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Almost three years ago, a new little coffee shop opened up a few miles away from me. It was on my normal route to work so I saw it daily but this was before I made the switch. And by switch I mean the come-to-Jesus talk I had with my inner self that snapped me out of the daily stop at Starbucks or Coffee Bean. I always meant to stop at Bad Owl, but for some reason I always thought somewhere else was faster. Bad Owl is serving locally roasted coffee in a unique setting with unique drinks and vibe.
If you’re looking for a place to drink coffee at right now, you must stop and visit my friends at Bad Owl in Henderson, NV. That’s of course if you’re IN Nevada right now. If not, I highly suggest you put this on your list of places to check out when you visit. It’s worth it and your taste buds will enjoy it. I promise. Read on HP fans, read on.
This Isn’t Your Ordinary Coffee Shop
I mean sure, they have coffee, but from the moment you walk in, your familiar skinny vanilla latté isn’t on the menu. Well, you can ask for it, but why would you want that? I mean this place is Harry Potter themed. It’s not overly decorated by any means, but there are nods to the great novel/movie all over. From the names of the drinks (and yes, you can have Butterbeer here) to the straw broom sticks on the walls to the industrial pipe shelving, Hogwarts is alive and well. There are various places to sit including a couple of comfy chairs for collaborating with friends. In the very back you’ll find a bookshelf with books of course along with some board games. They have some outside seating, perfect for enjoying the weather with your four-legged friends.
The crew is amazing. I have my favorites. Toby and Monica come to mind, in fact, I thought Monica was the manager or owner. She came up and introduced herself on one of our visits and made sure we enjoyed our coffee and our snacks. Well, not snacks but I’ll talk about their food later! It wasn’t until I witnessed her doing this yet again to more folks on another visit and I asked her if she was the manager. She told me she wasn’t and in fact she had only been there for three months. This day in age, I’m impressed that a barista would take that much pride in her work and her coffee shop. I’m hoping the owners know what an asset she is to Bad Owl. Oh and her drinks are killer too. She makes them the right drinkable temperature. Waiting for my coffee to cool isn’t cool.
The Coffee
When they first opened and until recently, they served Colorado River Coffee Roasters, a local roastery out of Boulder City, NV. Just a few months ago, Bad Owl launched their own roastery in Southwest Las Vegas and now they roast under their own private label. Their espresso is smooth and flavorful. I have ordered their Honeysuckle Quartado, Roasted Almond Latté and The Grindelbrew (a limited seasonal drink). I typically get mine with almond milk but have had the Grindelbrew with whole milk and it was just as delicious. They also have pour over, french roast and auto drip coffees. I think I secretly like to see the creations on top of my drinks so I’ve always ordered lattés. Plus it’s one of the only places I will finish my entire 20 oz. cup and want more. And oh, Bad Owl is the inspiration for the cookie butter latté recipe! They have a delicious Bischoff Cookie Butter Latté that is simply decadent!
So how did they taste?
The Honeysuckle Quartado was delivered in a shot glass rimmed with sweet honey and sugar. The crema was perfect and left the perfect amount of creamy texture to the shot. It was topped with just a touch of milk and finished off with a little latté art of a heart. My favorite drink, the Roasted Almond Latté has bits of roasted almonds in the drink. Now, if you’re not a person who likes nuts or crunchy things in your morning cup, then this one isn’t for you. But if you love almonds and don’t mind a little crunch, I HIGHLY recommend this. 
The Grindelbrew was a seasonal drink developed by one of the baristas to celebrate the new movie “Fantastic Beasts; Crimes of Grindelwald”. It’s a chocolate salted pretzel drink made with drinking chocolate, espresso and milk served in an 8 oz cup. On top, you’ll find a chocolate dipped pretzel that can be used to stir into your finished drink. It’s heavenly. Check out my Instagram for a peek at this amazing drink!
Other Stuff
Bad Owl has a simple, yet amazing menu. They serve breakfast and lunch goodies that are big on flavor and can be shared. We have had several items off their menu including their famous avocado toast. It’s delicious. Like seriously delicious. I know it may seem like avocado just on toast but it’s not. Something about adding balsamic glaze and eggs or skip the avocado and add ricotta, fig and prosciutto that gets my taste buds all excited. Watch for another post on their food because we’ve had plenty of it. Let’s just say that if you need a place to go for brunch or breakfast and are tired of the same old places, head to Bad Owl.
Would I Go Back?
Are you kidding? One weekend we visited there three times! THREE TIMES! That’s how much we love Bad Owl. The baristas are fantastic, the coffee is unique and delicious, the decor is subtle and the food is out of this world. Even for this non-Harry Potter fan, it’s my favorite place. Bad Owl is about 20 minutes from the strip (Uber or Lyft will get you there easily) and is located in the southeast part of Henderson. While you’re in the area, stop over at Fiiz and grab yourself a soda and a cookie for dessert! If you visit Bad Owl, leave a comment and share with us what drink you ordered! I’ll add it to my list!
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