Opening in 1942 as a 15 seat classic diner, the Mark Twain Dinette has been a fixture of the Hannibal, Missouri dining scene since, providing locals and tourists alike a combination of value priced food. It is known for their giant spinning root beer bug. My wife and I stopped in for lunch on our fourth day of our Mississippi River road trip, and found the food and service to be great. The dinette is part of the Maid-Rite family of restaurants (all individually owned) and specializing in loose meat sandwiches (seasoned ground beef kept loose like a sloppy joe without the tomato sauce). This is the main reason why I came, as I had not had a loose meat sandwich in a very long time. The building has greatly expanded since the initial start, and now consists of a large souvenir shop (mostly focusing on various board games) on one side, and a dining room on the other. They have a drive-in in the back and plenty of surface parking surrounding the building. It wasn't too busy when we came in, and got to choose a window booth. My wife started with a homemade root beer in a frosty mug ($3.50) and said it was refreshing and delicious. The soup of the day was chicken noodle ($6.50 for a bowl), and my wife found it to be very rich, similar to a chicken pot pie's filling. We shared a poutine - hannibal-style ($12.50) and it was good, though not sure why they called it hannibal-style...maybe because the gravy was darker than what I expected and the cheese curds were the battered deep fried kind. Any who... my wife and I finished as it was quite good. I did get the maid-rite sandwich ($7.24) plus a $1 upcharge to upgrade the side to onion rings. The sandwich was OK, good quality beef and not too greasy but nothing to get too excited about...hard to eat without it falling apart on ya. But the onion ring upgrade was the real deal, with obviously homemade battered sweet onion rings deep fried really well...very very good and something I would actively seek out. Service by Sydney was excellent throughout and was pleasantly surprised by the value for the amount of food we got. We got the bill at the table, but was asked to pay upfront (at the same register that supports the retail shop). We ended up finding a couple of party mystery games on sale at the store, and bought them to bring to our friends that we were about to visit. Super glad that we stopped in, for both the food and sale priced items. read more

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Update: I couldn't leave Hannibal without trying the infamous fried chicken. I ordered online and set a pickup time. Also had the fried green tomatoes and potato salad. Excellent and definitely would have been worth the 25-min wait had I eaten in again. read more

Mark Twain Dinette - Pork tenderloin sandwich, onion rings, and homemade root beer - American Near Me - Hannibal, Missouri

What a cute little place. I brought my family here during our spontaneous weekend trip for Fourth of July and it was worth it. We had basically no weight and ordered the most recommended things on the menu and they were delicious. The weight stuff was very kind and they kept refill in the root beer. The fried chicken was delightful and the onion rings crispy. There's a parking lot, gift shop for waiting and plenty of space to eat and imbibe in this cute diner. Worth a stop for family friendly and affordable meal! read more

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Amazing Fried Chicken and the Root Beer is the best I've had from West Coast to the East Coast. Great service and family friendly environment. The cobbler and ice cream was the perfect ending to this amazing experience! Highly recommend and don't forget to visit the light house near by. read more

This is right off the main highway, with ample parking. I've never had a loose meat aka Maid Rite Sandwich amd we were in Hannibal for a little vacation. The Maid Rite Sandwich came with onions, pickles, and mustard. It was hot and delicious. Filling and had a lot of flavor, even being just ground beef. As my side, I chose their famous onion rings and they were also on point. Great service and decor inside. They also gave a car-hop style service in the back and they make their own root beer. Check them out and enjoy the food! read more

Mark Twain Dinette - Menu - American Near Me - Hannibal, Missouri

Really nice restaurant. Friendly servers. Good food. It's a diner. My wife had a mushroom and Swiss burger that she very much enjoyed. I had a Maid-Rite. It's a loose meat hamburger with mustard, pickle & onion. I added cheese and it was delicious. We got a half foot of onion rings. They were outstanding. The chili was good too. This is a great place to visit while in Hannibal. The homemade root beer was absolutely fantastic! Free refills. We liked it so much we went back the next day for lunch. My wife had an amazing Reuben and fries. And I had 2 Maid-Rites. read more

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Good experience. Service was efficient. Large menu with large portions! Great variety. Nice gift shop.

