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Shelly's Route 66 Cafe

4.5 (57 reviews)
Closed 6:30 am - 3:00 pm
Updated 1 month ago

Shelly's Route 66 Cafe Photos

SHELLY'S ROUTE 66 CAFE ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Casual
Good for kids
Outdoor seating

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The table condiments

Today was our first time seeing the menu at Shelly's and at first glance things looked pretty decent. I was not expecting too much from this restaurant though, it's just too small, for a full service restaurant. Remember that this place was originally a Dairy Queen from the 1950's. Size is important for a good quality restaurant. The first thing is the staff is nice and friendly attentive and knowledgeable about the menu. The experience of the cooking staff was an experience that was not what I expected but it happens wherever you eat. Sometimes it goes wrong sometimes it's good, the omlet was not cooked properly and still had runny eggs in it. The biscuits and gravy were spot on and my wife's sunny side up was cooked properly. Overall we had a great time at Shell's and they served a great cup of coffee! We will be back to this little place everyone has a bad day

a receipt and a sticker
RunAway B.

Cuba, Missouri --- Shelly's Cafe" (since 2012?) is a Route 66 neighborhood local favorite eatery ... owner operator "Shelly" workin' the grill next to grill-master "Willis" (real sorry about the blurry pic Willis ) ... my breakfast "Stack" was enormous & tasty-riffic PLUS great presentation ... "Been There, Seen It, Done It" over the years of traveling Historic Route 66 (5 times) and always look forward to the Shelly Cafe smiles ... "Run-A-Way Bill" was here! ... and will return 07.17.20

Blueberry Pancakes
Kristin A.

Tiny cafe in a tiny town. 95% locals yet you're made to feel welcomed. Patrons told us to grab a seat when we walked in. I got the vibe everyone knew everyone and this is the place for locals to catch up on the latest. Our server was attentive, establishment is not large but works. Food was absolutely delicious. I had blueberry pancakes that didn't even need syrup, son destroyed his bacon and cheese omelet with hash browns and toast, and spouse got ham steak and eggs with American fries. We usually go to Lebanon for another delicious diner but we just found another great place to change it up.

Not sure....
Wanda H.

Once again, breakfast all day! Bacon was awesome. Nice thick cut, not the thin stuff you get some places. Eggs cooked perfectly. Biscuit was GREAT. Service was pretty good and prices were reasonable. Strange layout to get to the restroom, but oh well....

The view from our table
William C.

We stayed in the oldest operating hotel on Route 66 located nearby for a night. Before we headed out we had breakfast at Shelly's. Great staff and food at a great price. A lot of character inside and out. Parkings no problem and we plan on stopping by next time we head down Route 66.

Maria O.

What a fun restaurant on Route 66. We stopped in for breakfast and ordered the daily special and pancakes (order the sausage for sure- slightly spicy). Both were delicious.

Half order of biscuits and gravy with hash browns

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8 months ago

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3 months ago

The food was great me and my girlfriend enjoyed it we will come back for sure highly recommend

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4 months ago

Food and Service was great! Felt like you were part of the town! I would go back for sure!

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6 months ago

Is there a friendlier place or a better place to have breakfast in Cuba? I don't think so. Sweet cafe, good food, nice owner. Go!

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10 months ago

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2 years ago

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2 years ago

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6 years ago

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3 years ago

Outstanding breakfast. We had the most amazing stack of biscuits, sausage, eggs and gravy. More than a meal. Be ready.

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4 years ago

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5 years ago

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7 years ago

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4 years ago

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4 years ago

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3 years ago

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5 years ago

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3 years ago

A quick stop in for a bite after a weekend of glamping and floating . Great value , hot food , great service .

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4 years ago

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2 years ago

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8 years ago

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3 years ago

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6 years ago

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4 years ago

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6 years ago

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14 years ago

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9 years ago

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5 years ago

Great little greasy spoon diner. Burgers are BIG, prices are reasonable, decorated for Route 66 enjoyment.

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9 years ago

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4 years ago

The waitress was great, food was delicious and quick. I definitely recommend this place when passing through.

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9 years ago

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7 years ago

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5 years ago

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11 years ago

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7 years ago

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7 years ago

They serve the BEST cheeseburger on the map. Oh, and their other menu items are good too.

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11 years ago

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Frisco's Grill & Pub - Spinach salad in Cuba, MO

Frisco's Grill & Pub

(137 reviews)

$$

Been many times. Excellent service and food every time. Ask for the daily special..the frisco melt…read moreis great and the chicken fried chicken on Sundays is amazing.

Frisco Bar and Grill is one of those places that commits hard to a theme and then gently asks the…read morefood to catch up later. The concept is genuinely fun: you sit down and feel like you've boarded a vintage rail car, complete with that "on the way to somewhere better" energy. Unfortunately, the illusion peaks a bit earlier than the appetizers. After seeing glowing Yelp reviews, we arrived expecting small-town culinary magic. What we got felt more like Amtrak dining car, but the train is delayed and the kitchen is understaffed. Service was pleasant--no complaints there--just moving at the leisurely pace of a scenic rail tour through the Midwest. The food itself lands firmly in the "fine, technically edible" category, which is not what you hope for when the internet has promised greatness. The highly praised wings arrived absolutely committed to their sauce--gloppy enough that you start wondering if the chicken was merely an accessory. A light brushing and sauce served on the side would have kept things from turning into an edible slip-and-slide. The French onion soup also took a creative detour from tradition. Swiss cheese instead of gruyère sets the tone, and from there it becomes less "soup" and more "onion-forward gravy experiment." After a couple bites, the rest felt like a suggestion rather than an obligation. The roast beef sandwich leaned heavily into bread architecture while treating the roast beef like an optional insert. The meat itself had a distinctly packaged deli-cold-cut energy--efficient, but not exactly artisanal. Even the house salad managed to surprise, featuring tiny cheese pellets that suggest innovation in texture design, if not necessarily in enjoyment. And then there's the atmosphere note: smoky in a general sense, just not in the dining room--so you get ambiance without full immersion. The only real head-scratcher, though, is the level of restriction around what guests can bring in--at one point making you feel like your own onions might be considered contraband. It's a rare dining experience where you leave thinking, "I wasn't allowed to improve my meal, and somehow I still considered it." In the end, if this represents top-tier dining in Cuba, Missouri, then Michelin inspectors might want to keep the train rolling straight through without stopping. It's not a disaster--just a very enthusiastic theme restaurant where the theme outruns the kitchen by a few stations.

Shelly's Route 66 Cafe - cafes - Updated May 2026

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