Kohlsdorf: After a long day on the road, pull off in Colo for a century's worth of sustenance.

[ Mid-tempo music plays ] This spot in the center of Iowa... All right.

Got a tenderloin with applesauce.

Kohlsdorf: ...at the intersection of two transcontinental highways has greeted hungry commuters with a hot meal... ...for nearly 100 years.

Niland's Cafe serves café classics to road trippers and regulars alike.

Rich in history and flavor, there's something on the menu for everyone.

We do, like, hot beef, hot tenderloins, Phillies, of course cheeseburgers.

We do have steak on the menu -- ribeye, sirloin.

A lot of mashed potatoes and gravy.

A lot of pasta salad.

Just the local regular café stuff.

Kohlsdorf: The restaurant's walls are lined with photos and memorabilia telling the story of the classic roadside diner.

I've had people say they like the style of the, you know, '50s, '60s style that's still here.

And it hasn't been updated.

[ Laughs ] What can I grab you guys to drink?

Kohlsdorf: Home to more than just a lunch stop, the café sits on the Reed-Niland Corner between the Colo Motel... and Reed's Station.

This corner has served as an outpost for travelers since the creation of the Jefferson and Lincoln Highways in the early 1900s.

To the side is a gas station that they just recently redid and a museum that they've updated and cleaned up.

Then the motel is part of what I run on the other side of the buildings here.

There's six rooms there that are pretty much full all the time.

Kohlsdorf: Whether traveling coast to coast, north to south, or to the next town over, Niland's Cafe gives diners a taste of tradition out on the open road.

It's not like going to Des Moines, where you have all the traffic.

It's simple to get to.

It's quiet.

It's peaceful.

It's cute.

It's just kind of your own little slice of heaven, I guess.

[ Music ends ]