Okay, this is the kind of spot locals find first and then get weirdly protective about. A 40-seat steak and burger joint, tucked on Windmill Lane in south Las Vegas, with its dry-aging lockers right out where you can see them.
That spot is Tender Mercy. Chef Matthew Meyer will open it on Tuesday, December 1, 2026, and it is built to sit right between fast-casual and a formal steakhouse.
A Dry-Aging Room You Can Actually Watch
Most steakhouses hide the good stuff in the back. Tender Mercy puts the dry-aging lockers front and center, so your dinner is on display before it ever hits the grill.
Behind the scenes, the kitchen runs a wood-fired grill for steaks. A separate station is dedicated to proper thrice-cooked frites, which tells you the fries are not an afterthought here.
The room itself leans moody, with a covered patio and a rogues gallery of the chef's favorite cultural inspirations. Small, lively, and very much on purpose.
Meyer said it plainly in the announcement: “I wanted to create something on a smaller scale that fit my vibe – serious about the food, especially the meats, but more fun than formal.”
Six Burgers, Steak Frites, and Salmon in the Dry-Ager
Here is the part that surprised me. This is not just steak and burgers, even though both get top billing.
- Six flame-grilled burgers, starting at $14.95, including a steak frites burger the announcement calls a show stopper
- Steak frites and dry-aged cuts, including dry-aged wagyu cuts when they are available
- Dry-aged Ora King Salmon, because the dry-ager is not only for beef
- Crispy Duck a l'Orange and Duroc Pork Chops, for anyone at the table who skips beef
- Kennebec fries with several seasonings and house made sauces, plus house made banchan
- Fresh mixed milkshakes and Midwestern Concretes to finish
That salmon is the fresh insight worth remembering. A chef known for dry-aging beef is aging fish too, so even the non-steak order gets the house specialty treatment.
How to Be in the First Wave on December 1
Tender Mercy is at 470 E Windmill Ln Unit 110, Las Vegas, NV 89123. Hours at opening will be Tuesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and the phone number in the announcement is (702) 848-6823.
With only 40 seats, timing matters more than usual. Go early in the service day for the best shot at a walk-in table, and expect opening week to draw the neighborhood fast.
- Start with a burger if you want the low-risk first visit. At $14.95 and up, it is the easiest way to test the kitchen.
- Ask what dry-aged cuts are actually available that day. The menu says wagyu is per availability, so the best cut may change.
- Use the butcher counter on your way out. Tender Mercy will sell butchered meats to go, so a great dinner can turn into a great home cook the next night.
Meyer is not a newcomer hiding out. He trained at the California School of Culinary Arts, Le Cordon Bleu, worked at Caesars Palace, Wynn Resorts and Andre's, then built Served Global Dining in Henderson in 2016 and the dry-aged chophouse 138° in 2022.
That track record is why this tiny room matters. A proven dry-aging chef just bet on 40 seats, a patio, and Windmill Lane instead of the Strip, and locals get first claim on it starting December 1.
