Diners, Dives, and Drives: Eating on Rt 66

pittghosthunter36
Sep 10, 2023
8 min read

Disclaimer: Most of the things I consumed on my journey were not super healthy, but it was vacation so as the waitress at the classic Peggy Sue's Diner said to me, "who is counting calories". I also cannot be held liable for the feelings of hunger while reading this blog.

I had mapped my way prior to beginning my journey using the Roadtrippers app for IOS. I stopped at restaurants featured on the different "legs" of the Route 66 journey. The first stop for me was Tyler's Barbeque in Amarillo, Texas. For I believe $8.00, I had a rib special. Featured five ribs, a bag of chips, and Texas toast, almost the same as the chicken strips basket from Dairy Queen, except not fast food and Texas BBQ. Tyler, himself, had introduced himself to me while I was eating and asked me where I was traveling from. I shared "I am making my journey on Route 66 to California, but I started in Dallas. I am originally from Pittsburgh, PA". He shared when he first opened his restaurant, his first two customers were a couple from outside of Pittsburgh. His second week open, another couple from Pittsburgh came in as well and he said "wow last week there was someone else from Pittsburgh in here", to which those people replied "yeah we know, they're our neighbors".

Restaurant One: Tyler's Barbeque in Amarillo, Texas

As a restaurant goer, the majority of my childhood and now moving into my adulthood, two things have always stuck out to me. Firstly: you can eat Panera or drink Starbucks anywhere in the country, if you are traveling, you better stick to where the locals eat and drink. Secondly: I have always valued when owners of restaurants or managers come out to greet their guests. I have found that to be so hospitable when the manager or owner takes an interest in who is coming to their establishment. There was a woman sitting next to me who warned me of the storms that were inbound and shared I had better have gotten out of here before they came, which was a good warning as there had been a tornado the night before and the forecast was threatening during the current time. We shared in conversation about the restaurant and the success Tyler has had. He has been best pit boss in a number of different national competitions and never sends his guys out to do the cooking for him, he is the one to go out and cook at these competitions. That to me, shows I picked a good spot to begin my journey, and this meal was the healthiest I would have while on the road, aside from a few homemade vegetable soups.

(Tyler's BBQ: 3301 Olsen Blvd. Amarillo, Texas, 79109).

Restaurant Two: Del's Restaurant in Tucamari, New Mexico

I had driven a decent amount already on my first day and had stopped at a few sites (see a future blog covering more of this roadtrip: Cadillac Ranch, Slug Bug Ranch, Glen Rio, NM ghost town, etc.). Amarillo to Tucamari is normally an hour and a half drive, but I had already made three stops in that period. I had been hungry to stop for a late lunch. I stopped at another restaurant that I had saw on Roadtrippers. This one was an American style restaurant that reminds me of a place near home called the Carriage Inn where you could basically get any sort of meal you want: pasta, pizza, steak, burgers, wings, pot pies, etc. I chose to go for spaghetti and meatballs with a glass bottle of coca cola to drink. Unfortunately, but maybe fortunately for the readers of this article, I did not get a picture before digging in. I will say Del's was a solid choice for a meal though whether you are a family or just a solo traveler like myself.

(Del's Restaurant: 1202 U.S. Rt. 66, Tucamari, NM 88401)

Restaurant Three: 66 Diner in Albuquerque, New Mexico

Now this is where the more classic fun starts. Welcome to the Route 66 diner in the heart of Albuquerque, New Mexico. When I think Route 66 and classic American road trips, I think of diners like this one. Retro feel, eating at the counter, and listening to Mr. Sandman (The Charlotte's) come through the radio. I had originally selected a seat at the corner of the bar had been quickly warned about being in the "splash zone" which I realized was referring to the milkshake machine. I stayed basic in my ordering at this place. I had chicken tenders and fries. Had wanted onion rings, but they had been out. I did get a milkshake special and drank a caramel apple pie milkshake. The milkshake made this place in my book. It was thick and the flavor was incredible, felt like I was drinking a Triple B apple pie. (Triple B is a local farm near Elizabeth, PA and has incredible pie flavors homemade and baked right on site by the Beinlich family.) A fun tidbit for myself is always seeing who provides condiments for a particular restaurant, is it Hunts or is it Pittsburgh's own Heinz products. Here at Route 66 Diner, it was Heinz. No matter how far from Pittsburgh I get, I am always close to home with Heinz products.

(66 Diner: 1405 Central Ave. NE, Albuquerque, NM 87106)

Restaurant pick #4: Miz Zip's

Continuing with the trend of Roadtrippers making my decisions on eateries for me: Miz Zips in Flagstaff, Arizona for a late dinner. Very low key spot, I had started my meal off with homemade vegetable soup which was amazing. I had my main course meal as teriyaki steak tips and mashed potatoes, unbeknownst to me the mashed potatoes had already been coated with a thick layer of gravy. (Not a huge gravy person, but the potatoes were still good). It was a filling meal at this tiny restaurant in Flagstaff and was good for dinner before I headed off to my hotel in Williams for the night.

(Miz Zips: 2924 E. Rte 66, Flagstaff, AZ 86004)

Restaurant Five: Goldies Route 66 Diner in Williams, AZ.

