MGM Grand to Close International Smoke, Whatever That Might Be

By Scott Roeben, on December 30 2024
2 min read 9 comments
Las Vegas Las Vegas Restaurants

A restaurant we’ve never heard of despite being a self-proclaimed Las Vegas expert is closing at MGM Grand.

International Smoke at MGM Grand will close permanently after business on Jan. 19, 2025. The restaurant from Ayesha Curry and Chef Michael Mina opened in 2019, in the space that previously housed Mina’s Pub 1842.

Seriously, Jan. 19, 2025 seems a long way off until you realize it’s actually almost 2025, holy shit. Weren’t we supposed to have flying cars by now?

We love your keen eye for details.

We are now going to take a moment out of our otherwise snarky blog post to say: 1) Yes, we know restaurant closures aren’t fun or funny for everyone. People often work hard to make it in the restaurant business, and it’s definitely not fun trying to find a new gig when a restaurant closes. 2) It’s a humor blog with a pinch of Vegas news. You’ll live.

Oh, and the other thing we want to say is thank you to the P.R. department at MGM Resorts for letting people know about this news. Successful restaurants don’t close, so it’s a little embarrassing to do a statement or news release about a closure, but it’s actually very transparent and helpful for those of us who cover the Las Vegas beat. Pull off the Band-Aid and move on.

Anyway, like we said, we’ve never heard of International Smoke, but there’s still time to give it a try.

The official Web site says, “Ayesha Curry and Chef Michael Mina truly believe that food is the heart of community, and International Smoke spices up any city it calls home with a healthy dose of flair and attitude. Located in San Francisco and Las Vegas, International Smoke is the epicenter of flavor for the community delivering a fresh take on enticing world cuisine as only Mina and Curry can. Let’s get saucy!”

Normally, we’d say that “Let’s get saucy!” line signaled the doom of this restaurant, but it had a decent run, so we’ll let is slide.

Sorry we didn’t visit, thought it was a cigar lounge.

We have no idea who Ayesha Curry is, but she is apparently married to NBA star Stephen Curry, which has had absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with her success. And Elaine Wynn deserved half of Steve Wynn’s fortune in their divorce. What alternate reality do you live in?

Anyway, Michael Mina is busy opening new restaurants. He recently opened Bourbon Steak at the Four Seasons hotel. He also has Michael Mina at Bellagio. The official site capitalizes “MICHAEL MINA,” so you know it’s exciting.

MGM Resorts didn’t say what’s going into the International Smoke space, but we’ll keep our ear to the railroad track or whatever the kids are doing now.