Las Vegas: Create Gourmet Burgers and Frozen Custard - Must Go!
First off, I have no connection to this restaurant other than a hole my bank account from our repeat visits. I've gotten to know the owner (Lance) and the staff just by coming in regularly and talking about food and custard. (Having lived in Missouri, I'm damned picky about frozen custard.)
If you haven't made the trip to the great Create burger and custard shop on the corner of Tenaya and Lake Mead yet, put it on your agenda. The burgers are outstanding, the frozen custard is the real deal, and they're probably one of the most environmentally friendly restaurants on the planet.
I can't give the place its due by writing about it and you'd probably be half way there by the time you finished reading, so I will just hit the high points and let you figure the rest out yourself.
From the framed plasma display showing works of art, to the famous and not-so-famous quotes on the wall, to the decor, it's just cool. They only have one location, but they put a lot of work into the decor and design.
PATTIES: First off, the burgers. Fresh, never frozen, Certified Angus Beef that's pattied up in four different sizes from mini (2.5oz) to monarch (1/2 pound). Personally, I think the majestic patty at 1/3 pound is the perfect balance between meaty goodness and putting another notch in your belt. They ask how you'd like it cooked, too. It's a great foundation for a terrific burger whether it's simple with just cheese, grilled onions, and a bun or one of the more complex creations. The meat is the star and shines through the supporting cast of flavors. (More on that later.)
Don't like beef? Try a turkey patty. (No personal experience with that.)
Don't like meat? Howzabout a grilled portobello? (done it at home, but haven't had one of theirs)
Don't like fire grilled fungus? Try their home made veggie patty! Yes, home made. (Very, very good, but like Homer Simpson, I prefer the "tasty, tasty murder" of beef)
BUNS: crEATe has great buns, too. White, wheat, hawaiian (my favorite), or a lettuce wrap
CHEESE: Eight different kinds
TOPPINGS: More than you can shake a stick at. (Four different kinds of leafy greens, three different kinds of onions, etc.) They've got you covered.
Of special note here is the bacon. It costs extra, but it's applewood smoked bacon that is "breakfast quality". The owner said the food sales rep just couldn't believe that he was using that grade of bacon on a burger when there are cheaper alternatives.
I think that says a lot about what he's trying to do here.
SAUCES: All the standards and a bevy of homemade concoctions including atomic mayo. Woo hoo!
...or just try one of the named burgers if you're overwhelmed by the options. The Medieval, Impressionist, and Dali are fantastic. Nothing takes center stage, IMHO. It's all about a great burger.
They do have salads, but um, well, I've never had one. :)
FRIES: Fresh cut or sweet potato. Side salad for a buck, if you want that.
DRINKS: Standard fountain fare and small cooler of specialty stuff. Diet Dr Pepper and China Mist Ice Tea are a big plus in my book!
FROZEN CUSTARD: Create uses a Ross Stoetling custard machine. This is the REAL deal. Anyone serving "custard" from a standard ice cream machine is literally selling you a load of cold air. These machines don't whip as much air into the mixture and they cost significantly more than the regular ones. Using one of these machines shows that the joint knows what it's doing and truly cares about the quality of the product.
(There's a dearth of real frozen custard in this town. If you try and point me to a shack off the strip, I can tell you exactly why I do NOT Luv It! I can breathe all of the air I want for free and I'm sure not going to buy it in substandard "custard" from a cheap machine.)
GREEN THINGS: No, not the lettuce. They use real plates and plastic cups and clean them with an energy efficient dishwasher. All of the "disposable" items like straws and custard cups are made from compostable things like corn starch plastic or sugar cane. They recycle and have local companies compost the food waste.
PRICING: A couple of bucks more than a Super Value Meal. I'm sorry, but once you see what a few hundred pennies more will buy from here instead of CorporateMegaBurger, you might want to sue them for false advertising by using the word "value".
Big Mac Value Meal: $5
Create Majestic (1/3#) Combo: $7
This is a no brainer, folks.
Two words sum up how I and my family feel about Create: Go there!
http://www.createburgersandcustard.com/ is their website.
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Anyone been here recently? (Thinking of hitting it up before our trip to Retro Bakery. )
So many places in Las Vegas are closing, is it even still OPEN?
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re: jackattack
janetofreno
Mar 13, 2010 08:37 PM
It is open...or at least had an "open" sign the last time I drove by it...which was earlier today (I live very near Create). I confess; I haven't eaten there in several months....I too like their burgers and the shakes are great...never had the custard other than in the shake.....
I've had some service issues in the past, which is probably why I don't go there more often. Service has been very slow for me. DH doesn't do burgers, so I'm more likely to go for lunch....and I find I just don't have the time to wait. I guess the good news is that you know everything is freshly made for you when you have to wait.....
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re: jackattack
Tried CREATE over the weekend and everything was topnotch. Burgers were perfect (as many toppings as you like and no charge except for avocado or bacon....what a deal)......shake was good too and even the service was exceptionally friendly and efficient.
Other food highlights of our trip included the Raspberry-Lemon cupcake at Retro.....the Hopscotch (butterscotch dipped) cupcake was also very good as were the Toll House Cookie cupcake and the "Coffee and Donut" cupcake. Great service here and a fun product...everything that a small business should be and glad to see them thriving in this economy.
Breakfast highlight was The Omelet House on Charleston, fantastic corned-beef hash served with a hunk of moist banana-nut bread that would have been $3 at any decent bakery. We enjoyed the seldom-encountered breakfast potatoes here which we labeled "morning potato chips". If you get an omelet here, make sure it's the child size.
Maple Tree Country Kitchen on Spring Mountain also serves up a mean breakfast, crab cakes benedict was surprisingly fresh, homemade and tasty and the maple-drenched fried doughnut-bread was unique and tasty.
Had dinner one night at the Pink Taco in the Hard Rock Hotel, again great service and surprisingly good food....an unbelievable bargain with the restaurant.com certificate, (but margaritas are $11 to $13 so that's where they getcha)..
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Hard Rock Cafe
4475 Paradise Rd, Las Vegas, NV 89169The Maple Tree
6000 Spring Mountain Rd Ste 1, Las Vegas, NV 89146Omelet House
2227 N Rampart Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89128
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janetofreno
May 9, 2009 06:40 PM
I'm not as wildly enthusiastic as you are, but they do have a good burger. And the sweet potato fries are to die for!!
