By Mike Hazlip—
The Lodge coffee shop on Auburn Boulevard is the kind of place locals know about and out-of-towners only find by accident, but the iconic A-frame building has been a fixture in Citrus Heights for the past six decades.
The building is a prime specimen of vintage architecture, complete with lava rock on the exterior that re-emerges as a fireplace in the interior. A fish tank now sits where logs once blazed. Built during the rise in popularity of A-frame construction, the building itself is unique enough, but it’s the salt-of-the-earth regulars that give this restaurant its flavor.
County records indicate a construction date of 1962 for The Lodge, located at 8191 Auburn Blvd. A 1965 telephone directory lists the location as “Lodge Coffee Shops Inc,” according to the local historical society.
The coffee house is owned by Yunhee Wilhelm and has been in her family for about 40 years. The septuagenarian was busy in the kitchen during a recent visit from The Sentinel, and directed interview questions to staff member Leslie Suga.
Wilhelm’s husband passed away about five years ago, but the hard working owner is still going strong, cooking most menu items from scratch, said Suga. She uses fresh potatoes for the hash browns, and makes the gravy from scratch.
The food, service and atmosphere of the restaurant have earned The Lodge an average 4-out-of-5 stars from more than 100 reviewers on Yelp. Diners comment positively about large portions, good coffee and friendly servers, although some complain of slow service.
At less than two years working at the restaurant, Suga said many of the regulars knew the restaurant better than she did when she first started. She started providing them with their own coffee mugs, and the collection has grown in recent months.
“When I first started, the customers trained me how to work,” Suga said, recalling that she had previously applied, but was finally asked to work after another server was injured. “I got called in to work here after five years of applying, and I come in here and the customers would sit at the table and tell me how to work.”
The Lodge was short-staffed on the day The Sentinel dropped in for a visit, as the employee tasked with washing dishes didn’t come in for work. Seeing the need, one of the regulars went back and started washing plates so the staff could keep up with orders. He later insisted on paying for his meal over the objections of the staff.
Customers won’t find some of the same menu items that more popular chain restaurants offer. There’s no espresso machine, but Suga said the regulars treat the staff well, even if service slows as Wilhelm works to keep up with the orders in the two-person kitchen.
“You have to be understanding of the place too,” she said. “It’s not going to be Denny’s and it’s not going to be IHOP.”
As indicated by a sign out front, the restaurant is also only open for breakfast and lunch, so those seeking a dinner menu will have to search elsewhere.
The Lodge offers a military discount, and Suga said many of the regulars are veterans. There’s Bob, who Suga said has been known to buy lunch for everyone, and Mark, a former Navy SEAL. Several of the regulars stop by more than once in a day, she said.
Carmela Deckard said she has been coming to The Lodge for a quarter century. Deckard said she remembers when the restaurant was owned by Wilhelm’s cousin. She said her late husband and Air Force veteran, Milton Deckard, was another regular. He passed away in 2013, and a news clipping from his obituary is still displayed on a sign on a wall behind the counter.
Another server, Denise Richert, brought some regulars from another cafe when she started working at The Lodge.
“I’ve been waiting tables for 46 years, I’m like a machine,” Richert said.
Wilhelm began working as a server at The Lodge more than 20 years ago working with her family, according to Suga. She said Wilhelm hopes to keep the restaurant in the family, but her son isn’t interested in continuing the family business.
“We’re serving our friends here,” Suga said of the customers.
When asked why he keeps coming back, regular customer Doug Shearer perhaps said it best, “Good food, good people, we know everybody.”
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