Following what had easily been the best sleep of my trip across the West (more on that in a later post), I had eaten breakfast at Goldies Route 66 Diner. Starting my morning off with two large pancakes, a side of bacon, and a chocolate milkshake while sitting at the counter at Goldies and watching small town American wild west put together breakfasts for travelers from far and wide. Goldies much like the 66 Diner in Albuquerque had the retro feel but with more modern music like Twenty One Pilots, and reminders of the mother road all around the establishment. Williams had a population of just over three thousand in the 2010 US Census and it has every bit of small town America vibes while also hiding the fact that it is a tourist hotspot as it is known for being the gateway to the Grand Canyon via the Grand Canyon Railroad. Service at this location was top notch and I highly recommend this diner as one of my favorites on my trip. The food was especially delicious.

(425 E. Rte. 66, Williams, AZ 86046)

Restaurant Six: Mr. D'z Route 66 Diner

Following breakfast at Goldies and about 3.5 hours of driving and stopping in Seligman for cars and shops, stopping at the Dinosaur crossing on old Rte 66, and driving on a dirt road to an abandoned Arizona neighborhood, I stopped for lunch at Mr. D'z Route 66 Diner. Promptly taking another seat at the counter and ordering another milkshake. (shocker, right?) This time I had a Pineapple Milkshake. I had their homemade vegetable soup, BBQ ribs and fries. Another classical setting, all the employees dressed in a 50s attire and the menu looking like something out of an old school movie, Mr. D'z also did not disappoint. Something that stuck out in all of these restaurants visited is that there was not one tv set in any of the places I had been too at all on this stretch from Amarillo to Barstow, CA. Not one restaurant had a tv. I think it is way to common to walk into a local place back home and see five tv screens and have to divvy up who sits where to view the game or the match, not on this trip, just ambiance and good foods.

(Mr. D'z Route 66 Diner: 105 E. Andy Devine Ave. Kingman, AZ 86401)

Heinz here as well!

Restaurant Seven: Peggy Sue's 50's Diner

Starting my drive north now, I reached Barstow, CA the previous night and now am starting my drive to Steamboat Springs, CO. Another Roadtrippers shoutout is Peggy Sue's 50's Diner. I arrive, park my rental car, take a seat at the bar, order a milkshake and breakfast and get to chatting with the guy sitting next to me who can't believe I managed to get nearly two weeks off of work to travel Route 66 and eat great food. Peggy Sue's is located near Yermo, CA and Barstow, CA, just to the west of the original Del Taco stand. Peggy Sue's is both a diner and a gift shop. After finishing my meal, I start to walk back to my car when I see a guy wearing a Pittsburgh Pirates jersey and I say "hey go Bucs" and he says "thanks were from Pittsburgh" to which I reply and say "oh wow, same". Turns out he and his wife were going to Vegas to gamble but they are from the area where my parents currently reside and where I grew up. All the way out here about 150 miles from the Pacific coast and still running into Pittsburghers, wasn't just Heinz on the table at this time, it was now actual people from the same area. Peggy Sue's lived up to their 4.5 star rating. Tremendous service, amazing menu selection for breakfast and milkshakes, and delicious food. I had ordered french toast, bacon, and an apple pie milkshake. Looking into the history of the diner, it opened in 1954 with nine stools at the counter and three booths. The gift shop is famous as it has all the 1950s memorabilia you can find: Betty Boop, Marilyn Monroe, and Elvis. I grabbed a shot glass before leaving to begin my trek north.

(Peggy Sue's 50's Diner: 35654 Yermo Rd. Yermo, CA 92398)

Bonus: Pioneer Saloon in Goodsprings, NV

Doing this trip the way I had done so, I had the opportunity to stop in Goodsprings, Nevada. This small town may not be known to everyone who reads this blog, but for those who love a particular video game series called Fallout, maybe Goodsprings will ring a bell. One of the best games in the series is called Fallout: New Vegas. The game starts out at the Pioneer Saloon in Goodsprings, Nevada. Many of the locations in the game are based on a real places such as Primm, Jean, Hoover Dam, Nellis Air Force Base, and the Mojave Desert. The Pioneer saloon I had found out while traveling is a real place and has collectibles from the game. I felt it right as a Fallout fan to stop and grab a drink at the spot and grab some photos of the collectible items left by fans. The site is a general store of sorts and a restaurant, the restaurant had live music and fanfare, I had gone into the bar area to find a table set up in the back with a Xbox 360 console setup and New Vegas on the tv free for anyone to pick up to play. There was a collection of bottle caps which is the currency in the game, an army helmet similar to the ones worn by the NCR Rangers, or the game's army, and some bottles of Nuka Cola which is similar to Coca Cola but is a famous drink in the game. Fallout as a series has come a long way from their 2D set up with New Vegas but it is still a favorite game for a lot of the players of the series. Personally, I am a huge fan of Fallout 4. I had gotten Fallout 4 in a package with my Xbox One console and still play it today. I pre-ordered Fallout 76 which was supposed to be the next great game of the series, but without a true storyline and glitches galore, the game did not live up to the hype for me. I had taken the photos I had wanted and then grabbed a Nuka Cola from the fridge and headed out to New Vegas.

(Pioneer Saloon and General Store: 310 NV 161, Goodsprings, NV 89019)

Thanks for reading through my journeys as always, every time someone visits my page, it makes me smile knowing my travels are being read about and reminds me to never stop sharing my experiences with those who live vicariously through my photos. Hope this one is enjoyable to read as it was to write, also I apologize in advance about the feelings of hunger while reading this.