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Coffee in Las Vegas: 6 spots to get your caffeine fix in Sin City

Mothership Coffee Roasters
The newest of three Mothership Coffee Roasters in Las Vegas, the Fergusons Downtown location on Fremont Street is built in a renovated and repurposed motel.
(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
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You’ll need all the energy you can muster in the morning after a long night of poker at the Flamingo and hitting the clubs until 5 a.m. Here are six great off-Strip places to help ensure you’re making the most of your time in Vegas.

Vesta Coffee Roasters

Vesta Coffee Roasters opened in an old art-supply store in 2016 to give the downtown Arts District area a pick-me-up. The big, bright welcoming space serves the espresso drinks and fancy pour-overs you’d expect, as well as a menu of surprisingly good food. Try the Vesta chop salad, with salmon, farro and crispy corn.

1114 S. Casino Center Blvd., #1, Las Vegas, (702) 685-1777, vestacoffee.com

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Vesta Coffee Roasters in the downtown Arts District in Las Vegas.
(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

Mothership Coffee Roasters

There are three locations of Mothership Coffee in Las Vegas, but the newest, at Fergusons Downtown on Fremont Street, might be the most fun. The renovated and repurposed motel has shops, restaurants, public art and, now, some top-notch coffee to go with it. Owner Juanny Romero’s retro-chic aesthetic pairs well with Guatemalan, Peruvian and Ethiopian brews and Mahlkönig-ground single-origin espressos.

1028 Fremont St., Las Vegas, (725) 735-4539, mothershipcoffee.com

Mothership Coffee Roasters
A pour-over coffee at Mothership Coffee Roasters.
(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

Whether you’re dining on the Strip or far away from it, in the mood to blow obscene amounts of money or looking for a quick and affordable meal, our dining guide will serve as a shining beacon, like the light on top of Luxor.

The Writer’s Block

A warm, welcoming and inclusive place that is an independent bookstore, coffee spot and writers workshop. Writer’s Block is the retail headquarters for “The Believer,” a lit magazine based at UNLV, and conducts free arts workshops for local students. Enjoy your flat white (brewed from Mothership beans) knowing you’re supporting a good cause in the community.

519 S. 6th St., Suite 100, Las Vegas, (702) 550-6399, thewritersblock.org

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The Writer's Block
The Writer’s Block isn’t just a coffee shop. It’s also an independent bookstore and writers workshop.
(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

Desert Wind Coffee Roasters

Halfway between the Strip and Red Rock Canyon you’ll find Desert Wind Coffee Roasters, a homey little strip-mall gem on West Sahara Avenue. House-roasted beans (from El Salvador, Papua New Guinea, Burundi, Honduras and about a dozen other countries) are turned into a variety of creative espresso drinks. For a quick pick-me-up, try the Cannon Proof Coffee, a double shot mixed with coconut oil.

7772 W. Sahara Ave., Las Vegas, (702) 998-4222,desertwindcoffee.com

Desert Wind Coffee Roasters
The house-roasted at Desert Wind Coffee Roasters on West Sahara Avenue in Las Vegas are brought in from El Salvador, Papua New Guinea, Burundi and Honduras.
(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

Bad Owl Coffee

I’m not sure how long Bad Owl, which has some serious (or should I say, Sirius?) Harry Potter influence going on — one ricotta toast on the menu is named Avada Ricotta — can avoid running afoul of J.K. Rowling’s lawyers, but as far as I’m concerned, more power to them. (For what it’s worth, they’ve apparently toned down the theme since the shop’s Henderson debut in 2016.) The Second Breakfast latte, flavored with maple and cinnamon, is finished with a sea salt cream. More like espresso patronum, amirite?

8035 S. Rainbow Blvd., Suite 100, Las Vegas, (702) 837-1869, badowlcoffee.com

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Bad Owl Coffee Roasters
The Harry Potter inluence is obvious at Bad Owl Coffee.
(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

All-you-can-eat buffets are the most American thing imaginable.

PublicUs

PublicUs, a daytime-only cafe on Fremont Street downtown, has pretty much everything you could ask for in a restaurant — bright, spacious environs, great food and a good coffee program. The menu is dotted with nods to co-owner Kimo Akiona’s Hawaiian roots, such as the Mahalo Special — a plate of Spam, eggs, sausage, rice and kimchi. Espresso drinks are top-notch and the bakery case shines brightly too: A vegan apple pie is nearly indistinguishable from the original.

126 Fremont St., Las Vegas, (702) 331-5500, publicuslv.com

PublicUs
PublicUs, located in downtown Las Vegas, is bright and spacious with nods to co-owner Kim Akiona’s Hawaiian roots.
(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
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