My friend and I drove to Vegas to experience some of the city’s higher-end cuisine, but by day, we kept things simple. Of course, simple and the Strip rarely mix, so we had to drive. And drive we did, all the way to Boulder City, a half-hour down the road on the way to Hoover Dam, to eat at The Coffee Cup Cafe.

The cafe dates to 1994. Al Stevens worked in the kitchen as a dishwasher and spare cook and wife Carri worked as a waitress. In January 2003, they bought the Coffee Cup, and by the end of the year, they’d relocated down the block to capitalize on a larger space. The Stevens are so committed to their restaurant, daughter Lindsay now works at the restaurant. Big props to Guy Fieri and his producers from “Diners, Drive-Ins and Drives” to drawing my attention to Boulder City.

I was puzzled to find a dummy on a surfboard in the middle of the desert. Carri revealed Al is originally from Huntington Beach and Lindsay attended college in San Diego, playing volleyball. Thus the beach décor.

No coffee shop is complete without a classic counter. The Coffee Cup Cafe wasn’t trying to reinvent the concept.

The diner featured surfboards on the aqua walls, plus plenty of photos and license plates from various states. Tables fill the middle and booths line the wall. Next door is a sister establishment, The Other Side, featuring a thatched roof hut, more surfboards and snowboards, and colorful paintings.

The menu features a funny disclaimer about Substitutions/Instead Ofs.

Head cook Joe Herman expertly executes the Stevens’ vision. My friend Adam and I split the house made cinnamon roll ($2), served warm and soft and slathered with icing. There was a tiny cup of whipped butter, in case the roll wasn’t gooey enough. It was.

Adam wanted a chocolate chip and peanut butter waffle, but they were out of peanut butter chips. I asked Carri what else she thought would be good. She suggested a pecan and cranberry waffle ($4.25). Cranberries weren’t even listed on the menu. The waffle was excellent, round, with crisp edges and tender interior. It was even better drizzled with a squeeze of orange, whipped butter and a pour of syrup.

We split the Huevos Rancheros ($6.75), two corn tortillas topped with a layer of refried black beans, two eggs fried over medium, and a coating of melted cheese and spicy salsa verde with cilantro and jalapenos. To the side was a loaf of crispy hash browns, which were especially great when dragged across the salsa remains.

After watching “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives,” I had big hopes for The Coffee Cup Café, but I had no idea the classic roadside stop would be quite so tasty. When it came to savory and sweet, the Stevens nailed it.

Open 6 AM – 2 PM Daily

This entry is filed under American, Breakfast, Las Vegas.