Update on Route 96 Cafe--November 6th

New Winter hours: Open 7 days a week from 6-2:00 and 5-8:00 CST.

We have now eaten there three times. The food is great! If you like thick hamburgers, you'll LOVE theirs! They're very thick. All sandwiches include toasted buns which we really enjoy. You just cannot pass on their chicken fries! They are out of this world!!!

Tonight, Friday's, special will be mountain oysters. Tomorrow's will be prime rib. I've also been told that the special on every Sunday evening is anything on the breakfast menu.

We've been really impressed with how many local people whom you never saw at other restaurants in town, are eating at 96. In addition to Leotians, ALOT of Scott City people travel 24 miles just to eat there! (The manager and many of the other employees formerly worked at Scott City's Chapparell Inn.) Their fans followed them here.

Karen Walk, the curator of Leoti's Great Plains Museum, went through her many photos and gave a select amount to the owners of the cafe. They, then, had them blown up. They are now framed and hanging on the walls. If you enjoy local history as I do, you'll be in for quite a treat!!! Until last night, I never knew that Coronado had it's own newspaper, did you? Someone actually brought in a copy of it which is now framed. The largest photo is of Main Street Leoti in 1926. OMG! It shows the old buildings (Some, I think are still standing but with new faces.) The streets were in terrible shape with very dirty streets. Large trees stood between where Three Way's Dry Goods used to be and Highway 96. Towering over everything was our majestic Wichita County Courthouse. It was sooo kool to see all of the old vehicles parked in front of the various buildings. In lots of ways, they were more handsome than any of our modern cars and pick-ups. Part of their statliness was their black color. Can you imagine how dirty they looked after travelling down those dirt streets and roads? I've never quite understood why light colored vehicles show less dirt than the dark-colored ones. LOL!

For Elder relatives who read my blog, did you know that our grandparents, Roy and Helen, owned the FIRST car in Wichita County? They did! I've been told of how the family had used that car to travel to our great-grandparents' home for Thanksgiving. Before they got home, it began to snow. Our grandfather told the family that that would be the last time that they would be able to drive the car until Spring. He was right!

Part of the cafe is used only for reservations and spillovers when the rest of the cafe is full. It is so neat! A very old Sinclair Gas pump towers in the corner of the room. (I THINK that it may be the one that used to stand in front of the old Kagee Corner on 96.) Its lights perfect it's glory of yesteryear. In addition to it, pictures and old highway signs help to produce ambiance.

I greatly recommend our new cafe to everyone! Next weekend is the opening weekend of pheasant season. I am sure that they will be very busy then! We and the hunters are so very fortunate that Route 96 has now opened it's doors!

VLE-B