A restaurant whose opening ranks among the most anticipated of 2026 in Las Vegas — indeed, in the entire U.S. — has announced a debut date. Maroon by Chef Kwame Onwuachi will launch April 24 in Sahara Las Vegas, the property announced Monday. Onwuachi, a New York City chef, is a James Beard Award winner and a Food & Wine magazine Best New Chef, among many other accolades.
Maroon, occupying the former Bazaar Meat by José Andrés, blends classic American steakhouse traditions with Afro-Caribbean flavors and techniques. Live-fire preparation and a glowing custom jerk pit anchor the cooking at Maroon, with a menu of steaks, seafood and vibrant sides complemented by signature spice blends.
The name Maroon refers to Jamaican Maroons, the descendants of African slaves who escaped bondage starting in the 17th century and founded sovereign communities in the country’s mountainous interior.
Modellus Novus, a New York architecture firm, designed Maroon, which encompasses a bar and lounge, a 125-seat main dining room and private dining spaces.
Personal history meets the Strip
Neon reported first about a year ago that Onwuachi would be launching a restaurant in the former Bazaar Meat, but the restaurant’s name wasn’t known until later. Although Maroon marks the chef’s first West Coast restaurant, it also marks a return of sorts to Vegas for Onwuachi, who was a marquee panelist at the World’s 50 Best Restaurants gathering in 2024.
The chef currently owns Tatiana in Manhattan and Dōgon in Washington, D.C., where his cooking has drawn luxuriant praise for its deft mingling of Nigerian, Creole and Afro-Caribbean influences, plus more than a dash of his Bronx childhood. His cooking at Tatiana and Dōgon is deeply responsive to the cultural moment and deeply personal, reflecting his ethnic heritage, his growing up in New York City and his experience as a Black chef.
Las Vegas restaurant watchers will soon learn how this personal history and culinary vision play out on the Strip.
Visit maroonlasvegas.com to make reservations for dining beginning April 24. Follow @maroonlasvegas and @saharalasvegas.
Contact Johnathan L. Wright at [email protected]. Follow @JLWTaste on Instagram.