I made a quick detour off I-40 at Exit 66 to visit the iconic Cafe 66, just five minutes from the highway and impossible to miss. [[HIGHLIGHT]]From the outside, the branding leans heavily into the Route 66 identity--logos are everywhere, setting the expectation for a nostalgic roadside dining experience.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]Stepping inside, however, the atmosphere takes a different direction. Rather than embracing classic Americana, the décor feels modern, highlighted by whimsical cow artwork adorned with flower crowns. It's charming in its own way, but not the vintage Route 66 ambiance I was expecting.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]One thing that deserves high praise is the cleanliness. The café is immaculate, from the dining room to the overall presentation, reflecting a team that clearly takes pride in maintaining the restaurant.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The food, unfortunately, was less memorable. The oatmeal was overly thick and dry, lacking the creamy comfort you'd expect. Buttered toast carried an off flavor, suggesting the griddle or butter station could use a refresh. The signature pancake, dusted with a powdered sugar "66" logo, was visually appealing and easily the meal's most Instagram-worthy item, but it too was disappointingly dense. Where Cafe 66 truly shines is its service. Every staff member I encountered was warm, welcoming, and eager to help first-time visitors feel at home. Their hospitality left the strongest impression of the visit. In my opinion, Cafe 66 seems to be transitioning away from being a destination built on Route 66 nostalgia and toward becoming a dependable neighborhood café for the Clinton community. There's nothing wrong with that--in fact, it's probably the more sustainable business model. But travelers seeking an authentic trip back in time may leave feeling that the iconic branding promises more nostalgia than the dining experience ultimately delivers. read more

Route 66 Cafe At The Market - Pancake with dusted powder sugar - upside down - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Clinton, Oklahoma

I came here for delicious food, left absolutely annoyed. When we walked in a girl did instantly come to us which is good, brought us to our table and before I even got the chance to sat down she asked "What drink today? Water, Orange Juice?-" I said do you have lemonade and she said no, okay that's fine but she said it in the possible most oddest way ever. After that interaction and I got my drink, she left; nother person came and asked what we would like to eat (this was 10 minutes after our drink) , I then said I would have a side salad and mac n cheese. My mom across from me said she has friend chicken, after we gave our order we then waited 30 MINUTES...for a SALAD. Thing is I didn't mind but when I tried it, it really did taste like grass and incredibly earthy and odd and that's when I wasn't exactly happy when I waited for a extra earthy salad... My mac n cheese came, it was delicious!!!!! 15 minutes after this, my moms food came and she said it was really good too. See we loved our food besides the extra earthy salad and almost 45ish minute wait time. On the other hand, when waiting we noticed our server and multiple others would get served before us and get asked how the food was, but not us though and that genuinely had me curious and ruined the whole experience. I love the conversations and the communication like as e.g. "How is the food?" , "How are yall doing today?", these are good things; it did not happen though and we got bluntly ignored. If you work in any restaurant jobs, please have good communication with your customers. read more

Experience was terrible for being my first time eating here . Seating time was long although there was tables available. Food arrival was over 25 mins after order was taken . My Food came out the worst , every meat inside the tortilla was completely burnt not crispy BURNT ! After brought to their attention, I still had to pay full price for my meal ... Will definitely not recommend this restaurant. read more

What went well? Let me tell you, EVERYTHING! Food: Delicious 10/10 Service: Friendly and attentive staff [[HIGHLIGHT]]Ambiance: Cozy[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

Route 66 Cafe At The Market - Chicken fried steak!!! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Clinton, Oklahoma

We arrived at 12:30 on a Wednesday. We had to wait to be seated (fine). They took our drink orders immediately (great). But we waited and waited for them to take our food orders. (Bad) I ordered the 2-breast fried chicken meal and they said it was special order and would take 15 minutes (fine), but it took over 30 minutes (bad) and the chef screwed up and gave me a breast and a wing (bad). The chicken did taste good (great). My wife had biscuits and gravy but the biscuit was so hard she couldn't break it apart and she had to jab it repeatedly with her fork to break off pieces (bad). We were there for 90 minutes and they never refilled my water glass which was empty for 30+ minutes (bad). So, it wasn't a totally terrible experience, but, I would never recommend it. read more

