Hodak’s: Great Fried Chicken on Route 66!

While it is probably not the most heart-healthy choice, fried chicken is one of the great staples of the road food diet. And one of the best places to get fried chicken on Route 66 is Hodak’s in St. Louis. In business since 1962, Hodak’s is a relative newcomer to the Mother Road, serving its first chicken plate at the corner of Gravois (Route 66) and McNair in 1970. Back then, it was a lot smaller than it is now; in the 1990s, the owners purchased a nearby trucking company, expanding and refurbishing the place and making it what it is today, a fine eatery along Route 66.

What Hodak’s is best known for is its fried chicken, for which it has received local and national acclaim (it was featured on Rachael Ray’s Tasty Travels a year or so ago). The chicken platter ($7.99) is a half chicken, crispy on the outside, juicy on the outside, with fries and cole slaw. You also receive a separate plate for your bones. While the half chicken is likely enough for most palates, if you are still hungry, they have bulk orders of up to 200 pieces of fried chicken available.

While chicken is their specialty, Hodak’s does offer a considerable selection of alternatives. Plate lunches and dinners, including country fried steak, roast beef, and chicken Parmesan dinners complete with sides, are also available. They also have great steaks and fish dinners, and a wide selection of sandwiches and appetizers, including chicken wings, toasted ravioli, and, if that isn’t filling enough, bacon cheese fries. If you are in the neighborhood at lunchtime, they have daily luncheon specials from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. for a little under $6.00.

While the bar does not boast a huge selection of beer and wine, there is certainly sufficient selection to satisfactorily wet most palates.

Hodak’s does not have the same mom-and-pop look that it did 20 years ago when I first ate there, which was more appealing to the “roadie” in me. However, it has a nice “neighborhood eatery” feel, it is comfortable, and the waiters and waitresses are great (because of this, and the food, it is also very popular, so you may have to wait a bit for a table). Also for the roadie in me, Hodak’s could do more to emphasize its connection with Route 66. There is a sign or two in the place, but not much else to let you know that Route 66 runs right by it.

That minor critique aside, what can definitely be said about Hodaks is that it pays wonderful homage to the Mother Road through the great food that it serves, great Route 66 road food, in healthy portions, at a reasonable price. Definitely a place you want to stop when you are cruising down Route 66 through the city of St. Louis.

Value: A
Product: A
Service: A
Route 66 Spirit: B-
Overall: A-

Favazza’s: A great little “secret” on The Hill in St. Louis

(Photo and review by Kip Welborn.)

When travelers pass through St. Louis, one place that they love to go is to “The Hill.” Here, in an area nestled between Hampton Ave, Southwest Ave., and Kingshighway in the City of St. Louis, is the place the Italian American community in St. Louis calls home, and the place where you will find some of the greatest Italian eateries anywhere on the planet.

Many of these eateries — Cunetto’s, Charlie Gittos, Gian Tony’s, to cite a few –are known nationally, and all of them serve fantastic food. Most do not take reservations, however, so it can be a long wait at dinnertime.

Which is what brings me to Favazza’s (5201 Southwest Ave. St. Louis, Mo.; (314) 772-4454). It is a place where you rarely have to wait for a table, and when you do, there is a nice bar area to do so. Any wait you might have is well worth your time, as Favazza’s serves up some of the best food St. Louis has to offer, and the service is always first rate. It is a smoke-free environment and is a nice place for a romantic evening or to take the kids.

The dinner menu prices range from $9.00 to $25.00. The entrees will fit the “taste” of every palate, from the fish lover to someone who just wants a good steak. The prices are in line with most of the restaurants on The Hill, as are the portions, which are usually large enough to serve you for two meals. Before the meal, they bring out the “bread” two ways: plain, with olive oil and butter available, and toasted garlic. The wine and beer lists are extensive, and they have a very nice white house wine.

I am particularly fond of their Chicken Parmesan ($16.25), which is a healthy sized chicken breast doused with just the right mix of cheese and sauce, complete with a side order of your choosing (red or white pasta or a twice baked potato). The Chicken Prosciutto is also fine, and my wife, Quinn, loves the Tortellini.

For the Route 66 traveler, it is extremely easy to get to Favazza’s: At the intersection of Chippewa (Route 66) and Kingshighway turn right if you are heading West, left if you are heading East. Take Kingshighway to Southwest (approx. 2 miles). Turn left on Southwest. Take Southwest just up the “hill”, across a short bridge, and it is on the right side of Southwest at the corner of Southwest and Marconi. Parking is available on the right side of Marconi just past the intersection. It will provide the Route 66 traveler–and any other traveler–with a dining experience to remember.

For more information, visit the restaurant’s Web site.

Grades:
Value: A
Product: A
Service: A
Route 66 Spirit: B (it is not on Route 66 but it is a “mom and pop” place that has been in the Favazza family since the beginning)
Overall: A

Tally’s Good Food Cafe

(Cross-posted from Indie Tulsa, with minor changes.)

