Chef and Owner
Sparrow + Wolf and Half Bird Chicken & Beer
With a 20+ year culinary career in Las Vegas, Chef Brian Howard earned his stripes working with some of the most celebrated Michelin-starred restaurants on the Strip under world-renowned names such as Thomas Keller, Kerry Simon, Andre Rochat, and David Myers. He has gained the utmost respect from his colleagues and the city’s most prestigious food writers, including one who referred to Howard as “The Most Ambitious Chef in Las Vegas.” The culinary field is known as a profession of passion, and Howard is a bold example of that premise, having believed since he was 10 years old that cooking is in his blood.
Howard’s dedication to his craft has earned him many accolades and opportunities, including being featured on Food Network’s hit television show Chopped, appearing as a judge alongside superstar Chef Gordon Ramsey on Master Chef Jr., and as the winning contender on FYI channel’s Late Night Chef Fight. Howard has enjoyed cooking at the legendary James Beard House three times, garnered Wine Spectator’s “Award of Excellence”, been named “Best Restaurant” by Desert Companion not once but twice, as well as “Chef of the Year.” He was also named a “40 under 40” honoree by Greenspun Media Group and is a Court of Masters certified sommelier to top it off. Most recently, his team was nominated for Best Hospitality Training Program and Community Outreach by the 2023 Industry Excellence Awards, presented by Bar & Restaurant Expo.
His first solo restaurant venture, Sparrow + Wolf, opened in 2017 and has been named by USA Today, Forbes Travel Guide, and Conde Nast Traveler as one of the top 10 Best Restaurants in Las Vegas. Food & Wine magazine said, “Las Vegas finally gets a restaurant it deserves”, and many credit Chef Brian Howard with changing the dynamic of the local dining scene when he stepped off the Strip to debut Sparrow + Wolf in the heart of Chinatown.
He attributes his varied influences to being surrounded by talented people, childhood memories, and his continuous hunger for learning new things every day. “I’ve always had a fight and desire in me to never give up, no matter how rocky the road,” says Howard. “Perseverance has gotten me to where I am today and I love to create memories through food for the locals and visitors of Las Vegas, a city that has been good to me and where my family calls home. I design my menus and my teams with heart, and everything else just falls into place.”
Chef Howard has built his career focused on creating fun, thoughtful, and delicious dining experiences while delivering it all in a convivial dinner party atmosphere. Howard’s keen eye for quality ingredients, bold flavors, and attention to detail, are second only to the most important element for a successful restaurant - those around him. Howard believes if you take care of your people it shows in the food, the hospitality, and the talent cultivated in the restaurant. He’s proud to be an active member within the city of Las Vegas by giving back and currently serving as the chair of the Culinary Council for Three Square, a community food bank. Recently Howard and his restaurants have partnered with the Foundation for Recovery providing employment and training opportunities for recovering addicts in the hospitality industry.
In January 2022 Howard founded Spaghetti on the Wall Hospitality, the umbrella company that houses his hit restaurant Sparrow + Wolf, and the newly opened Half Bird Chicken & Beer, a level-up rotisserie chicken brand with locations popping up across the southwest valley.
His pantheon of talent at Spaghetti On The Wall are all genuinely passionate about outstanding food, hospitality, and community with the belief that building a culture around those core values is the key to success. Howard takes pride in empowering and embracing the strengths of his team, which gives them the ability to achieve higher rates of guest satisfaction, staff excitement, retention, and long-term business growth.
“Our mission is to build brands that are fun, unique, impactful, and purposeful,” states Howard. “We don't just create restaurants and bars that serve food and drink - we create dinner parties, a stop for the family on the ride home, that irresistible late-night snack, a well-deserved post-shift drink, and ultimately providing the best meal you’ve ever had!”