Until recently, Las Vegans may have only known as Beard Papa as a bit of an authority figure in animated favorite Wreck-It Ralph. But that movie character is loosely based on the real-life Beard Papa, Yuji Hirota, known for his fluffy white beard and the even fluffier cream puff creations that made his Osaka, Japan bakery famous. It opened in 1999 and expanded quickly behind its sweet treats, currently inching toward 500 stores worldwide. Beard Papa’s arrived stateside 20 years ago but really only began proliferating across the country in the last five years.
Now with two recently opened Valley locations at Town Square and at Rainbow and Warm Springs, Beard Papa’s is on its way to becoming a Vegas favorite, and that’s due to the consistency of its cloud-like pastries. It’s all about the lovely contrast of a perfectly crisp outer shell and a tender interior, which gets filled with luxurious custard only when you choose your own flavor combo. Don’t skip the classic chocolate eclair with vanilla cream ($4), but feel free to try out the honey butter topping, the subtle green tea custard or the over-the-top s’mores eclair (with chocolate and toasted marshmallow, of course).
Just be careful; these cream puffs could easily become an addiction.
BEARD PAPA’S 6601 Las Vegas Blvd. S. #J103, 7325 S. Rainbow Blvd. #110, 702-333-1730, beardpapas.com. Sunday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m.; Friday & Saturday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.
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