Route 66
Okay, Serious Eaters, my husband and I have decided that next September we will drive the Mother Road all the way from Chicago to California. I have purchased the requisite guidebooks and am doing my homework but with all the recommendations and possibilities it boils down to the fact that one can only eat and sleep at so many places, so I am hoping you all can give me some opinions on the "must eats" and any other downright "musts." Oh, and if it makes any difference (some people think we are crazy for this), we are taking our beloved Doberman. She loves the car and I see many pet friendly lodgings we can take advantage of. We are all super geeked for the trip and want to do it right.
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13 Comments:
For New Mexico, check nmgastronome.com. In Albuquerque, 66 is "Central Avenue".
Blue Iris at 3:36PM on 10/28/08
My office is on Rt. 66 (technically our address is the side street, but whatever). Thai food in Flagstaff: Pato on San Francisco St. Italian/pizza: Oregano's on Riordan. Burger with a dog-friendly patio and spectacular peaks view: Quinn's. Go get coffee downtown at Late for the Train on San Fran (please do not wear a fanny pack or matching outfits). You must go hiking on the peaks, there are several nice easy trails if that is what you would need. Flagstaff is extremely dog-friendly. The first Friday of every month the galleries downtown open up their doors and have snacks and wine. You must take a little trip down to Sedona (45 min away) and to the Grand Canyon (1 hr away) if you've never been. You must go to Sunset crater. My email is hribalATgmailDOTcom. You can email me for more Flagstaff recommendations - this area is amazing and you will love coming through here, but try to do so during summer or fall.
joyyy at 3:46PM on 10/28/08
When we drove out last year, there are lots of diners. Some were really good, others...well, not so much. We, too had our dog with us, and stayed at LaQuintas (they take pets).
beth1 at 9:16PM on 10/28/08
St. Louis - must stop at Ted Drewes Frozen Custard - the dog can even have it's own mini vanilla. It's an official stop or something on Route 66.. Alton Brown went there on Feasting on Asphalt.
MoEats at 11:11PM on 10/28/08
check out this site:
http://www.route66search.com/restaurants.asp
dhorst at 4:24PM on 11/11/08
America's onion-fried hamburger capital -- El Reno, Oklahoma -- is a must stop on your trip. This (Canadian) county seat town is located about 25 miles west of downtown Oklahoma City on Interstate 40, but remnants of Highway 66 remain on the outskirts of town. In El Reno's downtown area, you'll find Robert's, Johnny's and Sid's, all within about three blocks of each other. Local afficianodos have their favorite, but you can't go wrong with any of the three. Juicy hamburgers, grill-fried with lots of onions and real potato French fries in ample proportions at dirt cheap prices are the stars, but you can get a mean chili dog, too. Excellent shakes and the usual fountain drinks. Nothing fancy, but excellent All-American food in casual, friendly atmospheres. If your travels land you there the first Saturday in May, you can experience Burger Day, boasting the largest onion-friend hamburger in the world, accompanied by rides, games, crafts and other attractions.
billgcta at 4:45PM on 11/11/08
I used to live near Wilmington, IL and I can say there's NOTHING in the way of 'must eats' along 66 from Joliet until at least Bloomington-Normal.
DJ Dedd at 5:02PM on 11/11/08
DH is an El Reno native, but I see the Onion Fried Burger has been covered quite well already. I would also point out there are a few good local tex-mex establishents in town--Serapio's is quite tasty. We live on the other end of 66's Oklahoma span, in NE OK's "green country". Stroud is our traditional halfway stop between OKC and Tulsa, with several great sources of chicken fried steak. Up here in Northeast OK I would suggest Phat Philly's cheesesteaks (downtown Tulsa, a few blocks north of 66), Tally's Diner at 11th (66) and Yale in Tulsa, and any of a variety of taquerias near 11th and garnett in the hispanic part of town. (as always, the fewer white faces you see, the better the food is!) If you're willing to take a detour at 11th and peoria and go north to 3rd street, the Rubicon has the Best Baked potatoes on this planet--smothered with any or all barbecued, smoked, or grilled meats you can think of, always served with a slab of texas toast and a green side salad. (St. John's hospital is about 5 minutes away for emergency bypass surgery needs)
Once 66 re-splits from 44 by the casino east of town, head for Claremore (don't forget to take a picture at the blue whale on the way!), where you can find Cotton Eye Joe's Barbecue and Ron's hamburgers (a local chain that does the best burgers on earth). If you don't mind another detour at Will Rogers Blvd to see his museum, you'll drive past Coney Islander (coneys), Azteca (tex-mex), Napolis (Italian), and Hammett House (Claremore's nice restauraunt--they do great steak and calf fries). 66 is a big deal in Oklahoma, and while I've neglected to mention some of the better known tourist spots (you'll see billboards for all of them from 50 miles off, don't worry), these are all good places where locals will sit down and have a bite on the weekends. Enjoy!
