Where to go in the tiny town of Bickletown - a spot on the map that has barely 90 souls to its name? Well, definitely make this one of your spots to stop!
Dah Hubz and I were in town checking out some property we're wanting to buy. Wanting to see what the area was like, we thought stopping at the local "gathering spot/watering hole" would be the way to gauge what it might be like if we lived here full time. What did we find? Only some of the most wonderfully friendly people around serving up some of the best food we've ever tasted!
First off, we went on a Saturday afternoon, in mid-February. Not exactly "peak tourist season". This place really is pretty much the only place open in the whole town. However, it seemed to be a favorite with the locals (even though it *is* a tourist spot to see, in its own right, for the history value). Decor was, I thought, 'comforting'. An older weathered wood building, with wooden sidewalks, you'd think it'd be over the top Western kitschy type. But it's not. It has toned down style, a few bluebird decorations here and there, but nothing "in-your-face, over-the-top" you might expect. The moment I stepped in the door, I felt...at ease, comfortable, welcomed. Almost like stepping into your own home kind of feeling. Town citizens saying 'hi' as though I was already a regular friend they saw every day, even though we must have been quite a sight, rolling in with our Subura coated with mud and dirt, not mention ourselves! Regulars hanging around, playing a dice game of 10,000. I loved it!
Our waitress was Kim, a wonderful lady. She gave us plenty of time to decide on our meal, never hovering. The place was clean clean clean! Not dirty or dusty, like one might expect a place to be, out this far. Even the bathrooms were spotless (both women's AND men's! Complete with little heaters to keep them warm). All this cleanliness, even though they are in the middle of expanding and renovating the restaurant!
Dah Hubz got a beer (he said it was great!) and I got iced tea (they have brewed! Not the bottled! Yay!). We got the small green salad and the 2x2 burger (2 patties, double cheese) to share. They didn't even blink when we said we were sharing the meal. The salad was nice and crisp, nothing wilted or yucky! The burger was, well, divine! Seriously! I don't think I have ever had a better restaurant burger! Nothing fancy, just good cooking!
There is nothing "fancy-pants" on the menu, from what I could see....this is just "standard fare" for a regular diner. But that regular fare is frickin' awesome! Even the fries, which almost every place gets wrong for Mah Hubz - this place got them PERFECT!! And Dah Hubz, he is seriously finicky about his fries being done exactly right (burnt, super crispy, just short of charcoal). Seriously! Even me, with my ULTRA sensitive stomach that ALWAYS has problems with ANY food....I did not have a single problem all the way home - that's a 3+ hour trip, for those of you who don't know!!! OK...that's like MIRACLE in my book!
So, the whole of it...would we go here again? In a heartbeat! Heck, it'd even be worth the 6+ hour round trip from Vancouver...just to go here. Yeah, THAT good.
Oh, and cost? Very reasonable. Pricing actually cheaper than our local Denny's or Shari's (burgers, even the big one here, will run about $7-$9).
Psst...BTW - They have free WiFi!!!!
Looking forward to getting out this way again!! Bluebird Inn - you ROCK!! read more