Great food great price! Had the horseshoe , OG maid rite onion rings and a hot fudge sundae. Fast and delicious read more

Mark Twain Dinette - Great food! Great price:) OG maid-rite with onion rings . Maid rite horseshoe , fries were great - American Near Me - Hannibal, Missouri

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Emily was our server and she was fantastic. She refilled our delicious root beers and waters as soon as she saw them hit half way. She gave us the time we needed, wasn't rushing us at all, and checked on us regularly. The ambiance is definitely a dinette, which is awesome. Our food was very good; 2 Maid-rite burgers that weren't greasy at all, and my wife's sandwich looked great. One of our kids ordered the BBQ Pork Mac & Cheese and it looked and smelled great. They gave it a big thumbs up! We also did the 1/2 stack of onion rings and they were crispy, tasty, and hot. The sauces were good, too. I also had the side of green beans and they were hot, the meat was smoked well, and loved it. The root beer is so good; Fresh, creamy, and not over-carbonated. I've gone to the MTD at least once every time I've been here since I was a little kid and it's always worth the time and money. Thank you for another great meal. read more

The last time I was in Mark Twain Dinette was way back in the 80's. I've recently move back into the area and returned to Mark Twain Dinette. I was NOT disappointed. Great food, great staff and outstanding service. I would highly recommend Mark Twain Dinette. read more

This place is great! The menu is quite large and they have a very impressive vegan/vegetarian/gluten-free menu. The vegan burger was very good and worth the higher price. The wait time was short and the food came out piping hot. The restaurant is pretty nice and there's a cool little gift shop on one end. There's something for everyone here and you should definitely check it out! read more

Mark Twain Dinette - vegan menu - American Near Me - Hannibal, Missouri

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We hadn't been at the mark Twain dinette in like 15 years. So happy we went. The food was really good and the service was excellent! The place was very cute and had a good Hannibal feel to it. read more

Mark Twain Dinette - BLT with a salad . - American Near Me - Hannibal, Missouri

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My wife and I went here because it was raining and we were staying across the street from it. Turns out the food was delicious and the service was great. We were seated promptly and ordered. Our waitress (the most beautiful young woman) explained that the fried chicken would take about 25 minutes. I ordered their famous root beer and the open face beef and the small order of onion rings. My beef was extremely tender and my wife said her chicken was delicious. Lightly breaded. The only thing that would have been better was if you were served a piece of white meat instead of 2 dark pieces. read more

One of Hannibal's many mods to its famous hometown boy, Mark Twain. The menu is traditional diner food with a bit of "southern influence". Large portions and friendly service further add to the small town southern hospitality associated with its name sake. Don't forget to check out the gift shop! read more

Locals had told us that this place was a little touristy with only so-so fare. We tried it anyway because we had a bit of time between our tours of the Mark Twain and Cameron Caves. While there may have been a few tourists in the place, there were also a number of locals. We all thought the food was excellent! I had the Maid-Rite. I was the only one of the three of us who'd never heard of them before. Wikipedia loosely defines it as a "loose meat sandwich." I'd say it's like an unsloppy sloppy Joe. Finely ground, nicely seasoned beef on a hamburger bun with pickles, onions, etc. It wasn't fancy, but I enjoyed it. My two co-travelers had the Monster BLT and the Redneck Reuben. Being the pig that I am, I sampled both. The BLT was loaded with bacon and every bit as good as any BLT I've ever had in my life, including my last favorite which was at the Ogden's North Street Diner in Madison, Wisconsin. The Redneck Reuben was really, really, really, good. The smoked pork made it. It was tender, super smoky, and there was a lot of it. The homemade root beer is very good! Don't let the touristy notion keep you away. The food we had was delicious. I can't imagine the rest of it isn't. read more

Great local place with a Mark Twain History.... Local people were eating there so we knew it would be good AND it was. It was a Saturday night and we were lucky to find this place using YELP. read more

Mark Twain Dinette - Inside Mark Twain Diner... - American Near Me - Hannibal, Missouri

Better than I expected. My food was excellent. It's a nice enough place with a cool gift store attached. My only complaint would be that someone in our party of 4 wanted to order fried chicken which would take longer to prepare, but didn't want to slow down the other orders for the rest of us. The waitress couldn't figure out how to make that happen. I found that pretty ridiculous. Other than that, the service was good. read more

