Old Town Cafe'

"Hot, brown and plenty of it" ......... "If you go away from here hungry, it's your own fault"

Old Town Cafe' is Grass Valley's oldest continuous restaurant. The brick building was built in 1855 by the Grass Valley Lodge No. 12, Independent Order of Oddfellows, and has been owned by this organization for the past 142 years. N. Offenbach was a Merchant Tailor here at one time and in 1894 Harry Nathan purchased the business of his father, C. Nathan & Co., after having clerked in the store for a number of years. Mr. Nathan was born in Rough & Ready and came to Grass Valley when his father moved his business here. The business was one of the largest dry goods stores in Nevada County. Mr. Nathan later gained a new partner and renamed the business Morris & Nathan Drygoods. This was the first site of the Nevada County Bank before they built their new building at 131 Mill St. The original Bluebird Cafe was here for years before it became Johnny's Donut Shop & Cafe.