OKLibrarian at 9:26PM on 11/11/08
If you want to scope out some of the classic eateries along Route 66, I'd first suggest finding a copy of "The Route 66 Cookbook" by Tulsa native Marian Clark. She researched places along the entire stretch of Route 66 and gives synopses of many diners, burger joints, restaurants, etc. She even includes recipes. You can get great ideas from the book. If you settle on a place that you see featured in the book, you might want to check an online phone directory and call ahead, as some of the places are known to shut down. It'd be a drag to set expectations on a place only to pull up and find that it's been shuttered.
As for the Oklahoma stretch of Route 66, I can also enthusiastically suggest stopping for a fried onion burger in El Reno at any of the places mentioned by previous commenters. And as OKLibrarian mentioned, Serapio's is a great place to enjoy Tex-Mex (also in El Reno). I have an unfortunate fondness for their homemade flour tortillas. I say that it's an unfortunate fondness because they are really good and I tend to eat more than one.
Tally's Diner, as mentioned, is a good place for breakfast. You get a lot of food for a little money. They serve gigantic cinnamon rolls, a meal in itself and served anytime, and not for those counting calories. The last I knew, Tally's was open 24 hours so you can stop in anytime you might be passing through. I can't really vouch for the lunch and dinner menus at Tally's (maybe the fare just wasn't to my personal tastes) but it's been a couple of years since I've eaten there so things might have changed.
Just east of Oklahoma City, in Arcadia, check out Pops (pops66.com). They have a selection of around 500 sodas of all flavors and brands. There's a small restaurant area when you can get burgers, shakes, etc. You can even fill up your car out front. It's a popular place and is most often packed. If you can visit/drive by at night, there's a cool neon soda pop bottle out front. Pops has been open less than two years but is a Route 66 icon that blends old-time Route 66 charm with a modern hipness. It's popular with locals and tourists alike. Sorry if I sound like a commercial for Pops but I just think it's a neat place.
It's probably too soon to wish you safe travels since your trip is still 10 months away, but have a good time!
holdthemayo at 8:57AM on 11/12/08
Here's Marian Clark's blog if you want to see more of what she's discovered on Route 66:
http://route66cookbook.homestead.com/welcome.html
holdthemayo at 9:02AM on 11/12/08
Thanks to Adam for reviving this thread and thanks to all who are replying. I am making notes of all the replies as well as studying road guides, websites and a great DVD series I bought. We are thinking about our trip just about every day!
robincat at 4:57PM on 11/19/08
MoEats is right. We lived in St Louis briefly and Ted Drewes is an institution with a well deserved reputation. Just a little stand where you get your ice cream and stand around outside. It's always crowded but doesn't take long. Get a strawberry concrete. YUM!
It's frozen custard, called a concrete because you can turn it upside down and it doesn't go anywhere.
Just about everywhere in St Louis is dog friendly. I was very surprised.
carolrsfMISSESTEXAS at 5:38PM on 11/19/08
Hey, my wife and yellow lab are taking the same trip in the fall of 09 as well. We began the same way you have; picking up books, maps and searching the internet for tips and ideas. In addition to LaQuintas, many Best Westerns are also pet-friendly. Over the winter and spring I plan on calling a number of places to talk with folks live regarding having pets at motels and eating establishments and will let you know what I find out. Happy planning!!
orccaa at 11:35AM on 12/28/08