Mark Twain Dinette - Steampunk Burger - American Near Me - Hannibal, Missouri

We were in Hannibal for the day and decided to do lunch at Mark Twain Dinette. The food was really good. There must be a shortage of mayo and pickles in Hannibal. We both ordered the regular size breaded pork tenderloin sandwich. One was twice the size of the other one. One was big enough for one sandwich and the other was big enough for two sandwiches. Portion control obviously doesn't exist. I asked for mayo and lots of pickles. The sandwich came with a dab of mayo and two pickles. I asked for more pickles and was brought two more pickles. Like I said, there must be a shortage of mayo and pickles in Hannibal. The malts we ordered were great. read more

My wife and I hadn't been here in quite a while. Went in because my wife was craving a root beer float. So she and I both had a root beer float and I ordered a made-rite to boot. The service, food and waitress was top notch. We will definitely not wait so long between visits from now on. Great place to have s small town atmosphere meal. read more

Good basic diner with some local faves Momma had the Rueben served on grilled rye. Big portion with very tasty corned beef. I had the catfish sandwich on a soft toasted french roll. Catfish filet hung out an inch on all sides! Both sandos were very tasty and the service was quick and friendly. As an aside we changed our order for sides to onion rings once we saw an order go by. A good choice after touring the Mark Twain exhibits Go. Eat. Enjoy. read more

We stopped in Hannibal to break up a long drive and this is the cutest little town. I thought the Mark Twain Dinette looked good and it did not disappoint. It gives very much comfort food vibes. We got the Mississippi BBQ burger and the catfish sandwich. Both were so delicious! The portion sizes are perfect to fill you up, and not need a to go box. It's nothing super special or amazing, but everything hit the spot. Our server was also really warm and friendly. read more

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My family loves the Mark Twain Dinette. It quickly became a weekend tradition for us. They have plenty of seating, hard working staff, and a fun gift shop attached. The menu offers a large variety. Some of my favorites are maid rite, MTD Shoe, and pork tacos... but nothing beats the Steampunk Burger or the Bacon Jam Dog. The Bacon Jam Dog is a hot dog, but completely reimagined. It's a huge beef hot dog butterflied on a french roll and topped with bacon jam. If you love hot dogs, and you're adventurous... this is your hot dog. read more

The Maid Rites hit the spot. I added on the loaded green beans which I loved - they were soft and cooked with pulled pork. We ordered a half foot of onion rings and they didn't disappoint. My brother had an impressively green side salad with his Maid Rite and my nephew enjoyed his Mo Burger but couldn't finish it. We shared a delightful root beer float. read more

Unassuming from an outsider's POV but wow, the food was fantastic. Got the philly cheesesteak with mashed potatoes and gravy (and 4 bottles of root beer to go). Already considering what I'll try next time. read more

Mark Twain Dinette - American Near Me - Hannibal, Missouri

This was my third visit - Once a year with the kids. I love the idea of a place being able to take a person back to a simpler time, and in Hannibal, it makes it all the more special. The first two visits were just okay, so I will skip right to the latest experience on 7/30/2022. I noticed that quite a few people walk across the street from the hotel, but the parking lot was quite packed as well. We went in and WE greeting the unfriendly hostess. A customer-facing position is nowhere near the ideal fit for someone with her attitude. It goes against the grain of the atmosphere that I believe the owners intend to convey. Speaking of atmosphere, this place (except the gift shop) needs a heavy and thorough cleaning. We were seated in the back dining room which was absolutely filthy. The carpet is dark black - I thought that was the original color, but it is actually a light grey, judging by the area near the trim that doesn't get traffic. Absolutely disgusting. Another thing I noticed was the ceiling. I looked up and saw that the vents have black soot accumulation all over them. This is right over tables as well and makes me wonder if any of this crap drops down on the tables. The ceiling tiles are stained with water damage. Our server was also not the friendliest in the world. My iced tea and daughter's water sat empty for about 10 minutes before he came back around to offer refills. He brought them out but didn't bother taking the empty glasses. This happened with each refill, and we were getting quite a collection going on. The food itself was good and fresh. The server got a little friendlier as he brought the check by (tip time). We went to pay and were again met by the cranky hostess - No smile, no "how was your experience," no "thank you for your service because it helps pay my way," no nothing. I have seen happier faces on iodine bottles. read more

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Great food at a reasonable prices. Nothing too fancy but must try the homemade Root beer and onion rings.

