The Canvas Cafe

Nice small place, very friendly staff, producing good food. The cook even came out to see if we liked our special order. No AC. Also no liquor license, so we had to walk a half-​block up the street to get beers, but a small price to pay for a nice meal and total experience.

We had to stop and grab a bite to eat, We were starving, lol … This looked like a kewl small place to stop at. It was definitely very cute and homely and definitely homemade goodness. Everyone was friendly and nice. The girls were cute :) It was great when the customers and employees started signing all together to classic rock music playing in the café, which I thought was great! I would definitely come back again and recommend this place to everyone that stops in town. Loved the different style of tables and decorations in the café. Different and unique which I totally enjoyed especially being into art and creativeness.

Awesome experience! You have to ask about the blank canvas… the chef will be creative!!!

Had a wonderful dining experience here a couple weekends back!
My girlfriend and I were spending the day in VC, and decided to drop in this place for some lunch …
ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!
I totally love the concept… No menu, the chef comes out and speaks with you about allergies, what you like, what you dont, and what youre craving… then he goes back in the kitchen, and whips up something fresh for you, almost on a whim. SO COOL!
My friend and I gave a vague description of what we like, and what we were craving, and he delivered the perfect dish.
It was very exciting to see what we were going to be served, and the fact that it was so delicious was just cherries!
I will be back soon, with a group of friends!

A standard breakfast of scrambled eggs, 4 slices of thick-​cut bacon, buttered sourdough toast, and breakfast potatoes hit the spot. The scrambled eggs were perfectly fluffy. The thick cut bacon strips were amazing and 4 slices at that. You’re lucky to get 2 – 3 thinly sliced strips at any chain restaurant. The sourdough toast was toasted and buttered just right. The thinly sliced red potatoes were thoroughly cooked and seasoned to perfection. It was definitely a power-​packed breakfast to start another very cold morning. Rating: ⁵⁄₅
Omelet of the Day’s combination choice was given to Chef Richard. He made an omelet of mushrooms, bacon, smoked salmon, and parmesan cheese. It was served with buttered sourdough toast and breakfast potatoes. The omelet had a lot of flavors packed into it from the salty thick-​cut bacon to the smoky flavor from the salmon. The mushrooms added texture and body to the omelet while the parmesan added a strong cheesy flavor without all of the oily gooeyness. Another well-​built breakfast! Rating: ⁵⁄₅

Came with a group of friends. We sat outside. Alexandria was our waitress. The conversation and food was great. Would recommend if in town. She gave us some good recommendations as to what to do in town. The only reason i wouldn’t give 5 stars, is my eggs and bacon were a little undercooked for my taste. I like both well-​done! But, it isn’t anything they couldn’t fix if I had asked. Definitely worth a stop by.

