Reply to Trailside Cafe & Bike Shop (Rocheport)

AVOID AT ALL COSTS! I am referring to the Trailside Cafe and have no experience with the
Bike Shop. The employees are very rude and apathetic. You stand in line to order. We
were 4th in line and waited for over 20 minutes! When it was finally our turn and we saw
the food that was coming from the grill we decided to buy candy bars and juice and
headed on our way. The food looked nasty and the employees rude so we won't ever
return. I had a quaint little restaurant pictured in my mind but it really turned out to be a
gas station in the hood type of place. Next trip we are going to try the Rocheport General
Store in hopes of finding decent food and heaven forbid employees that are friendly to
those that keep them in business.
DON'T STOP AT THE TRAILSIDE CAFE...except to use their dirty toilets.

I've eaten there dozens of times and have enjoyed it every single time. I advice people to
stop there and enjoy yourself.

Its no 4 star New York City restaurant but I enjoy it.

As is the case often when we have an expectation or a preconceived notion....."I had a quaint little restaurant pictured in my mind but it really turned out to be...."

It is no bistro on the hill, but probably never was meant to be either. It's a great place to stop after being out on the trail.

I've stopped several times and it has been satisfactory. You can't beat the location on the trail, but the service is definitely SLOW and often apathetic (at best) in my opinion. That said - I'll stop again if I am hungry.

After reading your comment about "being friendly to those that keep them in business"; I'd kind of like to know how you propose to do that. You won't spend any money there, you diss them here, and to top it off you are an expense by using their "dirty bathrooms".
Typically, the ones that complain about them are the ones that have dirtied them. Now the owner has to clean up behind you and there is no income to cover that expense. I'm sure he would want to be friendly to you and the next like you.

Good point Doug. Quite typical of the public, many of which are rude and expect something for nothing. Society owes them.

I had the good fortune of meeting the owner of the Trailside several years ago through a mutual friend. I stop and visit with him every pass through Rocheport that I can. My family and I have spent time in Rocheport every October for several years. We wear Trailside shirts and buy what we can from them, including food. It’s a great stop to make in a quaint little town.

Several years ago I was dying at the trailhead in McBaine when a young woman rode up and asked for help with a flat tire on her boyfriends rental bike a few miles back. It was hot and buggy out, but I back tracked with her to help. What I got was to fix the tube while the bf stood and complained about having a flat. I tried to get him to help/learn but it wasn’t in the cards. It was like pulling teeth to get him to pump the tire up even after I fixed the tire, gave her GU and offered water.

I told Larry later that afternoon that I did a cobble job for him out on the trail. Oddly enough, he told me that when the couple returned the bikes they demanded a refund because they had to take the bike to a shop and pay to have the flat fixed.

The only pay I got was a good laugh with Larry……and a memory of how rude the public can be.

We have found the Trailside to be a welcome stop when riding the Katy. Even if the service can be a bit slow, the buffalo burger we had was excellent. We were hearing a 'strange noise' on one of our bikes and the man at the bike shop nextdoor was very helpfull. The convenience of having eats and bike repair when you need it literally on the trail far outways any minor inconveniences.

I stopped at the Trailside Cafe in 1998. The temperature that day was 97 degrees and I was beat. The owner was very friendly, mentioned that if waited until dusk that I could set up my tent in a grassy area at the end of the parking lot and the trail ranger would not bother me as they were riders also. I didn't feel like I could continue to the next campground and did as he suggested. I had a very needed and restful night before continuing the next day. It's not a 4 star restaurant but then they don't claim to be one. Their food was good, as I recall there was a bit of a wait, but after several miles out on the trail, the wait wasn't an inconvience for me. Their location sure can't be beat, very convenient, right along the trail. They get my recommendation

I can appreciate some of these responses here, however I have found the majority of
people on the trail in that stretch to be very friendly and courteous. In response to some
of the employees of the Trailside Cafe that posted on here: I always try to stop at locally
owned establishments and spend my money there to help the little guy. I am a gentleman
and do not post things often. I also always give the benefit of the doubt to restaurants
and staff due to working in them during my college years. I treat others with respect. My
experience was as I posted at the start of this thread. I am not looking for a debate but
since I was attacked for posting my experience I felt compelled to respond. For you guys
that have positive experiences there ..good for you. I want everyone to be aware that that
is not always the case and I stand on my comments that the employees were downright
rude. When someone disrespects my wife and I your going to hear from me. To the
employees posting.... constructive criticism is warranted and you all know it. Treat your
customers politely and they will return.

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't there a bathroom at the trailhead not associated with the eating establishment that can be used by cyclists? So I suppose if you aren’t going to purchase then the polite thing to do is simply leave.
Our Boy Scout troop stopped in Rocheport a few weeks ago and used what I believe to be the trail head facilities. The boys also purchased snacks at the Trailside and commented on how wonderful the cafe was; I thought it was quaint.
I too adhere to a fairly strict local patronage principle and now am quite determined to recheck the Trailside for myself. I think a buffalo burger might be in order. It would be nice to enjoy one that I haven’t prepared myself. ;-)
Well I guess to each his/her own.

