Entry No. 127 — the Denver 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 know where to look, Castle Rock's most notorious 1946 crime scene is still serving banana bread French toast and homemade pies. On Valentine's Day that year, a 17-year-old fugitive named Manuel Perez—wanted for shooting two Denver police officers—thought he could lay low 30 miles south and grab a quiet lunch at the corner of Wilcox and 4th. He sat down at the B&B Cafe, registered that year by Laura Barker and her son Howard, unaware that sharp-eyed regulars eating nearby had already recognized his face from the morning paper. They quietly sent word for Town Marshal Raymond Lewis, who lived just a block and a half down the street.
When Marshal Lewis stepped inside and ordered the teenager to raise his hands, Perez drew a revolver from his coat and shot the lawman point-blank in the chest. What followed was a brutal, chaotic brawl: diner patrons charged Perez, wrestling him down with whatever they could grab, including a flowerpot and a hunting knife. Stray rounds tore through the room during the melee, shooting one customer in the hand and grazing Perez's ear before Undersheriff Duncan Lowell arrived to make the arrest.
Instead of patching over the violence to keep the lunch crowd comfortable, the diner preserved the damage right where it landed. Look up near the vintage ceiling fan and you'll find the first bullet hole embedded in the original pressed-tin panel. The second scar pierces the back-bar—an ornate Italian marble and black onyx structure originally brought in from Leadville—where shattered stone still frames the entry wound. Perez went to prison for life, but at the corner of Wilcox and 4th, the crossfire was locked into the architecture forever.
What it's like
Expect a working, unpretentious small-town diner where local regulars and true-crime history buffs sit shoulder-to-shoulder. The line can stretch out the door on weekend mornings, though it tends to move fast. Slide into one of the original wooden booths, order the cinnamon roll or a Colorado Benedict, and wait until the peak breakfast rush subsides before asking staff to point out the back-bar and ceiling damage. Curbside parking on Wilcox is tight, but you can park for free nearby in The View garage off the alley just west of Wilcox.
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 You'll find it on the corner of Wilcox and 4th in historic downtown Castle Rock, about a half-hour drive south of Denver, so plan it as a day trip. It's a working locals' breakfast and brunch spot, so come hungry in the morning; weekends draw the longest waits, and a weekday morning is the calmer way to actually study the back-bar and ceiling. Curbside parking on Wilcox is tight, but there's free public garage parking nearby (The View, off the alley just west of Wilcox). Ask staff to point out the bullet holes between rushes, not during one. Afterward, stroll the independent shops along Wilcox, drop down to Festival Park on the creek, or hike the 1.5-mile loop around the town's namesake butte in Rock Park. Hours shift seasonally, so check ahead.
- 📍 Castle Rock
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 324 Wilcox St, Castle Rock, CO 80104
Hours: Mined 2026-06-07 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Scileppi's at the Old Stone Church — Walk a block down Wilcox Street to grab dinner inside Castle Rock's first Catholic church, built in 1888 out of local rhyolite stone.
- Provision — Stay on the same historic Wilcox Street block to grab a nightcap behind a swinging bookcase speakeasy door.
- Castlewood Canyon Dam Ruins — Drive six miles east to hike around the massive split concrete ruins of an 1890 dam that burst in a 1933 flood.
- Cherokee Ranch & Castle — Drive seven miles north to tour an authentic 15th-century-style Scottish stone castle overlooking the prairie.
Good to know
Where exactly are the two bullet holes located inside the cafe?
One bullet hole is in the original pressed-tin ceiling panel near the vintage ceiling fan. The second is embedded in the back-bar, surrounded by the shattered Italian marble and onyx stone.
What happened during the 1946 shooting?
On February 14, 1946, 17-year-old fugitive Manuel Perez shot and killed Town Marshal Raymond Lewis inside the cafe. Customers subdued Perez using a flowerpot and a hunting knife, during which stray shots pierced the ceiling and back-bar before Perez was arrested.
Where should I park when visiting B&B Cafe?
Street parking on Wilcox Street is limited, but free public parking is available close by at The View garage, accessed via the alley just west of Wilcox.
When is the best time to visit if I want to inspect the historic back-bar?
A weekday morning is best. Weekends draw heavy crowds, making it harder to examine the back-bar or ask staff to point out the bullet holes without disrupting service.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · crgov.com · coloradocommunitymedia.com · castlepinesconnection.com · coloradolifemagazine.com · 9news.com
last checked: 2026-06-07