anybody can pull it off, Diego can. Delicious stuff.

This review is for the bar, and for those who don’t mind sitting at the bar.
The service is amazing! Cesar, Ricardo, Pepe, Javier… thank you for being personable, respectful, passionate, professional and fun. The drinks and food are always PERFECT.
These guys «flipped me» from RuM to TeQuiLa Mojito’s. I recommend the Corzo Reposado Mojito. It offers a cool, oak taste that can be modified with different tequila’s. If they have raspberries, try a rum raspberry Mojito. Or better yet, try a blueberry Mojito. If you ask them to recommend a drink, they get excited. I tried several different «Specialty Drinks.» All were great… and the beer is cold.
Diego isn’t typical Mexican food. I was thrown off and surprised the first time I ate here. I ordered the taco’s. Really good, but I had menu remorse. Don’t get me wrong, the taco’s are very good, but when the food is this good, I like to aim high. The result was visiting many times, trying many apps and entrée’s, and looking forward to more.
In addition, my 2 restaurant experiences were great, but I won’t go into that… this review, as stated, is about my overall bar experience. One of the benefits of sitting at the bar is that everyone visits. The restaurant servers, hosts and managers… all very nice and professional. It’s like family without the family discount.

When I lived in Vegas, I was fortunate enough to be invited to Diego’s soft opening. The food was good then and it’s good now. Fast forward to Unilocal Spring Break, my friends and I needed a quick bite after checking into our hotel and ‘wichcraft was closed. We wandered over to Diego and asked if we could sit at the bar. We were promptly seated and ordered some drinks, nachos, and enchiladas. The salsa and chips were complimentary.
The service is great and the food was brought out piping hot from the kitchen. After hours in the car, this was exactly what we needed to prep us for our evening to come. Because restaurants struggle in their first years, it’s good to know that Diego lasted all this time inside the MGM. Salud!

This is my favorite Mexican cuisine in Vegas, we go there every time we go to Vegas, good for romantic dinner, or hang over cure late lunch: P
The décor is beautiful, there are fountains by the booth. service is always over the top. they have happy hour from sun to sat. good for friends hang out. A romantic place for dinner date night, you can have more margaritas after dinner at the bar, they have music and good crowd.
Service: 5
Food: 5
Décor: 5
Ambience: 5
Total bill for 2 people with 3 alcohol beverages usually around: $ 125
I love the food ! menu is big, portion is big, I love seafood ceviche, and that Naga Jolokia — The Hottest Chili On Earth, its extreme spicy! but it doesn’t hurt to give it a try: P steak taco is so yummy according to Fiancé, appetizer platter is the bomb, their tasting menu is very good.
its a bit pricey for Mexican restaurant, but its a upscale place with great service, very well worth it!
we go back every time we go to Vegas!