In 1913, a Clark County commissioner named George Fayle built a saloon in Goodsprings with stamped-tin walls and ceilings made by Sears, Roebuck & Co. As Hoodline reported, it is now one of the last tin buildings of its kind in the country. The Pioneer Saloon still stands about 40 miles southwest of Las Vegas. This year, some of the dishes created there started showing up on Southern Highlands Parkway.
That move fits a larger pattern. The two newest kitchens on the Southern Highlands edge come from people who spent careers in the valley's biggest hospitality operations. One spent three decades in gaming hospitality. The other ran sports bars on the Strip. Both chose to open something neighborhood-sized. With the community's own holiday night set for Dec. 4, Southern Highlands heads into this season with more of its evening close to home than it had a year ago.
A Goodsprings Kitchen on Southern Highlands Parkway
Mama Tess's Artisan Kitchen is at 11350 Southern Highlands Parkway, Suite 125. 8 News Now reported that it celebrated its grand opening in late August with a community open house and free samples. Behind it is Stephanie Richter, known as "Mama Tess." She spent more than 30 years in gaming hospitality and operations before leaving the corporate world in 2023.
The Las Vegas Review-Journal identifies Richter and her husband, Stephen "Old Man Liver" Staats, as the owners of the Pioneer Saloon. The paper also reports that many of the new kitchen's signature dishes started at the saloon. The restaurant's own site describes Richter as a resident of both Southern Highlands and Goodsprings. So the recipes moved from one of her home communities to the other.
The menu is short on pretense and big on portions. Eater Vegas put the shop on its November 2026 list of the best new restaurants in Las Vegas and called out a few dishes:
- A cold chicken salad on a croissant
- Thick-cut heritage ham with hot honey on country bread
- Chargrilled smash burgers, including one with pepperjack, jalapeño bacon and ghost sauce
- About a dozen milkshakes, from the Strawberry Fields to the Caramel Delight with broken toffee
The kitchen's own site also names the BLT 2.0 as a sandwich that is "not your typical sub shop concoction." Being named to a valley-wide list puts a parkway sandwich counter alongside restaurants that opened with far bigger budgets and much more attention.
From Strip Sports Bars to Dean Martin Drive
The second opening follows the same pattern into the evening. Hawthorne Craft Bar & Kitchen announced Thursday, Nov. 12 as its opening date at 10620 Dean Martin Drive, Suite 100, in the 89141 ZIP code. The Review-Journal placed it "where Dean Martin Drive meets Southern Highlands."
According to the restaurant's site, restaurateur Robert Parekh oversaw several successful sports bar concepts on the Las Vegas Strip before deciding to open his own place. He told the Review-Journal why he chose this corner:
"Las Vegas has no shortage of places to go out, but we saw an opportunity to bring some of that energy closer to home."
The menu, as the Review-Journal described it, covers a lot of ground. It includes a charcuterie board, a caramelized onion and tomato flatbread with roasted garlic cream sauce, and beer-battered cod with hand-cut fries and a remoulade coleslaw. There is also a braised lamb sandwich with tzatziki on brioche and a sundae loaded with hot fudge, caramel, toffee and roughly half a dozen other toppings. The cocktails show Parekh's Strip background more clearly. The Italian Smoke Break pairs Del Maguey Vida mezcal with Campari and pamplemousse. Whiskey Business is built on Old Forester 100 bourbon with peppercorn and ginger beer. The Hawthorne Gibson comes with house-pickled onions and Castelvetrano olives.
Beyond the food, the venue has a lineup of entertainment. The site lists sports on multiple TVs, karaoke, weekly team trivia, singles events, and live music ranging from solo artists to three-piece bands, all rotating through the week.
Lunch on the Parkway, Late Nights on Dean Martin
Put together, the two kitchens cover most of the day. Mama Tess's hours below come from its August opening coverage. Hawthorne's come from its pre-opening announcements.
| Mama Tess's Artisan Kitchen | Hawthorne Craft Bar & Kitchen | |
|---|---|---|
| Address | 11350 Southern Highlands Pkwy., Suite 125 | 10620 Dean Martin Dr., Suite 100 |
| Mon–Thu | 11 a.m.–9 p.m. | 11 a.m.–11 p.m. |
| Fri–Sat | 11 a.m.–10 p.m. | 11 a.m.–midnight |
| Sunday | 11 a.m.–9 p.m. | 11 a.m.–11 p.m. |
| Extras | Delivery available | Happy hour Mon–Fri, 3–6 p.m. and 9 p.m.–close |
Hawthorne's late happy hour, from 9 p.m. to close on weekdays, runs past the time Mama Tess's closes. Together, the two places cover the hours from a weekday lunch to a Friday that runs until midnight, all without leaving the neighborhood.
The Neighborhood's Own Big Night Has Run Since 2009
The Southern Highlands Community Association has worked at this scale longer than either restaurant. Its annual Tree Lighting returns Friday, Dec. 4, from 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Southern Highlands Corporate Center. This year's theme is Toy Story. The HOA's event page lists this schedule:
- 3:30 p.m.: Event opens
- 4:30 p.m.: Southern Highlands Preparatory School Choir performs
- 5:30 p.m.: Tree lighting ceremony at the back of the Corporate Center
- 5:40 p.m.: Las Vegas Raiderettes perform at the tree
- 7:30 p.m.: Event ends
The free activities include a Forky craft, letters to Santa, inflatables, vendor village shopping and hot cocoa in a Toy Story short-film room. Photos with Santa, Buzz Lightyear and Jessie come with a $10 family photo pass, and the Polar Express train ride is also on the schedule. Food comes from the Mr. Big Stuff and Brownie Bar trucks, along with carolers and a holiday vendor village.
Parking is available at the Corporate Center and at Olympia Sports Park, which runs an event shuttle. The event does not allow smoking, outside alcohol, weapons or pets.
The Toy Drive Is Already Open
The Tree Lighting doubles as a fundraiser. Since 2009, the Southern Highlands Community Association and the Olympia Companies Charitable Foundation have supported Operation Warm Heart through the event. The nonprofit provides financial help to Airmen and their families stationed at Nellis and Creech Air Force Bases. Money raised at the celebration goes to its programs, and its Adopt-A-Family toy drive is part of the season.
Toy collection began Nov. 16 and runs through Dec. 7. New, unwrapped toys can be dropped off at the Olympia Management Services office Monday through Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. On Dec. 4, there is also a drop-off at the Corporate Center during the Tree Lighting. The HOA page also links to online donations for anyone who would rather give money.
This is the 18th holiday season the community has paired its tree lighting with Operation Warm Heart. Mama Tess's and Hawthorne are newer additions in their first holiday season, from operators who spent their careers in much bigger rooms.
At Russell Arnold, we follow Southern Highlands down to the corner on Dean Martin Drive and the drop-off desk at the Olympia Management Services office, because those details shape what living here is like day to day. When you want to talk through what your Southern Highlands home is worth this season, request a private consultation and home valuation with our team.
