Category: Restaurants

Streetcar Diner’s new home

  I received this e-mail today from Route 66 preservationist John Weiss: The Streetcar Diner that was behind the Riviera has been moved onto its new space on the grounds of the two-cell jail in downtown Gardner. Before the move it was stripped down, sanded and primed by members of the Illinois Route 66 Preservation Committee. The major … Continue reading Streetcar Diner’s new home

San Bern restaurant once served the stars

Here's a long-closed restaurant that even the oldest Route 66 enthusiasts would be hard-pressed to remember. Mother Massetti's Inn at 1396 W. Fifth St. (aka Route 66) in San Bernardino, Calif., became a way for an Italian immigrant widow to support herself and her family. The Italian eatery became a hangout for many Hollywood stars … Continue reading San Bern restaurant once served the stars

The year in review at one little corner of the Mother Road

The good folks at the Historic Seligman Sundries coffee bar in Seligman, Ariz., put together a compilation of highlights from the past year.

First Dairy Queen designated a landmark

The building that housed the first Dairy Queen restaurant, located along old Route 66 in Joliet, Ill., has been designated a local landmark by the city council, reported The Herald-News. The two-story brick storefront at 501 N. Chicago St. (map and Google Street View image here) now houses a local church, but is little-changed otherwise. … Continue reading First Dairy Queen designated a landmark

So who had the first drive-thru restaurant?

This story from The Tribune-Democrat in Johnstown, Pa., delves into the history of drive-throughs, which has squirreled its way into American life from drugstores to liquor stores to restaurants to banks to even funeral homes. As for drive-through restaurants, it's claimed that Red Chaney at the famous Red's Giant Hamburg on Route 66 in Springfield, … Continue reading So who had the first drive-thru restaurant?

The ghost of the Painted Desert Inn

I didn't know this about the historic Painted Desert Inn, located in the Petrified Forest National Park. Apparently I have a new contender for the top ghost sites on Route 66 that I posted yesterday. According to National Parks Traveler: Almost 60 years ago, during the evening of April 9, 1953, the Painted Desert Inn … Continue reading The ghost of the Painted Desert Inn

Hit-and-run crash damages Tulsa restaurant

A hit-and-run motorist crashed into and damaged the Corner Cafe, 11th Street (aka Route 66) and Peoria Avenue in Tulsa, early Monday, reported the Tulsa World. The vehicle struck the western corner of the restaurant at 2:11 a.m. Even though it is a busy corner, restaurant owner Ali Khater said it was the first time such … Continue reading Hit-and-run crash damages Tulsa restaurant

Barney’s Beanery marks 90th year

Barney's Beanery, a West Hollywood restaurant based on Route 66, is marking its 9oth anniversary this month. And the Los Angeles Times today has one of the most attention-getting lead paragraphs I've read: It's a story so revolting and so legendary that it has achieved near mythical status. One night in the 1960s, during a … Continue reading Barney’s Beanery marks 90th year

A word from our sponsor

The Schlotzsky's Route 66 promotion ended a few weeks ago, but it looks like the restaurant chain has a new one. This is the first time I've seen this commercial. And it's pretty cool. The big prize is a 2011 Chevrolet Camaro. I spotted the Desert Hills Motel in Tulsa, featured rather prominently in the … Continue reading A word from our sponsor