I grew up (ostensibly...) less than a mile from the New West Hotel and the place is stitched into the tapestry of my life.
It may well be the source of my fascination with dive hotel coffee shops.
My first visit to the restaurant was about 1964, with my father, and I recall going there with friends, on our bikes for fries and milkshakes.
In the 70's I worked nearby and my work comrades did their drinking in the tavern. We would hit up the restaurant first to put down a layer of food before we started on the draught, at .25 a glass.
Recently I had business in the wild west end and was feeling the need for food. I spotted the New West up the road, and decided to indulge in some nostalgia, whilst feeding the soul.
I had not been in here since 1986, and very little has changed. They have opened the front room out, which increased the seating, but the aesthetic and the feel of the place is unchanged from what I recall.
I took a seat by the window and had a waitress handing me a menu and pouring me coffee literally in seconds. I am pretty certain she had been here since at least the Carter Administration, as she was very familiar. I may have flirted with her, back when she, Jimmy and I were all younger.
I ordered what had been my stand-by, a Bacon Cheese Burger, with fries. I wanted to see if that had changed, and when it landed on my table 11 minutes later the trip down memory lane shifted gears.
The burger, fries, everything, looked and smelled exactly as it had 40 years ago.
The burger was juicy and well cooked, the bacon crispy and delicious, the garnishes fresh.
The fries were perfectly cooked, crispy on the outside but soft and tasty in the middle.
Even the coffee was good. Even though it was mid afternoon after lunch, the pots were fresh, and refills kept coming. This is not yer fancy coffee, this is Bun-O-Matic at their best.
The restaurant itself is dated and I do not joke when I say it has not changed.
It is however, cozy and warm like being in Baba's kitchen. This is what the best small town coffee shops are like. Rustic charm, the smell of good things in the back and a cadre of regulars and characters who seem to view random patrons as interlopers.
The New West is a popular spot for seniors, many of whom I expect have been coming here since they were juniors.
With prices this good, I can't blame them.
My lunch came to $13 before tip.
This may be the last place in the known universe where you can get a breakfast special for under $8.
Service - 5
Food - 5
Decor - 3
Nostalgia - 5
I will be back for another drive down memory lane.
The tavern is closed now, but the New West Restaurant lives on. If you are a fan of REAL retro dining I recommend this spot highly. read more