Route 66 Cafe At The Market - Chicken breast& wing, mashed potato's & gravy, okra. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Clinton, Oklahoma

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This place doesn't know small portions and i love them for that. Phenom food and the apps are crazy good. Services was grand. All around fan freakin tastic read more

Route 66 Cafe At The Market - Chicken Fried Steak , Mashy Potaties and a roll of - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Clinton, Oklahoma

Staff is always friendly, helpful, and remembers our orders each week. Food is always good!

Good food-good service! Excellent Sunday buffet ! Come hungry because they have large portions. I almost always take some home!

[[HIGHLIGHT]]The country kitchen is still alive and well in Oklahoma. This is the feel and vibe of a small town country kitchen where one may see locals waiting in line to taste the treats of what mom used to make![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] This place is privately owned by a husband and wife team who have obviously listened to what their customers keep coming back for. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Remodeled in a new clean and comfortable feel with modern materials.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Will recommend highly. Next up the burger or the chicken fried steak! Go eat and enjoy! read more

Route 66 Cafe At The Market - Meatloaf - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Clinton, Oklahoma

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Service and food were really great. Chicken Fried Steak obviously hand breaded. Cherry cobbler was great with Blue Bell Ice Cream. read more

Route 66 Cafe At The Market - Outside - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Clinton, Oklahoma

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The food is always good,hot and service is better than you could imagine I would recommend if trying this place out.

We were traveling back East from a vacation in Santa Fe New Mexico. We were looking for a solid place to eat. I was searching towns (pretty sparsely populated in this area) and so I looked at Shamrock, Elk City, and Clinton. It's important to us to support local businesses. There were few choices in the area that had consistently gotten good reviews. But. I was encouraged when I read the reviews for the Route 66 Cafe in Clinton, OK. We called ahead to make make sure that we could get served since our arrival would be just 15 minutes until closing. They were accommodating and very welcoming when we arrived to the little cafe. We were greeted, took our table, and were told about the "blue plate" specials. I ordered the chicken fried steak with mashed potatoes, green beans, and a roll (which was accompanied by locally harvested honey). My husband ordered the BROASTED chicken, mashed potatoes, and green beans. We were told that the special chicken roaster was probably already shut down for the day but before he even had a chance to change his order, the owner/cook popped his head out of the kitchen to say that he would make one more batch for us! Our food arrived in a timely manner. We both started to eat and the chicken fried steak was on point but the superstar was that chicken!!! Then, we ate the rolls with some locally sourced honey- so good we bought 3 to go for gifts. Do yourself a favor - stop and GET the chicken. Great people! read more

I have eaten here several times when in town to see my family. Couldn't give it a higher recommendation. The food is as good as you will get but the hospitality is what is over the top. All the staff are friendly but the last time I was there the manager went over the top. He heard I wanted grits and they weren't on the menu. He happened to have some from an event he had done and before I knew I had grits on the table. Now that's how you do business. It's called "uncommon hospitality". It is what separate the best from the good. Thanks so much. See you next time in town. read more

Service is always good. There Buffett is small but always a good choice. Best onion rings around. And wait the short wait for the broasted chicken. It's well worth it. read more

A 3 at the best. Pancakes and biscuits and gravy are not made from scratch, tasted like the boxed stuff. Gravy is just flour and water/milk, and some powdered seasoning . No bits of sausage, no authentic taste. Omelette lacked a lot. Under seasoned, and very small portions. Truly disappointing, especially with the reviews we read. read more

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This is an amazing small dive. The cobbler is worth a stop! We had the special--meatloaf. Amazing. read more

Route 66 Cafe At The Market - Blackberry Cobbler - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Clinton, Oklahoma

Great service and meal was awesome. The servers were really pleasant and they all were there to help. read more

Route 66 Cafe At The Market - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Clinton, Oklahoma

