This was my second visit to clanton's! I had the pot roast this time with baked potato, green beans, French fries. All of it was so good! The pot roast is melt in your mouth tender with a delicious belly warming gravy! The French fries were delicious! I love this place! The ambience for a small town diner can't be beat! read more

Clanton's Cafe - Pot roast, baked potato, French fries, green beans! Are you hungry yet? - American Near Me - Vinita, Oklahoma

On the Summer Through America tour: We were passing through Vinita OK on our way to Tulsa on some errands and decided to stop for lunch, based on the reviews (see, Yelp, you DO contribute to society!). It's a small place and all you see from a distance is the EAT sign. But it's all you need. Shelly took great care of us. Their sweet tea is homemade and the perfect strength. I ordered the chicken fried chicken sandwich with a side of onion rings and the hubs got the chicken fried steak (dinner for lunch, anyone? Kidding aside, the woman across from us got the pot roast). The sandwich was huge and I could only eat half. The onion rings were breaded rather than battered (not my fave) but they were GREAT. The chicken was tender, flavorful and came out HOT! Himself's CFS was exceptional. I don't know what they did to it but believe the 60 million other reviewers that tell you it's great. Just the right portion size too. Was offered pie at the end but we just couldn't. The couple next to us ordered pie first and the waitress announced its arrival with, "Appetizers here!" Then they ordered their lunch. I wanted to make friends with them. A great place on RT 66, not to be missed if you're on your way to or from, and especially if you live in the area. We stuck out like two sore thumbs so the cashier engaged us. Definitely a locals place. The handful of boys that came in already had their school haircuts. Too cute. Total slice of Americana, something I think many of us are craving right now. read more

My mom graduated to heaven. Mom's cooking compared to here....Mom might have been fired lol . The pot roast is amazing, chicken dressing meal amazing. Drove back 38 miles to eat here again, you WON'T be dissapointed. I love my moms cooking, however Clanton's is soo amazing yum!! read more

We eat here from time to time and it's a great place to stop and eat, American cuisine with some extras, great homemade pies as well, the waitress and waiters are always polite and helpful, they seem to care about repeat business, you can dress down or dress up, they'll still make you some great food and treat you better than family read more

This place is amazing !!!!! The loaded baked potato with pot roast inside of it was "The bomb" My favorite by far!!!!!

Road tripping across Rt 66 and stopped at this cafe for lunch. I've seen this cafe on a food network/travel channel show and wanted to stop ever since. In the town on Vanita, OK, it's almost right off the interstate and easy to get to, with plenty of parking. I had a uhaul box truck and car trailer and had no issue parking. The service was excellent and the food was great as well. Had the country fried steak with mashed potatoes and homemade green beans. Tried the calf fries for the first time ever. Didn't know what to expect, but let me tell you.. regardless of what they actually are, they are delicious. Light crisp on the outside and melt in your mouth inside. If you are looking for something new to try, calf fries are a must. I may not ever get to Clantons Cafe ever again, but I'm so glad I stopped. Everything was delicious! Thank you read more

See all

Friendly service and great food! Best food for the money! Good portion size and always perfectly cooked.

I've said it before... there are places that continue to exists simply because of a name made for themselves some time in the past. Clanton's fits that description perfectly. At least based on my one (and probably only) visit. We'd planned on taking The Kid to Silver Dollar City over fall break, so we headed up on a Sunday. I'd already learned that Clanton's is closed on Sundays, so I dialed back my plans and decided we'd stop in on Monday, coming back home. After a veritable food desert in Branson, I was feverishly looking forward to Clanton's Fried Chicken. (Notice the all caps there? That's how it had been hyped on "Diners Drive-ins and Dives" and numerous other Interweb articles. So imagine my utter disappointment when our server told us they no longer serve the bone-in chicken. Just a grilled or chicken fried chicken breast. I think I hurt her feelings a little bit because I was literally unable to hold in my letdown. Like most other places, Clanton's is on a pared down pandemic menu with limited options. Figuring to at least get a meal I could rate evenly, I opted for the Chicken Fried Steak. The Wife had Chicken and Dressing, and The Kid went with Grilled Chicken Breast and fries. All came with a rather small and anemic side salad, which we ate prettily rapidly. The food arrived pretty quickly. The Wife's chicken and dressing looked and tasted quite good. The chicken was a little dry, but overall a decent effort. The Kid's grilled chicken had a lot of potential, and just fell short. Overly dry and possessing an odd flavor that made me think of teriyaki marinade. This could have off the charts with a little overnight brine or dry brine for a few hours, and a quick grill. As it was, neither The Kid nor I had much of an interest in it. As for my CFS, I've had worse, but not by much. Pounded so thin it only had one side, it just wasn't good. Bland breading, little to no seasoning, and not much meat to speak of. I daresay Clanton's didn't make any kind of name for themselves serving stuff like this. Overall, what had been a very anticipated visit turned into anything but. I'm sure there's a dedicated group of locals who will keep Clanton's afloat simply out of some sort of hometown loyalty. But for anyone bopping up or down I-40, there's better grub to be had within an hour either side of Vinita, so keep that hammer down and keep on keepin' on. read more

