Burger Bar at Mandalay Place has set the tone for gourmet burgers and others have followed suit. We must have a dozen gourmet burger joints spread across the valley now. How many is too many? Well, there is at least room for one more. KGB, a burger and vodka bar recently debuted center strip at Harrah’s. Kerry’s Gourmet Burger (KGB, get it?) is a partnership between the casino giant and Kerry Simon.

Kerry Simon has made quite the name for himself locally, and outside of Las Vegas he has been dubbed the “Rock-n-Roll” chef by Rolling Stone magazine. He has also received fame for his victory on Food Network’s Iron Chef America where he defeated Iron Chef Cat Cora by creating the ultimate burger. This win inspired KGB. Simon has set out to make American food fun, and has made it a priority to keep ingredients as organic and local as possible.

His vision translates to a Russian-themed sleek multi-level space with large booths and pop art murals that adorn the walls. The centerpiece is the vodka and ice bar which houses ten types of vodka. The ice bar is provided to keep your vodka of choice chilled to perfection. Opposite the bar is the kitchen where inventive burger offerings and signature snacks are created.

On our visit we passed on the “Iron Chef” Sliders and opted to try the Waffle Fry Nachos ($8). I simply cannot resist waffle fries so the choice was easy; thankfully, my husband was on board. How could he not be with something so sinful? These nachos feature waffle fries doused in gooey white cheddar and sloppy joe, and then it’s topped with salsa and jalapenos. It was delicious, however, next time I’d likely ask the kitchen to hold the sloppy joe. I wouldn’t miss the meat, in fact without it, it might just be the perfect gluttonous accompaniment to the burgers.

After all, this calorie-fest is just getting started. After mulling over all the options: Simon’s Favorites and Build Your Own Burger (BYOB), I had to try the Crispy Four Cheese Burger ($13). The cheese is fried crisp onto the patty producing a cheesy concoction that is crisp and creamy. Aside from the brioche bun, I thought it was tasty and well seasoned. I found the bun to be too much bread for the burger making it too dry. The onion roll would’ve been a better choice. That’s what my husband selected for his BYOB ($11), which started with a Creekstone Farms Organic Patty and ended with pepper jack cheese, jalapenos and caramelized onions all situated on the onion roll. It was well prepared, flavorful and juicy.

Click here for printable coupon good for 2-for-1 burgers until October 31, 2010. Prices are on par with other strip gourmet burger joints, but it is Kerry Simon’s fun and clever twists that set it apart. Next time, I’ll have to sample the “Iron Chef” Sliders to see what all the fuss is about. Maybe I’ll even save room for a milkshake. The Captain Crunch shake has me intrigued, but it is the espresso milkshake that is right up my alley. So many temptations, so little time.

KGB is open 11am – 11pm weekdays and 11am – 2am weekends. For news & photos about a special party held here during the 2010 Restaurant Week, click here!