Bob and Earl’s Cafe

modern day grease pit artery clogging food.
you can tell by the obese people that eat there.

We found this gem a year ago on our first visit to Colorado. We made sure to stay over in Trinidad on this trip, just so we can have breakfast here again. My stomach is growling in anticipation and my husband can’t get the car packed quick enough for breakfast this morning. What a great way to start the day in beautiful Colorado.

What a burger. These guys do it right. Although we’ve only been once this burger was good enough to hope we get lost again someday and find this place. We intended to eat in downtown Trinidad but on the way into town we passed this place and noticed a parking lot too full to enter. After nothing stood out to us in the city center and a confusing attempt at the state park we decided it was time for food. Bacon cheeseburger was so phenomenal. Perfectly cooked on a bun that soaked up just enough grease to make you weep. Real, cooked bacon was involved. Good fries and rings and they have real pie here.
If you’re coming from La Veta you’ll just waste gas if you keep going to Trinidad. Just stop and get a burger. And some pie.

The breakfast at this place really hit the spot for us. The pancakes really sealed the deal: a perfect hearty batter and browned just the right amount. Add in a cup of coffee, a side of hashbrowns, and the fact that it’s open on Sundays… you got yourself a winner.

I can’t believe this isn’t the #1 restaurant in Trinidad. It absolutely should be. If you’re on I-​25 looking for a place to grab a bite, read further only after you’ve exited the highway in this direction.
Now, it’s nothing fancy. Super small. Less than 10 tables. Great service, friendly, good coffee. Our food came out really quickly, too!
Get the chi-​Lee burger. The half is plenty. If there are two of you, don’t share a large one if you want to stay friends. Get your own. It’s so good it makes you territorial about your food. No joke.
Enjoy that, and even if you’re not hungry afterward, get a slice of pie. We had pecan. Perfect crust. Perfect balance of sweet/​crunch.
I just finished my meal and I’d gladly order the same thing again for dinner.

This restaurant is always either a hit or miss with me but when it’s a hit its pretty damn good. Breakfast hours can get busy but it makes sense because Trinidad has very limited options for breakfast but the couple of times I have went their breakfast just didn’t do it for me. Biscuits and gravy were blehh and breakfast burrito with red chili was just ok. seemed like most of the ingredients were can/​packet. However, their lunch/​dinner menu has been very solid. Love the Sante Fe Trail burger and fresh cut fries also the club sandwich is great. If you are in Trinidad and want some down home style food give Bob and Earl’s a try.

Great stop during travel or when you stay close by for just craving something simple but comforting diner food. We got chicken fried steak breakfast plate, dollar buttermilk pancakes w/​sausage patties and hashbrowns, and corned beef hash with wheat toast. The whole family enjoyed it and no complaints at all except the waitress brought scambled eggs instead of sunny side up for my daughter’s plate. Staff was friendly, the kitchen and rest of the place looked very clean. Fully recommended for great meal stop after a long drive.

Awesome little off the beaten path pkace. Fresh cut fries, fresh hamburger and amazing service!

Great low key place on the outskirts of town. Delicious breakfasts-​my husband had the chicken fried steak and I had the corned beef hash. I love shredded hash browns and they have them and cooked them to a perfect golden brown. Friendly service and great food, we will be back if in the area again.

After waking-​up in Raton, NM (destination: Denver) and looking at my breakfast options, I decided to drive the 20 miles to Trinidad, CO. That decision started my day off with a very happy belly!
This place is a neighborhood café and has withstood the test of time. The wait staff were all friendly, sort of like being greeted by your family when entering the kitchen. My breakfast consisted of the Western omelet, and since life is short, I opted for the optional green chili smothering. My whole experience justified the extra time to drive over the state lines and seek this place out. It is tucked away… a few minutes from I-​25, so persevere.
Tip: one of my bread choices was bisquits. Homemade!

AMAZING green chile cheeseburgers. Mmmm. :)

Great and friendly place for lunch and or dinner. The staff treats you like family and really goes out of the way to make sure that you get what you want /​need! I also highly recommend the chili’s! The soups are also homemade and should definitely be eaten!

Had a group of 8 camping just down the road at Trinidad Lake. We had passed this place on our way to the campground and thought this ‘hole in the wall’ might be a good place to have dinner.
Sure enough, it was a great little place. Nothing fancy, but the food was very good. Everyone left happy and full. I had the chi-​lee burger, which is a ‘slopper’ for all you Puebloans. Open faced, two burger patties smothered in their green chili and covered in fries. Chili was a little thick, but had a nice flavor to it.
Nice roadside café with very close proximity to the lake.

In no way a fancy eatery, but just a good, solid, quick way to fill your belly. My hubby had the very delicious Mexican biscuit (green chili pork sauce with cheese smothering a nice biscuit and hash browns on the side) and I had Grandmas French toast which was just fine. With a nursing baby who also needed a diaper change we had eaten and left in about 30 minutes. Good quick service.

OK place, Rueben was OK the corned beef was flat in presentation and flavor… French Fries were natural cut and the best… good service

Friendly staff. However food was incredibly bad and greasy. It was the worst food I have had in years
Staff ran their their hair continually.

Wonderful hamburgers and homemade French fries. Well worth the stop. Beats eating at a chain restaurant any day. Not far off I-​25 and all the reviews are accurate. Huge hamburgers. I had the kids burger and it was more than adequate.

What a great find! — One of the few places open on a Sunday morning. I had the Mexican Biscuit which was a biscuit and has browns with an egg covered with green chili sauce. — Very tasty but not too spicy.
Packed with locals — and with good reason — get out the GPS and get a great meal.

Found this local gem on Unilocal and decided to try it on our way back to Albuquerque from Denver. Looks like a hole in the wall so don’t be put off by outside. It’s clean, simple and could not ask for better service — very friendly and welcoming.
Tried their specialty Chi-​lee burger — open-​face with green chile sauce and fries on top. We split the large order and more than enough. Saved room for their homemade blueberry pie. All excellent. For local dining (we stay away from chains and support local business on our travels) I highly recommend.

I had a blueberry pancake– it was huge and served with real butter. Our server was a very nice woman and was GREAT at her job. We moved seats around because my brother was hot and she still got all of our orders right. Added bonus was that she was super nice :)
— good coffee, fair prices, standard fare — They were busy Sunday morning so plan accordingly. There’s a second room in the back so there’s more room than you’d think. Mama’s cooking, right here.