Good non-chain food. I would describe it as a home-style local diner. Catfish is incredible. Chicken and dressing with dressing gravy is soooo yummy. Chicken fried steak AND chicken fried chicken... you just can't go wrong with either (and the chicken strips with a side of gravy is just another alternative to the CFC steak) Pot roast... mmmmmm. And if you want a fantastic burger... Clanton's has them. And if you still have room after your delicious meal... the pies, oh the pies, ARE TO DIE FOR! And on top of all the good stuff to fill your tummy... the service is top notch. You'll fill warm and welcome in this long time (many many decades) family owned diner. And all this on the Route 66 trail to boot! read more

Clanton's Cafe - This INCREDIBLE catfish dinner (two HUGE fillets). Two side options. Also a house salad (already eaten) . - American Near Me - Vinita, Oklahoma

Good breakfast, great service , hearty portions - nothing fancy just good food. The stars of the menu are lunch and dinner - maybe on our next trip through the area! Too early for dessert but the pies looked fantastic!! read more

Very underwhelmed by this restaurant. Food was mediocre at best service was average. Pricy also for Vinita OK. Lamb fries were over cooked small bites very crunchy batter okra was the opposite even though I ordered it extra crispy aka well done. Pie coconut cream, was bland no real pop of flavor. Disappointed in the stop. Not sure what all the fuss was about with this spot! read more

The cheeseburger was the best I have had in years. It was juicy and had all the fixings. I will be making this my new road stop on I35.

We had such a friendly waiter!! Nika did an excellent job and I couldn't get over how happy all of the employees seemed to be and how they seemed to really enjoy their jobs! It made quite an impression on me. This is a wonderful local diner. It's not fancy, but it's clean and comfortable. Hubby ordered the chicken fried steak with mashed potatoes and he thought it was really good - perfect diner food! He noted that the meat was really tender for chicken fried steak. I missed my opportunity for diner food and ordered a southwest salad, knowing that the homemade pie sign was in my eyesight during our entire meal! The salad was a solid choice and it made my pie decision easier. Hubby and I shared a coconut cream pie and it was delicious. Our waiter mentioned quite a few homemade desserts and I hope we have the opportunity to stop by again during our travels to try more of the menu. read more

Excellent food and service. Route 66 place, nicely decorated. Easy to find in a small town.

Not sure what has happened to this place. Had chicken fried steak, not even close to a few years back when I stopped in. Steak had no or little coating on it, it was super thin, dry meat and way over cooked pitiful. read more

The food is very good expelly the porkchop. I also like the lemon pie they don't skimp on the topping. And the waiters are very nice.

Vinita, Oklahoma --- "Clanton's Cafe" is a Vinita iconic eatery & a "Run-A-Way Bill" Favorite ... Whether driving Historic US Route 66 or Historic "Ocean-to-Ocean" Route 60, "Clanton's Cafe" is a MUST stop! Having eaten here at least 3 times in my travels (that I remember anyway), I can say the food is tasty-riffic & plentiful, for a great price (only place in the USA that has a 65¢ bottomless cup of coffee) ... The atmosphere is comfortable with booth seating (no counter-seating though ) ... Opens at 6am for those early-bird breakfast eaters ... Service is super too ... Server Janet, always has me "leaving wanting more!" "Run-A-Way Bill" was here! #RunAwayBill #DUSA2017 #USroute60RunAwayBill #USroute60 #HistoricRoute60 #Route66RunAwayBill #HistoricRoute66 #Route66 12.13.17 read more

See all

This was such a great stop on our road trip to the Grand Canyon. We love stopping at Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives recommendations and it lived up to the hype! The chicken was so good. read more

Clanton's Cafe - American Near Me - Vinita, Oklahoma

Wait staff was kind of rude. Food took longer to arrive than it should have. Lots of people who came in after us were served and gone before ours arrived. Not impressed. read more

Starting with the positive. We found a spot to sit quickly and the server was very friendly She recommended the chicken fried steak, which 2 in our party tried. They said it was nothing special, but the brown gravy helped but the white not so much. I had a salad with fried chicken on top. I expected the lettuce to be iceberg and it was so nothing special there. The fried chicken, although plentiful, was bland. All in all, decent food, nothing special, definitely not worth the Triple D hype. We won't be back. read more

