At the Brown Bear Cafe we serve breakfast, lunch & dinner! You can Dine-in or Take-out! We're Silverton's Oldest Locally Owned, year-round restaurant! This is where the locals eat!

The building which houses the Brown Bear Cafe was built in 1893. The structure first opened for business in September 1893 as a meat and produce market. It continued to serve the community in this capacity, under numerous owners until 1933. In January of that year the 'Pastime Saloon' opened for business, catering primarily to Silverton’s Italian community.

During the 1960's through the mid-1970's the structure functioned as a combination restaurant and bar. A performing stage and balconies were added to the building interior and served as a melodrama theatre durning the summer months. The actors, many of them college students, doubled as kitchen staff and waiters. They were housed in the old meeting hall upstairs that had been subdivided and partitioned off into dormitories.

A particular item of pride to this establishment is the bar and back bar located on our north wall. These were originally custom built for the Silver Queen Bar of Silverton in 1898.  Nearly 100 years later, they were discovered stored away in Durango, having suffered years of neglect and sporting 16 coats of what was best described as 'Disco Purple' paint. The bar and back bar were then returned to Silverton and after nearly a full year of dedicated effort, restored to their former glory.

There is a lot of interesting history surrounding this building and the community of Silverton. Your hosts at the Brown Bear Cafe will be happy to answer any questions you may have. If we don't have the answers, will point you in the direction of someone who does.