At Papi Steak inside Fontainebleau Las Vegas, diners are drawn into a choreographed “Beef Case” spectacle built around a branded 55-ounce Australian wagyu—part theater, part strategy. The restaurant says its record was set during the 2024 Super Bowl in Las Veg
Within minutes of finding our table at Papi Steak inside Fontainebleau Las Vegas, the restaurant’s room shifted from “dinner” to “event.” An EDM song blasts from the speakers. Our server politely steps away, and before we can even settle, he’s pulled back into motion by the same siren call.
He joins a wave of waiters and dancers gathered around a nearby table, holding strobe lights and chanting “Hey!. Hey!. Hey!” in perfect unison. A woman ditches her dinner to join them, waving her napkin around like she’s on vacation in Mykonos. Across the room. a man teases open a briefcase that glows gold each time he flips it open. drawing attention the way bright signage draws traffic.
Then the moment lands: inside is a 55-ounce Australian purebred wagyu steak. Smoke rises above diners’ heads—branded with Papi Steak—and the whole thing plays out like a ritual you don’t have to understand to feel.
This is the $1,000 Beef Case, and I was there to try it. Business Insider paid a media rate for the meal.
The “I’ll have what they’re having” effect is real at Papi Steak. It’s the restaurant version of a scene from “When Harry Met Sally. ” where Meg Ryan’s character makes her point so loudly that an older woman tells a waiter. “I’ll have what she’s having?” With the Beef Case. it happens fast: one table orders. and others follow.
David “Papi” Einhorn, co-owner of Papi Steak, told me the highest number of Beef Cases sold in a single night is 78—a record the restaurant set during the 2024 Super Bowl in Las Vegas. During my two-hour dinner, I counted 15.
Einhorn’s strategy is built on the kind of spectacle that Las Vegas has always sold best. The Beef Case is also rooted in something more practical than pageantry. Einhorn said there would be no $1. 000 Beef Case without the original Papi steak. which he once treated as a fixture of his star-studded barbecues.
He described how Groot Hospitality investor David Grutman—who runs Miami nightlife staples like Komodo and LIV—first got involved with that original steak. Einhorn told me. “He was like. ‘Why don’t you come grill it at my house?’” Einhorn said he flew all the meat down. made the secret sauce. and cooked for Leo DiCaprio and other A-listers. adding that “everyone went crazy for it.”.
Grutman put the Papi steak on Komodo’s menu in 2018, and Einhorn said it was a hit. He added that the Kardashian sisters were such fans that he’d be called into the kitchen whenever they were in Miami.
A year later, Grutman and Einhorn opened the first Papi Steak restaurant in South Beach. When the Fontainebleau Las Vegas opened its doors in 2023. Einhorn and Grutman knew it was time to take the concept out west—again. with celebrity gravity doing its work. Once again, Einhorn said stars, including DiCaprio, David Beckham, Jennifer Lopez, and Tom Brady, followed.
The setting matches the pitch. Papi Steak’s vibe is pure Sin City: tables are marble, booths are red leather, and a blue chandelier sparkles at the center. The wallpaper is black, and fresh orchids perfume the air. It’s bold, loud, and sexy.
But as I moved from the room’s theater to the plate, the surprise was how much the food held its own.
My fiancé and I started with the $29 Caesar salad—crisp lettuce. a rich and tangy dressing. and some of the best croutons I’ve ever tasted. The croutons had a satisfying crunch but were soft in the middle, with each bite revealing a herby center. When I told our waiter how good the croutons were, he said they were always made to order.
We also ordered the $21 latkes, dishes at Papi Steak inspired by Einhorn’s Jewish heritage. They landed instantly with a light but firm texture and a crispy crust. The latkes came with apple sauce and crème fraîche, and we wiped the plates clean just in time for the Beef Case to arrive.
The Beef Case show is staged around a specific ingredient story. Einhorn said when his butcher vendor first offered him a 55-ounce Australian wagyu for Papi Steak, he didn’t know what to do with it. He said the wholesale price is the same as the most expensive steak on his menu.
What changed was a gift he remembered: a diamond briefcase with the Papi Steak logo emblazoned in gold. Einhorn decided to put the Australian wagyu inside the briefcase and create a special show. saying he realized he could turn the Beef Case into a classic Vegas moment without requiring bottle service.
Today. Einhorn said. “a lot of people like to have a show. but they don’t want to go to nightclubs that much.” He said the Beef Case gives them “the vibe. the music. everyone’s around them. they feel special. they feel important. they had a great meal. ” and that “all those things coming together is what makes the steak a really special experience.”.
Still, the Beef Case isn’t only smoke and mirrors. Einhorn’s 55-ounce Australian wagyu—he said it could feed at least six people—was cooked to perfection. branded with the Papi Steak logo. and whisked back to the kitchen following the show. It glistened under the Vegas lights on a custom wooden platter with four sauces to choose from.
When it came out, I noticed the charred edges first. They gave way to butter-soft meat. Einhorn’s secret sauce had a kick of sweetness, while the chimichurri brought fresh tanginess. My fiancé and I were impressed enough that the whole experience didn’t feel like performance replacing substance—it felt like the two had been built to reinforce each other.
As “When Harry Met Sally” proved, it’s easy to fake a good time. In Las Vegas, plenty of hot spots use Instagram clout and A-list clientele to mask a subpar dining experience.
At Papi Steak, the food matched the hype. The service also landed in that attentive, polished lane I’ve experienced at Michelin-starred restaurants.
Even if the Beef Case isn’t in your budget, you can still have a great dinner at Papi Steak. Just don’t be surprised if you turn to the waiter afterward and say, “I’ll have what they’re having.”
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