I might have believed Local wasn't treated as nice as he could have been before his last posting, but after claiming to be responding to posts by employees I am forced to doubt the veracity of ALL of his statements. Trek, if I missed something please let me know as I can't find a post here from an employee.

Local from Columbia - you felt attacked here for posting your experience at the trail side cafe? Really? I took your initial comment as a vicious attach on the trail side cafe and that everyone else here was posting their positive experiences or at least agreeing that one should not expect it to be a four star restaurant.

Your feeling attacked here speaks volumes on what may have transpired that day.

Seems rather confusing to me. Someone, by their own choice "waited for over 20 minutes!" and it took all that time to get a look at the food coming off the grill. Come on now dude! You're the one that had the preconceived notion of what the place was supposed to be like and I doubt that someone forced you into waiting for 20 minutes with an exclamation point!

Most of us in this world have the right of free will. We can wait in line for 20 minutes! and pay no attention to the product being served and then complain about our disappointments.....or we can exercise our free will and cut and run from the line in 2 minutes because we've discovered that the wait is too long and the food didn't look good. At that point no one needs to go online and write a negative post that could potentially harm a local Katy business. We need to be supportive of the businesses that cater to the trail users. After a ride of miles upon miles, most of us are looking for that local business. And honestly, after a long ride 20 minutes of standing can be fantastic. Your post is not indicative that you are a rider though.

To my knowledge none of the above posters work for the Trailside. It would be an impossible commute for me for sure.

I vote with the defense. Been to the cafe and bike shop many times, it is one of the highlights.

I was with the DNR ride last week and ate lunch at this cafe. I found it to be acceptable, a typical eatery/bikeshop with a convenient location. The restroom was old but clean (7 out of 10 scale) with hand-soap and paper towel.

While my experience differs somewhat from "Local from Columbia", I am not forcing my opinion on him. He and his wife probably had a bad experience with the cafe, and we should just leave it at that. I hope "Local from Columbia" will continue to post on this board (positive and negative) as he experiences it.

I just rode the Katy Trail for the first time, including renting bikes from the Trailside Cafe and Bike Shop. It was a wonderful experience. The bike shop employee, Lane, was patient and helpful. Let us try out a recumbant, but we chose regular bikes. He adjusted the seat (we rode both directions, so stopped by the shop again).
After riding almost 60 miles...it sure was fun..I had a delicious chocolate ice cream cone. Everyone was friendly, no wait, courteous. Frankly, we even tipped Lane because the overall experience was delightful. Guess I'll be sore tomorrow, as I haven't ridden a bike in a year..but it was a superb day and I really enjoyed the Trailside Cafe.

Another supporter of the place here. Yeah, there can be a wait, but the food is pretty good. Ok, I'm only basing this on four or five stops over the last few years. That may not be enough for me to recomend it, but it is better than giving such a declarative review based on one sampling.

And the preconceived notion thing is never a good idea. If I followed that, I would never have had Tai at Coopers landing. the last place you would ever expect to find good Tia food just from looking.

I live in a tourist town, and I may have personaly ruined a few folks vacations/opinions over the years because of a few personal bad days. You just cannot always be on the top of your gung ho customer service game. But most of the bad attitudes I have given were a reflection of what I got. On other off days, friendly happy people made mine better, and I could smile back even though I really did not want to be there. Just some thoughts/experience.

After having read the June 7 post of "Local from Columbia" I was hesitant to stop at the Trailside Cafe on my first Katy ride, yesterday. But, a fellow rider insisted we stop here as she had prior positive experience with both the food and staff. So glad we did! After a 50+ mile ride, we stopped in for a post-ride snack. We had eaten a light lunch in Harstburg, and so we were just needing a snack. Ordered the fries, which were great! Service was friendly... not slow and rude as implied. This is a nice trail-side diner with plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. So, it's NOT an elegent dining experience... but I don't see where they claim to be. It's mom-and-pop style "fast food" with a decent menu, including desserts, hand scooped ice cream, and snacks. If they're busy and the service takes a few extra minutes, I would suggest using the time to browse the bike shop or take a short stroll to give your bumm a break :) To me, biking the Katy Trail and stopping along the way at these convenient businesses that support the trail's users is all about CHILLING OUT. Wish I lived closer to the trail so I could enjoy CHILLING more often!

We often ride from Jeff City to Rocheport & in the past 5 years have never had any problems. Yes, if the trail is busy, service is a little slow, but that's to be expected. Their homemade brownies with ice cream ROCK!!!!

Our experience was negative. I guess it might depend on when and who is working because
employees were rude and the food mediocre. General Store a couple blocks away is the place
to go. Good luck.

Doug from Bluffton....since you seem so sensitive to open honest feedback...

1st post:
I just wanted to let you know that on my original post I stated use their dirty bathrooms as
a point of sarcasm and in jest. We use the trailhead restrooms. I was trying to find
anything positive about the Trailside Cafe.