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Great stop. I had the roast beef special, the picture is the chicken fried steak plate. Both were excellent. Green bean side was canned, but everything was tasty, and the service was great. Cute Route 66 decor. Doesn't look like much from the road...kind of stands alone on the side of the road, but we'll worth the stop. read more

Route 66 Cafe At The Market - I had roast beef special..picture is chicken fried steak. Both were excellent and so was the service! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Clinton, Oklahoma

[[HIGHLIGHT]]The look of the place is unique and comfortable. The route 66 look is fun and enjoyable[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]. The service is surprisingly quick and friendly considering that we arrived about the time a tour group came in. The food tastes really good. I had the ham and swiss sandwich. It is way better than the diner-quality fare I expected. However, for the cost, my sandwich was pretty spare. It really needed to be loaded, deli-style, to be worth it. read more

Great place for breakfast in what was previously a local little fruit market! Incredibly friendly staff, filling breakfast food, and cute stop on Route 66! The boys loved the bacon - nice and crispy, and the pancakes were so fluffy!! I can't remember our waitress's name but she was so sweet. Also, Judy was so kind and gave us an Oklahoma Route 66 trip guide as we were headed out. read more

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Friendly staff, fast service, delicious food.they have daily specials also a menu to choose from - also they have a world-map on the wall - don't forget to mark the place where are you coming from! Highly recommend. read more

Route 66 Cafe At The Market - Omlette - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Clinton, Oklahoma

One of the best burgers I've had in a while!! (I live in the metro for comparison) And the staff is soooo nice

The sweet cream pancakes are so good! And so big! The staff is very friendly. The environment has a home cooking style feel. This is definitely the place to go for a homestyle breakfast. read more

Had the best CHICKEN FRIED STEAK, FRIED OKRA, and ONION RINGS of my entire life. Portions were humongous. Small, local, historical, friendly. Food is legit. Highly recommend if passing through OK. read more

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Simple little diner with good comfort food. We had the grilled cheese, along with fries and onion rings. It was all great. I'm not a big onion ring fan, but these were excellent with a unique seasoning. Would definitely eat here again! read more

Bisquits were awesome. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Great service and ambiance.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] We'd go again for sure. Love the town as well.

Decided to stop here for breakfast! The diner feel and decorations are amazing! The food was typical diner breakfast fare, however everything tasted amazing! They were even able to accommodate our party of 7. I had the big bite biscuit with fried eggs and sausage and it was all covered in gravy! It normally comes with hash browns, but I asked for them on the side! So good! read more

So I was in Clinton, OK for just one day on business and I wanted something local for lunch. I left late from work to grab some food and I stumbled on a cool looking local joint. What I didn't know at first was that I got here about 10 minutes after they closed and didn't see a sign and tried to open the door. I looked to see if maybe I went to the wrong door (which I hadnt) and was quickly greeted by the owner who let me in. She kindly let me know they had just closed but would take care of me. I was floored!!! Customer service like this now a days is really a gem to be treasured. I asked what was easy for them to make and they explained that anything on the me u was good. I went with a spinach salad with grilled chicken. Great for lunch!! So it turns out the lady who owns this took over an old fruit stand and spruced it up and made a cool lunch joint and a spot to buy some antiques and other little odds and ends. This is just past the RT66 museum and maybe 7 minutes off of I44 so because of the amazing treatment I was shown I would highly recommend this place to any hungry passers-by....... but come in before they close!!! read more

Route 66 Cafe At The Market - Spinach salad with grilled chicken!! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Clinton, Oklahoma

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Great atmosphere! Huge portions and delicious food! The pancakes are seriously the best! read more

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Foods amazing I love the big bite biscuit,and the pancake omg their amazing I'll be going here more often.the service is amazing their funny,nice,and kind .over all I give it 5 stars read more

Stopped in for breakfast on our cross country trip at Route 66 Cafe in Clinton Ok and thoroughly enjoyed the down home hospitality and great country cooking served quickly!! Ambiance took you back to the days of simpler times! If you're looking for great food at a great price, stop in! You won't regret it!! Thanks guys!! read more

