Entry No. 30 — the Colorado Springs file — filed under: haunted
B&B Cafe
The B&B Cafe has anchored downtown Castle Rock since 1946, and two bullet holes — one in the pressed-tin ceiling near the vintage ceiling fan, one in the ornate Italian marble and onyx back-bar — mark where shots flew during the Valentine's Day arrest of a teenage fugitive who fatally shot Town Marshal Raymond Lewis. The cafe is still a beloved locals' breakfast and brunch spot, its original back-bar and booths largely intact.
The story
If you sit in the right booth at 324 Wilcox Street, you're dining directly in the line of fire of a 1946 showdown. The B&B Cafe has anchored downtown Castle Rock since 1946, operating out of a historic building that once doubled as a dining hall for county prisoners marched across the street from the local jail twice a day. Its centerpiece is an ornate Italian marble and onyx back-bar, brought down by rail from Leadville in the late 1920s.
The quiet rhythm of the diner broke on Valentine's Day in 1946. Seventeen-year-old Manuel Perez—a fugitive on the run after shooting two Denver police officers—walked into the cafe for lunch. Patrons recognized his face from newspaper photos and summoned Town Marshal Raymond Lewis, who lived a block and a half away. Lewis arrived unarmed and ordered the teenager to raise his hands; Perez drew a revolver and fatally shot the lawman twice.
Cafe customers didn't scramble for the doors—they fought back with whatever was within arm's reach, disarming Perez with a flowerpot and a hunting knife until the undersheriff arrived. During the scuffle, stray gunshots ripped through the room. One bullet punched a hole into the pressed-tin ceiling panel near the vintage ceiling fan, while another chipped into the imported Italian marble back-bar. Neither wound was ever patched, leaving two permanent scars embedded in the cafe's architecture.
What it's like
Expect a classic, high-energy diner atmosphere where weekend morning crowds line up early on Wilcox Street. Street parking directly out front is notoriously tight, so save yourself the hassle and park in a public lot a block or two away. The kitchen moves fast, so even long weekend lines roll along quickly. Once seated in an original booth or at the counter, order the banana bread French toast or a cinnamon roll, and ask your server to point out the two bullet holes—one right near the ceiling fan and the second preserved in the back-bar stone.
The move: Slide into one of the original booths for an all-day breakfast — try the banana bread French toast or a cinnamon roll — then ask a staff member to point out the two preserved bullet holes in the ceiling and back-bar, and linger over coffee while reading the full 1946 story on the town's official memorial page.
📍 Before you go This is a day trip — Castle Rock sits about half an hour up I-25 from Colorado Springs, and the cafe anchors a corner of the walkable downtown historic district on Wilcox Street. Street parking right out front is tight, so plan to grab a nearby public lot a block or two off Wilcox and stroll in. It's a breakfast-and-lunch institution, daytime only — no dinner — so come for a morning or midday meal; weekend mornings draw the biggest locals' crowd and a wait, while a weekday is mellower. Make a half-day of it: browse the downtown shops on the same blocks, then walk off the cinnamon roll on the trail up to the namesake "Rock" lookout nearby.
- 📍 Castle Rock
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: 324 Wilcox St, Castle Rock, CO 80104
Hours: Mined 2026-06-07 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Provision — Head down the same Wilcox Street block after breakfast to find a craft cocktail lounge hidden behind a secret bookcase.
- Scileppi's at the Old Stone Church — Swap diner history for dinner inside an 1888 rhyolite Catholic church located a tenth of a mile away.
- Cantril School House — Walk two blocks east to see Castle Rock's 1897 Roman-arched stone schoolhouse, now serving as a community arts center.
- Castlewood Canyon Dam Ruins — Drive six miles southeast to hike around the massive broken halves of an 1890 dam that collapsed in 1935.
Good to know
Where are the bullet holes located inside the cafe?
One bullet hole is visible in the pressed-tin ceiling panel near the vintage fan, and the second is in the ornate Italian marble and onyx back-bar behind the counter.
What happened during the 1946 shooting?
On February 14, 1946, Town Marshal Raymond Lewis was shot while attempting to arrest teenage fugitive Manuel Perez. Diner patrons tackled the gunman using a flowerpot and hunting knife, during which stray shots struck the ceiling and back-bar.
Does the B&B Cafe serve dinner?
No, the B&B Cafe is a daytime-only institution serving breakfast and lunch.
Where did the marble bar come from?
The back-bar is made of Italian marble and onyx that was transported by railroad from Leadville, Colorado in the late 1920s.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · crgov.com · coloradocommunitymedia.com · Reddit
last checked: 2026-06-07