The Griddle in Winnemucca

The Griddle Good Cookin'

Or am I supposed to read,  The Good Cookin' Griddle?

Sometimes I'm confused about how to read the words on signs.

But I was not confused about how much I liked this cool this sign, with it's glowing pink letters and the cartoonish image of a cowboy, havin' a sniff of steamy hotcakes!

Down the Road

Don and I found this wonderful diner on Winnemucca Blvd., just a mile from the very non-epic hotel where we were spending a night. 

After a night at the Holiday Inn Express, we were ready for a meal in a family owned biz.

Since 1948 
​
The Griddle opened in 1948, when Mike and Betty Aboud started serving up breakfast for hungry folks in Winnemucca. Today diners can arrive as early at 6 am for a hot meal, right off the griddle.

Eventually, The Griddle added a lunch menu. And today, there's more space with an added dining room and outdoor patio seating, as well.

Afternoon Visit

The day we arrived in Winnemucca, I had myself a peek at The Griddle. After checking into our hotel, I went for a jog along Winnemucca Blvd. It wasn't all too scenic at that end of town, but my goal was to check out colorful restaurant, that I'd already spotted from my car window.

I was surprised that the sweet looking, corner restaurant was quiet at 4. A sign near the door told me they close daily at 2. No dinner served at The Griddle.

Window Peeking

It was kind of nice, to casually put my face right up the the window glass, without fear of alarming diners.

I was able to get a pretty great glimpse of the retro green diner chairs and the glossy pine walls and ceiling. So much wood!

I could see that the tables were ready for 6 am diners in the morning.

I jogged back to the hotel and told Don where we would be having breakfast the next day!

7:30

We pulled into the parking lot an hour and a half, after The Griddle opened.

Lucky for us, there was one booth left! We ordered coffee and I felt pretty pleased with myself that I sort of matched the Griddle's green colors.

​Quick Look Around

​Our very sweet server Hayli, took our order. Then I hopped up to do some snooping.

I felt like I was in a time warp. It sure seemed like very little had changed since the Abouds opened, in 1948. 

Comparing

I found a photo display in the hall, that helped me do a little comparing. 

The counter stools in the vintage photo looked just like the green ones today. Surely they've been redone, after all these years. But not replaced!

Favored Corner

There seemed to be a flow of diners at end of the counter, near our booth. I snapped a quick pic, after a few seats at the corner vacated.

Just minutes before, I'd been entertained by a few sitting there. 2 women wearing aprons and speaking softly in Spanish, finished up a quick breakfast before dashing back to the kitchen. Then I noticed a man with a knit cap, long beard and rugged hands, bowing his head and making the cross, before devouring his meal. I kind of liked that corner.

76 Years 

Once again, I compared today's counter scene to an old photo. How many people in 76 years, have taken a seat at the counter and enjoyed a cup of coffee and  a warm plate of food?

I took a closer look at the photo above and chuckled. Did I see slot machines, next to the door? Today, there are just a few framed portraits on the wall, beside the door.

Sunny Booth
​
Before heading back to the sunny booth, I took a quick look at the back room. It seemed to be a popular place, but I took no photos.  

I was a little camera shy, when I noticed a big man glance my way as he entered. His long gray beard was neat and his face wasn't intimidating, but the gun strapped to his thigh was. Do we call that a thigh holster? I'm clueless about guns.

Food!

I of course ordered Dad's Hotcakes, because I'd seen pancakes on the sign. 

Don ordered a poached egg, Canadian bacon, hash browns and English muffin. Good balance of protein and yummy starch there!

Don posed for me in the dappled morning light, that warmed us on that chilly morning.

Don's mint green shirt didn't exactly match, but I was happily amused that we both wore shades of green in our bright green booth. 

The Building

I tookone more peek at the vintage photos. This one showed The Griddle's great exterior, with logs and awning and a different neon sign.

This was taken across Winnemucca Blvd. It kind of shows the bumped-out shape, in front.

My photo doesn't show the cool shape, but it shows how the awning style has changed.

And it shows how large the newer sign is. I wonder when that sign first started attracting customers? 

How Many Eggs?

I had a lot of questions, but the staff was young. I hate to bombard the youth with questions like "Do you know how old that sign is out there?"

But then I noticed this server's shirt! It was answering a question I didn't even think to ask. So, 23,925,385 eggs have been served at The Griddle, since it opened. The young woman laughed after she posed for me. "And this shirt was for our 75th anniversary and that was a year ago!"

Hayli Joins the Photo Shoot

Hayli was kind enough to pull her sweater down so I could see the back of her shirt. The words reminded me that they've been "Flippin Eggs Since 1948" and that now you can  find The Griddle, in 5 Idaho towns!

I asked Hayli about the owner today. I'd read in the menu that the Aboud's son David took over the biz in 2005. She spoke highly of him and said he checks in regularly. (guessing he doesn't live in town?) While Don and I looked at t-shirts in a case, Hayli answered the phone. She rushed back grinning, "That was him! I told him some out of town guests were asking about him!"

Heading Out

What a pleasant way to end our 17 hours in Winnemucca! After our welcoming breakfast adventure, we hit the road.

We drove about 30 seconds, before I invited Don to take a quick left down Pavillion Blvd.( yes, spelled with 2 Ls) Another sign was luring me! 

Next Time

So this is how these dining and hotel adventures happen! We just finished a dining adventure and I had my eyes on another vintage sign, already thinking about a future vintage hotel adventure!

Don graciously pulled up and let me peek in the office. I snapped photos of the old playground equipment, in front of motel rooms, with pointy roofs! As we headed down the road, I read good reviews about the curious motel.

So next time we drive out this way, we'll be staying at Scott Shady Court and walking to breakfast!
​

Update From June 2025:

It's been less than a year and we found ourselves back in Winnemucca! We spent the night at Scott Shady Court and walked to The Griddle for breakfast! The Griddle was hopping on a Saturday morning! It happened to be the weekend of the Winnemucca Murals and Music Festival. We chatted with 3 seated at the counter. One a musician, one a mural artist and one was the organizer of the festival!

Woohoo for a good breakfast and a great people encounter, at The Griddle! I'll write up more about our stay, on the 90-Night Blog,!
​