Dot's Diner

On a brisk fall day about 11:00 in the morning, I and two companions stopped by Dot's for an early lunch. The original "Dot" has retired, but now the diner is owned by Pat and Heather Grimm. Pat, the cook, (seen at the grill at left) greeted us outside, as he was just returning from the storeroom. What a nice gesture! There was only one other person in the diner, which incidentally only seats 10 at a counter. Heather, suitably attired in a 1950's waitress uniform, immediately offered us steaming mugs of good coffee.

Breakfast is served all day, with prices starting at $1.50 and includes typical American entrees such as Biscuits and Gravy, Two Eggs, Any Style, with ham, bacon or sausage, Texas Style French Toast, and 3-egg omelettes, plus many other choices.

That day we elected to have lunch. We couldn't decide from the extensive menu, it all sounded so good, so we each chose something different. Every day there's a fresh home made soup! That day it was split pea with carmelized onion seasoned with curry. So my choice was the Cup of Soup and Half-Sandwich. The special sandwich that day was Turkey Club with Hatch Chiles.

We purposefully saved room for dessert, as we knew it would be home-made and delicious. There were three choices, so we had one of each: Blueberry crumble with ice cream, Fresh Banana Creme Pie (with real bananas!), and Pat's speciality, Bread Pudding with Southern Comfort Topping. The portions were generous, so we shared.

By the time we were finished with our lunch, there was a long line waiting to step into the diner. Outside the parking lot was full. Parked between a BMW and a gaily painted VW microbus were vintage motorcycles, adding to the nostalgic atmosphere that typifies Bisbee, a quaint and captivating place with its historic buildings, museums, art galleries, hidden walkways, and tales of an intriguing past.