Country Cafe (Gone)
Morgan, UT
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

The Country Cafe advertised homemade pie and soup, which is usually a pretty good way to get travelers to pull over. Located along Commercial Street in Morgan, Utah, the cafe had the kind of simple, hometown feel that fit right in with the surrounding community.

Over the years, the restaurant became a familiar gathering place for locals and travelers alike. Many residents knew the location simply as "Buzzy's," a nickname that stuck long after the building changed hands. Places like this often become part of the rhythm of a small town, serving not just meals but a place to catch up with neighbors and friends.

UPDATE: The Country Cafe is now gone. The good news is that the building continues to serve hungry visitors and locals, now operating as The Smokin' Boxcar barbecue restaurant. The pie and soup may be gone, but the tradition of feeding people at this corner of Morgan lives on. 07-26

W Cafe
Gunnison, CO
Photo courtesy Don Gardner

Here's the W Cafe of Gunnison, Colorado. Featuring a giant "W" on the marquee, this classic downtown diner is hard to miss. The sign alone is worth a look if you're passing through town, and it remains one of the more recognizable roadside landmarks in Gunnison.

The building dates back several decades and has hosted a number of restaurants over the years, including the Royal Cafe and the Johnson Restaurant. The W Cafe name arrived in 1949, and the building received a major remodel in 1958 that gave it much of the mid-century character it retains today. Walking through the doors feels like stepping back to a time when independent diners were an important part of nearly every western downtown.

UPDATE: The W Cafe is still going strong and continues to serve locals and travelers from its longtime home in downtown Gunnison. More than seventy years after the "Big W" first appeared on the marquee, the sign remains a familiar sight for anyone passing through town. 06-26

Alpine Rose Cafe (Closed)
Walsenburg, CO
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Here's a rather eye-catching sign outside of the Alpine Rose Cafe in Walsenburg, Colorado. The cafe traced its roots back to 1926 when August Musso opened the restaurant on Main Street. Even older than the cafe itself, the building dates back to the late 1800s and has served a variety of purposes over the years, including a barber shop and furniture store before becoming a restaurant.

The Alpine Rose became a longtime fixture of downtown Walsenburg, serving generations of locals and travelers passing through southern Colorado. The combination of the historic building and distinctive sign made it one of the more memorable stops along Main Street.

UPDATE: Unfortunately, longtime owner Phyllis Cordova passed away in 2023 and the Alpine Rose Cafe has since closed. The building remains, but it appears the iconic sign is now gone as well. Another piece of Walsenburg roadside history has quietly faded away. 07-26

Cowan's Cafe
Duchesne, UT
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Check out this interesting sign that sits outside Cowan's Cafe in Duchesne, Utah. Looking like a cross between a wiener and a carrot, this distinctive marquee is hard to forget once you've seen it. It also looks like it may still light up at night, which only adds to its roadside appeal.

Cowan's Cafe opened in the 1930s and has been serving Main Street ever since. The family-owned restaurant has become a longtime fixture in Duchesne and remains one of those classic small-town cafes that seem increasingly rare these days. The unusual sign out front has likely become just as familiar to locals as the restaurant itself.

UPDATE: Cowan's Cafe is still going strong and continues to serve customers from its longtime Main Street location. While many independent cafes from this era have disappeared, Cowan's and its uniquely shaped marquee remain part of the Duchesne roadside landscape. 06-26

City Diner (Gone)
Pueblo, CO
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

The City Diner was located right next to the motel and stood out thanks to its bold red and white paint scheme. Whether the food was good or not, there always seemed to be plenty of people stopping by. The colorful building made for an eye-catching sight along the roadside.

UPDATE: The City Diner closed in June 2013 after suffering extensive water damage from a broken pipe upstairs. Efforts were made to restore and reopen the restaurant, but after several years of uncertainty the property owner ultimately chose to demolish the building in 2017 and replace it with a parking lot. It's a reminder that sometimes it doesn't take much to change the roadside landscape forever. 07-26