Celebrated chef Kwame Onwuachi is bringing a bold new flavor to the Las Vegas Strip, and it’s not just a culinary statement, it’s a cultural milestone.
In late 2025, Onwuachi will open Maroon, a high-end Caribbean steakhouse inside Sahara Las Vegas. The restaurant will be the first of its kind on the iconic Strip to be led by a Black chef, blending Onwuachi’s signature storytelling with the fire and soul of Caribbean cuisine.
For Onwuachi, this isn’t just another restaurant opening, it’s a personal mission. “The Maroons didn’t just run,” he said in a recent interview. “They thrived. They built something powerful from pain and resistance. That’s the spirit behind Maroon.”
The name Maroon is a direct tribute to the Maroons of Jamaica—communities formed by formerly enslaved Africans who escaped bondage and built independent lives in the island’s Blue Mountains. That legacy of resilience, defiance, and self-determination is the heartbeat of Onwuachi’s latest project.
And the food? Expect it to be unapologetically bold: dry-aged steaks coated in jerk rubs, seafood grilled to smoky perfection, sauces spiked with scotch bonnet heat, and soulful pairings inspired by his West African, Jamaican, and Creole roots.
“This isn’t just about food,” Onwuachi said. “It’s about legacy. Every plate is a story—about survival, about Black joy, and about honoring where we come from.”
The move comes after a series of career-defining triumphs for the Bronx-born chef. His Afro-Caribbean restaurant Tatiana, which opened at Lincoln Center in 2022, became a sensation, earning the title of New York City’s No. 1 restaurant from The New York Times in both 2023 and 2024. He followed that success with Dōgon, a fine-dining concept inside D.C.’s Salamander Hotel inspired by the legendary West African Dogon people and American pioneer Benjamin Banneker.
But Maroon is a pivot—bringing his vision of culture-rich fine dining to one of the world’s most competitive culinary playgrounds.
“We were intentional in selecting Kwame Onwuachi as our partner,” said Sahara Las Vegas owner Alex Meruelo. “His ability to fuse culture, storytelling, and cuisine is unmatched. Maroon is going to transform what a steakhouse on the Strip can be.”
It’s a full-circle moment for Onwuachi, who once faced the early closure of his first restaurant, Shaw Bijou, back in 2016. Since then, his rise has been nothing short of meteoric: from helming the kitchen at Kith and Kin to publishing two acclaimed books, Notes from a Young Black Chef and My America, and winning the prestigious James Beard Award for Emerging Chef in 2019.
Yet, despite his accolades and growing influence, Onwuachi remains grounded in a bigger purpose.
“Being the first is a responsibility,” he said. “But what matters more is making sure I’m not the last. It’s about holding the door open for those coming after me.”
Maroon promises more than a new dining experience—it’s a celebration of Caribbean resilience, Black culinary excellence, and the power of food to tell stories that need to be heard. And in true Kwame Onwuachi fashion, it’s not just about breaking barriers—it’s about building something that lasts.
