If you like to eat your breakfast eggs in a setting that looks like it could have served you 80 years ago, stop in at Gamer's Cafe next time you're traveling through Butte, Montana. After checking out the beautiful signs and buildings, you'll find Gamer's in the Uptown business district right next to the Saturday morning farmers market.
It's located in one of Butte's many historic brick buildings, but the outside sign that said CASINO almost kept me away. Montana law seems to allow casino gambling just about anywhere, and usually they're not auspicious places.
As soon as I went through the door at Gamers, though, I knew it was something special. There's a mirrored, dark-wood bar back on the left and a nice art deco display case on the right in the front room, followed by the main seating area with mezzanine seating above.
The counter, with its beautiful chairs and detailed cabinet woodwork, looks like a fun place to sit.
But the booths are also great. They have seating along the far wall as well as the sides, so you can easily get five or maybe six people in each one.
The restaurant has been in continuous operation since it opened, and they have the newspapers to prove it.
The front room display cases hold several candy boxes with this Gamers Confections logo, which matches the one used in the restaurant. I'm not sure if the candy used to be made at the restaurant, or if the restaurant took its name from the defunct candy company. The presence of the casino makes me suspect the latter, but who knows?
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Update: All questions about Gamer's have been answered by the grandson of the owners.
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Gamer's Cafe in Butte
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5 comments:
When did it open?
Bob, I don't know the answer to that.
Bob, the grandson of Gamer's founders has answered your question.
The Real Story of Gamer's Cafe and Confections in Butte, Montana
Founded in 1905
I've never had the pleasure of visiting Gamers but stumbled upon it in a book published in the 60s by the Ford Times titled "The Ford Times Cookbook: a travelers guide to good eating at home and on the road." The passage for Gamers confectionery reads as follows... "Founded in 1905, this restaurant is one of the oldest business concerns in the young state of Montana. A favorite with Gamers' customers for half a century is Cornish pastry, an Old World meat pie introduced to the area by early settlers -- Cornish, Welsh, and Irish miners. A retail shop for baked goods and candy is operated next to the dining room at 15 West Park Street. Open 8:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. for breakfast and lunch every weekday; closed on Sunday. Painting by Elizabeth Lochrie." It also includes an image of a painting of the inside of the establishment and a recipe for Cornish pastry.
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