The Parlour Takes Another Stab at Impossible Spot Downtown
There are tough locations for restaurants, then there’s this spot.
History be damned, a self-described “boujee” fast-casual drive-through breakfast spot, The Parlour, is going to make a go of a space where many others have failed.
The address is 616 E. Carson Ave. Suite #140, a short stroll from Fremont Street.
Here’s our ongoing list of restaurants that have toiled in this space: Zydeco Po-Boys. Two Bald Brothers (Mediterranean). Bomb Taco. Santos Guisados Tacos & Beer.
Most recently, the space was home to Madero Street Tacos.
We tried them all. They were all great. They all tanked.
Las Vegas, though, was built on short memories (and eternal optimism), so The Parlour is taking another stab at this.
The Parlour will be helmed by local restaurateur Antonio Nunez.
Nunez was born and raised in Las Vegas. He was involved in Kitchen Table in Henderson, and The Stove, also in Henderson. Henderson is a city near Las Vegas, with some similarities to Las Vegas, but with significantly more boring.
The Web site for The Parlour is awesome because it features a stock photo showing snow outside, which is about as downtown Las Vegas as it gets. The site is very confusing because it mentions having been “nestled in the San Francisco area ever since 2000.” We are assured this is a new concept, the site is just under construction.
Here’s what the official announcement says about The Parlour: “Open seven days per week from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m., guests are invited to dine in, take out or drive through, featuring a whimsical menu consisting of elevated breakfast items including a lavender latte, salmon benedict, vegan breakfast burrito and house-made monkey bread.”
They had us at “monkey bread.”
Madero Street Tacos had a bar we’re pretty sure never functioned as a bar, which seemed like a big missed opportunity. The Parlour won’t make the same mistake, apparently.
“Guests who dine in will order at the counter and adults 21-plus are given the option of adding a shot of booze to their caffeinated concoction. A full beer and wine menu will also be available for purchase throughout the day.”
Now, we’re getting somewhere.
While this location has been an uphill battle for past restaurants, it sits on a “restaurant row” of sorts, which you’d think would give these efforts a leg up.
Nearby are the well-regarded Vegenation (try the spaghetti and meatballs) and 7th & Carson. Eat is nearby, too.
We are not personally a breakfast person, unless you consider doughnuts in the afternoon “breakfast,” but we understand other people get up early enough to enjoy this meal, so there could be a niche clientele perfectly suited to what The Parlour is putting down.
The “curse” of this location is ready to be broken, and here’s hoping “boujee” breakfast is just the thing to nix the hex.
Update (8/23/22): We got our hands on a draft of the Parlour menu, and we can honestly say we’re 600% more interested in dining there now.
The beverage menu includes coffee, teas, espresso, latte, cappuccino, hot chocolate and machiatto. We’ve never had any of those, but they sound like a good time.
There’s a solid selection of pastries, including the aforementioned monkey bread, cinnamon roll, house-made doughnuts, Pop Tarts, sausage corn dogs, croissants, waffles, muffins, cookies and a Creme Brule French Toast, which we’re pretty sure will be the first thing we try. Oh, and ice cream sandwiches. The second, third, fourth and fifth things we’ll order.
The menu is a lot more extensive than we expected. There are soups and salads, crepes (sweet and savory), a Vegan burger and burrito, as well as “Breakfast Sammys” (an array of sandwiches that sound delicious).
Lunch items include Cajun Shrimp Mac & Cheese, a tuna melt, brisket bowl, Baja Tacos, and other temptations.
We’ll share the menu for The Parlour when it’s finalized, but our appetite is official whet.
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