When entertaining guests from east of the Mississippi, a tour of Virginia City’s old-​timey saloons and a walk through the gravestones of Boot Hill is a must for tales of the Old West. So it was during a visit by my daughter’s New Jersey sweetheart we ended up at one of VC’s funkiest eateries, the Canvas Café.
With cups of colored chalk on the tables for spontaneous creativity – and walls covered with art for sale – the joint was hopping with live music and animated conversation on a Sunday afternoon. Large mugs of hot chocolate and strong coffee helped cut the chill of a bitingly-​cold December day ($ 1.95).
Seafood chowder was the was soup of the day, though the «cup» I received was a very modern, ovoid bowl containing at least a pint of soup ($ 3.50). Unlike most gravy-​esque chowders served out west, this broth reminded me of chowder I was served in a Martha’s Vineyard café. Just slightly thickened with a terrific balance of seasoning and seafood including shrimp, salmon, and chopped clam, as well as a couple whole clams on the shell. The only seafood chowder I’ve enjoyed more was that made by my New Englander mother-​in-​law.
Doubling-​down on the ocean theme of my brunch, I chose an Oscar benedict with home fries ($ 12.95). A split and toasted English muffin was covered in tasty crab meat, then topped with a poached egg and hollandaise sauce. The sauce tasted fresh with not too much butter and a bright lemon note. The square-​shaped eggs let the rest of the dish down a bit, as one was cooked clear through and the other had just a bit of run to the yolk. It’s easier for this to happen when using a poaching pan – really a form of double-​boiler – rather than suspending the eggs in water. The menu indicated the potatoes were baked rather than fried, which explains the lack of browning or crispness. The diced spuds were just a tad undercooked for my taste, but their seasoning and a dip in the hollandaise made up for it.
My daughter – a chip off the old block – also ordered a cup of chowder with some bread ($ 3.50). I think she enjoyed it even more than I. Her boyfriend ordered steak and eggs with home fries and toast ($ 14.95). It was only when our food arrived we realized the server hadn’t asked how he’d like it cooked. Regardless, the eggs were done perfectly over-​medium, and the peppered hunk of sirloin was dead-​on medium rare. The potatoes on his dish had a bit more color than mine, but I didn’t get a comparison taste because that young man eats faster than anyone I’ve ever seen. He seemed pretty pleased with his selection.
Offered along with the daily specials is something truly special, the Blank Canvas. Our server explained that you simply tell the chef what you like to eat, choose how much you’re willing to pay, and he’ll create something for you. My son – always up to try new things – jumped at this option without hesitation. He was invited back to the kitchen to consult with the chef, to whom he said, «I pretty much like everything you have here.» This brought a tear of pride to my epicurean eye; there are few things worse than dining with a picky eater.
Having agreed to a $ 12.95 dish, my son was presented with a breakfast he’s not soon to forget. A housemade, lightly-​grilled biscuit was set atop a pool of hollandaise, topped with a poached egg, two slices of thick-​cut bacon, a petite sirloin steak, and a clamshell filled with clam, shrimp, and salmon. As I write this I’m still amazed that dish was served for just $ 13.
With plans for dinner service and sushi Sundays during the summer months, this creative little spot is a welcome addition to a town known more for bars and western kitsch than creative cuisine.

Really excellent food! The breakfast burrito is awesome. I love the décor and service too, I come here for the Virginia City Hillclimb.

Excellent service! We sat outside since we had our pup in tow, and they brought her water. We had eaten earlier in the day, so we ordered one dish to share between the two of us. They knew we were sharing and even split out the portions onto two separate plates!
I’ll definitely stop in the next time I’m in Virginia City.

A very pleasant alternative to other touristy restaurants and divey bars on main street. My wife and I had lunch on a week day in early October and sat outside. We had a chicken pesto sandwich and a blackened shrimp wrap. They were fabulous! Should be a five stars rating but I gave three stars for the condition of the toilet and the inappropriate response of the server.
There were no paper towels in the restroom. When I tried to dislodge the second spare roll in the recesses of the dispenser, I was unsuccessful and cut my finger on the serrated edge. When I alerted the server about this, she said that this happens a lot to customers and that they have no bandaids. She did not show empathy, did not apologize, and did nothing about it.

Great little place in Virginia city we were there with another couple great service, friendly staff, & good food everybody was happy with there selection. Portions were about average and coffee was great I recommend this place to anyone looking for a great breakfast in VC.

Went for breakfast because one of the locals told us they had good eggs benedict.
Service was fine, no big complaints there.
Food was not all that good though. My husband ordered the sausage and egg plate — he asked for links but ended up with patties, which he said were ok. His potatoes were a little on the raw side.
I ordered the classic benedict. When I got it, the hollendaise was cold, and very bland. Eggs weren’t cooked enough (yes, I know they are supposed to be a little runny, but these still had gooey whites and the yolk was way more runny than they should be) and it came with bacon — which wasn’t a big deal, but when I think «classic eggs benedict» I think of ham. My potatoes were good, but I do like mine a little on the harder side. They were a little under seasoned though.
We’re not very picky people, and didn’t think anything was bad enough it was worth complaining about at the restaurant. It’s a nice building, I liked the art and atmosphere, and the service was alright, but we were not impressed by the food at all. Especially for the price, way too expensive for the quality.

