Vegas Strip Gets Landmark Restaurant
A new restaurant called Maroon is under construction at the Sahara, marking a historic first for the Las Vegas Strip. The project is set to be the first-ever Black chef-led restaurant on the iconic boulevard, signaling a shift toward greater diversity in the city's dining scene.
The chef behind the historic venture is Kwame Onwuachi, a James Beard Award winner and a former contestant on "Top Chef." Onwuachi is known for his acclaimed restaurants on the East Coast, including Tatiana in New York City and Dōgon in Washington, D.C. Maroon will be a Caribbean steakhouse, a concept that reflects Onwuachi's personal heritage, which includes Nigerian, Jamaican, Trinidadian, and Creole roots. The menu is expected to feature live-fire cooking, jerk rubs, dry-aged cuts of meat, and scotch bonnet-infused sauces. The restaurant's name, "Maroon," is a tribute to the Maroons of Jamaica, who were enslaved Africans who escaped and formed their own self-sustaining communities. Onwuachi has said that the origin of jerk cuisine is tied to the Maroons, calling it a "dish of freedom." Maroon is taking over the space at the Sahara that was previously occupied by another groundbreaking chef's restaurant, Bazaar Meat by José Andrés. The restaurant is anticipated to open in late 2025 or early 2026.
