Blondie's Trophy Room

I stopped by on my way while on a road trip. The food was good, quick and waitress was nice. The business had recently undergone management change.  I'd stop by again.

The website makes this place look like a rocking good, crazy biker bar, and that is the kind of action I'd hoped for on my birthday, but no dice.  No gorgeous men nor hot babes.  Kind of sedate.  I could have brought a book and just sat by the window, spending the afternoon reading.

Granted, I was there in the late afternoon, but still, it was rather dead for a weekend.  I also like to collect cool saloon t-shirts, but I was disappointed in their sort of "truck stop" style of saloon t's--don't bother.

Still, this place has a local feel.  I got the idea it was the go-to place for locals regarding poker runs, good burgers, which is why I did my research and singled it out.

My friend had a salad, fairly gourmet for pub-grub with fresh ingredients, large and good dressing, and I had a wicked sandwich served on pretzel bread, which I would recommend as it tasted homemade.  The beer was cold and affordable, and we were just grateful it was so cold since we'd been camping for four days and it was hot.  You won't get any yuppie micro beer here, nor a lovely wine list.

But that's not why you'd come here.  You'd come here to find out what Cortez's, local color feels like, what makes the town a town.

I had to giggle as there was a "head shop" across the street from this place, so there's definitely a 1970's vibe at work here.

As the town goes, it's sort of boring here, working class, but not that eccentric like Leadville.  We were here because of its proximity to Mesa Verde National Park.  We wanted local color, not a tourist trap, and that's exactly what you get at Blondie's.