Shaniko Cafe

I was excited to see this restaurant reopen after such a long time! I’ve been coming here for 60 years, and it has always faced challenges. The atmosphere is fantastic, and the staff were friendly and attentive. However, they really need to improve their food quality. My wife ordered a grilled ham and cheese, and as she described it, it was reminiscent of something a grandmother would make—just two slices of bread, one slice each of cheese and ham, and it was a bit soggy. My Reuben was similar, served with just a pickle spear on the side. It felt lacking overall. I encourage everyone to visit and provide them with constructive feedback. I would love to see this place succeed!

The car club I belong to visited the Shaniko Cafe twice this summer, and we really enjoyed their sandwiches and ice cream. Both were delicious!

The Shaniko Hotel and Cafe has been closed for nearly 15 years due to a dispute between the owner and the city over water issues. I believe the reviewers are actually referring to the ice cream parlor located next door to the Shaniko Cafe. When the Shaniko Cafe was operational, it was decent, and the hotel itself was quite impressive, though it felt uncomfortable by today's standards. The owner invested a significant amount of money in refurbishing the property while largely preserving its original turn-of-the-century charm. This meant that, for example, they still had traditional beds and no air conditioning, among other outdated features.

Lime slushies for the win! Ice ground by hand in a huge old machine. Grab something delicious and wander around the old ghost town buildings. Bathroom was clean, which is important especially when they are few and far between.

This place gets 4 stars just for being here, being open, and being authentic. Sandwiches? You have your choice of meat(ham, turkey, or roast beef), you have your choice of bread (whole wheat), you have your choice of extras (lettuce, tomato, onion, ketchup, mayo, yellow mustard), you have your choice of side (potato salad, soup of the day mine was clam chowder), and a pickle spear. If you're lucky like me, it'll get made by her honor, the Mayor of Shaniko. They also have 2 dozen or so flavors of ice cream, generous scoops, and your choice of regular, sugar , or waffle cone.