33 County Road 68, Bailey

Off the Rails Coffeehouse occupies a former rock shop in downtown Bailey, where owners Ben Goldsmith and Kyleigh Rossignol serve craft coffee from Denver and stock goods from businesses along the 285 corridor.

We stopped in to meet the pair and hear about what goes into the shop. If you're trying to catch the last fall colors around Kenosha Pass, it's an easy stop just off Highway 285 after dropping into the canyon in Bailey.

Ben and Kyleigh met while working at Starbucks during the early days of the pandemic, according to the Platte Canyon Chamber of Commerce. Their own coffeehouse took shape after Ben's father, John Goldsmith, bought the former rock shop. Renovating the building took roughly 15 months, and Bailey's railroad history helped inspire the Off the Rails name.

The coffee counter sits at the back of the main room, with tables and seating along the windows. Shelves hold locally made goods, including purses. A separate lounge has books and an arcade game, with room to sit down if you're taking a break from the drive.

The main room at Off the Rails in Bailey.
The separate lounge at Off the Rails has books and an arcade game.

During our visit, Ben and Kyleigh walked us through the local businesses behind the menu. The beans come from Wagon Coffee Roasters, a women-owned Denver roastery that employs and supports women in recovery from addiction. Denver's FREE Café, part of FREE Recovery Community, also serves Wagon's coffee.

The syrups are from Daddy's Homemade in Evergreen, and breakfast burritos come from Bonfire Burritos. For anyone heading farther up 285, that means coffee and breakfast are available before continuing toward Kenosha Pass or Fairplay.

The coffee counter at Off the Rails in downtown Bailey.

The owners also pointed out hot sauce from the American Legion outpost in Shawnee. Supporting nearby businesses came up throughout the conversation, including Gail's handmade purses, sold locally through Mountain Woman Quilts.

Outside the shop, the nearby river and pedestrian bridge offer a place to walk before getting back on the highway. We photographed both during our visit.

The river near Off the Rails in Bailey.
The nearby pedestrian bridge.

Off the Rails is at 33 County Road 68 in downtown Bailey. Find more about the shop at offtherails.coffee or follow @offtherails_craftcoffee on Instagram.