Over the years, we’ve eaten at a lot of places along Route 66, from historic diners and roadside institutions to small local restaurants we probably never would have found if we weren’t following the Mother Road.

For this list, we decided to focus on the places where the food itself really stood out and made us want to go back. Some of the most memorable Route 66 stops we’ve made were less about the meal and more about the history, atmosphere or experience, so we’re giving those their own Honorable Mentions section.

Honorable Mentions

These were still worthwhile stops and places we’re glad we experienced, but for us the history, atmosphere or overall Route 66 experience stood out more than the food itself.

• The Berghoff — Chicago, Illinois
• Cozy Dog Drive In — Springfield, Illinois
• Ted Drewes Frozen Custard — St. Louis, Missouri
• Carl’s Drive In — Brentwood, Missouri
• Shelly’s Route 66 Cafe — Cuba, Missouri
• Casper’s — Springfield, Missouri
• Iggy’s Diner — Carthage, Missouri
• Waylan’s Ku Ku Burger — Miami, Oklahoma
• Tally’s Good Food Cafe — Tulsa, Oklahoma
• Hickory Inn Cafe — Vega, Texas
• Del’s Restaurant — Tucumcari, New Mexico
• Delgadillo’s Snow Cap Drive In — Seligman, Arizona
• Roy’s Cafe — Barstow, California 
• Stacks On Route 66 — Glendora, California
• Pink’s Hot Dogs — Hollywood, California 

Ted Drewes gets a little extra credit because the frozen custard really was good, but it still fits better here since it is a dessert stop and so much of the appeal is tied to its long Route 66 history. The same goes for several others on this list. We enjoyed them, but what we remember most is where we were, what the place represented and the experience of being there.

Chris and I have never been very good at choosing just one favorite place, restaurant, stop or experience. We usually come home with a long list of things we loved for completely different reasons. That is really why we put this together: not to rank one place against another, but to share the Route 66 restaurants and stops we would recommend based on our own travels from Chicago to California.

1. Lou Mitchell’s — Chicago, Illinois

We had a late breakfast at Lou Mitchell’s before setting out from Chicago, and the combination of the breakfast, the atmosphere and simply getting to experience such a longtime Route 66 institution made this one memorable.

Lou Mitchell’s has been serving Chicago since 1923, and much of the interior still has the same classic diner layout, including several separate multi sided counter sections with individual stools. We were lucky enough to get seats at one of the counters, which is exactly where we wanted to be. From there, we could watch everything going on around us and take in the energy of the restaurant.

There was a line when we arrived, but it moved reasonably well. Lou Mitchell’s is also known for handing out little doughnut holes to people waiting outside. They’re part of the tradition, but breakfast itself and the atmosphere were what made the stop for us.

There is something fitting about sitting at one of those old counters having breakfast in Chicago before heading west on Route 66.

2. Old Route 66 Family Restaurant — Dwight, Illinois

We stopped at Old Route 66 Family Restaurant for lunch in Dwight.

The Old Route 66 Family Restaurant is newer than some of the long established Route 66 diners on this list, but it leans heavily into the history and personality of the road with memorabilia and Route 66 decor throughout the restaurant.

This one makes the list largely because of Chris.

He ordered the Reuben and still says it was the best Reuben he has ever had. That carries some weight because Chris orders Reubens often enough to have developed opinions about them.

The restaurant is known for classic American diner food, including burgers, sandwiches, melts and Reubens, but that sandwich is what we remember most.

3. Ariston Cafe — Litchfield, Illinois

The Ariston Cafe has been serving travelers since 1924 and is one of the longest running restaurant names associated with Route 66.

The current Litchfield location dates to the 1930s, and walking inside feels very different from visiting somewhere that was decorated later to look like Route 66. The Ariston was already here serving travelers when Route 66 was still the way people crossed this part of the country.

The menu is traditional American restaurant food with steaks, fried chicken, seafood, sandwiches and other longtime favorites.

What makes the Ariston worth including is the combination of the meal and the chance to sit down inside a restaurant that has been part of Route 66 for nearly its entire history.

4. Missouri Hick Bar-B-Que — Cuba, Missouri

Missouri Hick Bar-B-Que sits right next to the historic Wagon Wheel Motel in Cuba, so after checking into our room we only had to walk over for dinner.

