If you drive past the intersection of Staples and Comanche, you might catch a whiff of the mouthwatering smells flowing out from Comanche Corner Cafe, where delicious, freshly baked kolaches are served almost every day.
Comanche Corner Cafe was only open for five months before the pandemic hit in 2020. Owner Ricci Neer describes the cafe’s humble beginnings and how COVID-19 changed the fledgling business: “It’s been a work in progress,” she said. “We actually used to scoop our dough with ice cream scoops, and that’s how we measured them out. People started ordering dozens at a time, though, and they’d have to wait for long periods of time because it took us forever to make them. The pandemic impacted us economically, but with the help of a small loan we got a dough splitter. Now, we are able to weigh big portions of dough and split it into pieces that are easier for us to roll into kolaches.”
These improvements meant getting kolaches into hands much quicker — like the most popular brisket kolache, stuffed with shredded smoked beef and Boar’s Head cheese, or a pulled pork kolache with smoked Gouda. The menu also features breakfast kolaches of bacon, egg and cheese or chorizo, egg and cheese, with the latter’s spicy sausage sourced from Boarri Craft Butchery, which is located just up the road.
Comanche Corner Cafe makes everything from scratch as much as possible, from smoking the meat to homemade sides and barbecue sauce to self-brined jalapenos and pickles. Inside this little corner cafe, in addition to tasty flavors, you’ll also find caring community service. For those in need, the cafe’s D Cup Program offers a complimentary cup of soup to women who are overcoming a crisis, pregnant, new mothers or undergoing chemotherapy or surgery of any sort.
“People in this community have been good to us in helping our doors to stay open. We wouldn’t have been able to do it without the support of our customers and our community,” Neer said gratefully. “I’ve always wanted to figure out a way to get a hot cup of comfort to a woman in crisis. That’s such a private matter and it’s difficult to leave those types of situations. I want people to be able to come and get a complimentary cup if they need it every day we’re open.”
Comanche Corner Cafe’s signature barn red color, intoxicating smells and delicious offerings — and Neer’s unbeatable hospitality — make this local joint one of the best pit stops you’ll make all day.
Contact:
322 N Staples St | comanchecafe.com
