International Cafe & Bar

I am only reviewing this establishment based upon my brief stop here to get my passport stamped for crossing the «Loneliest Road in America.» This is one rough town and the people really do show it. So if you find yourself to be of the non-​white ethnic group or consider yourself not part of white America or white anything, muster a smile and keep saying «Thank you» and «Good day» as much as you can with the most courteous tone you can use. If you are not white, please read on. If you are white then welcome, have a seat, and they will be with you very soon.
For all of us non-​whites, you will be ignored and stared at with wide eyes and looked upon as if you are a lost animal. Don’t be afraid. Stand quietly, smile and politely wait without showing your annoyance that no one tried to acknowledge your existence. When an employee asks you why you are here, politely explain to them you are looking to get a stamp in your passport. Kindly show them the passport and follow the employee to the desk. Make sure you look only at the passport and do not let your eyes wander. Ignore the rude remarks from other patrons and keep staring at your passport. Make sure to mentally note where the employee stamps the passport and double make sure he/​she stamps the postcard in the back to get your certificate. Once the stamping is done profusely and repeatedly say «Thank you» and «Have a good day.» Turn towards the door and with a strong and determined walk, walk straight out with your head held high. Don’t slam the door on your way out and keep your eyes forward until you reach the safety of your vehicle.
At any point if someone stops you and asks what you are looking for or where you are going, kindly and with few words offer a brief explanation. No one in this town has time to listen to your narrative and most likely are not concerned about the details. What ever you do, do not show any fear and speak loudly and clearly if you want to get out of this town alive. Have a safe journey.

A M A Z I N G place!
To all these naysayers on here — where do ya think you are, New York City? You’re in the geographical center of the blighted, nuke-​ridden state of Nevada. LOWER YOUR STANDARDS!
I came here for breakfast with my sis, as part of our central Nevada roadtrip. We came in for coffee, since our motel didn’t offer any — and right away, service was surly. The proprietor of the place was busy sitting at a table gas-​bagging about rightwing politics, so he told us to help ourselves — coffee’s behind the bar.
Awesome! We made like diner waitresses and served ourselves, then sat at the bar reading their amazing wacky literature while listening to the proprietor pontificate with the other ear. When some other guys came into the café and needed coffee, we were pressed into service as waitresses (at the time, they had no waitress and were looking to hire)…so I got to serve coffee to some Aussie bikers and get a real slice-​of-​life impression of what it’s like to be a diner waitress. PRICELESS!
The Aussies ordered full-​on breakfasts, and the cook whipped up some seriously legit-​looking French toast and whatnot. But I’m always on a f*ckin’ diet (both food and financial)…so my sis and I just split a shrink-​wrapped cinnamon roll from the dish on the counter. It was homemade, I think, but just OK.
But you don’t go to a place like this for food quality! You go for AMBIANCE — and the ambiance was 100% amazing. After we paid up (I tipped them nicely, even though realistically I served myself so they should have tipped ME), the proprietor, Vic, met us on the other side of the building, in the saloon, to take some photos. He turned out to be a cool dude!
Apparently, the International in Austin was built from charred scraps of the original International, which was in Virginia City and which was apparently quite the showplace. Even Lillie Langtry performed there! But when it burned down, they shipped the best parts east and rebuilt it in Austin. The bar itself was imported alllll the way from London! Crazy!
There is some exceptionally tasteful art in the saloon area, and plenty of customer notes on the wall, including a testimonial from «Hy + Marcia» about how Vic is a real American hero who knows a terrorist when he sees one. Based on the talk I overheard while drinking coffee that morning, I don’t doubt it one bit!
My only regret was, Vic never did join us at the hot springs outside of town for a soak, like he said he might. I guess he was too busy pontificating.
Anyway, if I’m ever in Austin again I am ***DEFINITELY*** coming here again — especially to the saloon, to get f*cked up and talk politics! This place is awesome!!! :-)