The building has its own Route 66 history. Back in the 1940s, this spot was the Wagon Wheel Annex, a much simpler roadside cafe and filling station connected to the motel next door. It later became Paul’s Cafe and included a Phillips 66 station before Missouri Hick eventually took over the property in 2002. Seeing old photos of the original white roadside building compared with the barbecue restaurant that stands there now makes the history even more interesting.

From the minute you walk up, it feels like a real barbecue joint. The rustic woodwork continues inside, much of it handmade by owner and pitmaster Dennis Meiser, and the whole place has a relaxed atmosphere that fits Route 66 perfectly. The music was also right in our wheelhouse, with plenty from our Gen X years playing while we ate.

We both ordered the Sampler Platter with three smoked meats and sides, and everything was excellent. This was easily some of the best barbecue we had anywhere along Route 66.

Being able to walk back over to the Wagon Wheel Motel after dinner made the whole evening even better. If you are staying there, Missouri Hick is an easy recommendation, but the food is worth stopping for whether you are spending the night or not.

5. College Street Cafe — Springfield, Missouri

College Street Cafe felt like the kind of neighborhood diner that would be busy whether Route 66 travelers knew about it or not.

There were locals mixed in with travelers, everyone seemed comfortable and the owner came around greeting people and talking with customers.

I was half expecting Flo to come out and tell me to “kiss her grits.”

The menu is classic diner food with burgers, meatloaf, pork tenderloin, chicken and breakfast. One of the more unusual local dishes is the slinger, with hash browns, a hamburger patty, eggs, chili, cheese and hot sauce.

For us, though, the appeal was the atmosphere. It felt relaxed and local rather than designed around tourists, and those are often the places we enjoy most on the road.

6. Hi-Way Cafe — Vinita, Oklahoma

The Hi-Way Cafe and Western Motel are on the same property area and share the parking lot, so after checking into the motel we could simply walk over for dinner.

Madeline, whose family owns the properties, was handling everything while her parents were away, and she did a great job taking care of everyone.

There is plenty going on around the property before you even get inside. Big Bill, the 21 foot Muffler Man, stands outside, along with the giant Indian and other roadside figures. Betty Boop is there too, and the cafe has a 1963 Rambler covered with more than 60,000 stickers that earned a Guinness World Record.

Inside, the menu is traditional comfort food, including chicken fried steak, meatloaf, fried chicken, breakfasts and an Indian taco made on fry bread.

Staying at the motel and walking across the parking lot to the cafe made the whole property feel like one complete Route 66 stop rather than simply somewhere we went for dinner.

7. Rock Cafe — Stroud, Oklahoma

Rock Cafe is one of the Route 66 restaurants with a genuine connection to Pixar’s Cars. Owner Dawn Welch was among the Route 66 people Pixar met while researching the movie, and she became part of the inspiration for Sally Carrera.

The cafe dates to 1939 and was built with sandstone connected to the construction of Route 66. It later survived a major fire and was rebuilt, while its old grill, nicknamed Betsy, survived. Rock Cafe was also featured on Diners, Drive Ins and Dives in the Route 66 episode that included Emma Jean’s Holland Burger Cafe.

Chris had the Reuben, which should surprise absolutely no one at this point, but his favorite thing was actually the fried pickles. They were sliced much thinner than the fried pickles we are used to seeing in the South, which made them different from what we expected and very good.

I had the Rock Cafe Spätzle, homemade German noodles with cheese, onions, green peppers and tomatoes. I remembered it as more of a cheese and vegetable dish, and it was good, but this is one of those places where the history and the experience are just as much a reason to stop as the meal.

Between the Cars connection, the original Route 66 building, the old grill and the restaurant’s place in the history of the road, Rock Cafe is definitely worth stopping for lunch or dinner when you are passing through Stroud.

8. Robert’s Grill — El Reno, Oklahoma

El Reno is known for its fried onion burgers, and we wanted to try one from the place that has been serving them longer than anyone else still operating in town.

Robert’s Grill dates to 1926 and is tiny. You sit right there near the counter and grill while the cooks press thinly sliced onions directly into the beef as it cooks.

We arrived for dinner fairly close to closing time. The cooks behind the counter were very sweet and talked with us about the history of Robert’s and the El Reno onion burger while they made our food.

Rather than keeping them there while we ate, we took our burgers back to the hotel for the night.

The onion burger itself is simple: beef, a pile of thin onions cooked directly into the patty and a bun, with cheese and the usual toppings if you want them. It started as an inexpensive way to stretch hamburger meat and became one of Oklahoma’s best known regional foods.

