Giuseppe's Depot

This is Giuseppe's Depot, a popular local restaurant for at least 40 years. It's housed in the old Denver & Rio Grande train depot, which was decommissioned in 1971 (before that Giuseppe's was on Pikes Peak and Cascade). The Denver and Rio Grande passenger line may now be defunct, but the tracks that run by the depot are certainly still in heavy use. In certain dining areas in the restaurant you're right next to the train tracks, so you can watch the trains roll by as you eat.

When I graduated college I got a job at Giuseppe's as a busboy* (or busgirl, I should say), and I lasted about two or three weeks. It was really hard work. In other restaurant jobs I'd served mostly as a hostess. Busing tables is a lot closer to the lowest rung on the ladder, that's for certain -- just above dishwasher! But working at G's was a rite of passage for my generation it seems. Many of my friends were employed there at one time or another in their salad days.

As of last fall, Giuseppe's has transitioned from restaurant to events center, so now they host parties and events (such as weddings), rather than daily dining. I didn't know about this change in format. If I had, I would have taken the time to visit Giuseppe's for lunch one last time.

*[ For those unfamiliar with the term busboy: it's the person who cleans the dirty plates from the tables after the diners have finished eating. It's a dirty job but someone's gotta do it. ] ;o)

Here's a look at the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad depot in its heyday (this shot is taken from the back side of the building, so you can see the trains):