WORTH A DAMN

In hopes that you’ve been following our storyline…our sweet boy Mook is still (amazingly) with us. But, he needed some more medication so off we went to Rincon Blanco Vet again. We asked the Martinezes, “Where do you go out to eat around here?” We were met with a “Hah, we don’t!”  Well, I have noticed that every restaurant on the highway seems to be long closed, but I'd always imagined that, once off the main thoroughfare, there'd be a variety of eateries. But no, not a one! Some brave soul needs to open a restaurant, or even a burrito food truck in TA. Those burritos would be practically flying out the door! I can’t imagine what the staff and visitors to the county and court buildings do for lunch. They must bag it. Back to the vet, there was a couple getting their three dogs' annual checkup in the small examining room with us. The Martinezes and the couple commiserated and came up collectively with, “Wait, go to the the damn diner!” Taken aback and feeling yelled at, we stood there with a blank look on our faces until one of them realized and said “No, no it’s called the Dam Diner, it's near the El Vado Dam.” Oh….okay, that makes sense. 

So we headed north a bit then curved our way down for 13 miles to El Vado RV Park and the Dam Diner. We cruised the RV area to get a feel for the place. Its has about 7 or so RV’s set up for permanent use, wrapped with insulation. A few looked occupied, while most didn't. It looks like the entire place has gone through a recent upgrade. It has that abandoned drive in theater vibe pulsating with past good times and hinting at great, fun future potential. There are signs of it once having a large play area and even a swimming pool!

The restaurant was not easily defined. There was a small neon sign saying open with a door flanked by a couch and a few dining tables piled against the wall. We stepped into a bright, pleasant, aromatic room filled with, mostly, long, communal dining tables. Two TV’s sporting different stations and a few scattered smaller tables filled the space. The interior is a mix of styles: cafeteria, lodge, diner and home. Upon entering, a friendly woman asked “Did you get lost?”, assumingly referring to our earlier self guided tour. Turns out the woman who greeted us is the owner, Pat.  She and her husband bought the place last year and have added the diner and are bringing the entire property back to life.  Her husband was finishing some tile work in the bathrooms and though it was a little noisy, it was also sporadic and didn’t bother us much. While Pat was getting our drinks, two large chocolate labs meandered over for some pets. They are Charlie and Lola, and they fit right in to the casual vibe. 

The menu is a fairly traditional assortment of sandwiches, burgers, baskets and breakfast plates. And there is a large sandwich board with several chalked in daily specials. I opted for the BLT, served on my choice of bread and chock full of bacon, lettuce and tomato.  It’s a good thing Pat asked if we wanted mayo, as it did not come with the sandwich.  Per the menu, sandwiches come with french fries but I upgraded to Onion Rings. They were all I love about onion rings, the perfect ratio of onion to batter and piping hot, fresh out of the fryer. My wife ordered the Dam Burger. The Dam Burger is a Chicken Fried, half pound patty with all the fixings.  Yes, you read that right, the patty is BATTERED and FRIED!  IT WAS AMAZING and HUGE! She couldn't open her mouth wide enough for one graceful bite. Definitely not first date food.  Served with piping hot crispy french fries, she couldn’t have asked for anything more.  

Except for pie, apparently.  On display were two pies, apple and cherry.  Though not homemade, we ordered a slice of Apple Pie, a la mode, of course.  Sure, a homemade crust would have been flakier, but we still ate every bite and would order it again.  Normally, the wife can be a bit snobby about non homemade desserts, but we also understand that not EVERYTHING can be made in house.
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There are so many wonderful things about the Dam Diner and El Vado RV Park. They process, smoke and roast all of their own meat. (What!?)  There is also a convenience store that is well stocked. The list goes on. They are dog friendly, offer free Dam diner bumper stickers and, most importantly, they are open 7 days a week for breakfast, lunch and dinner. From experience as a restaurant owner, that is an extremely hard thing to do, especially with limited staff these days. But, Pat is adamant to keep a consistent schedule and it's already paying off.  I really believe that the attitude and energy they are bringing to their business will make The Dam Diner and El Vado RV Park a local mainstay. I am so glad that they are reviving the place and providing a place for the community to gather, eat some damn good food, and if I get my wishes, bring back that huge swimming pool!