Home Food Dining Charlie’s Spic & Span Bakery & Café | Las Vegas

Charlie’s Spic & Span Bakery & Café | Las Vegas

Las Vegas is a close-knit, family oriented community. Charlie’s Spic & Span Bakery and Café has been a revered local establishment since the 1950s, dubbed the “meeting, eating, greeting place of Las Vegas.” They offer delicious northern New Mexican cuisine in an old school diner environment, with the added perks of a tortilla machine cranking out hot, fresh tortilla and a well-stocked bakery case of sweet and savory temptation. Charlie’s serves generous portions of consistently high quality food at an affordable price. When I say generous portions, I mean prepare to share or take-out leftovers for later.

Charlie’s Spic & Span

The restaurant is named after the owner, Charlie Sandoval; however, the “spic & span” part is a reference to the building’s prior history as a laundromat. Charlie isn’t the original owner; however, he is a Las Vegas native. As such, he was keenly aware of the restaurants role in the community when he purchased it. At that time, it had been closed for a couple of years. With the support of family and an exceptional staff, he brought it back to life, with family recipes, traditional favorites, and a bakery case that adds pounds to your butt while browsing. Today, it is a family affair, with Charlie’s daughter, Elizabeth, stepping in to help run the family business. She’s had a lifetime of training.

Flavorful Comfort Food, Sweet & Savory

Let’s talk about the food. The menu is voluminous, with something for everyone, including folks who (gasp!!!) don’t like chile. There are the New Mexico standards (done exceptionally well): enchiladas, burritos, tacos, combo plates, rellenos, etc., as well as burgers and sandwiches. The breakfast menu is both American plates or New Mexican huevos rancheros or breakfast burrito

Whereas the towering cream puffs are the most visually compelling item in the bakery case (and decadently tasty), the overlooked treasure is the mincemeat empanadita. It is a traditional northern New Mexican dessert made with minced meat, apple, and piñon. That may seem like a peculiar combo, but they are drool-icious. The Jalapeño burger served on cheesy Jalapeño bread is another lunchtime favorite.

In terms of breakfast, Charlie’s Spic & Span is a treasure trove of tasty. They are generous when doling out chile. The chorizo is perfectly seasoned. The breakfast skillets are excellent. The Machaca is a specialty, with shredded roast beef, eggs, tomatoes, green chiles and onion. My favorite is the breakfast stuffy, a sopapilla stuffed with eggs and bacon, smothered with red and cheese, served with papitas.

If you need to pass a few minutes while waiting for your food, browse the bakery case or allow yourself to become hypnotized by the tortilla machine cranking out an endless assembly line of doughy goodness.