Vespa & Cafés – Sunrise Coffee

 Vespas & Cafés – A New Saturday Tradition

This week we visit & review Sunrise Cafe Las Vegas. 4.16.13

First off I gotta admit, I’m a Starbucks fiend. In fact I became a “Gold Card” member last year but all that means is I occasionally get a free coffee, and I have a blingy gold card.  Both of which, don’t mean too much to me after tasting the flavors of Sunrise Coffee in Southeast Las Vegas.

How could I go from such a die hard fan of my big box coffee crack dealer, to a local coffee shop junkie?  It was simple actually. A nicely crafted little drink called a “Mexican Mocha Espresso”.  And get this, it was served in an actual coffee mug!  This little gem had a delicious foam with a great cinnamon topping, and the oh so familiar taste of a good Abuela’s hot chocolate. The flavor that struck me most, and one that I’m realizing I am not too familiar with, was genuinely well roasted, non oily, light coffee. The baristas here not only know their craft, they take PRIDE in it.

The inside of the store created a warm atmosphere with beautiful neutral colors, contained a little library full of books, and generally had the feel of a welcoming place to just hang out in.  I noticed that everywhere you look, there is art. Whether it be the unique outdoor chairs, the cappuccino in front of you, or a display of a local artist’s strangely beautiful macabre paintings.  And the outside sitting area was full of as much personality as the inside, this was a place where friends gathered to catch up, play some chess, and drink some damn good coffee.

All of the staff, as busy as it was, were calm, knowledgeable and ready to answer any questions I had. There wasn’t the rushed feel I many times have experienced at the green mermaid.  I browsed their pastries and wraps, and decided on a croissant. Someone in line ordered an “Alien Wrap” which looked delicious, in fact all of the food coming out of this place looks mouth watering. My croissant was beautifully soft and flaky on the inside with just the right amount of crispy outside. It was a great compliment to the yummy Mexican Mocha Espresso.

Just for fun, I tried their cappuccino as well. Which yet again was presented as a gorgeous jewel for my enjoyment! And oh my, there is that flavor again. Soft, perfectly roasted coffee. It’s strange really how burnt and oily the green mermaid’s tasted in comparison.

The Vespa  Okay enough about my overindulgence in great coffee, let’s talk Vespa. I took the LX150 out for this spin, and can I just say this little scoot is incredibly stable, fun, and a blast to ride. I was pleasantly surprised at the speed I could manage, and the fact that I did not feel as if I was a hindrance to traffic, but instead another little ant (albeit a stylish one) marching with the ebb and flow patterns of stop lights. The only thing that could make this trip better? Some fellow vespa-ites and a new outfit for the next ride…

Check out Sunrise Coffee on their social networks :

Or Check out their  Website complete with menu, specials, and photos.

Sunrise Coffee                          M-F     6am – 8pm
3130 E. Sunset Rd                   Sat      7am – 8pm
(702) 433-3304                         Sun     7am – 6pm

I learned from Juanny that Sunrise opened in 2008,  ”As a place for a community to develop while enjoying good coffee and roast some finely sourced beans.  Coffee is the largest traded commodity and it was important for us that the coffee farmers were a part of the bean to cup process.  All our beans are organic and fair trade which means that they come from micro lots such as an all women’s coop in Guatemala or beans from Indonesia which is a coop made up of civil war veterans and orphans.

At the time when we opened there wasn’t a lot of places that had vegan and vegetarian food that was affordable so, because we were hungry I created a menu that was cheap fresh and healthy.

Between making good coffee and vegetarian food, our goal has always been to keep our customers happy.  And to make our customers happy we figured out, you have to make your employees happy.  We have an amazing crew of coffee slingers and burrito makers and without them our coffee shop wouldn’t be what it is.

We tend to attract a wide variety of people but, they all want the same thing that we have always try to do which is make good coffee, make the customers happy, and have as much fun along the way.  Our motto is “coffee, for real people.”

We are grateful everyday for the opportunity to serve our community and they would consider sunrise as part of their fabric of life.” -  Juanny

Seriously Good. Check ‘em out.

Vespa & Cafés | Sunrise Coffee Las Vegas | by: Amanda Pollard

My continuous search to find the best local coffee shops in Las Vegas.
Follow along with me as I review another top local coffee shop bi-weekly.