The thing about a good speakeasy is that it’s hard to find, but if you’re in the know, then it’s like you’re privy to an amazing secret. Such is the case with Speakeasy Barbershop at El Cortez. “We’re word of mouth and it’s the experience we give—it’s more than just a haircut and a shave,” says Andres Dominguez, Speakeasy Barbershop proprietor and barber. “When people leave, if they feel amazing, they’re going to tell people. It’s that snowball effect, and it went from there.”
What makes Speakeasy even more amazing is the fact that Dominguez’s grandfather first opened a barbershop in the spot in 1974. He eventually sold it in 2005, but by 2019, Dominguez had purchased the place back. “I grew up in this barbershop,” Dominguez says. “I would come here when I was little. Grandpa would pay me a $2 bill, give me a glass bottle of Yoo-hoo and I would sweep up the floor.” That was the start of Dominguez’s career; he went on to work and apprentice in his uncle’s Las Vegas barbershop, Eastside Cutters, and carried on the family tradition when he opened Speakeasy Barbershop at El Cortez.
“We’re more than just a barber, we’re your therapist,” he says. “… The barbershop is really that place that you can come to and take off that armor, take a deep breath and let us hear your worries.”
And Dominguez is proud to be passing on the shears, so to speak, to the next generation of barbers—he’s taken three apprentices under his wing. “I’m standing on the shoulders of men who have taught me what they know and enhancing it,” he says. “My goal is to do exactly what the last generation collectively did for me—helping me help clients, showing me how to cut hair and show clients that the weight is off their shoulders while they sit in our chairs.”
Services: Straight Blade Shave
“Our shaves is what sends us over the top,” Dominguez says. “We do a straight-razor, wet shave. Very traditional. We do a facial mask, exfoliating scrub, hydrating mask, a spritz spray, facial massage.” Other services: haircut, beard trim, lineups and scalp therapy.
Benefit: The shop is in the tower with El Cortez’s original rooms from 1941. Dominguez and crew have ghost stories to share!
El Cortez. elcortezhotelcasino.com
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