2nd post:
Doubting the "veracity" of all my comments? Well Doug I simply stated my experience to
benefit other riders that might not be aware of this place and then after being questioned
on my own behavior and courtesy decided to again post a comment in jest regarding
"employees posting here".

You can take my honest comments or leave them since this is an open board. I have not
attacked any specific person but rather a business that needs it. I will continue to post
both POSITIVE experiences and negative experiences on the trail. I post to help out other
riders and am not motivated to diminish any business that appreciates customers and
treats them properly. I can take good food and rude employees......or even bad food and
friendly employees.....but not bad food and rude employees. Isn't that fair?

I'm glad others have had a better experience and hope it continues. Usually honest
opinions and word of mouth is important to businesses. My mouth will continue to flap....
(Doug- more sarcasm buddy)

Local from Columbia, Not Bluffton...your posts are with great passion.

Many of us post about the eateries......and the trail, bikes, riding in the heat, where to find bike equipment, etc, etc. Do you do reviews on any topics other than food and food service?

Hey, LOCAL....sorry your were disappointed...Trailside is a great place-
-both the bike shop and the cafe. Give them another try...keep a
positive attitude. Life is too short!

Trek:

Your point is? To answer your question yes. My posts are about 98% positive on about
everything about the great Katy Trail. Food is the very least of my concerns regarding trail
topics. I make one negative comment about my experience at Trailside Cafe (not Trailside
Bike Shop) and people get upset with me??? Obviously they may be friends of folks that
post here but it is what it is....

Now you and Doug might consider accepting new posters like myself rather than being so
defensive about negative posts on this board. Constructive criticism is a good thing not
bad....it makes us all better. Please consider my constructive criticism regarding newbies.

Now back to the GREAT KATY TRIAL....the GREAT SCENERY...the GREAT CONDITION OF
THE TRAIL....the GREAT WILDLIFE...and even the GREAT FOOD PLACES....(other than
Trailside Cafe) .....which I will give another try ......and post either my POSITIVE or negative
experiences...

Just wanted to say that I appreciate all comments. Thank you LOCAL for letting us know about your experience. It's ridiculous that you can't comment your true experience on the "comment" board.

I came to this site because my husband and I are planning our first ride on the Katy Trail. I hope that the people we may meet on our trip are friendlier than the ones who have responded to the initial poster. Sounds like he had a bad experience and wanted to share it. For someone like me who came here for information, it's helpful to hear experiences from those who have "been there, done that." I gotta say though, I'm now curious and can't wait to eat at the trailside cafe, if for no other reason than to see what all the debate is about. Looking forward to our ride.

after reading all the comments, i thot i'd toss in my 2 cents worth. i have stopped by and eaten at the trailside cafe a couple-- three times. never had a bad experience there. that is not to say someone else did not. the staff has been friendly, helpful, the food is what you'd expect at an establishment such as this. it was good, what i needed at the time, was fairly priced, and the service was good each time i stopped there.

tis is not to say anyone else did not have a bad experience. and what someone calls a bad experience is not what the next person would.

if you read the other comments, some folks think abigails is the ultimate in places to eat, others don't. i have never been there, so i do not know.

point to all this is, unless each of us was there to experience what local from columbia did, we do not know what the entire situation was.

chill out folks, and each needs to experience each place on our own.

stay safe, happy bikin.

I've been burned on here as well, for sharing opinions that the regulars didn't deem acceptable (regarding shooting ranges next to the trail). So even though I've had good, mediocre and bad kinds of service at Trailside over the years (seemed like the best service they had was way back in the early '90s, but I've never had a horrendous experience there), my sympathies are wholeheartedly with the initial poster for being unfairly castigated on here.

My sympathies are with those that are compelled to make posts that include statements such as "AVOID AT ALL COSTS!" and "DON'T STOP AT THE TRAILSIDE CAFE" when they discover that the place did not meet their "quaint little restaurant" perception.

I just simply don't believe it reasonable and prudent to tell anyone to avoid someplace at all costs because it didn't meet my expectation.

It's okay to voice an opinion and it's also okay to disagree.

Trek = board moderator?

Just give it up and let the man voice his opinion. You give substance to it by continuing to respond...

No.....not a board moderator.....just a poster with an opinion like every other opinion here. Someone forcing you to read this or any other post??

I agree with you "over and out" from Columbia. I'm done posting about this and think I stated
my opinion clearly...like it or not.

To each his own... I am planning on giving them another try, and will gladly retract my
comments if I am wrong about my..how does it go...expectations and perception problems
on my part. If it's good you will hear about it, and if it's bad....well you will hear about it.
Happy trails...

"I am planning on giving them another try"

I thought we should AVOID AT ALL COSTS, and now you're going back?

What has this world come to, when you can't believe the dramatic ramblings of an anonymous poster on a tiny forum?

Have fun. I've eaten their maybe 2 or 3 times, and it's always been OK.

Just returned from a computer-free vacation and was surprised to see this thread still active. I think everyone has had a chance to express their views, so I'm going to close this thread before it turns ugly. Thanks to all for sharing your opinions!