Chef Leticia Mitchell has long been a force in Las Vegas dining, bringing the flavors of Mexico and heartfelt hospitality to neighborhoods across the valley. Now, she’s added another feather to her culinary cap with the opening of Leticia’s Cocina & Cantina inside Boulder Station Casino.
The Boulder Station restaurant quietly opened its doors on August 27 with a soft opening. A grand opening celebration followed on September 15.
“That event really kicked things off, and it feels very promising,” Mitchell told the Food and Loathing podcast.
The ample, stylish space represents a new chapter for a chef who has spent more than a decade building her reputation, one restaurant at a time.
There Was Absolutely Nothing There
The Las Vegas community got its first taste of Mitchell’s cooking in 2009, when she opened her first restaurant in Centennial Hills. At the time, the area was still largely undeveloped, making it an unlikely choice for development. “There was absolutely nothing there,” the chef recalls.
But her passion for traditional Mexican flavors—and her determination to create a community gathering place—helped her build a loyal following. Music legend Carlos Santana was among her earliest supporters. “He would always make me sit with him to have lunch, even when we were busy,” she says of the guitar legend, with a laugh.
As the chef’s reputation grew, her opportunities grew with it – some more successful than others. Santa Fe Station, in the same Centennial Hills neighborhood as her first restaurant, provided her first taste of success within a casino.
“Within a month, we were breaking even,” she says. “That’s kind of difficult to do in any restaurant, but our community was so supportive.”
In 2019 Mitchell partnered with her niece Sue Kipel to open the intimate Letty’s de Leticia’s Cocina on South Main Street in The Arts District. They followed its success with the seafood-centric Carmelita’s Mar y Tierra on East Charleston Boulevard, before being offered the current opportunity inside Boulder Station.
Traditional But Expansive
Mitchell describes her cooking as rooted in tradition but expansive in scope. Born in Mexico City and influenced by her mother’s cooking from Torreón, she draws inspiration from across the country’s diverse regions.
It was Letty’s Quesa Birria tacos that brought her to victory on The Food Network’s Taco Wars. They also drew the attention of Food Network star Guy Fieri, who showcased them on “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.”
“They sought us out,” she says of Fieri’s producers. “It was four and a half days of filming, but it really put us on the map. People have come from all over the world because of that episode.”
A New Audience
Boulder Station, which is in the midst of a restaurant renaissance, presented an opportunity to bring her food to the Boulder Highway neighborhood – the furthest east she’s ever ventured with a restaurant. Its menu mirrors much of what diners have come to love at Santa Fe Station, with a few adjustments for the new crowd.
Mitchell’s signature Molcajetes (which she calls “the real fajitas of Mexico”) are front and center. The sizzling volcanic stone bowls come filled with steak, chicken, or seafood, topped with Oaxaca cheese, grilled onions, and jalapeños. Those Quesa Birria tacos are another highlight, along with weekend brunch specials like Tres Leches French toast and a Birria Omelet.
While she has four restaurants, Mitchell has one mission: to bring the warmth of Mexican hospitality to Las Vegas neighborhoods. “When people tell me, ‘This reminds me of my abuelita’s cooking,’ that’s what sparks my passion,” she says.
