If the landmark Joe & Aggie’s Cafe in Holbrook, Arizona, ever reopens, it probably won’t be as a restaurant.
That means folks who dined there in the fall of 2020 might have enjoyed among the last meals served in Holbrook’s oldest restaurant before it quietly closed. According to Joe & Aggie’s long-dormant Facebook page, the restaurant opened in 1943 along Route 66.
Cindy Tafoya, director of the Holbrook Chamber of Commerce, recently provided a bit of clarity about the admitted murky Joe & Aggie’s situation. That’s because the operators, Steven and his sister Kim Gallegos, are relatives of hers.
“They closed due to COVID, and reopening at reduced capacity was not feasible. They only opened for a short period of time,” Tafoya wrote in an email.
“They also lost their father, Stanley right before all this had happened,” she added. “As time went on, the reality of starting anew was more than they were willing to take on. Steve has decided to retire. He stated that they are throwing around ideas of what they may potentially open in the future, which does not include food service.”
Tafoya refers to the restaurant’s longtime owner, Stanley Gallegos, who died at age 82 in September 2020. Stanley in 1958 married Alice Montano, a daughter of restaurant founders Joe and Aggie Montano. Stanley also ran a barbershop in one section of the building for about 60 years.
Tafoya said she would pass along my contact information to Steve, but I hadn’t heard from him.
Stanley Gallegos’ obituary also stated he was the inspiration to Stanley, the founder of the fictional Route 66 town of Radiator Springs in Disney-Pixar’s 2006 animated film “Cars.”
This video from 2019 explains the “Cars” link well, where Stanley makes an appearance:
Anthony Reichardt a few years ago also posted video footage he shot during the 1990s of Joe & Aggie’s:
Joe & Aggie’s also suffered a blow when Mary Linda Gabaldon, daughter of the restaurant’s founders, died at 83 in July 2020.
According to Navajo County records, the Joe & Aggie’s complex at 120 W. Hopi Drive (aka Route 66) is behind on its property taxes by more than $700, including interest. The cash value of the entire complex is about $31,000. Technically, it’s owned by the Stanley Gallegos estate.
Cindy Allen, an employee in the county assessor’s office, said the family filed a death certificate for Stanley Gallegos in September 2021, which means the property likely will go into probate.
Allen also noted several restaurants in Holbrook have been operating at reduced hours — including Joe & Aggie’s before it closed — because of a lack of employees.
Joe & Aggie’s for years merited a mention of the longstanding Roadfood.com because of its “blend of Mexican, New Mexican, Texican, Navajo, and American food that is unique to the southwest.”
I’m going to miss Joe & Aggie’s. We always made a point of stopping there if we had time in Holbrook and greatly enjoyed it. The restaurant didn’t tone down the spiciness of its meals, either.
UPDATE 1/11/2022: Kimberly Gallegos on Monday answered an email asking about the restaurant’s closure:
“Yes, we are closed right now. We closed when the pandemic hit and with some of our equipment going down and the death of my Aunt Mary (My Mom sister) then the Death of my Dad. I’ve had a hard time trying to get up and get started Again. But it’s a New Year and after starting out Sick I’m gonna do my very best to bring my place back up before the season around here starts again.”
(Image of Joe & Aggie’s Cafe in Holbrook, Arizona, in 2012 by Lisa Jacobs via Flickr)
That really is a bummer…they had some of the best food anywhere, along the mother road. Sad to see it’s gone.
stan cut my hair as well as my dads for years. always a great haircut,
condolences to the family
Eating at Joe & Aggie’s Cafe was a quintessential part of the Holbrook Route 66 experience, along with the Wig Wam Motel and the nearby national parks. I ate supper there in Spring 2014 and was treated well, with excellent food and service. Sorry it won’t be open for my next visit.
They could never compete with Romo’s Mexican food which is across the street. Sucks because I always thought Joe & Aggies was 10x’s better. They just needed more exposure, more advertisements. Maybe they should’ve contacted Jon Taffey from Bar Rescue.