Ridgway in Ouray County, Colorado — The American Mountains (Southwest)
True Grit Landmark #7
True Grit Cafe
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 18, 2025
1. True Grit Landmark #7 Marker
The True Grit Cafe was built in 1986 as a tribute to John Wayne and True Grit. Incorporated in the cafe's construction, the grocery store facade from next door is now the cafe south wall. Also featured are photos of Ridgway resident and environmentalist Dennis Weaver (1924-2006), star of Gunsmoke, McCloud and Duel.
Ridgway Sites:
1 — Railroad Depot 2 — Gallows 3 — Livery Stable 4/5 — Undertaker & Chen Lee's Place
6 — Courthouse Facade 7 — True Grit Cafe 8/9 — Saloon & Grocery, Jail Wagon
Ouray Sites:
10 — Ouray County Courthouse 11 — Outlaw Restaurant
Order sites appear in movie: 8, 1, 2, 4, 6, 10, 9, 5, 3
Erected by Jenny Cheek, Larry Harley, Weaver Family Foundation, Ouray County Ranch History Museum & Ridgway Chamber of Commerce. (Marker Number 7.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Entertainment. A significant historical year for this entry is 1986.
Location. 38° 9.102′ N, 107° 45.387′ W. Marker is in Ridgway, Colorado, in Ouray County. It is on North Lena Street just north of Sherman Street (State Highway 62), on the left when traveling north. The
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Regionally, this marker is in the Western Slope. It is also in the American Mountain West. Globally, it is in North America, the Rocky Mountains, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: True Grit Landmark #6 (a few steps from this marker); True Grit Landmark #2 (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); True Grit Landmark #3 (about 300 feet away); True Grit Landmark #4 & #5 (about 300 feet away); History of Ridgway / Gateway to the San Juans (about 400 feet away); True Grit Landmark #1 (about 400 feet away); True Grit Jail Wagon (about 500 feet away); Ridgway Depot Outbuilding (about 600 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Ridgway.
Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. True Grit Filming Landmarks
Also see . . .
1. True Grit (Wikipedia).
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 18, 2025
2. True Grit Landmark #7 Marker
The marker is mounted below the True Grit Café front left bay window.
Excerpt: True Grit is a 1969 American Western film directed by Henry Hathaway and produced by Hal B. Wallis. Starring John Wayne as U.S. Marshal Rooster Cogburn, the story follows Marshal Cogburn and Texas Ranger La Boeuf (Glen Campbell) as they are hired by a young girl, Mattie Ross (Kim Darby), to apprehend the outlaw who killed her father.(Submitted on August 28, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Filming took place mainly in Ouray County, Colorado, in the vicinity of Ridgway, around the town of Montrose, and the town of Ouray. (The script maintains the novel's references to place names in Arkansas and Oklahoma, in dramatic contrast to the Colorado topography.)
2. True Grit Café — History.
Excerpt: The True Grit Café opened on New Year’s Eve in 1985 and was built to honor the filming of the Academy Award winning movie “True Grit” starring John Wayne. The movie was filmed in 1968 in and around Ridgway and Ouray. The internal south wall of the True Grit Cafe was the original external wall of “Chambers Grocery” from one of the first scenes in the movie. The enduring popularity of the movie brings visitors(Submitted on August 28, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)from all over the world to eat at the True Grit Cafe. Our walls are covered with pictures of the iconic star’s film legacy.Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 18, 20253. True Grit Café (east/front elevation)
Credits. This page was last revised on August 28, 2025. It was originally submitted on August 26, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 139 times since then and 59 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on August 28, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
