Route 26 Cafe gets strong start

Customers filled the small cafe to the brim when the newly established Route 26 Cafe in LaCrosse opened Sept. 10. Barb Curtiss, proprietor, said only two seats were empty during lunch time on opening day.

Curtiss said people seemed happy to have the cafe open again.

Owned by LaCrosse Community Pride, the cafe closed in late May after Joe and Dionne Evans operated it as the Grillbilly Cafe for a year. Curtiss signed a lease with the Pride group in July.

Curtiss and husband, Keith, are newcomers to the LaCrosse area. Keith works for the Whitman County Public Works Department, and they are building a house near Hay. Curtiss was a cook and waitress for the Evans duo.

Route 26 Cafe’s hours are Wednesday and Thursday, 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Curtiss also will offer a monthly Sunday brunch.

Route 26 Cafe offers burgers, salads, sandwiches, milkshakes, root beer floats, soda, iced tea and special brownie sundaes.