Robert’s was our introduction to the El Reno version, and hearing some of the history from the people behind the grill made it even better.

9. Sid’s Diner — El Reno, Oklahoma

Sid’s is another El Reno institution known for fried onion burgers, but since we had already had onion burgers from Robert’s the night before, we decided to do something different here.

We had heard that Sid’s also served a good breakfast, so that is what we went for.

The diner was busy, but the service moved quickly and everyone was friendly. Sid’s serves breakfast in the morning along with the burgers, fries, onion rings, shakes and other diner food it is known for.

Having Robert’s for dinner and Sid’s for breakfast ended up being a good way to experience two of El Reno’s best known restaurants without ordering essentially the same meal twice.

10. The Big Texan Steak Ranch — Amarillo, Texas

The Big Texan is much more than somewhere to stop for a steak, which is why staying at the motel on the property made the experience even better.

The motel sits across the parking lot from the restaurant and was designed to look like an Old West town, with colorful Western facades and themed rooms. It even has a swimming pool shaped like Texas.

Before dinner, we had time to wander around the property and through the huge gift shop. There are all kinds of funny photo opportunities, oversized Texas decorations, souvenirs and odd things scattered throughout the place. It is the kind of stop where you can entertain yourself for quite a while before anyone even brings you a menu.

Then there is the 72 ounce steak challenge.

The challenge has been part of the Big Texan story for decades. Anyone who finishes the 72 ounce steak and all of the required sides within an hour gets the meal free. The challenge table sits where the dining room can watch, turning the whole thing into a show whenever someone tries it.

Nobody attempted the challenge while we were there, but there was still plenty happening around the restaurant.

Our dinner was very good, and staying at the Western themed motel instead of simply stopping for dinner gave us time to enjoy everything else around the property too.

11. Midpoint Cafe — Adrian, Texas

We had already eaten breakfast in Vega that morning, so we were not looking for another full meal when we reached the Midpoint Cafe.

Pie, however, was another matter.

The cafe sits at the halfway point of Route 66, 1,139 miles from Chicago and 1,139 miles from Santa Monica, and its homemade pies have become almost as much a part of the stop as the midpoint sign outside.

The pies became known as Ugly Crust Pies because longtime baker Joann Harwell joked that she could never make her grandmother’s crusts look as pretty as her grandmother did. The name stuck.

We both ordered the homemade chocolate peanut butter pie. They offer several flavors, including some less expected combinations, and I already know there are others I would try when we go back.

The current owner Brenda Hammit Bradley served us, and she and the staff were a lot of fun to talk with. We also each got to get a photo together with Brenda after successfully downing those ginormous pies.

There is a gift shop inside too, which meant Chris left with another Route 66 lapel pin.

12. SideKix on 66 – Tucumcari, New Mexico

SideKix on 66 sits right on the Route 66 stretch through Tucumcari, and this one moved from our honorable mentions onto the main list because the breakfast really was that good.

The restaurant has a comeback story behind it too. The original Kix on 66 operated for years out of a former 1960s Denny’s building farther east on Route 66. After Todd and Donna Halfhill took over, they put a lot of work into bringing new life to the old restaurant, only to have a kitchen fire badly damage the building in April 2025.

Rather than give up, they eventually bought another building about a mile west and reopened as SideKix on 66. When we visited, the staff told us they still hope to reopen the original Kix location someday. Their long term plan was to keep the current building as well and eventually turn it into something else, although they were still figuring out exactly what that might be.

Breakfast was excellent, and so was the service. Everyone there was friendly and happy to talk with us about what had happened, what they had gone through and what they hoped to do next. There is even a small gift area where you can pick up something from Tucumcari or the restaurant before getting back on the road.

Tucumcari is already one of our favorite Route 66 towns because so much of the old road still feels alive there, and SideKix fits right into that. Good breakfast, great people and a local business determined to keep moving forward after a pretty rough setback.

13. Silver Moon Cafe — Santa Rosa, New Mexico

Silver Moon Cafe was one of those stops where a fairly ordinary sounding lunch turned into something we still talk about.

We both ordered the Albuquerque Turkey Melt, made with smoked turkey, roasted green chile, guacamole and Swiss cheese on grilled rye. Until then, neither of us had ever thought about putting green chile on a turkey and cheese sandwich, and it completely changed the sandwich. We also had sweet potato fries, which were some of the best we have had anywhere.

