Althea’s Vault

I’m in my first year teaching at a rural school after spending the first nine years of my classroom teaching career in urban and high poverty schools. My littles decided they wanted to come to “mommy’s school,” so here we are! Maui is heavily into sports, and he’s joined both the football and basketball teams. Of course, being a rural school, we play other rural schools, and his away schedule has taken us to many small dots on the Oklahoma map. One of those trips took us through Washington, OK, population 685. The main drag consisted of less than half a dozen businesses. Althea’s Vault is one of those.

The Atmosphere

Despite the somewhat deserted and dusty surroundings (it looked almost like a movie set), Althea’s was darling inside! Warm and inviting with rich wooden tables, hometown photographs and a hodge podge of art, it almost felt like visiting a friend’s house. 

Half dressed cakes, grandma’s cookies and homemade cupcakes lined the counters in front of the personable and welcoming staff. A few other guests were present, and it seemed most of them knew each other, adding to the small town vibe.

The Menu

The lunch menu was basic but varied consisting mostly of sandwiches and burgers with salads and soups to round out the meals. Sweets are, of course, a staple. The breakfast menu looks great! We’ll be back to try it for sure. We’re not coffee people, but it does look like specialty coffees are a popular options, too.

The Verdict

A sweet slice of small town for our suburban crew! Not pictured were the delicious cinnamon rolls, so we’re definitely on to try the full breakfast menu, too.