If I lived in Boulder City, I, too, would want to come up with an idea for a business, slap the name Dam in front of it and voila!—open up shop. The Dam Short Film Festival. The Boulder Dam Hotel. Boulder Dam Brewing. The Dam Bistro. BC Dam Tacos. And there’s a new Dam business in town making a name for itself.
Enter the Dam Roast House & Browder Bookstore, an independent coffee shop co-owned by Boulder City residents Amber Stephens, Misty Magruder and Travis Wallgren. With a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology, Stephens decided to incorporate her knowledge about nutrition into the menu.
“Food can be good for you and taste delicious,” Stephens explains on the company website. “Our goal is to have something on our menu for everyone.”
Inspired by the Swedish word fika (pronounced fee-ka), the Dam Roast House encourages guests to slow down, relax and enjoy a cup of joe and a bite while leisurely reading or catching up with friends.
When it comes to the coffee, DRH uses local Colorado River Roasters beans and has a handful of specialty drinks on offer, including the Turbine ($5.25), a coffee with a shot of espresso—named after the Hoover Dam turbines that produce energy—the S’mores latte ($5.50), topped with graham cracker crumblings and a toaster marshmallow, and the Day Dreamer ($5.25), a peaceful latte with notes of vanilla and lavender.
For quick bites, DRH’s menu includes strips of uncured bacon dipped in pancake batter for an on-the-go treat ($5), egg bites ($5) with bacon and cheddar or spinach, tomato and feta—plus a vegan option with Just Egg, spinach and tomato.
Savory and sweet toasts are served on fresh-baked bread and include choices like smashed avocado, balsamic glaze and cherry tomatoes, or avocado with strawberries and mint for a refreshing spin on snacking.
And following in the Scandinavian tradition, DRH also offers an assortment of smorgas, a traditional open-faced sandwich, along with Scandi favorites like kringla cookies.
Inside, Dam Roast House is a calm and modern oasis with some serious Ikea vibes, plus a little bookstore to add even more Wes Anderson-esque charm. Named after Ida Browder and her Browder Cafe—the original restaurant in which DRH now sits—the Browder Bookstore at the roast house pays homage to the businesswoman and her café, which just so happened to be Boulder City’s first restaurant.
Whether you stop in for a coffee on the way to work or take time to engage in the leisurely allure of the fika, rest assured that Ida would be Dam proud.
DAM ROAST HOUSE & BROWDER BOOKSTORE 554 Nevada Way, Boulder City, 702-803-7332. Monday-Thursday, 6 a.m.-6 p.m.; Friday-Sunday, 6 a.m.-7 p.m.
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