Entry No. 16 — the Pueblo file — filed under: speakeasy-bar
Owl Cigar Store
“Burgers off a WWII army-surplus field grill seasoning since 1948. Bring cash.”
Opened in 1903, the Owl has been a pool hall, a gambling den, and a cigar-and-fishing-tackle counter — the tobacco case only died with Colorado’s 2006 smoking ban. The Santilli family bought it in 1943 with $1,300 in pooled savings and never let go. Burgers come off a WWII army-surplus field grill seasoning since 1948 (ketchup, mustard, pickle, onion — lettuce need not apply), green chile smothers the burritos, and malts are hand-mixed at the original fountain under the pressed-tin ceiling. Women scarcely set foot inside before the mid-1960s. Bring cash.
The story
In 1903, 626 Main Street was a joint built for what working men in Cañon City actually wanted: a cigar stand, a pool hall, and an off-the-books gambling den where women rarely set foot until the mid-1960s. In 1943, the Santilli family pooled $1,300 in savings to buy the operation, and they haven't let go of the keys since.
The tobacco case survived a century before Colorado’s 2006 indoor smoking ban finally killed it off, but the kitchen's real workhorse arrived right after World War II. In 1948, the kitchen brought in an army-surplus field grill that has been seasoning beef ever since. The burger order remains unapologetic: ketchup, mustard, pickle, and onion. Don't bother asking for lettuce.
Look above the counter and you'll see the original pressed-tin ceiling; look below it and you'll find hand-mixed malts coming off the original soda fountain. Around back, the pool tables installed during a 1947 remodel are still racked for games. This isn't a retro-themed diner built by a hospitality group—it's an unvarnished survivor that outlasted its original vices by keeping the grill hot.
What it's like
You'll pull into an angled spot on flat historic Main Street and walk straight through the front door into a room that smells of seared meat and green chile. Cash is strongly preferred, so hit an ATM along Main Street before sitting down at the counter or sliding into a booth. This is strictly a daytime-to-early-evening lunch counter, and Sundays are dark, so time your visit for an afternoon drop-in.
The move: Split a 4x4 with egg and one hand-mixed chocolate malt with two straws at the counter, then rack a game on the pool tables that arrived with the 1947 remodel.
📍 Before you go It’s a walk-in storefront at 626 Main Street in Cañon City’s flat historic downtown, with angled street parking along the block. Cash is strongly preferred, so hit an ATM first. This is a daytime-into-early-evening lunch counter, not a night spot, and Sundays are dark — plan it as a late lunch. Cañon City sits about 45 minutes west of Pueblo on US-50, so pair it with Skyline Drive or the Museum of Colorado Prisons a few blocks away.
- 📍 Cañon City
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 626 Main St, Cañon City, CO 81212
Hours: Added 2026-06-11 — confirm current hours before you go.
⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.
Pair it with
- Museum of Colorado Prisons — Walk half a mile west to tour the 1935 cellhouse after finishing your lunch at the counter downtown.
- Skyline Drive — Follow up a flat-top burger with a ridge-top drive along the narrow, prisoner-built hogback two miles away.
- Desert Reef Hot Springs — Head eleven miles east to Florence to soak in private geothermal water after a meal at the fountain.
Good to know
Is the Owl Cigar Store still a tobacco shop?
No. While it sold cigars and fishing tackle alongside burgers for decades, the tobacco counter was retired following Colorado's 2006 indoor smoking ban.
Do they take credit cards?
Cash is strongly preferred. Bring bills with you or hit an ATM downtown before sitting down.
What should I order?
Get a burger off the 1948 army-surplus field grill, a burrito smothered in green chile, and a hand-mixed chocolate malt spun at the original soda fountain.
Can I play pool there?
Yes, the venue still features pool tables that have been in place since the building's 1947 remodel.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: owlcc.carrd.co · coloradocentralmagazine.com · fox21news.com · visitcanoncity.net
last checked: 2026-06-11