It's unusual enough for a foreign television crew to show up at the Rock Cafe. However, it's especially unusual for two foreign television crews to appear at the historic Route 66 landmark in Stroud, Okla. And it happened on Tuesday evening. One crew was from the Seoul Broadcasting System in South Korea. They'd been on … Continue reading TV crews from Britain, Korea visit Rock Cafe
Category: Restaurants
A tour of the original McDonald’s
Here's another recent episode of "Inland Empire Explorer," where the host gets a tour of the original McDonald's restaurant, now a McDonald's memorabilia museum on Route 66 in San Bernardino, Calif. https://youtu.be/QuvbLM1t130 The owner, Albert Okura, also owns the Juan Pollo restaurant chain and the entire Route 66 town of Amboy, Calif., where he is … Continue reading A tour of the original McDonald’s
Stories with Ernie Edwards
Less than a month ago, we reported that Pounds Media had videotaped a bunch of Route 66 old-timers for Central Illinois Tourism and the Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway. Today, the first video was posted publicly. Appropriately enough, it was Ernie Edwards of the Pig Hip Restaurant in Broadwell, who died last week at age 94. https://vimeo.com/40568829 The … Continue reading Stories with Ernie Edwards
What will become of Ernie Edwards’ secret sauce?
Ernie Edwards, the longtime proprietor of the Pig Hip Restaurant along Route 66 in Broadwell, Ill., had long claimed that the sauce he used for his Pig Hip ham sandwiches would go with him to the grave. With Edwards' death last week, that appeared to be the case. Or does it? Phil Luciano, a columnist … Continue reading What will become of Ernie Edwards’ secret sauce?
Historic St. Louis-area tavern destroyed by fire
The Sports Attic Bar & Grill -- the latest incarnation of a series of taverns at that location since the 1920s -- in Brentwood, Mo., was destroyed by fire Friday, according to the Brentwood-Maplewood Patch. The fire was reported about 4 a.m. No cause was known, although the St. Louis Post-Dispatch said it may have … Continue reading Historic St. Louis-area tavern destroyed by fire
Nighttime at the Donut Drive-In
San Jose State professor and long-avowed roadie Andrew Wood recently completed a Route 66 trip, and posted this video of the neon sign at night at the Donut Drive-In in St. Louis. https://youtu.be/n8EXC89BIzA The Donut Drive-In's sign was restored in 2008 with the help of a grant from the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program. And … Continue reading Nighttime at the Donut Drive-In
Longtime Pig Hip restaurant owner dies
Ernie Edwards, longtime owner of the Pig Hip restaurant along Route 66 in Broadwell, Ill., died in his sleep Wednesday night at age 94, according to a news release from the Abraham Lincoln Tourism Bureau of Logan County. Edwards died at St. Clara's Manor in Lincoln, Ill. He had recently been moved from his Broadwell … Continue reading Longtime Pig Hip restaurant owner dies
Hello from Iceland
More proof that the Route 66 influence ranges far -- the opening of a 66 Grill in Iceland. https://vimeo.com/40147446 The Icelandic description of the restaurant, via Google Translate: Grill 66 is a new barbecue place for the whole family. The brand refers directly to the labeling of the legendary "Route 66". Diverse restaurant offering hamburgers, steak sandwiches and other foods that are all named after cities and towns of the "Route 66".
A peek inside the former Snuffy’s Grill
Last fall, we reported that the small, Chicagoland-based Steak N Egger restaurant group had purchased Snuffy's 24-Hour Grill along Route 66 in McCook, Ill. Steak N Egger owner Terry Carr said the exterior, constructed in 1929 with limestone cut from nearby quarries, would remain visible, and that the interior would contain 1950s decor. On Monday night, … Continue reading A peek inside the former Snuffy’s Grill
Route 66 restaurant played vital role in rise of Mexican food
The Mitla Cafe, marking its 75th anniversary on Route 66 in San Bernardino, Calif., played a crucial role in the rise of Mexican cuisine in the United States and the Taco Bell restaurant chain, according to a new book by Gustavo Arellano. Arellano's book is titled "Taco USA: How Mexican Food Conquered America." It will … Continue reading Route 66 restaurant played vital role in rise of Mexican food