Christian and Yasser Guzman: From Guatemala to the Best Food Truck in Las Vegas
Christian and Yasser Guzman emigrated from Guatemala as teenagers, and both built careers in the Las Vegas restaurant industry before striking out on their own. Christian worked his way up to regional chef at Sammy’s Woodfired Pizza; Yasser rose through the ranks at California Pizza Kitchen. In 2013, the brothers quit their day jobs and launched Dragon Grille — at the time, the only Korean food truck operating in the state of Nevada. The gamble paid off immediately. Dragon Grille won Best Food Truck of Las Vegas in its debut year, and the brothers took the title again in 2015 and 2017. The truck’s menu fuses Korean staples with American street food — Korean BBQ tacos, bulgogi burritos, kimchi fries, and rice bowls built with house-marinated proteins and made-from-scratch sauces. The Guzman brothers did not stop at one concept. They expanded into Middle Eats, a Mediterranean-inspired truck, and El Shuko, which is credited as the first Guatemalan food truck in the United States — a nod to the brothers’ roots and a vehicle for introducing Central American street food to a Las Vegas audience that had never tasted it.
Dragon Grille currently operates out of Area15, the immersive entertainment complex on Rancho Drive, and maintains a kitchen presence at Adrenaline Sports Bar on North Rancho. The truck is a regular at festivals, corporate events, and private catering functions across the valley. Christian and Yasser have built a reputation that extends beyond the food itself. After the October 1, 2017 shooting at the Route 91 Harvest festival, Dragon Grille served hundreds of free meals daily to first responders and affected families — an effort that was covered by Inside Edition and cemented the brothers’ standing in the Las Vegas community. Their story is one of immigrant entrepreneurship, culinary ambition, and a deep commitment to the city that gave them their start.
Dragon Grille in the Las Vegas Valley
The Las Vegas food truck scene has matured considerably since Dragon Grille first rolled onto the streets in 2013, but few operators in the valley can match the Guzman brothers’ combination of longevity, awards, and community impact. Three Best Food Truck titles, three distinct truck concepts, and a home base at one of the city’s most visited entertainment destinations give Dragon Grille a profile that most mobile food operations never achieve. For valley residents who have followed the truck since its early days at bar parking lots and weekend markets, Dragon Grille represents what the Las Vegas food truck movement looks like when it is built by operators who treat the truck as a starting point rather than a ceiling.
- Owner
- Christian Guzman and Yasser Guzman
- Founded
- 2013
- Address
- Area15, Las Vegas, NV (home base)
- Phone
- (702) 927-7625
- Website
- sincitydragons.com