On Saturday morning, this restaurant was only one open at 7am. They actually open at 6am and we needed some coffee. Their coffee is their own blend and is roaster at The Roasters. The coffee was strong and delicious! My husband and I had their breakfast. I had the Classic Eggs Benedict and my husband had eggs, bacon and oven potatoes. It was filling and good. I prefer my hollandaise sauce to be more lemony, but this was a decent sauce. They so had cinnamon rolls that look delicious. They have art for sale on the wall. Nice touch!

What a fun café local art adorns the walls. It’s not an oversight — there are no menus. The chef/​owner comes out, sits down, tells you what he has that day and has you decide what you’d like. The duck was amazing. Everyone in our party loved their food from steaks to pasta to my duck. Highly recommend! Will definitely go back — worth the drive up the hill!

They’ve been open 2 or 3 months. However, it seems they are still working out the kinks. Busy Father’s day may have been a challenge.
My first concern was when we ordered our food, we weren’t offered coffee or any other beverage. Several minutes later a different waitress asked what we would like to drink. Odd.
While we waited for our meal, a table of 5 was getting their food. 4 were served and 3 were sent back to the kotchen. The 5^th persons food finally showed up. Then the three redo orders came out. Scary.
The next table served looked pretty good. They had the bacon and eggs and an omlet. Huge portions.
I ordered the Salmon Benedict and my friend ordered steak and eggs. There were less than 10 it’s on the menu, so it should be straight forward.
Well, my salmon was served. It was good, not great. The salmon was properly cooked and the eggs were well poached. However, the house potatoes (served with everything on the menu) were under cooked; browned but still crunchy inside.
My friend’s steak came out as something completely different so he asked them to just cancel his.
I will go back in hopes of improvement. Yet, right now, there is a lot of room for growth.

Not a good experience. Waitress failed to take a beverage order. I ordered steak and eggs and was brought a completely different item. Very slow service. Watched another table of 5 send back 3 meals. My friend’s order was marginal at best. I didn’t get to eat at all.
Wouldn’t try again, other choices in town.

Stopped in on a lark and were very pleased. Coffee was fresh and delicious, high quality ingredients cooked very quickly. Even though they were busy and ran out of some items, the substitutions were very good too. I hope they continue to do well.

Had to kill some time before registering my vehicle at the Storey County Assessors Office and ran into this place on my walk around town. Very quaint, old country feel type of restaurant and couldn’t have been happier to stumble upon.
Ordered a spinach and cheese omelet with a cup of coffee. The coffee was fresh and wonderful, which helped warm me up considering the light snow outside. Richard, owner and cook, cooked and served my breakfast within minutes of ordering. The omelet tasted wonderful and fresh which made sense considering all of their food comes from local sources. Chatted with Richard for a bit and from our brief encounter it’s easy to tell how passionate he is about his business.
Found out they offer sushi on Sunday afternoons and evenings and I can’t wait to come back! Definitely a little nook I can see myself coming back to many times to come.

The only 5 star experience in Virgina City. I live here, and have eaten at every establishment here. This is a smooth and simple restaurant, done well. Too many mediocre choices are not choices. A few sublime choices are hard to make because you know even when you get something great, you’re missing something great as well. Oh well, now you have a reason to come back.

Had a great breakfast at this new restaurant this morning. Decided on the traditional bacon and eggs, since this was my first time here and I wanted something that was easy to compare with other restaurants. Everything was obviously fresh and made with very high quality ingredients. The bacon was outstanding and there was plenty of it — definitely not your standard grocery store bacon, which many other restaurants serve to cut costs. Potatoes were fresh and perfectly seasoned and the eggs were just right. Bacon & eggs is a pretty basic menu item, but these were exceptional. They have fancier breakfast items on the menu also that I am looking forward to trying in future visits.
Décor is country casual and everything is very clean. They are collecting some nice art work for the walls and may open a gallery soon.
They serve lunch and dinner too, which I will be back to try. The chef, Richard, is from the Core Restaurant, which has always been one of the best and most creative dinner restaurants in Virginia City.
Overall, a great new addition to the Virginia City food scene. Highly recommended!