This place isn't bad but I certainly wouldn't say it's good. The salad dressings are house made but that was the best thing I had. I ordered the chicken and dressing and it wasn't worth eating, so I didn't. The quality seemed fine but the dressing was celery heavy for my taste and the chicken came out shredded on top of it which made me question how fresh it was. The green beans were fine but completely unseasoned. The rolls were also fine but they serve them with fake butter which is always such a bummer at "classic" establishments. Friendly service but just not worth it for me. My partner thoroughly enjoyed his chicken fried steak and calf fries, so it's not all bad! read more

Solid greasy spoon joint with lots of history. Standard breakfast fare with friendly and easy service. I was surprised by the steak and eggs plate. Usually at other place you get a somewhat nondescript slab of meat, under seasoned, grilled well or slightly burnt and plated with your eggs and tater choice. Clanton's version is a well seasoned, 1" thick mini masterpiece of bovine deliciousness accompanied by perfect scrambled eggs and a heap of potatoes of your choice. There's plenty of diners along the old Route 66, this should be a stop for sure. read more

Loved this cafe! Had an awesome chicken fried chicken steak, hubby had calf fries and for dessert we had a massive piece of lemon pie! read more

Clanton's Cafe - Amazing lemon meringue pie - American Near Me - Vinita, Oklahoma

See all

Had a party of seven and it took about 15 minutes to get seated. Calf fries were really good! Only downside was thieves stole helmets and jackets off our motorcycles in the parking lot. read more

Diners, Drive-in, and Dive payed a visit in Season 2, and Im sad that I missed this joint last year on my visit for the same event. Lots of Locals come here, it obvious by the first name intros as the they walk in. Had to try the Grilled Cinnamon roll, and that was no let down. Nice little crunch on the out side, and soft inside with just the right amount of icing on top. Now, normally I would eat this heavy in the AM, but with the event I was about to partake in...I would easily walk off the meal...Chicken fried Steak and eggs for the win. Perfectly cooked over easy eggs, the steak was tender, hash browns were buttery...Biscuits and gravy were "stick to your ribs" good. Wife...Eggs over hard (cooked perfectly) hash brown and BACON!! Was a great visit, and this will be my yearly stop when I come into town. read more

See all

Went to lunch here with a good friend of mine yesterday so I can try out their famous Chicken fried steak. The steak was lightly breaded but the best part of the meal was the green beans and black eyed peas side dish. Mashed potatoes came with white gravy. I asked for my gravy to be on the side that way the mashed potatoes and steak was not smothered. Afterwards had the apple cobbler with ice cream. Yeast roll came with the mealThe staff was efficient and friendly read more

See all

Great place, even 50 years later. Love the food, people, and atmosphere. Thank you for the great time

I'm traveling Route 66 from west to east, and vowed to only eat at local places during the trip. By the time I hit Vinita I was tired and just wanted a good meal. Saw Clantons and decided to give it a shot. And boy am I glad I did! The place was nearly full, and most were locals. A good sign, right? The menu includes the usual standard fare, but also calf fries and chicken livers and gizzards as regular menu items. I ordered chicken and dressing, which came with soup or salad, choice of potato, choice of vegetable, and a roll. The salad and green beans were basic, but the chicken and dressing were excellent! The dish was well seasoned and a good sized portion. It was a hearty meal for a normal appetite. I had to order dessert, which in this case was apple cobbler with ice cream. It was delicious, with its spices and perfect crust. read more

The sweet tea alone is five stars! If your from the south tHat should mean everything to you! Then I got a baked potato, salad and the fried pickles . The potato was delish! It came with the Right amount of sides. The salad was small but good. And the fried pickles were very spicy. They were all really good! read more

Clanton's Cafe - Front entrance - American Near Me - Vinita, Oklahoma

Great meal after a 150 mile drive. Don't forget to try the calf fries. Friendly people and Guy recommends, gotta be good. read more

Clanton's Cafe - Great meal. Don't forget the Calf Fries. - American Near Me - Vinita, Oklahoma

Clanton's is in the small town of Vinita, right off the Will Rogers Turnpike. It's an 86 year old local diner dating back to the days when it was ran by its namesake, Sweet Tater Clanton. They're famous for their Chicken Fried Steak and Banana Cream Pie. Clantons makes for a good road stop if you're passing through but it's not somewhere I would go out of my way for. I'd never had Chicken Fried Steak before and, I'm glad I tried it, but not my thing. It was good, hearty, comfort food. But I'm suspicious of any steak that you can get for under $10. I also got Calf Fries (also known as Rocky Mountain Oysters, also known as fried testicles) and those were delish, super tender and yummy. Apparently Vinita is the host of the annual calf fries festival (who knew?) and Clantons has world famous calf fries -- it's a regional delicacy. I also ordered a salad because I felt a need to have something not fried throughout the course of the day. It was covered in cheese but thankfully dressing comes on the side. It helped subdue feelings of my arteries being clogged. I liked Clantons more for the experience than the food. I don't think I'd ever been to a small town diner like this. We were the only non-white people in the place. The walls were full of old photos. The people were super friendly and they asked us to sign the guest book, which was fun. I should say that it was Friday night and the dinner crowd cleared out well before 8 pm. read more

