Crush American Grill Closing at MGM Grand After 13 Years

Crush opened in December 2013 as part of Michael and Jenna Morton's Morton Group, the same family behind La Cave at Wynn and the original La Comida downtown. The restaurant took over the space that Michael Mina's Nobhill Tavern had occupied, and it built its own identity around a roughly 7,000 square foot layout split between a greenhouse style dining room up front and a white brick, barrel vaulted cellar in back.

Crush built its name on a straightforward menu executed well rather than any gimmick, steaks, seafood, housemade pasta, wood fired pizzas and shareable plates, backed by a full cocktail program. That kind of steady, unflashy restaurant is exactly the type that tends to get overlooked until it announces it's leaving. No reason for the closing has been given publicly, and MGM Grand has not said what, if anything, will take over the space once Crush serves its last plate.

Crush is the second high profile independent restaurant to leave MGM Grand this year, according to Casino.org's dining roundup. Nellie's Southern Kitchen closed by June 1, with its owners saying they wanted to refocus on core markets outside Nevada. MGM Grand also shut down its longtime buffet on May 31, part of a broader Strip trend away from all you can eat dining that has left just a handful of casino buffets standing.

None of that means MGM Grand is pulling back on food overall, plenty of its other restaurants are staying put. But three dining closures inside one property in a single year is more churn than most Strip resorts see, and it is worth tracking if you had a usual spot there.

If Crush has been on your list, book a table before September 12. Crush is running as normal until closing night, so an existing reservation before that date is safe. After September 12, the space goes dark until MGM Grand names a replacement, which has not happened yet for Nellie's old spot either.

None of this changes what MGM Grand is for a stay, its mid Strip location next to New York-New York, the Garden Arena, and easy walking access to the rest of the Strip. It just means the restaurant lineup inside is worth double checking before you build dinner plans around any one specific spot, since more of the older tenants are turning over than usual this year.