Great service, waiters were beyond nice! Food was okay but root beer was outstanding! Amazing atmosphere.

Wish I would have known this little gem was here sooner. I've been passing through for years and had no idea. We stopped twice this past week on our way from Illinois to Kansas City. Will be regulars now! read more

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This place is a legendary. It is famous for the Maid Rite burger. They steam the ground beef instead of frying. You add mustard, onion and pickles. It's delightfully messy. We also ordered a tower of onion rings. This wasn't enough we did the apple cobbler with ice cream. I mean it was an adventure. Go to Hannibal. Order the Maid Rite and white wash a fence. read more

Mark Twain Dinette - Famous for the root beer and maid rite burgers - American Near Me - Hannibal, Missouri

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I personally really enjoyed my food and have some constructive criticism. I've not been in the building since I was a kid and I'm 53. This place has been around way longer than that. While having lunch I saw a family friend and he said he came here as a young one and he's 80. I don't know if that true or not but that's what he said. This day was a Saturday and there didn't seem to be enough waitresses. They were busy and our wait was almost 15 minutes which isn't bad in the city. Once we sat it was another 10 of so minutes before we were waited on. Once we were finally waited on the service was pretty good. First round on unlimited homemade root beer in a super frosty mug is the best. The frosty mug of already cold root beer provides a thin icy ridge around the edge. The foot of onion rings with 3 dipping sauces was spot on. Not too big and cooked perfectly, the bbq sauce and pepper range was perfect, the mustard not so much, just too mustardy and not for me. The French toast stick were really good. The maid rite brought back the great memories for how great it used to be. Straight up great seasoned flavor and perfectly crumbly beef made just right. Maid-Rite!! The service could have been better, but they were busy but the overall pretty darn good. The root beer and maid rites were priced right!!! I will definitely come back read more

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Been here many times throughout the years. It has been updated and remodeled. 1/3 of the restaurant is a cute little gift shop. Me I prices are very good. I got the half tenderloin sandwich and it was good. Hubby got the country fried steak and it was nothing more than a veal cutlet deep fried. Green beans had chicken in them. That's different. I'm sure we will go back but hubby will order differently. Bathrooms have been enlarged and updated. read more

Driving through town so naturally I had to stop at a place called Mark Twain Dinette. Homemade root beer is great. I had the chili cheese dog and Mac & cheese. Good stuff. Fast service. Clean restaurant. It was worth the stop. read more

I liked this cute little place. Prices are a bit high for the area, but it was good food, great drinks, and wonderful service. Really good C19 mitigation's, especially for the area. read more

Cute little dinette with a store attached. Food and service was good. Pickle fries, Pulled pork and burgers were all good. Onion rings didn't have much flavor and the Cheese sauce for horseshoes had no flavor so wouldn't recommend them but otherwise everyone enjoyed it. read more

What a fun place. Was traveling in Missouri and loved the reviews. Try to go before 11 or after 1. Staff was so nice. The onion rings are a must. They serve their root beer in a frosted mug. Give this place a try. read more

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Pick up a to-go order it was fast and delicious for a maid right people were very friendly

Food was great--root beer is amazing, and the service was wonderful! Close by the Mark Twain fun!

My wife and I just visited again this past Sunday and we both tried the Steam Punk Burger, it was delicious. The fries came out very hot and crispy and our server was very good. I was also so surprised at the number of board games sold in their store along with the prices as these games are expensive but they were very reasonable. If you are into the more advanced gaming I'd go there just for that. read more

I love this place. I always have a great experience going here. Awesome service, good food, and friendly and welcoming atmosphere. I love their burgers, catfish sandwiches, catfish, fries, chocolate shakes, and chocolate malts. If you are a local or a tourist, you'll love this place. The Mark Twain Dinette has been a Hannibal staple for years and if you come to eat here, you'll see why read more

Food was great, service was above average. Ambiance was interesting. The food is the reason we went. We enjoyed everything especially the onion rings. It was lunchtime and my daughter was not able to finish her meal. read more