Letty's de Leticia's Cocina in Las Vegas Art District

Letty's de Leticia's Cocina in the Arts District in downtown Las Vegas, Nevada — Letty’s de Leticia’s Cocina in the Arts District in downtown Las Vegas, Nevada

Letty’s de Leticia’s Cocina, in the downtown Las Vegas Arts District, is a local restaurant known for traditional and authentic Mexican fare. While they consider themselves fast casual, their food is anything but that. The food here is fresh and homemade, including tacos, tortas, and all-day breakfasts.

Since moving from Mexico City to Las Vegas in 1964, Chef Leticia Mitchell has opened several restaurants in the Las Vegas Valley. Her upbringing inspired her menus, combining flavors and ingredients from Mexico City, Puebla, Guadalajara, and the Mayan Peninsula.

Today, Chef Mitchell operates Leticia’s Cocina & Cantina at the Santa Fe Station Hotel and Casino in northwest Las Vegas. In 2020, Letty’s de Leticia’s Cocina opened. It gained even more fame when featured on an episode of ‘Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives’ in 2023.

After watching the episode, I knew I had to visit to try the food out for myself.

Interior of Letty’s de Leticia’s Cocina

Cozy interior of the restaurant, Letty's de Leticia's Cocina, Las Vegas, Nevada — Cozy interior of the restaurant

The Arts District is a vibrant area, as was the artsy décor and ambiance at Letty’s. The busy and lively atmosphere surprised me when I entered the restaurant.

In the background, music played while servers rushed around, and guests enjoyed their day while eating great food. I knew I had picked the right place to dine. And I felt worlds away from the touristy Las Vegas Strip.

The décor, simple yet unique, complemented the Arts District theme with pops of color throughout the bright dining room. There were colorful blue walls and paintings, a mural featuring a quote from the iconic Mexican painter Frida Kahlo, and a Dia de Los Muertos mannequin believed to bring good luck.

I also appreciated the plaque on the wall commemorating Guy Fieri and ‘Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives,’ complete with his signature and an image of his face.

Outdoor patio on a beautiful winter day, Letty's de Leticia's Cocina, Las Vegas, Nevada — Outdoor patio on a beautiful winter day

If the weather permits, you can also sit on the patio in front of the building. On my visit, it was a beautiful winter day, and many people enjoyed the sunshine while eating and drinking on the patio.

Another fun fact. The colorful building, dating back to 1947, was home to Las Vegas’s first Mexican restaurant.

Letty’s de Leticia’s Cocina Menu

The first page of the menu at Letty's de Leticia's Cocina, Las Vegas, Nevada — The first page of the menu at Letty’s de Leticia’s Cocina

For food, the menu at Letty’s de Leticia’s Cocina featured a great selection of traditional Mexican dishes, all homemade with fresh ingredients.

This included Aperitivos (Small Eats), La Comida (Lunch & Dinner), Taquizas (Tacos), Tortas, Desayuno (Breakfast), Sopas (Soup), Sides, and Postre (Desserts).

The drink menu, Letty's de Leticia's Cocina, Las Vegas, Nevada — The drink menu

For non-alcoholic drinks, you had soft drinks, including Mexican Coke, agua fresca, coffee, and hot chocolate.

Alcoholic drinks included cocktails, bottled and draft beers, an assortment of tequilas, and a large selection of margaritas. This included the La Fresca margarita featured on ‘Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives.’

Enchiladas

The menu had many great options, but I kept it simple and ordered the Enchiladas ($13.00). This traditional dish came with Mexican rice and beans.

Filling options included pork, chicken, carnitas, fish, and shrimp. Sauce choices were spicy tamarindo, tomatillo, ranchera, guajillo, and mole.

My first choice was cochinita pibil with guajillo sauce. They were out of cochinita pibil, so I opted for carnitas.

At Letty’s, they make all their tortillas in-house and the quality shows. Though simple, the soft corn tortillas remained fresh and fluffy without becoming soggy or falling apart.

Covering the tortillas was a bright and tangy guajillo sauce, which was a deep red color. The guajillo sauce added some heat and a subtle smoky and sweet flavor.

Stuffed inside each tortilla were large chunks of pork. The pork was tender and moist, almost to the point of falling apart. I enjoyed the simple flavors of the pork. And I appreciated how no sauce or cheese masked its flavors.

Covering the enchiladas were crunchy and tangy pickled onions and a fresh, creamy crema, which complemented the rich pork and bright guajillo sauce.

Served on the side were simple, creamy beans topped with salty, funky cheese and Mexican-style rice.

Milanesa Torta

Next up was the Milanesa Torta ($14.00). You might be wondering, what is a torta? A torta is a traditional Mexican sandwich typically served on a bolillo, a bread similar to a baguette.

For this torta, I had the choice of a breaded chicken or steak. Inside were beans, cilantro lime aioli, mustard, potato and cheese croquette, queso fresco, avocado, and mixed greens. I opted for the breaded chicken.

A lot was going on in this sandwich. First, the bolillo, which I assume was house-made, was airy like a French baguette. It was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.

The breaded chicken, lightly coated and fried, was tender and moist. On top was a layer of gooey, smoky cheese that blended with the creamy potato croquette.

The combination of chicken, cheese, and potato, which somehow merged into a single layer, was delicious.

Topping this torta was crumbly, salty queso fresco, bright and tangy cilantro lime aioli, slightly sweet mustard which tasted of dijon, and fresh, creamy avocado.

The final component that brought the dish together was simple but luscious pinto beans.

Service at Letty’s de Leticia’s Cocina

For the most part, the service at Letty’s de Leticia’s Cocina was fantastic. The servers were friendly and welcoming. They were running around the restaurant non-stop, helping guests, taking orders, and delivering plates of food.

With that said, there are a few things I will mention. When I arrived, the place was packed both inside and outside. Luckily, I got the last open table.

After being handed a menu, I waited 15 minutes for someone to ask if I wanted to order. While this might be an issue for some, for me, it wasn’t. I was in no rush and couldn’t figure out what to order anyway.

My only issue was when a server finally approached my table and apologized for the wait. The server offered to bring chips and salsa before asking what I wanted to order. I assumed the chips would be on the house because of the wait, but this was not the case. As it was only $4, this was no big deal and did not take away from the otherwise great service.

Conclusion

If you are looking for a quick, affordable Mexican restaurant with authentic traditional cuisine in a casual setting, then Letty’s De Leticia’s Cocina is a great spot for you. It is one of the best Mexican restaurants in Las Vegas.

In a town saturated with Mexican restaurants, the local spot is a breath of fresh air, feeling worlds away from the crowded and expensive Las Vegas Strip.

Even though there was a mix-up with our server and I had to wait 15 minutes, I enjoyed everything about my visit, from the menu to the food, the service, and the décor.

With its menu featuring authentic flavors and homemade dishes, I can’t wait to return to Letty’s de Leticia’s Cocina to try more of its fantastic offerings.