Delmonico’s Menu (Dodge City)

[Bearcarver]

Delmonico’s Menu (Dodge City)​

I’ve seen this many times, but I finally had a pen & paper at the time.
So I copied it down, so I could post it for you guys.
It’s not always the same, but in the same BallPark:

This is the folding Blackboard Sign, in front of Delmonico’s Restaurant, on “Gunsmoke”. The menu is written in Chalk, and occasionally changed.

Delmonico’s

Menu
Antelope Stew——35¢
Ham & Eggs———30¢
Ham Hocks----------30¢
Steak Dinner———40¢
Pie—per cut———10¢
Coffee—————----5¢


Bear

 

[SmokinAl]

I do remember .05 cent coffee. Gosh I’m old!
Al

 

[smokerjim]

Can't say I remember prices like that so Al must be older, guess I could be losing marbles though.

 

[Bearcarver]

I do remember .05 cent coffee. Gosh I’m old!
Al

I remember a few "Nickel Beer" nights, but I can't think of any 5¢ Coffee.
"Gunsmoke" is set in the 1890s, so even You weren't around that far back!!

Bear

 

[JLeonard]

Man for a buck you could get a good meal and tip the waitress pretty darn good.

Jim

 

[thirdeye]

At one point in time.... Antelope were almost as common as Buffalo, and there were herds of antelope in western Kansas. And.... since they only weigh about 130 pounds, I could see killing one animal for one batch of stew (probably frying the backstraps for a real delicacy). Ham, eggs and pie did not need refrigeration. All in all, looks like a good menu.

Here are some other good prices from yesteryear.

 

[Bearcarver]

Man for a buck you could get a good meal and tip the waitress pretty darn good.

Jim

Thank You Jim!!
We must not forget that it took the average guy all day long to make the Buck we're talking about, back in 1890.

Bear

 

[thirdeye]

We must not forget that it took the average guy all day long to make the Buck we're talking about, back in 1890.

Bear

A regular cowboy could make between $25 and $40 a month. A top hand maybe $50. I would think the wages for workers in other professions would be similar. Railroad workers had good benefits, not sure if the wages were higher??

 

[Gonna Smoke]

Can't say I remember prices like that so Al must be older, guess I could be losing marbles though.

Of all the things I've lost, I miss my mind the most...

 

[Bearcarver]

A regular cowboy could make between $25 and $40 a month. A top hand maybe $50. I would think the wages for workers in other professions would be similar. Railroad workers had good benefits, not sure if the wages were higher??

That's what I said.
I looked it up---Cowboys got about $1 per day, and that was a 10 hour day. Rail station, clerks, etc were all in the range of $1 to $1.70 per 10 hour day.
Plus I've seen thousands of westerns, and they all mention "A dollar a day & found", when hiring drovers for a drive they're forming.
Sheriff wasn't an hourly thing, but still generally was $30 a month, "if ya live that long."
However this thread was mainly to show what Diner's prices were in 1890.

Bear

 

[Colin1230]

Fun thread, Bear. I grew up 90 miles west of Dodge City, KS. Not much to see out there but what you do see you can eat. Cattle and farm ground for as far as you can see and flat as a pancake! There are still antelope herds in Eastern Colorado where there isn't as much tilled farm ground. My older brother still lives out there, I visit occasionally.

 

[sawhorseray]

Watched an episode of Gunsmoke the other day where some Irish guy opened a bar across the street from the Long Branch so Miss Kitty would go broke and have to marry him. Whisky for 10¢ a drink! RAY

 

[Bearcarver]

Can't say I remember prices like that so Al must be older, guess I could be losing marbles though.

I believe Al's older than water!!

Bear

 

[Bearcarver]

Fun thread, Bear. I grew up 90 miles west of Dodge City, KS. Not much to see out there but what you do see you can eat. Cattle and farm ground for as far as you can see and flat as a pancake! There are still antelope herds in Eastern Colorado where there isn't as much tilled farm ground. My older brother still lives out there, I visit occasionally.

That sounds interesting!!
I guess Miss Kitty is looking pretty rough these days!!

Bear

 

[sawhorseray]

Amanda Blake, aka Miss Kitty, died in Sacramento in 1989 John. Probably wouldn't even recognize these days! RAY

 

[Bearcarver]

Amanda Blake, aka Miss Kitty, died in Sacramento in 1989 John. Probably wouldn't even recognize these days! RAY

Yup---Amanda Blake died in 1989, and James Arness died in 2011, but Matt Dillon & Miss Kitty will never die! RIP James & Amanda.

Bear

 

[bbqbrett]

Watched an episode of Gunsmoke the other day where some Irish guy opened a bar across the street from the Long Branch so Miss Kitty would go broke and have to marry him. Whisky for 10¢ a drink! RAY

I saw that one not too long ago. Kitty was not happy!

 

[Colin1230]

That sounds interesting!!
I guess Miss Kitty is looking pretty rough these days!!

Bear

Now that is hilarious! Reason is my first cousin was Miss Kitty for 12 years singing and dancing for the tourists at Boot Hill.

 

[GaryHibbert]

You could sure get a full meal for the price back then, for about the same as it would cost now. But I'll pass on the antelope stew--tastes too much like goat for my liking.
Gary

 

[MJB05615]

Nice throwback, way back, John.