Okay, so here’s another review of a breakfast place – by now I might have stretched it enough, but let me say it one more time: I just love breakfast. And I even more love locally and/or family owned businesses. Now there’s a little gem in Souththern Arizona, in Sierra Vista, to be more specific. It’s called “The Landmark Café” and has quite a bit of history to look back to, as it is part of Sierra Vista’s community for over fourty years now, the current owner, Pam Anderson (not THAT Pam Anderson, thank god), is running it for two decades by now. Originally built as a recreation facility for the African American Troops stationed at Fort Huachuca in 1942, the building later became a Non-Comissioned Officers Club, before it was bought in 1975 by Tony Schaieb and Roger Barnett. Three years later it opened its doors as The Landmark Restaurant/Steakhouse.
It was destroyed in 1981 by a fire and re-opened in 1985. Four years later, Pam Anderson began waiting there and another three years later, in 1992, she became the proud owner of The Landmark. It has always been and still remains a popular spot for locals, visitors and military personnel. Wonder why? The food and the service are just as great as the ambience. Simple like that. I’ve been at The Landmark quite a few times by now and I was never disappointed. The staff pays attention to the small details and goes the extra mile to satisfy the customers. Prices are reasonable and the selection, not only for breakfast, is just huge. You’re following a gluten free diet? No problem for Pam and her staff. They collaborate with local bakers from The Brown Bag Cookie Company to offer a variety of gluten free baked goods. Even Pam’s famous, super-fluffy pancakes are available as a gluten free option.
My all-time favorite when it comes to american breakfast is the classic 2-2-2 combo: two eggs any style (in my case: scrambled), bacon and two pancakes. And even though it might sound to be a simple choice, restaurants always manage to mess that one up too. Not The Landmark Café. Their pancakes – or PAMcakes – are so soft, you’d actually want to rest your head on them. The bacon is the right sort of crispy, the eggs are delicious and fluffy too. Heaven, believe me, folks. A friend of mine likes to get the steak and eggs there and swears to god that they are perfect, too. Another friend tried the gluten free pamcake option and was excited about how good they tasted. A last thing about the menu: Their coffee comes very close to what even Austrians or Vienneses like; not too common in the States 😉
Sides from the fact that it’s locally owned and that the food is delicious, I also appreciate the events that are going on at The Landmark Café, such as Live Music and Red Shirt Friday (when the staff wears red shirts to honor the folks currently in the military, veterans and those who daily support them.
More Information:
The Landmark Café
400 W. Fry Blvd
Sierra Vista, AZ 85635
landmark-cafe.com
Open Sun – Tues from 6 am to 2 pm, Fri – Sat from 6 am to 8 pm, pictures (c) Landmark Café.
