For over fifty years the W Cafe has been feeding its share of hungry Western State students, alumni, locals and tourists.
With its vinyl tablecloths and booths, yard-sale wall art and hectic but friendly and efficient staff, one can’t help but hearken back to roadside cafes from endless road trips through America’s midsection.
This is no shi-shi breakfast joint, it’s the real deal. You want stick-to-your-ribs biscuits and gravy to help ward off the cold Gunnison winter? This is your place. A smothered breakfast burrito served with sides of guacamole and sour cream? They’ve got it.
Every town used to have a place like the W. Big portions, reasonable prices, mediocre coffee. But they’ve been slowly displaced by generic coast-to-coast chain restaurants with high-gloss menus and zombie-like chefs. That, or overpriced Starbucks wannabees with fancy pastries, croissants and triple-mocha low-fat lattes.
Fortunately the Central Colorado region still has a few old-style diners left. Salida’s got Patio Pancake. In Buena Vista it’s Jan’s Restaurant. Bauer’s Pancake House in Alamosa seems right out of the 1950s. You know – the place where the high-school coach sits at a table next to the bleary-eyed kids who had too much fun the night before. Where the waitresses know exactly how long to pour water from a pitcher without spilling a drop.
Sure, few of these places are recommended if you are trying to lower your cholesterol intake and eat organic. That’s not the point. The point is to ignore all that. To eat a pile of crispy bacon without guilt. To dose that stack of rich pancakes with sweet sticky syrup so it puddles up on the sides of the plate.
But, back to the W. First, a piece of advice: don’t show up on a weekend morning expecting to waltz in and be seated. Be prepared to wait. There are good reasons why it has been so successful and frequent diners expect the weekend wait. Maybe take this opportunity to go next door to The Bean and grab a tasty cup of coffee for the wait.
Once you’ve been seated you may want to consider one of the house specialties, stuffed hash browns, which are hash browned potatoes covered with sauteed diced ham, green and red bell peppers, onions and cheese. The W Skillet is three scrambled eggs with home fries, onion, mushrooms and ham with cheddar cheese.
Of course, carb fans will want to try the biscuits and gravy served with home fries or hash browns for that double dosage of starch. They also offer four styles of gravy: cream, brown, sausage or turkey. We had the standard sausage gravy but will try the turkey gravy on the next visit.
There is also a lunch menu for mid-day diners featuring open-faced sandwiches served with mashed potatoes and gravy, as well a standard diner sandwiches from patty melts to clubs and PB & J. Entrees are also available ranging from pork chops to fried fish.
We asked Larry Jensen, who writes an historic column for the Gunnison Country Times, about the history of the cafe. He was unclear about who established the cafe but informed us the W was remodeled inside and out back in 1958, when it was only opened for summer season. The kitchen was modernized and a lunch counter was replaced with booths and tables. He also provided the above photo of the longtime owner, Mrs. Agnes Krizmanich, showing off her new kitchen.
The W Cafe is open from 7AM to 2PM every day and delivery is available.
