Megan Vaughan

Training at Johnson & Wales University set the base layer for Megan Vaughan’s kitchen work, and the roles that followed show a steady rise through demanding steakhouse and resort operations. The line from Executive Sous Chef at Maketto (2015–2016) to Sous Chef at Wolfgang Puck CUT Steakhouse (2015–2016), then Sous Chef at Wolfgang Puck CUT Steakhouse (2016–2017), marks the kind of repetition that refines judgment. At Wolfgang Puck's CUT in Beverly Hills (2017–2020), she held the Executive Sous Chef post long enough to deepen that register before carrying it to The Beach Club in Santa Monica, first as Executive Sous Chef at The Beach Club in Santa Monica (2020–2021) and then as Executive Chef at The Beach Club in Santa Monica (2021).

Scope widened at Mina Group, where Vaughan served as Corporate Chef at Mina Group (2022), a title that signals trust beyond a single line. From there, the work moved through Executive Chef at Bourbon Steak Seattle (2022–2023) and then Executive Chef at Rare Steakhouse and Medium Rare Lounge at Encore Boston Harbor in Boston, MA (2023–2026). Today, Megan is Head Chef of Four Sixes Steakhouse at Wynn Las Vegas (since 2026), a position that fits a career built on pace, precision, and fluency in the steakhouse format.

Current work at this level has to hold consistency without flattening the plate, and Vaughan’s background points to that balance. The shape of the cooking suggests an operator attentive to structure, timing, and the practical discipline that steakhouse service demands. At the same time, the food appears to rely on contrast and finish: texture against texture, richness checked by acidity or heat, and the final detail that gives a dish its staying power. The result is work that reads as direct and controlled, but never mechanical.

Vaughan’s signature dishes include Wagyu Pastrami Sliders, Gruyere, Secret Sauce, Rye Bread, Lobster Mac and Cheese, Ora King Salmon, Coconut-Tamarind Sauce, Fresno Chile, Cilantro, and Mint. The sliders work through density and layering, with richness carried in a compact format. The salmon points in another direction: Coconut-Tamarind Sauce brings sweetness and acid, Fresno Chile adds heat, and Cilantro and Mint keep the finish lifted. Taken together, the two dishes show a kitchen language that favors boldness without losing control.

Two other featured dishes from that same Boston period are Wagyu Pastrami Sliders with Gruyere, Secret Sauce, and Rye Bread, and Lobster Mac and Cheese. Together, those plates place her Rare chapter alongside Rare Steakhouse’s signature and featured dishes.