Sugar Factory
Lollipop Passion Goblet – Melon, Coconut, Pineapple, Rum
Virginia Strawberry Lemonade Goblet – Virginia Black Whiskey, Peach Schnapps, Lemonade. Strawberry
Ocean Blue Goblet – Blue Raspberry, Hpnotiq, Gummy Sharks
The Drake Goblet – Virginia Black Whiskey, Peach Puree, Sweet Tea, Strawberry Lemonade Cotton Candy
Sampler Platter – Buttermilk Onion Rings, Chicken Fingers, Buffalo Wings, Mac & Cheese Pops, Ranch Dressing, Chipotle Mayo, Creamy Marinara Basil Sauce
Sugar Factory Rainbow Sliders – Beef Patty, American Cheese, Crispy Onions, Signature Sauce
Chinese Chicken Salad – Cabbage, Carrots, Water Chestnuts, Green Onions, Basil, Sesame Seeds, Peanuts, Cilantro, Crispy Wontons, Ginger Sesame Dressing
Pan Roasted Salmon Salad – Ora King Salmon, Romaine Lettuce, Avocado, Mango, Cucumber, Bell Pepper, Red Onion, Cilantro, Basil, Pine Nuts, Lemon Vinaigrette
Caramel Sugar Daddy Cheesecake Insane Milkshake – Vanilla Ice Cream, Cheesecake, Caramel, Whipped Cream, Sugar Daddy, Rainbow Lollipop, Chocolate, Graham Cracker
Cookie Monster Make a Wish Insane Milkshake – Cookies and Cream Ice Cream, Vanilla, Whipped Cream, Glazed Donut, Chocolate Chip Cookie, Frosted Cupcake
Campfire S’mores Insane Milkshake – Chocolate Ice Cream, Coffee Ice Cream, Espresso, Marshmallow, Fudge Brownie, Graham Cracker, Hershey Bar
The Big Cheesy – Black Angus Beef Patty, Mac & Cheese, Applewood Bacon, BBQ Sauce, Toasted Brioche Bun, Signature Fries
Fettuccine Alfredo – Garlic, Butter, Cream, Parmesan, Romano, Garlic Bruschetta
Chicken and Waffles – Buttermilk Fried Chicken, Vanilla Bean Waffle, Whipped Butter, Syrup
King Kong Sundae – 24 Scoops of Ice Cream, Dark Chocolate, Caramel, Strawberry, Whipped Cream, Banana, Marshmallow, Chocolate Chip Cookie, Donut, Red Velvet Cupcake, White Chocolate Strawberry Curls, Gummy Bears, Reese’s Pieces, Oreo Cookies, Graham Cracker, Waffle Cone, Unicorn Pop, Candy Necklace, Gummy Cherries
Born out of Las Vegas and now a global enterprise built on gigantic bubbling Goblets, fun Food and celebrity-spotting, it would be impossible to say Sugar Factory is not one of the most successful concepts to ever spawn from Sin City, owner Charissa Davidovici somehow managing to turn $30 Lollipops into high-fashion frequently spotlighted in Social Media feeds of everyone from Drake and Nick Cannon to a disproportionate number of Jenners and Kardashians.
Originally launched in 2010 where HeXx now resides, a second location at Town Square also opened and shuttered in the interim, Sugar Factory American Brasserie now resides at Fashion Show Mall, a visit on Saturday night showing staff and ownership taking COVID-19 quite serious from queuing to temperature checks and plenty of PPE.
Still an eye-catching space despite acrylic dividers, separate entrance and exit creating good flow through a room currently operating at half-capacity, it was seated next to a disco-ball duck that four guests were greeted by a hard-working masked Waitress, all while a mix of pop and rap played overhead at about eighty decibels.
Without doubt a grand spectacle, the sweet theme dominating a generally “American” bill of Fare, it was after some Q&A that dinner started with Cocktails, three boozy and one virgin all poured tableside with a smoke-show of Dry Ice eventually yielding Fruit-forward flavors that likely won’t amuse purists but work perfectly well in terms of Sugar Factory’s target audience.
Making a low ceilinged first-floor look much bigger by way of crystal chandeliers and a lot of mirrors, the glass doors looking out towards Wynn and an open patio enough to keep the inside feeling secluded yet still accessible, it was after perhaps twenty minutes that savory round-one arrived, these first four plates featuring two fresh Salads including one topped with Ora King Salmon and dueling kid-friendly platters including a sampler of Wings, Fingers and Onion Rings plus Sliders that have improved a great deal since last visit despite their admittedly ridiculous Rainbow Buns.
Particularly amused by the platter’s Mac & Cheese Pops, while “Chinese Chicken Salad” proves every bit on par with Wolfgang Puck’s famous version at Chinois, it was at this point that lights dimmed for the first of six times, a nearby birthday receiving the $99 King Kong Sundae topped in a dazzling sparkler while this writer and crew sipped three “Insane Milkshakes” including the Caramel Sugar Daddy placing a wedge of Cheesecake on top of the Chocolate and Graham Cracker-coated mug filled with flavors similar to its namesake Candy and a texture similar to Cannoli filling.
Taking time with the Milkshakes, though no amount of effort will completely avoid sticky hands, both “Campfire S’mores” and “Cookie Monster Make a Wish” up the ante on good Ice Cream by way of bakery-fresh accoutrements, the blue-frosted Donut and Cupcake performing better than necessary while a Brownie at the base of stacked Graham Crackers, Marshmallows and Hershey’s was rich enough to be served as Dessert by itself.
Onward to Entrees, “The Big Cheesy” putting a thick patty of Grass Fed Angus cooked medium-rare beneath crispy Bacon, house BBQ Sauce and a big scoop of Mac n’ Cheese, suffice it to say that Fettuccine Alfredo exceeded expectations while Chicken and Waffles has improved tremendously since 2017 – to the point where price, portion and flavor all outperform HeXx as well as Yardbird.
Going all-in during a year full of challenges, and happy to see guests of all-ages smiling inside a Restaurant that predates #instagram for Food doubling as a photo-op, it was 7:00pm when lights dimmed for the night’s fireworks finale, the impossibility of four guests consuming 24 Scoops of Ice Cream obvious though that certainly does not mean it wasn’t fun trying.
FOUR AND A HALF STARS: Judged for what it is, a celebratory spectacle that has never pretended to be a “serious” Restaurant, Sugar Factory currently hits all the marks for experience and customer safety while Ingredients such as Ora King Salmon and USDA Prime Beef suggest ownership actually cares about the Food, even when the plating is clearly built for Social Media.
RECOMMENDED: Lollipop Passion Goblet, Mac & Cheese Pops, The Big Cheesy, Chinese Chicken Salad, Chicken and Waffles, Caramel Sugar Daddy Cheesecake Shake, Campfire S’mores Insane Milkshake.
AVOID: Aside from “Strip-pricing” that makes Sugar Factory an indisputable splurge, the only complaint on this night was the Bubblegum Ice Cream hidden amidst the Sundae. To say the least it does not play well with Chocolate.
TIP: Reservations are highly recommended to avoid a wait during peak times, and masks as well as temperature checks are required for entry. Follow @thesugarfactory on Social.
WHAT THE STARS MEAN: 5 World Class, 4 Excellent, 3 Good, 2 Fair, 1 Poor.
www.sugarfactory.com/location/fashion-show/