Silver Moon has been serving travelers on Route 66 since 1959, although the history of the property goes back even further. The site grew from Eddie McBee’s Texaco operation into a Route 66 complex that eventually included the Silver Moon restaurant and motel. Over the years the cafe became a longtime Santa Rosa stop for both locals and travelers.

The menu mixes New Mexican food with familiar American diner dishes, which probably explains how we ended up discovering that roasted green chile belongs on far more than enchiladas and burgers.

Of all the meals we have had along Route 66, this is one of the simplest to describe but one of the easiest to remember. We went in for lunch and left wondering why we had never put green chile on a turkey sandwich before.

14. Plaza Café Downtown — Santa Fe, New Mexico

Chris discovered Plaza Café Downtown while he was in Santa Fe on a business trip, long before we realized we had both eaten at different historic restaurants there on separate trips.

Plaza Café has been serving Santa Fe since 1905, making it one of the city’s oldest restaurants. The Razatos family took it over in 1947 and has continued the tradition ever since, blending New Mexican dishes with classic American diner food and a few Greek influences from the family’s heritage.

Chris loved the food, which is why he remembered the place years later. The menu includes New Mexican staples like blue corn enchiladas, huevos rancheros, green chile cheeseburgers, stuffed sopaipillas and posole, along with plenty of diner favorites.

This one earns its place on the list because Chris still remembers how good the meal was, even though at the time neither of us knew the other would eventually have a completely different Santa Fe restaurant story.

15. The Shed — Santa Fe, New Mexico

My Santa Fe discovery happened on a completely different business trip at The Shed, and this was the restaurant I had been trying to remember.

The Shed opened in 1953 and moved to its current location at Prince Patio in 1960. The restaurant sits behind a small entrance off Palace Avenue in a historic adobe complex that dates back centuries. You pass through into an enclosed brick and flagstone courtyard surrounded by old adobe walls, flowers and vines, and then choose whether to eat inside or out in the courtyard.

I was there with coworkers on one of those perfect Santa Fe days, so there was no question that we were sitting outside.

The food was incredible, and this was really my introduction to New Mexican chile. The Shed is especially known for its red chile enchiladas, blue corn dishes and chile brought directly from the farm.

If the weather is good when you visit, sit in the courtyard. The food is reason enough to go, but eating outside surrounded by those old adobe walls made the whole experience even better.

16. Frontier Restaurant — Albuquerque, New Mexico

We have been to Frontier twice, and with a menu this large it would be easy to go several more times without ordering the same thing.

Frontier opened in 1971 on Central Avenue, the old Route 66 alignment, directly across from the University of New Mexico. You order at the counter and then find a seat somewhere in the sprawling collection of dining rooms.

The menu covers New Mexican food, breakfast, burritos, enchiladas, burgers, fresh flour tortillas and their huge sweet rolls. Red and green chile appear throughout the menu, and the Frontier Burrito and breakfast burritos are among the dishes the restaurant is best known for.

There is so much going on inside that the restaurant almost feels like several places put together.

And then there is the John Wayne collection.

Chris loves all of the John Wayne paintings and artwork covering the walls, so while I can spend entirely too long deciding what to order, he has plenty to look at.

We first went for lunch and liked it enough that when we were back in Albuquerque and needed dinner, there was no debate about returning.

The food, New Mexican flavors, huge menu, unusual layout and John Wayne collection give Frontier a personality that is completely its own.

17. 66 Diner — Albuquerque, New Mexico

66 Diner may look like a perfectly preserved 1950s diner, but the building actually started life in 1945 as Sam’s 66 Service Center, a Phillips 66 gas station. It was turned into the diner in 1987, and pieces of the old service station are still worked into the building. One of the best details is the hopscotch board painted on the floor where the original lubrication bay once stood, with the old hydraulic lift still underneath it.

Walking inside really does feel like stepping back in time. Between the checkerboard floors, jukebox, neon, old signs, music and servers dressed in period style uniforms, the whole place commits to the experience. 

On a side-note, the diner was badly damaged by fire in the 1990s, but its 1958 Seeburg jukebox was restored and is still there. 

I had the Green Chile Cheeseburger with New Mexico green chile, and the food was great. Before we left, we ordered a couple of small hand mixed milkshakes to go.

By then it was just getting dark, which worked out perfectly. We took the shakes with us and drove Central Avenue so we could see all the old Route 66 neon lit up before calling it a night.

