We veered off The Strip in Las Vegas to pay a visit to Scotch 80 Prime, an innovative, classic steakhouse at The Palms Casino Resort on Flamingo Drive because of its reputation as a first-class dining experience with an energetic vibe, warm and intimate wood details, wood-grilled prime, dry-aged steaks from the finest American ranchers, Japanese-certified Wagyu steaks, and the finest sustainable seafood. We were certainly not disappointed.

The Scotch 80 Prime name pays homage to the historical and sought-after Scotch 80s neighborhood in Las Vegas. The 80 acres of land was purchased in the early 1900’s by the city’s first mayor, Peter Buol. It was bought using funds from Scottish investors and became home to many celebrities, casino titans and prominent Vegas figures, like Howard Hughes, Jerry Lewis, and Oscar Goodman. One of the central design features of the restaurant is a large statement window overlooking Flamingo Road, offering passersbys a sneak peek into the excitement and energy of the restaurant’s bar and lounge.

Scotch 80 Prime restaurant is classic and superb with an abundance of fine art, marble and wood textures throughout. Rare wines and hard-to-get scotch bottles are everywhere as are fresh flowers. We thank Scotch 80 Prime for adhering to a business casual dress code. No baseball caps or wife beater tee shirts here; the crowd is genteel and well-behaved. And the staff responds by treating everyone like family with a polite demeanor.  

There is fine Belgian caviar here, fruits de mer and onion soup that deserve the legion d’honneur, crab cakes, and grilled Spanish octopus.

But we came for the wood fire-grilled prime cut steaks and chops and there are plenty to choose from–Wagyu, Kobe-if you’re looking East or South Dakota or Kasnsas filet mignon. Nebraska rib eye, Colorado rack of lamb, California dry aged bone in New York or rib eye. A kaleidoscope of sauces can be yours for the asking.

After a Caesar salad truly worthy of Caesar, (we were longing for the caviar, or chilled seafood tower, but reined in our appetites), we dug into a perfect braised lamb shank with creamed spinach; our dinner companion had a very tasty bone marrow rib eye. We were tempted by both the Wagyu flight at $680, and the steak tartare with quail egg and shaved foie gras but chose to hold on to our moola for the craps tables. Lee, our server, was a true pro. We were sure that was Wayne Newton at an adjoining table. Lee was discreet and would not confirm this and as such, Scotch 80 Prime is a sort of club for the rich and powerful of Las Vegas who know they will be coddled and protected here. 

Fish lovers can feast on lobster, salmon, sea bass, tuna, and prawns. We hear the roasted chicken is a winner. A robust wine list covers the world and if you’ve just hit the jackpot you can order a $5000 bottle of Bordeaux.  But most selections are reasonably priced given the uber-high quality. John, the charming sommelier was most kind and helpful to us and even brought over a glass of Opus One on the house for us to try.

Scotch 80 Prime combines classic Las Vegas charm with an unparalleled fine-dining experience. Scotch 80 Prime’s dedicated whisky program has a focus on rare and vintage marks from top producers in Scotland. Reservations are required at Scotch 80 Prime, call (866) 942-7780. Service starts at 5 pm.