The silver bullet shaped building on the north side of Carbondale off of Highway 133, where the Red Rock Diner served burgers and fries for more than two decades, has harkened back to its origins, but with another twist. Not fried chicken this time, as the previous business in the space, Honey Butter, specialized in, but rather a mix of Mexican and American food makes up the menu of the recently opened 502 Diner.
Just like at the old-time restaurant, customers are greeted by friendly folks who are steadily getting to know their regulars. While it’s missing the quintessential ‘50s memorabilia, it seems to have that familiar feel.
Alan Justo manages the new diner and is akin to the face of the operation, while owner Edgar Cuc prefers to remain behind the scenes, being a modest character and perhaps a bit shy. But Cuc and his wife, Keila Valenzuela, are one heck of a business-minded power couple, owning a slew of other restaurants from Willits to Clifton, including: Casa Tequila in El Jebel, Daily Bread in Glenwood Springs and Dos Hombres in Clifton.
The 502 Diner gets its name from Guatemala’s country code, where Cuc grew up. However, other than the breakfast and traditional diner options, the menu consists of Mexican-style recipes.
While he’s stacked up a number of restaurants, Cuc got his start in construction here in the Valley. Justo and Cuc balance each other out and have discussed going into business together since they first met several years ago at a local gym.
Justo worked at the notorious Boogie’s Diner in Aspen for many years, so he knows the food and the culture. He said that it was important to the team to honor the original Red Rock Diner, and that his favorite item on the menu — despite all that time working at Boogie’s — happens to be the cheeseburger.
The Mexican food specialties, which make up the bulk of the menu, are tantalizing to the senses and when, say, the chicken, having been roasted whole for a couple of hours, reaches the table it is so tender it falls right off of the bone. Having grown up in Mexico, this side of the menu reminds Justo of home, but perhaps with less spice.
According to the owner, the 502 Diner’s breakfast menu is influenced by Daily Bread’s. Justo recommends, and this critic agrees, the chilaquiles as a solid breakfast choice, which comes with red or green sauce or can be made Christmas style. The mimosas are quite popular and just as diverse as the menu, with natural flavors such as watermelon, peach, strawberry, orange and others.
Business has been a little slow, Justo explained, with breakfast seeing more traffic than later in the day, which he said might be due to the previous establishment’s hours being 8am to 2pm. Now, 502 is open from 7am to 9pm, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner.
There’s been a combination of Latino and Anglos coming through the doors, but mostly the latter. While some customers have pointed out that the menu isn’t that of a traditional diner, it’s certainly unique and not a replica of another restaurant in the area. In a way, it’s a melting pot of the Valley’s demographic and satisfies its various palates.
Before opening, the team did a two-month deep clean and remodel, replacing seating and much of the kitchen equipment. They haven’t done a lot of promotion, other than social media posts, so business has mostly been from word of mouth or passersby. There are about eight employees, and Justo said that keeping them content is a top priority. Because keeping the team happy means keeping the customers happy, he added.
So belly on up to the bar or slide into a booth at Carbondale’s new melting pot, the 502 Diner. For a menu and more details, visit www.502Diner.com