Chef Emeril Lagasse is taking his neighborhood-style New Orleans concept Meril off the Las Vegas Strip and into Henderson, with the lively Contemporary American restaurant set to open Thursday at M Resort Spa Casino. The new spot leans into New Orleans-inspired small plates, wood-fired flatbreads and late-night bites, arriving just as M Resort wraps a major expansion that is reshaping its dining and hotel lineup.
According to FOX5, Meril will make its debut Thursday at the M Resort and serves as Lagasse's first off-Strip outpost in the Las Vegas area. Penn Entertainment first announced the partnership last year as part of a second-hotel-tower project at the property, according to a company press release on Business Wire.
What's on the menu
M Resort's dining page shows Meril built around a mix of snacks, small plates and larger mains, with wood-fired flatbreads, crispy Gulf shrimp tacos, house boudin balls and beignets all getting space on the menu. The resort lists breakfast, lunch and dinner service, along with posted hours and reservation options, positioning Meril as both a locals-friendly breakfast stop and a late-night choice for resort guests. M Resort provides detailed menus and operating hours.
Why Henderson gets the nod
The Meril deal folds into Penn Entertainment's broader expansion of M Resort. The company has said the second-tower project nearly doubles the property's room count and adds a 15,000-square-foot ballroom aimed at larger groups and conventions, according to Business Wire. When the expansion was announced, local job impact was highlighted as a key part of the project.
Emeril's Vegas track record
Lagasse is no stranger to Las Vegas dining, his restaurant group already runs multiple concepts in the city, and his New Orleans spots have long-standing reputations. Meril itself began as a neighborhood favorite in New Orleans, and The Emeril Group bills it as an approachable, globally influenced restaurant, a formula the Henderson location says it will mirror. The Emeril Group
Meril is scheduled to open Thursday at M Resort, with reservations and full menus available through the resort's dining page and OpenTable. M Resort has reservations and updates on its Meril page.