Eggs cooked to order, good hashbrowns, and really tasty roast chicken with green beans -- the perfect little small town diner. Our waitress couldn't have been friendlier, and kept calling my husband "sugar." (He loves that shit.) She was careful to pay attention to his order, as (my hubster) clearly has a profound hearing loss in his right ear. (Eight thousand dollar hearing aids help, granted, but . . . ) Our glasses of iced tea never went empty. The men's room was clean and well lighted, and had plenty of soap and paper towels. We have our dear friend Marty McKinsey (an old Clinton gal from birth) to thank for turning us on to this little place. read more

If you're just traveling through and wondering where you can get a good meal, stop here. We were on our way from Los Angeles to the east coast. Judy, one of the owners, saw us in our car with our cats and stopped to have a conversation with us as she's a cat lover and rescuer herself. Inside, we were charmed by the local feel and old time-y Route 66 vibe. We were there for breakfast and ordered coffee, which was surprisingly good for this "coffee snob". I order the Big Biscuit breakfast. The bacon was cooked crispy like I requested and the gravy was good. I'm originally from the south and I know good gravy vs bad. My son ordered the breakfast sandwich. I'd have preferred it to be grilled with butter rather than the oil I think it was grilled with, but everything else was solid. Judy sat and chatted with us while we ate as we were interested in her story. She and her husband own and operate the place and have an obvious care for quality in both the food and service. I'm happy to support their business and definitely recommend a stop by for a down home cooked meal. read more

Route 66 Cafe At The Market - Coffee is good. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Clinton, Oklahoma

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You will have to try the broasted chicken which is amazingly soft and moist inside but crispy outside (high pressure deep fried). The chicken steak is also excellent. Great atmosphere for a genuine unique diner. Local folks eat there... which is always a good sign. read more

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Excellent service great food. Had the egg omelet was awesome! Try it you won't be disappointed

I pulled off I40 to get some gas, it was about lunchtime, so I decided to see what was available in local dining. What I discovered was the Route 66 Cafe. Located on historic route 66 in Clinton, OK. This place is a real jewel. Just down home, small town country cooking. It kind of looks like a hole in the wall kind of place from the outside, but it's really cute inside. It's decorated in old route 66 memorabilia. There is plenty of dining space with 2 dining rooms. The waitresses are friendly and helpful. Very hard workers. This seems to be a very popular place. I ordered the chicken fried steak. I had been disappointed with what passed for chicken fried steak last night in New Mexico, but this was sure nuff the real thing. The green beans were cooked with butter and nicely seasoned with pepper. The mashed potatoes were nice and creamy. The chicken fried steak itself was decent size without being overwhelming. You could tell it was hand breaded. And everything was covered in plenty of good old peppered cream gravy. This place is definitely worth stopping at. read more

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We had a lovely late breakfast here on our way thru Oklahoma headed home and it was a great! You have to try the sweet cream pancakes without syrup to understand their wonderful ness! Syrup added after you try them is good but take your first bite without-yummmy! They have great coffee they keep hot and steady and the wait staff are so nice and helpful! It was not terribly busy when we went thru on Sunday morning. The ambiance is Route 66 inspired and we will be stopping here again for breakfast someday! read more

We stopped for lunch while visiting Clinton on our route 66 tour. The atmosphere is quaint and the staff is friendly. Tried the catfish plate and it was seasoned properly. Big portions and the price was right. It was a pleasant experience. read more

Route 66 Cafe At The Market - Good lunch spot! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Clinton, Oklahoma

Stopped for lunch on a road trip from AL. Such a good choice to stop and enjoy not only a piece of history, but a tremendous lunch with portions reminiscent of the way my grandparents served up plates! It was outstanding and so delicious! People who worked there were so very nice and friendly. It was fun putting my pin on my home in AL in their huge map. read more

Let me say I am not a big fan of chicken but every chance I get to stop in Clinton and have their broasted chicken I do. There is a 25 min wait but worth every min. I also have tried the chicken fried steak and it was great as well. The service and friendly hometown atmosphere is perfect for this small restaurant on Route 66. read more