As we step into the small Miss Fitz 260 Café, an elderly Native American gentleman sitting to the side of the entrance tries to sell me a pair of hand-crafted earrings. “I don’t have pierced ears,” I tell him, showing him my earlobes. “That’s okay. I have necklaces, too.” I politely turn him down.
Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared in U.S. Long Cuts. We are merging U.S. Long Cuts with Midwest Wanderer, adding a “Beyond the Midwest” menu option.
“Take a seat anywhere. We’ll be right with you,” a server instructs us as she bustles through the café with a coffee pot. “About 30 bikers will be here in a few minutes. Will the noise bother you?” I’m glad she warned us. Not that we mind the noise, but we want to get our order to the kitchen before 30 others.
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We pass the café bar, take the first booth and check the menu.
After having experienced another Payson café a few days earlier that didn’t offer much and was priced a bit high, we’re pleasantly surprised to see the extensive selection of reasonably priced breakfast dishes on the menu. I decide on whole grain banana-pecan pancakes, sausage patties and two eggs, a bit much for breakfast, but we’ll skip lunch.
While we wait for our food to arrive, Skip turns on his tablet to check his email. A bearded local at the booth across from us sits sideways, facing us, his back to the window, his legs spread across the seat. “Need the password?” the guy asks. “Yes, please.” “It’s ‘applepie.’ It used to be ‘cinnamonroll’ but no one knew how to spell ‘cinnamon.’” Our server nods her head, chuckling. “It’s true,” she confirms as she refills the coffee cup.
We enjoy our breakfast meals, but it’s the people that we’ll most remember from this place, small-town Americana at its finest. We’re back on the road just as the roar of motorcycle engines announces the arrival of 30 more café guests.
If you go to Miss Fitz 260 Cafe
Miss Fitz 260 Café, located at 803 E State Highway 260 in Payson, Arizona, is open seven days a week 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Check their Facebook page for more information.
Accommodations: Find the best Payson area hotel deal, compare prices, and read what other travelers have to say at TripAdvisor.
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Disclosure: This article contains an affiliate link, which means that if you book a hotel room through the TripAdvisor link above, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.
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