LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Chef Kwame Onwuachi is settling into his new home at the Sahara Las Vegas, where his restaurant Maroon has made him the first Black chef to have his own restaurant on the Las Vegas Strip.
The grand opening drew celebrity guests and Onwuachi's name even featured in a drone show. But for the chef, whose toddler was at the event, the moment was about more than the spectacle.
"It felt incredible. It was overwhelming. It was a lot of people, but it was incredible," Onwuachi said. "There were also so many local people that have these eating clubs too. You were there. It felt like a homecoming."
He also credits his partnership with the Sahara for helping set the tone.
"It also felt really good to have a partner that understands the moment, and also they lead by example," Onwuachi said.
He made clear at the grand opening — with his daughter in his arms — that he hopes his milestone opens doors for others.
"That we have a legacy. That every single resort is like, 'We need some culture. We need to do something different so we all can feel seen and can feel heard,'" Onwuachi said.
"I'm also proud that I'm doing something making people feel seen for the first time. They're able to celebrate a special experience while celebrating their culture, and new people that aren't familiar with it are able to experience something different," Onwuachi reiterated in the weeks following the opening.
While tourists will be central to the restaurant's success, Onwuachi said he is equally focused on the local community — including the vendors supplying his kitchen.
"When you walked up, I was getting samples from a local food vendor, giving me local spinach and local strawberries and local cherries and telling me whatever they want to grow, they'll grow for us. I want to have a philanthropic arm with this restaurant that's giving back to the Vegas community," Onwuachi said.
The menu at Maroon blends the familiar with the unexpected — a Caribbean twist on steakhouse staples. Dishes include an onion-loaded curried goat and an oxtail Wellington layered with jerk beef bacon and black truffle.
"You have your flavors for example, everybody knows curried goat, but we turn it into Agnolotti," Onwuachi said.
When asked about his favorite dish on the menu, Onwuachi kept it diplomatic.
"My favorite? I love all my children equally. I don't have a favorite. I love it all," Onwuachi said.
The restaurant's name carries deep meaning for the chef, carrying a history that resonates with him.
"The Maroon people are people of tenacity and rebirth and reclaiming their story, and I feel it just coincides with who I am, the cooking that I want to do and what I want the city to experience," Onwuachi said.
With Maroon opening in 2026, Dogon in D.C. in 2024, and Tatiana in New York in 2024, it begs the question, what does Onwauchi have in store for 2028?
"We'll see. Maybe I'll be bringing food to people's homes at that point," Onwuachi said leaving the door open for possibilities.
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