Neighbors
Snickerdoodle Cookie, Peanut Butter Cookie, Chocolate Chip Cookie
French Toast – Fresh Strawberry, Lemon Granola, Honey Whipped Butter
While Las Vegas certainly has its fair share of Brunch venues, a number that only seems to increase each day, the spots truly doing good Food remains low, particularly in the Southwest where a growing population has recently latched on to Neighbors as an answer to Egg Works, Mr. Mama’s, Babycakes and all the usual Chains.
Officially open as of February and immediately making itself ‘known’ via Instagram, a giveaway requesting guests “tag their Brunch Squad” or some such nonsense drawing onlookers to a collection of Breakfast and Lunch items available from 7am to 3pm daily, it was along with a friend that Saturday around 10:30am found the space packed, one screaming child near the doors dragging the average age down from a population largely comprised of Millennials starring at their Smartphones and Soccer Moms.
Tucked away off Fort Apache and clean in design, potted plants dividing the largely communal seating area from a small foyer where guests are greeted with a menu, Neighbors encourages diners to step up and order from the counter once decisions are made, the prices of presumably housemade Pastries not disclosed save for a small laminated sheet at the register where money is exchanged for a stand featuring the party’s name and number.
Busy but not particularly loud, the vibe essentially the same as Panera with inoffensive music overhead, it was shortly after exchanging $25 including tax and tip that a party of two found seats at a long wooden table, a trio of Cookies staff had offered to ‘warm up’ arriving shortly and merely room temperature with the Snickerdoodle pleasant and buttery inside a crispy rim while both Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip were unremarkable save for a price tag of $2.50 each, just a nickel less than all three would have cost for better quality at Sweet Addiction up the road.
Passing on Coffee, the fact that Neighbors uses Beans locally roasted by Vesta a feather in their cap, it was after perhaps ten minutes with Water self-filled and even utensils not delivered that a $12 plate of French Toast arrived featuring Granola, sliced Strawberries without their tops removed and a round of unmelted “Honey Whipped Butter,” the meal’s most memorable moment occurring when a young man ate the whole thing assuming it was “Fruit,” the humor likely lost on him both as a result of the shock and subsequently being forced to eat Bread that is poorly permeated and doughy without much Syrup and almost no flavor on its own.
TWO STARS: Featuring 2018 paint-by-the-#gram design and plates that look better than they taste Neighbors seems to be exactly what it sets out to be and nothing more discerning palates need to waste time or calories on, the same quality and better service offered at Panera or Kneaders for less and a far superior Breakfast available at CRAFTkitchen, Served or Kitchen Table in Henderson or even Squeeze-In, Mimosa’s Gourmet, Babystacks and Bite just a few minutes away.
RECOMMENDED: Snickerdoodle Cookie.
AVOID: French Toast.
TIP: Taking into account the ‘quick casual’ counter service and lack of staff interaction thereafter, the self-service refills and an empty bin of forks when attempting to gather utensils in particular, one should definitely consider tipping after the fact rather than tacking on 15-20% as suggested when paying.
WHAT THE STARS MEAN: 5 World Class, 4 Excellent, 3 Good, 2 Fair, 1 Poor.
www.neighborscafelv.com