Clanton's Cafe - American Near Me - Vinita, Oklahoma

Stopped by this wonderful dive on my way to Tulsa. Service was good and the food was awesome. I had the chicken fried steak sandwich, onion rings, and peach cobbler. Yummy.... read more

Clanton's Cafe - Chicken Fried Steak Sandwich - American Near Me - Vinita, Oklahoma

Right on Route 66, this is must stop. Food was diner food. We had the BLT and catfish sandwich with home fries and onion rings. Onion rings and BLT was amazing. Catfish could use some work. The ambiance was great. Real diner feel and the place was packed. Should of gotten the chicken fried steak. read more

Pretty good food, home cooking. Their breakfast is very good. I love their homemade pies, cheese burgers and chicken fried steak!

I am staying in Vinita for 3 nights. Everywhere I go, I seek out places like Clanton's due to my interest in the late '50's, early '60's authors and locations they might have ventured. I like locations that have a story behind them. Clanton's fit the bill. Clanton's has been in the same location for a while, and even has a street marker, regarding "Historic Route 66" in front of it. The have the best chicken fried steak in the United States. Plus, they have awesome locals who sit at their tables in cowboy hats comparing Aunt Bell's black eyed peas, top these black eyed peas. The 2 combined, classic. I went out of my comfort zone, and ordered up Chicken fried steak, French fries, green beans, and a roll. Which I ate. Then I thought, "This is where they used to eat pie back in the early '60's." And as if reading my mind, the waitress bought out peaces of coconut creamed pie, freshly made. Everything was fantastic! Which I ordered to go. Never had I have food this good on a work road trip. Great food, great service, great pie. Totally out of my comfort zone, and glad I experienced Clanton's. read more

It was a long drive to get here, and here is why I had driven so far. It was worth it. More than. All the good stuff that is said about this place is probably true, and may be understatements. My chicken fried steak was delicious. The mashed potatoes were velvety, rich and a perfect accompaniment. The onion rings are part of that fanishing breed of great, fresh, onion rings. But what I must call out as the most special part of the meal -- the fried okra. They claim its homemade. I believe them. It had a bright okra taste, it was tender with the right amount of chew, the breading was crisp and tasty. If you are worried about okra slime, you won't find it here. Each bite was perfect. I think this is the best fried okra I have ever had. read more

Clanton's Cafe - Chicken Fried Steak, Mashed Potatoes, Onion Rings. And the hightlight of all the highlights -- Fried Okra! - American Near Me - Vinita, Oklahoma

See all

In the area visiting family and ate at Clanton's twice in a week. Our waitress, Kim, was awesome. She was very friendly and made us feel welcome. The owner, Dennis, was also nice and came over to talk to us about the history of his restaurant and the experience he had with Guy Fieri when he reviewed Clantons. Our first visit my husband had the Chicken Fried Steak and I had the Chicken and Dressing. The Chicken Fried Steak was tender and the gravy, the darker one, wasn't too salty and had some good flavor. The Chicken and Dressing was also good, dressing was moist, but my chicken was a bit dry. I smothered it in their good gravy to moisten it up. The meals come with soup or salad, the salad was very fresh and the dressing and croutons are all homemade. The second visit, we tried their famous Fried Chicken, which is cooked to order, so you have to wait a bit, but it was worth it. Pretty flavorful, but there was quite a bit of grease in the bottom of our plates and many napkins later we finished our meal. They could alleviate all that grease if they put a couple pieces of white bread underneath the chicken when you serve it. Any grease is soaked up by the bread and any juice is captured and you can eat the bread after if you want. All around a good solid place. The best thing I ate on our visit was the homemade squash. They don't make it every day, so call, it is well worth it. read more

Clanton's Cafe - American Near Me - Vinita, Oklahoma

See all

As you can see, I travel a lot. Found this gem on the way to Oklahoma City from Kansas City. Honestly, it's everything southern food should be including greasy :-) This place is an icon in the area, it was full and bustling. The service was fantastic and the atmospheres fun. Definitely a must do if you're a foodie and like to try new things. read more

Clanton's Cafe - Very down home! Great service. - American Near Me - Vinita, Oklahoma

I'll always come here for chicken fried chicken and their pie. Delicious! Tried the home style pot roast recently and it was just as good!

I'd like to give 4.5 but always best to err on the positive side. I ordered the Pot Roast and my wife had the CFS. Everything on my plate was excellent. My poor wife had the worst green beans and the gravy tasted like a mix. The overall experience was nice. Pies were very tasty. If you're through there down Route 66, it is one of the better places. read more