According to the Lebanon (Mo.) Daily Record, a Route 66-era cafe near the settlement of Hazelgreen, Mo., was heavily damaged by fire early Tuesday. The fire broke out at the Midway American Chinese Restaurant at Exit 140, off Interstate 44 east of Lebanon, about 4 a.m. and took firefighters about four hours to control. Based … Continue reading Fire damages old cafe near Lebanon
Category: Restaurants
Heritage House restaurant torn down
The Heritage House restaurant on old Route 66 in Springfield, Ill., which closed in 2004, recently was demolished, reports the Springfield Journal-Register. The Heritage House operated for 38 years. For a long time, it was the only smorgasbord restaurant for miles around. Growing up in central Illinois, I remember one of its ads on a … Continue reading Heritage House restaurant torn down
The Mill makes state’s most-endangered list
The Mill on old Route 66 in Lincoln, Ill., was named today to Landmarks Illinois' 10 Most Endangered Historic Places, according to the Lincoln Courier. It's ironic that The Mill makes the list now. It's much less endangered than it was 18 months ago, when the city was about to knock it down because of … Continue reading The Mill makes state’s most-endangered list
Michael Wallis takes Disney Imagineers down Mother Road
Taking Hollywood types on a tour down historic Route 66 is getting to be old hat for best-selling nonfiction author Michael Wallis He hasn't been guiding just Tinseltown actors, however. The first two tours Wallis guided were for employees of Pixar Animation Studios, who were researching the Mother Road for the 2006 summer hit movie, … Continue reading Michael Wallis takes Disney Imagineers down Mother Road
Restaurant will use old Phillips 66 station for catering
Cheever's Cafe in Oklahoma City needed more catering space. So the owners purchased a cottage-style Phillips 66 gas station at 401 Northwest 23rd (aka Route 66) and are converting it, reports the Daily Oklahoman. The onetime Phillips 66 station — one of only two of the original designs left in the city — was bought … Continue reading Restaurant will use old Phillips 66 station for catering
NPS honors Atlanta’s Route 66 efforts
Two program managers for the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program, under the auspices of the National Park Service, honored the town of Atlanta, Ill., for its ongoing Route 66 preservation efforts regarding the historic Palms Grill, reported the Lincoln (Ill.) Courier. “When Route 66 was decommissioned in 1985,” a Park Service brochure explains, “many of … Continue reading NPS honors Atlanta’s Route 66 efforts
Big Texan’s 72-ounce speed record is broken
For 21 years, former big-league pitcher Frank Pastore held the speed record for finishing the Big Texan Steak Ranch's 72-ounce steak meal in an eye-popping (and stomach-churning) time of 9 1/2 minutes. On Monday, his record was broken. By a professional eater, no less. Those unfamiliar with the 72-Ounce Challenge think you have to eat … Continue reading Big Texan’s 72-ounce speed record is broken
Extension denied for Eagle Hotel
After the Eagle Hotel's owner failed to show up, the Wilmington (Ill.) City Council unanimously voted to reject an 18-month extension that he requested for the historic property off Route 66, reports the Joliet Herald News. Eagle Hotel owner Bill Scales had been working to restore the property for seven years and had requested another … Continue reading Extension denied for Eagle Hotel
The no-name brand behind POPS burgers
The Daily Oklahoman has a fascinating article about NoName Ranch in Wynnewood, Okla., which supplies beef to a number of Oklahoma City-area restaurants, including POPS on Route 66 in Arcadia. Bruce and June Buechner own NoName Ranch (yes, that's its name). They raise Pinzgauer cattle from Austria, and they raise them organically. That means no … Continue reading The no-name brand behind POPS burgers
New windows for The Mill
The Abraham Lincoln Tourism Bureau of Logan County announced this week it had secured a grant to install new windows at The Mill, a historic restaurant on Route 66 in Lincoln, Ill., that will be converted into a tourism center. New windows doesn't sound like much. But there are 40 of them in The Mill … Continue reading New windows for The Mill