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VEGAS DINING NEWS: Lotus of Siam Leaving Red Rock, Eatery Hosted Viral O.J. Simpson Prank

By jili tutorial · September 2, 2026

VEGAS DINING NEWS: Lotus of Siam Leaving Red Rock, Eatery Hosted Viral O.J. Simpson Prank

Lotus of Siam Ends Tenure at Red Rock Resort

The James Beard Award-winning Thai restaurant Lotus of Siam will end its run at Red Rock Resort in Summerlin on Oct. 29, Station Casinos announced on Tuesday, Sept. 1. Two other eateries—Greek restaurant Naxos Taverna and the Red Rock Oyster Bar—are also leaving the property.

The company behind the Oyster Bar will take over that space the following day, keeping its long-running menu intact. However, plans for the other two vacated spaces remain undisclosed.

The departure marks the end of a turbulent chapter for the Red Rock location. Lotus of Siam opened there in November 2022 under a new operator, the Bua Group. Shortly after, the restaurant’s founders sued Bua for trademark infringement, trade-secret theft, and breach of the license agreement that allowed Bua to operate the Red Rock outpost. It remains unclear whether the closure is tied to the ongoing legal battle.

The original Lotus of Siam, located in the Commercial Center, reopened on May 8, 2026 after closing in June 2021 due to staffing shortages. That closure followed earlier shutdowns caused by 2017 storm damage and the pandemic. Another location at 620 E. Flamingo Road, which opened in December 2017, continues to operate.

A Viral Prank in Summerlin: O.J. Simpson and Judge Jackie Glass

An upscale restaurant in Downtown Summerlin, Juice Got Punk’d Jing, recently became the site of one of Las Vegas’s most notorious pranks—and the victim was the late O.J. Simpson.

In the years following his 2017 release from prison—after serving nine years of a 9-to-33-year sentence for armed robbery and kidnapping at a Palace Station hotel room—Simpson became a familiar face in Summerlin’s social scene, the wealthy suburb where he lived.

One night at Jing, he encountered someone he knew but failed to recognize without her black robe on: Jackie Glass, the Nevada judge who had sentenced him.

A Bitterly Ironic Photo

On Aug. 30, two days after Judge Glass passed away at age 70, her daughter posted the now-viral photo to Facebook with this explanation:

“OJ loved beautiful blonde women, so my mom’s friend baited him into taking a picture. He had no idea he was taking a photo with the judge who sent him to prison. Just like me, she loved a good prank. Sorry Mom, but it had to be posted.”

Other Vegas Dining Updates

No official announcement has been made, but several restaurants may face eviction as the Grand Bazaar Shops in front of Horseshoe Las Vegas undergo a years-long phase-out. Potential closures include:

Meanwhile, Finney’s Crafthouse is set to open its first restaurant outside California at the Downtown Summerlin mall, in the space formerly occupied by Wolfgang Puck’s Players Locker. A second Finney’s location is also under construction at the Town Square shopping plaza.