Wyoming
Food|Cafes & Coffee Shops

Try The Best Locally Made Candies And Delicious Sandwiches At Wyoming’s 133 Year Old Dayton Mercantile

Dayton Mercantile, a 133-year-old general store in Dayton, Wyoming, offers a nostalgic experience with locally sourced goods and an old-fashioned ice cream fountain.

Published Sep 21, 2019

Written by 

Kim Magaraci

Are you interested in learning about Wyoming's history? Luckily, so many buildings from the past are still standing and waiting to be explored. Visit the small town of Dayton, Wyoming to find a 133 year old general store - the Dayton Mercantile - that's still standing and serving the community to this very day. It's a great place to stop for lunch or a sweet treat!

Way back in 1882, Wyomingite Henry Baker built a General Store and community building - complete with a dance hall on the second floor!

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Facebook / The Historic Dayton Mercantile

For more than a hundred years, people gathered to socialize and shop here, but by the early 2000s, the building had fallen into disrepair and was listed for sale.

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Tripadvisor / Management

Craig and Elaine Stevens purchased and restored the building in 2014, and by June 30, The Dayton Mercantile opened for business again. Now, the Merc is back to serving the great rural community of Sheridan County.

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Google Local / Frank Bodden

The Dayton Mercantile stocks all sorts of locally sourced goods, like raw honey, honey candy, sauces, meat rubs, jellies, jams, soaps, and lotions. It's truly an old fashioned general store!

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Tripadvisor / Jet Altena

The homemade, locally sourced candy will remind you of your childhood! While it's not penny candy anymore, it's just as tasty as you remember.

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Facebook / The Historic Dayton Mercantile

Many people stop by to visit the lunch counter and enjoy a hearty homemade sandwich or frozen treat.

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Facebook / The Historic Dayton Mercantile

Their menu is simple, but locals love stopping by for a panini, grilled cheese, or cold cut sandwich.

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Facebook / The Historic Dayton Mercantile

The Mercantile is even home to an old fashioned ice cream fountain, where you can enjoy a banana split after you've stuffed your face.

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Facebook / The Historic Dayton Mercantile

Visit the Dayton Mercantile and you'll feel like you've stepped back in time! This 133 year old building sure maintains the spirit of the Wild West.

Address: 408 Main Street. Dayton, WY, 82836

Winter Hours: Saturday & Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Summer Hours Monday through Sunday 10 a.m. to to 5 p.m.

For more rural Wyoming history, read You’ll Love Driving Through This Eerie Wyoming County Full Of Ghost Towns,

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Food|Cafes & Coffee Shops

A Tiny Cafe Called Cowboy Café In Wyoming Makes Some Of The Best Chicken Fried Steak

Cowboy Café in Dubois and Sheridan, Wyoming, serves some of the best chicken fried steak in the state.

Updated Jun 24, 2024

Written by 

Jackie Sutherlin

Wyoming has several iconic dishes that would make anyone in the Cowboy State drool. From Chokecherry Jam to bison burgers, we sure do know our way around the culinary landscape. While chicken fried steak isn’t specific to Wyoming, we have certainly made it our own. You’ll see it on many menus peppered throughout the state, but none of them compare to the Cowboy Café In Dubois, Wyoming (there's another location in Sheridan, too) which has some of the best chicken fried steak in the state. Let’s check it out:

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Tucked away in the tiny town of Dubois, as well as in the town of Sheridan...

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Cowboy Cafe-Dubois, WY/Facebook

... lies hidden gems worthy of a road trip from any corner of the state, and that’s the Cowboy Café.

The location in Dubois opened its doors in 1993.

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And they’ve been quite a popular Dubois neighborhood restaurant ever since.

Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner seven days a week, there’s truly not a bad thing on the menu.

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Michael Gillespie/Google

If you love to eat, these are among the best small town restaurants in Wyoming.

