{"id":1059,"date":"2017-09-19T14:56:49","date_gmt":"2017-09-19T19:56:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/visitmowp.local\/articles\/restaurants-on-route-66\/"},"modified":"2026-04-03T08:08:16","modified_gmt":"2026-04-03T13:08:16","slug":"restaurants-on-route-66","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.visitmo.com\/articles\/restaurants-on-route-66","title":{"rendered":"Restaurants on Route 66 in Missouri"},"content":{"rendered":"

Experience life in\u00a0 simpler time with a trip down iconic Route 66 in the Show-Me State. Feel the wind in your hair, admire the restored neon-lit motels and motor courts, stop often at roadside attractions<\/a>. When it’s time\u00a0to fill your gas tank \u2013 and your belly \u2013 you can find everything from greasy spoons to sweet shops,\u00a0pizza to barbecue.<\/p>\n

There are so many great places to eat, you may want to slow down and spend a few days on Missouri’s stretch of the Mother Road. Here is just a sampling\u00a0(note –\u00a0slight detours off the route may be required):<\/p>\n

Red Onion Cafe<\/a>,\u00a0Joplin – Head downtown for\u00a0hand-cut steaks, gourmet burgers,\u00a0chicken and pasta dishes served in a casual setting.<\/p>\n

Whisler’s Drive-Up<\/a>,\u00a0Carthage – In business since 1953, this joint knows a thing or two about making awesome burgers.<\/p>\n

College Street Caf\u00e9<\/a>, Springfield – The red-and-white checkered building greets guests in true Route 66 fashion. Enjoy a delicious meal and don’t forget to order a slice of their famous mile-high meringue pie.<\/p>\n

Steak ‘n Shake<\/a>,\u00a0Springfield – This neon-lit spot on St. Louis Street\u00a0is a Route 66 institution, dating to 1962. It’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places.<\/p>\n

Route 66 Hot Dogs<\/a>, Springfield – Sometimes simple is the best: hotdogs and cold drinks from an old grocery store built in the 1920s. If your timing is right, this spot has movie nights, too.<\/p>\n

Joe’s Diner<\/a>, Strafford – This small local diner is a bit rustic, but it’s a great place for a hamburger. Don’t pass on the onion rings.<\/p>\n

Hopper’s Pub<\/a>,\u00a0Waynesville – This charming pub\/restaurant sits right on Route 66 in the downtown area. It offers a\u00a0diverse menu and dozens of beers on tap.<\/p>\n

Slice of Pie<\/a>, Rolla – There’s no denying the big appeal of the pies at this small bakery. They’ve got pies galore, from traditional apple and peach to sweet potato and custard.<\/p>\n

Shelly’s Route 66 Caf\u00e9<\/a>, Cuba – Dine with the locals at this beloved diner, serving home-cooked favorites.<\/p>\n

Missouri Hick Bar-B-Q<\/a>,\u00a0Cuba – This Missouri original has earned a reputation as one of the best barbecue joints entirety of Route 66. The serve up all the traditional options, from ribs to smoked chicken to pulled pork. Try a classic taste of Missouri with a pork steak sandwich.<\/p>\n

Ted Drewes Frozen Custard<\/a>,\u00a0St. Louis – It doesn’t get much better than frozen-custard on a warm Missouri day – or a cold Missouri day, for that matter. Ted Drewes has been making sweet teats for more than 80 years.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Experience life in\u00a0 simpler time with a trip down iconic Route 66 in the Show-Me State. Feel the wind in your hair, admire the restored neon-lit motels and motor courts, stop often at roadside attractions. When it’s time\u00a0to fill your gas ta<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3334,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"15631,1084,984,1158,1097,23064","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1059","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-food-and-drink"],"pp_statuses_selecting_workflow":false,"pp_workflow_action":"current","pp_status_selection":"publish","acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nRestaurants on Route 66 in Missouri<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.visitmo.com\/articles\/restaurants-on-route-66\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Restaurants on Route 66 in Missouri\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Experience life in\u00a0 simpler time with a trip down iconic Route 66 in the Show-Me State. 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