KOLO ATE: Postal Cafe

RENO, Nev. (KOLO) - The Postal Cafe is one of the few places to eat out in Washoe Valley. And it’s become a local favorite.

“There’s nothing like this,” said owner Isabella Benitez.

It truly is one-of-a-kind; housed in a really unique setting. The cafe is located in an old gas station that used to be in Reno in the 1960s. The building was relocated to the east side of Washoe Lake, and once served as a post office and a video store. In fact, it was a working post office for years, even after it became a small diner.

“We had like a little stand, so you can come and mail packages and we’d weigh it and do all of that stuff, in between serving customers and making coffee,” added Benitez.

Even now, it has the only mail drop-off box in the area. But you can also get comfort food breakfast and lunch while you’re there. It’s a place known for it’s fresh baked cookies, cakes and turnovers. And it’s unique sides.

“Our home fries is like a potato mixture with sweet potatoes that are seasoned.,” explained Benitez. “That’s really good.”

A lot of people think the food is really good too, and they’ve built a loyal customer base over the years. But it’s been tough to stay afloat, with their dining room closed during this pandemic. They now serve a few tables outside, and rely on pick-up to-go orders.

“We aren’t doing the sales that we used to,” admitted Benitez. “Summertime is big, we would do barbecues and things like that. And it’s been really stressful.”

Especially with just two people manning the restaurant, which makes things tough, considering pretty much everything is made from scratch.

“We’re not the place to come if you’re in a hurry, it’ll take a little bit because we’re cooking everything when you order it. But it’s definitely worth the wait.”

The Postal Cafe is located at 3115 Eastlake Blvd. It’s open Tuesdays through Saturdays, from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. You can get more information on the link below.

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