Restaurant Reviews: Old Tymer's Café and Farquahrt's in Durango, Colorado

When my husband and I took a short trip to Durango, Colorado, in early August, the cool exterior of Old Tymer's Café on Main Street, with its classic, almost diner-style flair, drew us inside. The interior is comfortably casual, with a large bar on the left and a row of booths on the right. The restaurant has a partial second level with tables as well. Old Tymer's is a lunch and dinner establishment, so because it was late on a Sunday morning, we almost had the place to ourselves. Though a little absent-minded, our waitress was friendly. My husband ordered the daily special, a jalapeño burger, and I opted for fish 'n chips. For under $10 a plate, the food was just ok. The burger was overcooked, as was my fish, but Old Tymer's fries were pretty tasty. When we walked by the restaurant in the evening, it was packed, so it could be that the food tastes better when diners are taking advantage of the bar, too.

Farquahrt's, on the other hand, was very impressive. After a morning of navigating the river in a double ducky with Durango Rafting Company, my husband and I were starving and decided to head to Farquahrt's for lunch. It has, after all, been recognized as offering the best pizza in Colorado in the book Colorado's Best by Bruce Caughe and Doug Whitehead. Though the restaurant was busy, we were lucky to secure a booth in the front window. The smells wafting over from the kitchen were wonderful. We finally settled on a 14-inch Mountain Man pizza, less the mushrooms. The toppings include salami, hamburger, bell pepper, onion, black olives, and green chiles. The pizza was piled so generously with toppings that we could only finish half. It was absolutely delicious, and both of us agreed that our favorite part was its whole wheat crust. Though small, the casual restaurant does include a full bar and does not feel at all cramped. With reasonable prices, it also offers great value to diners. During our meal, the owner of the restaurant came to our table to thank us personally for our business, and we observed him checking in with other guests as well. He seemed truly passionate about his restaurant. We highly recommend Farquahrt's and hope to return the next time we are in Durango.