by John Dowd, Editor
Hamilton is the seat of the valley, and home to the largest airport in the valley. A person might expect a lot of the pilots that fly through there to remember the mountain views or the quaint small-town feel. However, for many, it might be the little cafe on the airstrip.
The Hangar Cafe is tucked away just across from the main landing strip, with a great view of every landing. Ashley Hale, owner for 15 years, said it is definitely an interesting place to work.
The Hangar Cafe is located right at the entrance to the Hamilton Airport, and looks out over the main runway. Photo by John Dowd.
Right out the window, customers can watch planes landing on the runway, and when the helicopters hover nearby, the windows will vibrate. “It’s pretty cool,” said Hale. For her, it is also a lot of fun to see the “excitement on the kid’s faces,” watching the aircraft move about the airport while they eat. In fact, the most coveted seats in the place are the few window seats, which many call to try to reserve.
The space was remodeled from an old airplane hangar by her father, and he opened it as a cafe in 2005. He was an aspiring pilot, and loved to fly. Ironically, Ashley Hale has never been a fan of flying. On the other hand, Vonnie McDonald, who has been the head server and employee with the cafe for over seven years, loves getting in the air. “I like flying and I like going fast,” she said.
As well as the pilots, the cafe regularly sees several retired military folks and firefighters. Hale said there seem to be a lot of local people who don’t like the fact that the airport is there, but in times like fire season, “we’re lucky to have them right here.” The pilots of the helicopter crews are common, and sometimes they don’t even have the time to finish their food. McDonald added, “When they have to go, they have to go.” The cafe tries to really honor those firefighters, and there is a special corner filled with photos given to the cafe by firefighters doing what they do.
Though a lot of pilots do go through the cafe, the place prides itself on a loyal local customer base. “You start to all become family,” said Hale. Many of the regulars even help stack the firewood for the wood stove, inside, or replace the flags out in front of the cafe when they get old and tattered.
The cafe has become a regular hangout for several in the community.
It has even become a local hangout for a few high school boys, who have their own “office space.” As Hale explained, “I’d rather have them hang out here than out on the roads, especially in the winter time.”
Hale is the cook, owner, accountant and everything in between. “It can get overwhelming for sure, but you just keep going.” She is the only cook after her husband died. His name was Paul and he started the business with her, as the cook. He was a chef and volunteered to take it over from Ashley’s father under their name in 2010, but Paul died in 2013. “I never once thought I’d be working in a commercial kitchen,” said Hale, who has had to adjust and figure things out after the sudden passing.
Hangar Cafe owner Ashley Hale, and head server Vonnie McDonald stand in the main dining space of the cafe. Photo by John Dowd.
It was truly family operated. Hale recalled that when her husband was still around, she was the server, and they even had one of her sons in a high chair in the back. They lived in an apartment adjacent to the cafe.
The food they serve is normal cafe food including burgers, salads and breakfast. (The Hangar Cafe was recently voted “Best Breakfast in the Bitterroot.”) Many of the dish names have an aviation twist. The “Glider Omelet,” and the “Spruce Goose Burger” are popular options, and there is a whole “Top Gun” section of the menu, housing some of the more popular dishes.
The ceiling is decorated with huge model airplanes and the walls are covered in aviation photos taken by the pilots that visit. For those that visit the airport, it is a great place to stop in. For those that don’t have a reason to go out to the airport, they might now find a good one.
The main dining space of the cafe sports an old Ravalli County Airport sign, among numerous other aviation memorabilia. Photo by John Dowd.
The Hangar Cafe is open Wednesday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. They only serve breakfast and lunch food, but breakfast is served all day. They start serving lunch at 10:30 a.m.
Interested parties can follow Hangar Cafe on Facebook. The phone number is (406) 363-4478.