Off the strip, an extra-special brunch spot in Las Vegas.
If you take the highway south out of Las Vegas, toward the immense and scenic desert mountains around the city, you’ll reach the closest thing Las Vegas has to a suburb: Henderson. It’s a developing community on an IV drip of wealth slowly pumping economic life into its veins. Trader Joe’s, that hipster grocery haven, has found a home here. And not far from TJ’s, nestled into a new-ish, respectable shopping center, bold font and a glaring owl announce something different: Bad Owl Coffee, a Harry Potter-inspired coffee shop and bar.
Being the creature of morning that I am, I usually visit early on Saturday for coffee and brunch. The demographic is young and even a little edgy. A few, like me, obviously show up to gawk like tourists, but for many this is just a great spot to meet for coffee.
The decor is Harry Potter inspired, but definitely not Harry Potter official – probably due to copyright issues, decorators walked a fine line. But it’s definitely clever and like many of its patrons, it stays cool by not trying too hard.
Bad Owl Coffee has excellent food. I had coffee (“What’s the best specialty latte? How many shots does it have? Well, better add two more”) in a lovely ceramic mug. I tried the quiche, which came with a salad that I saved for later because it seemed a little too rich for breakfast. I tried out the waffles, too. And who could resist those adorable, soft beignets?
If you needed proof that Las Vegas is much more than just the strip, Bad Owl is the place for you. I think this amazing spot could be picked up and put down anywhere in America urban or suburban, and be a hit. Personally, I’m happy that it turned out to be in Las Vegas.
~ The Dauntless Princess ~