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One thing you can count on at the Cowboy Café is massive portions of hearty, home cooked meals.

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909frankl909/Trip Advisor

The menu features everything from fluffy omelettes for breakfast to hearty steaks for lunch or dinner.

But the star of the show is...

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Sy Has/Google

... their chicken fried steak!

You’ve just got to try it.

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Donna V./Trip Advisor

This tried and true favorite Wyoming dish features 8-ounces of chicken fried steak that's smothered with a mouthwateringly good white gravy.

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This hearty favorite really hits the spot.

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Especially on a cold day during the winter in Wyoming.

Just be sure to leave some room for dessert, because Cowboy Café also has some of the most incredible pies you’ve ever tasted.

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RLS46212/Trip Advisor

They always rotate new flavors in, so you’ll have to come back again and again to try them all, but some of our favorites include cherry, pumpkin, and strawberry rhubarb.

For more information, be sure to check out the Cowboy Café website, as well as the Cowboy Café - Dubois, WY Facebook Page and the Cowboy Café - Sheridan, WY Facebook Page.

Have you ever had the chicken fried steak from the Cowboy Café? If so, what were your favorite menu items? Would you agree that they make the best chicken fried steak in Wyoming? We'd love to read about your experience in the comments section below!

If you appreciate small-town life, be sure to read about this humble little restaurant:

https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/wyoming/no-website-restaurant-wy/

Thinking about taking a Wyoming vacation soon? Then consider booking your flight via the Dollar Flight Club.

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Food|Cafes & Coffee Shops

Devour The Best Homemade Pastries At This Bakery In Wyoming

The Bread Doctor in Torrington, Wyoming, offers a variety of fresh, delicious baked goods and is a must-visit for anyone with a sweet tooth.

Published Oct 25, 2021

Written by 

Kim Magaraci

Wyoming's small towns each have their own secrets - incredible bookstores, wonderful steakhouses, and even wildlife museums that pop up seemingly in the middle of nowhere. One thing that lots of Wyoming's small towns can brag about is that their bakeries are the old-fashioned kind where bakers rise early in the morning and practice their craft daily, providing communities with the best baked goods around. One such spot, The Bread Doctor, is tucked away in Torrington and it's a must-visit for anyone with a sweet tooth.

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The Bread Doctor Bakery is located in a beautiful building in the small town of Torrington, Wyoming.

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Tripadvisor / Mark C.

If you're walking down the street, you'll immediately be drawn in to investigate the shop thanks to its tantalizing window display, showing off some of the bakery's signature goods.

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Google Local / Eric Allan

The Bread Doctor was founded by Ezdan Fluckiger, a medical doctor who decided to chase his sweetest dreams. On any given day, there's a mouthwatering selection of fresh baked pastries in the case.

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Google Local / Natasha Tkachenko

The daily breads are a hit with locals in town, who flock in to pick up sourdough, wheat, rye, and other loaves first thing in the morning, before they sell out.

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Facebook / The Bread Doctor Bakery

Along with standard pastries, cookies, and cakes, there are unique and internationally-inspired desserts that pop up frequently.

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Tripadvisor / Lee Ann S

You won't ever feel like the portions are skimpy, either. Their "individual" cheesecake can easily feed a couple... but that doesn't mean you have to share.

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Tripadvisor / Susan C

Come in for a coffee and you'll leave as a lifelong fan. From sweet rolls to custom cakes and everything in between, the Bread Doctor in Torrington, Wyoming, has the best baked goods around.

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Google Local / Tracie Murphy

To learn more about the Bread Doctor and to see their menu and specials, visit their website, here.

If you love tracking down the best baked goods in Wyoming, you'll also want to read Golden Prairie Bakery Is A Little-Known Pastry Shop In Wyoming That Makes Breads, Sweets, And Cakes From Scratch, and plan a trip to This Timeless 1920s Restaurant In Wyoming That Sells The Best Cinnamon Rolls In America.

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