During our short overnight stay in Austin, our meal here was the only downside to the whole experience. The food was okay — I’m not expecting gourmet. The ambiance was okay — I really do like funky. But the waitress was absolutely the WORST. We walked in for breakfast and saw 3 tables occupied by couples who seemed to look at us a bit funny. «Am I imagining things,» I whispered to the Irishman, «But are they sending us panicked secret eyeball messages to LEAVE IF YOU CAN?»
We decided to sit at the counter, because the Irishman thinks this is very American. The waitress wordlessly slapped the menu on the counter and disappeared. After a few minutes, I gave up waiting to give her my order since she was nowhere in sight, and decided to hit the loo. I spotted the waitress in the closed down bar next door languidly smoking a cigarette.
The food finally came, but we had no napkins or utensils. The coffee came, but we had nothing to stir our cream and sugars with. They finally appeared as our food was cooling into a solidified mass on the plate. The toast was so cold the butter decided it couldn’t be bothered to melt.
As we were eating, someone apparently ordered orange juice, so she went to the cooler and removed two small TreeTop juice cans and poured them into a glass.
Then she left them there, as if she completely forgot what she had just done 12 seconds prior, and went away. I think she came and retrieved them after whoever originally asked for them demanded that she bring the juice ordered 10 minutes prior.
It got to the point where it just got very entertaining to watch her just be such a bad, surly waitress. The Irishman thinks this was better than watching the Real Housewives of New Jersey. So I’m giving it two stars for the entertainment factor.

Chicken sandwich wasn’t awful… service was friendly.

It’s something to eat. And that’s saying a lot along 50. The french fries are fresh cut and delish!
Everyone we encountered in Austin was warm and friendly. This place was no exception.

Five Stars for the Big Cottonwood
Past Fallon to the east, further than the flats where you put your name in black pumice along the loneliest road. Past the big grey dune against the hill in the distance to the left, its entrance marked by the spot where the loneliest pay phone once stood. Around more than three bends and three rises, each one topped with a sinking stomach and disappointment, misplaced.
Scale expands and contracts and is seldom precise; the tree was always there.
Cottonwood arms once heavy with Redwing and Nike, pumps and flats, the wash beneath filled with what the errant often drunken toss couldn’t tree. Her arms are heavy no more. Felled the next to last day in 2010 by parties not yet named, cut down by selfish fools, the desert robbed of a treasure.
Five stars to your service, for the smiles. No stars to the felons. When they find you there will have to be a raffle to see who gets to cut your legs off. With luck, you’ll have had an accomplice or two. Six legs, six lucky raffle winners.

Filled with character both Austin the town and this place. Great coffee and veggie burger in the middle of nowhere. The town Austin also deserves a stop over simply for it’s jaw dropping location. If you like beautiful boredom this is the place. Shabby but great views of valleys and mts.

Good old Austin, NV!
We rolled in pretty late at night and this was the only spot open (even the gas station was closed).
The dinner was not spectacular, but they did have a garden burger w/​avocado (yeah for veggies!) and a steak for my Dad (yeah for Dad’s). There is also a full bar next door to numb the boredom of a small town on a Sunday night.
We went again for breakfast and it was much better. The blueberry pancakes were homemade and so was the french toast. You won’t get any fancy fruit bowls or fresh squeezed juice here (you’re not in California anymore kiddo), but you will get a solid homemade small town meal in a relaxed environment.

We stopped in late (8:30 pm) on a week night and I had the spaghetti special. There was nothing special about it, but it wasn’t horrible. A local recommended it, but one wonders if he’s ever actually eaten spaghetti anywhere besides here. If that sauce wasn’t straight out of a can I’d be shocked. Beautiful and friendly young waitress, barely old enough to bring us beer. They were out of salad, so it was just pasta and a piece of «Italian» bread.
But you know what? I’d go back again. I mean, this is Austin. You’re in the middle of freaking nowhere, and you’re lucky to have a place serving you hot food, or any food, for that matter. Austin rolls up the sidewalks at 6PM, so just having dinner served by an attractive girl (wearing a Fallon ‘Greenwave” shirt, you know who you are) was a real treat.
Not busy at all, easy to get a table, service, considering the amount of business, was slow. Priced a bit high, but considering they have to haul everything out 110 miles away, tolerable.
Savor the moment.

This is our mainstay on The 50, especially for breakfast after an early start out of Ely heading west. It is very funky but the eggs are good and the pancakes awesome. The bar is next door, open noon until «whenever» but we’ve never been brave enough to stay in the place after 12:00.
Shockingly clean bathrooms.

A place that fits perfectly on the loneliest road. It has a small-​town feel; the service was very simple. Being not very used to it, I sometimes thought that the waitress didn’t really care. But in the end I enjoyed the experience. It was nice to see life in the middle of nowhere. Food was really cheap, and the bartender and locals at the bar were up for a short but polite conversation.
If you are in the area and need to eat, this is probably one of your best options.