18.  Roadkill Cafe / O.K. Saloon — Seligman, Arizona

Roadkill Cafe understands that half the fun is committing completely to the joke.

The “You Kill ’Em, We Grill ’Em” slogan sets the tone before you even walk inside. Outside there are Western buildings, signs and plenty of things to look at, including a little jail where I somehow ended up behind bars.

That sense of humor continues inside with the decor, mounted animals and O.K. Saloon.

The menu keeps the same sense of humor. Instead of simply listing ordinary diner food, you find names such as No Luck Buck, Big Bagged Stag, Smear of Deer and Anything Dead Between Two Slabs of Bread. Fortunately, none of it is roadkill.

The food was very good, but this place makes our list because the entire experience is memorable. You do not simply sit down, eat and leave. You walk around, read the signs, laugh at the menu and spend time exploring everything around the restaurant.

It is exactly the sort of place we hope to find on Route 66.

19. Wagon Wheel Restaurant — Needles, California

We stayed overnight in Needles and ended up eating at the Wagon Wheel twice: dinner when we arrived and breakfast the next morning.

The restaurant has been around since the 1950s and has exactly the kind of roadside diner atmosphere we like. Old signs, license plates and Route 66 memorabilia fill the space without making it feel like someone bought a box of decorations and tried to manufacture nostalgia.

The menu is traditional comfort food with big breakfasts, burgers, sandwiches, steaks, pot roast and other diner standards.

Both meals were good, the atmosphere was comfortable and it was an easy place to settle into after being on the road.

Going back for breakfast the next morning was not something we had planned. We simply enjoyed dinner enough to return.

20. Emma Jean’s Holland Burger Cafe — Victorville, California

Emma Jean’s was one of those stops where the people ended up being every bit as memorable as the food.

The restaurant opened in 1947. Richard Gentry later bought it for his wife, Emma Jean, who had worked there as a waitress. Their son Brian and his wife Shawna eventually carried on the family business, and Shawna continues that history following the death of her late husband Brian.

We met Shawna and her daughter while we were there, and Shawna shared some of the restaurant’s family history with us.

Then there were two retired local men who were regulars.

They had their usual spot and spent the morning nitpicking at each other like a real life version of Grumpy Old Men. We were sitting there listening to the two of them go back and forth and trying not to laugh. Shawna told us they were always like that, which made watching the exchange even funnier.

That is the kind of thing you cannot manufacture for tourists. They were simply two locals having their normal morning at their regular restaurant.

Emma Jean’s is known for hearty diner breakfasts, biscuits and gravy, burgers and sandwiches. One of its signature items is the Brian Burger, named for Brian, with Swiss cheese and an Ortega chile on Parmesan crusted bread.

The restaurant was also featured on Diners, Drive Ins and Dives in the 2007 episode “Route 66,” the same episode that included Rock Cafe in Stroud.

We were there for breakfast, and between the food, the family history, Shawna and her daughter and our own private showing of Grumpy Old Men at the next table, this is one we will remember for a long time.

21. The Apple Pan — Los Angeles, California

The Apple Pan is only a couple of blocks off Route 66 in Los Angeles, so if you are heading to or from the Santa Monica Pier, it is well worth the short detour.

The restaurant has been around since 1947 and still has that old school counter setup that makes you feel like not much has changed over the years. It was packed inside when we were there, but they have plenty of picnic tables out back, and since the weather was beautiful that day, eating outside worked out perfectly.

Chris had the Steakburger, I had the Hickoryburger, and both were very good. We also split a slice of pie before getting back on the road.

The Apple Pan also has a fun connection to Beverly Hills, 90210. It helped inspire the Peach Pit, which made the stop even more fun for us.

This was one of those places where the history is interesting, but the food is what makes you glad you stopped.

Final Thoughts

We still have one more stretch of Route 66 to finish before we can call this list complete.

Next week, we’re heading from Kingman to Albuquerque to wrap up our Centennial Route 66 road trip, and we already have a few restaurants on the radar. So if you’re reading this before we get back, consider this the current version. There is a very good chance something we eat on this final stretch will earn its way onto the list.

We’ll update this shortly after the trip, so stay tuned.

And if you haven’t subscribed to our YouTube channel, We Never Do Anything, we’d love to have you along for the ride. We’re sharing the road trips, food stops, roadside history and all the other things we somehow manage to find along the way. Growing the channel enough to eventually support some of these adventures would be pretty nice too, but mostly we’re glad to have people following along who enjoy this stuff as much as we do.