Route 6 Cafe: fun times and great food

When Ollie Holdstock searched the U.S. in the early 1980s looking for a place to call home, the Vail community welcomed him with open arms. And that’s exactly what he wants to do for both locals and tourists: Create a comfortable, welcoming, fun and entertaining restaurant to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as a place to meet for open-mic nights, karaoke, live music and games.

And the restaurant and bar is fresh off a Best of the Vail Valley win for best late night scene — a point of pride for Holdstock.

“Of course our food is good. This is Vail, every place has good food,” he said. “But our late-night and sports-bar scene is really special. Almost every night of the week we have something going on.”

Route 6 is the place locals in the know go for an inexpensive, healthy meal and a casual hangout to throw some darts, shoot pool on the multiple tables or play pinball and other games. Music is important at Route 6, with Fridays featuring the D.J. Dance Night and Sundays showcasing the Vail Valley Band with Don Watson and Beth Swearingen. The stage springs to life with local talent during karaoke on Wednesday nights and open-mic on Thursdays. Check in on Saturdays — sometimes they get hot, hot, hot with Latino Americano dance night. The family-friendly establishment even provides a play area for little ones, so mom and dad can have a worry-free date night. The lounge, filled with multiple big screen televisions and couches to sit back and relax in the pool table area, make it the perfect area to gather with friends for appetizers and beers.

The café offers many gluten-free dishes. Chefs use quality ingredients, including pink salt to flavor dishes and antibiotic-free, cage-free, vegetarian-fed Red Bird Chicken and all-natural, hormone-free beef and nitrate-free cold cuts.

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Start your day with a hearty breakfast such as steak and eggs, breakfast burritos, omelets, Benedicts, waffles, pancakes and more. 

Lunch features classic sandwiches like a Reuben, French dip and po’ boys, burgers and a fun pineapple-basil chicken sandwich. And then there’s the fan favorite fish and chips, which is available all day. While you’ll of course find your wings, nachos and guacamole at Route 6 for appetizers, you can also order the likes of calamari, tuna wontons and steamed mussels.

Dinner entrees range from chicken, veggie or shrimp curry to grilled Atlantic Scottish salmon or buffalo meatloaf and more. It’s no wonder Route 6 Café has been a locals’ favorite in the Vail Valley: With a large selection of homemade dishes and great entertainment, along with daily happy hour specials from 3-6 p.m., it’s just where you want to be.