By Pine Apple
Nederland
As the festival season closes and Nederland prepares for another colorful autumn, it is time for us all to take a break from our cutting boards and treat ourselves to a plate at our heritage spot, the Pioneer Inn.
Middle of the week, late in the afternoon, the smell of bacon, onions, peppers, and bratwurst filled my senses as I walked by, and pulled me in to sit down for a meal. The restaurant and bar was about half full with folks enjoying their fried pickles & fried jalapenos, pork chili, burgers and beers. Young people were trying their foot on skateboard tricks out back by the funky painted tables, where people were also enjoying meals and drinks. The game room shook with the joy of one long time pool sharks’ successful shot. The jukebox played old school rock n’ roll while the locals and a few lingering tourists exchanged jokes, hugs, and bought each other drinks over the course of my meal.
The menu is a smorgasbord of hearty homemade meals, nutritionally dense enough for a lumberjack and priced fair enough for the working family. I ordered the Bratwurst & Peppers special with a bowl of their Loaded Potato Soup. The Loaded Potato Soup had excellent flavor and texture, with large pieces of bacon and potato, and was served at a perfect temperature, not too hot and nowhere near cold. The Brat & Pepper on a hoagie was simple, arriving next to a sum of fries and what I feel could have been a little heftier helping of red & green peppers and brat. Flavor & temperature were on point. My belly felt full but not overburdened at departure time, no take out box necessary. Time from seating to food tabled was 14 minutes, quicker than average for Ned.
The smiling waitress’ service was friendly and accurate. Every dish that was set on my table was found to be clean, top to bottom, upon inspection. The bartender’s smiles and broad selection of liquors, drafts, and imports made the purchase of a drink a pleasant experience. Lighting was low and the room temperature matched the beautiful 70-degree mountain summer day. The women’s restroom was small, but clean and well stocked.
A full meal, drinks with the locals, and hefty tip ran about $30, slightly cheaper than average for Ned proper.
A large rough-hewn stage and dancing area with a stone fireplace has made a great place for many bands and open mic’ers to express themselves, and sometimes make it big, since 1971. Records, photographs of the mining days, and tidbits of music legend history rest on the walls along with tools of yesteryear.
I enjoyed my dinner and I look forward to seeing the future of this restaurant mirror the roughneck vibrancy of its’ past.