I was disappointed when the late Metro Diner in Tulsa closed to make way for TU’s oh-so-visually-stimulating McDorms, but I wasn’t devastated. To be honest, the Metro’s quality had slipped rather precipitously in recent years, and by the time it closed, I’d already found a better place to meet out-of-town friends for dinner: the aptly named Tally’s Good Food Cafe.

I miss the Metro’s great Deco lines, glass-block windows, chrome accents, and that spectacular pink and aqua neon sign that stood out front, but Tally’s — with its retro-styled sign mounted above the door (on a framework that evokes the Meadow Gold sign in miniature), stylish architectural neon around the exterior (complete with glowing Route 66 shields every few feet), and killer breakfasts — is a fine substitute.

You have to respect a restaurant that accompanies its chicken-fried steak with a soup bowl of cream gravy, and I think Ron would willingly swap one of his kidneys for a bacon and cheese omelet and a plate of those crispy seasoned home fries from Tally’s.

I’ve never been disappointed with anything I’ve eaten at Tally’s. The fry cooks know what they’re doing, the waitstaff is friendly and efficient, and although I didn’t ask about the hours, I will say that Ron and I keep strange hours and eat at weird times, and we’ve never come home hungry after heading out in search of a late supper at Tally’s.

Perhaps best of all, the owner, Tally Alame, really appreciates the community that supports his business. Every year, he shows his appreciation by serving a free Thanksgiving dinner to anybody who wants to stop by and eat.

Located on historic Route 66, at the corner of 11th and Yale, Tally’s is also within easy walking distance of the historic Desert Hills Motel, making it popular with my in-laws, who stay at the Desert Hills every time they’re in town and love to start each morning by walking down the block for a cinnamon roll at Tally’s.

Grades:
Value: A
Product: A+
Service: A
Route 66 spirit: A
Overall: A+

Ted Drewes’ Frozen Custard

I suppose it’s a little cruel to talk about Ted Drewes’ Frozen Custard in January — the only month the St. Louis institution is closed — but on this warm, sunny morning, I just can’t help dreaming of spring.

From February to December, you’ll find customers lined up 10 deep in front of the building at 6726 Chippewa — the most popular alignment of Route 66 through St. Louis — to order a Crater Copernicus (devil’s food cake with frozen custard, hot fudge and whipped cream), Dutchman Delight (chocolate, butterscotch and nuts), or Fox Treat (hot fudge, raspberries and macadamia nuts).

Don’t let the crowds scare you off. While a long line at some establishments may indicate that the business is understaffed or the service is slow, the fast-moving lines at Ted Drewes’ are merely an indicator of product quality. Everybody in St. Louis goes to Ted’s — and because Ted knows it, he hires enough employees to keep up with the crowds. I’ve never had to wait in line longer than five minutes.

Everyone’s tastes are different, but for my money, the Cardinal Sin (tart cherries and hot fudge) and Dutchman concretes are the best items on the menu — at least until fall, when Ted offers his pumpkin pie concrete, which involves an entire slice of pie mixed into a big cup of frozen custard.

My rat terrier, Scout, is partial to the Southern Delight, which is made with pralines and butterscotch.

Concretes, for the uninitiated, are rich, creamy milkshakes so thick that they won’t fall out of the cup when it’s turned upside down. I can’t begin to explain how good these are, but I’ll just note, for the record, that one former president of the Illinois Route 66 Association has been known to drive all the way from Chicago just to get a concrete on a summer weekend.

Scout and I completely understand.

If you’re not up for a 300-mile ice cream run, Ted can pack a few mini concretes in dry ice and ship them to you.

During December, Ted Drewes’ also sells Christmas trees. A second, older location is open during the summer months at 4224 S. Grand. When we lived in the area, we generally preferred to hit the Route 66 location, but if you’re interested in exploring St. Louis a bit while you’re in town, South Grand is an interesting drive that takes you past the Bevo Mill, among other oddities.

Ted Drewes’ opens at 11 a.m. daily. Closing time varies, but it’s fairly safe to assume that if the Cardinals are playing at home, Ted will be open when the game ends.

For more information, call (314) 481-2652 or (314) 481-2124 or visit the Web site.

Grades:
Product: A+
Service: A+
Route 66 spirit: A
Value: A
Overall: A+

Ike’s Chili House

(Cross-posted from Indie Tulsa.)

Ike’s Chili House has been in Tulsa for as long as my Cubbies have been disappointing their fans.

While it can’t claim to have the best chili on the Mother Road (that distinction belongs to the Rock Cafe in Stroud), the restaurant at 5941 E. Admiral Place — an early alignment of Route 66 — serves a respectable product, with a large side of history.

Enlarged black-and-white photographs of earlier Ike’s locations grace the walls of the restaurant, and the chili — served straight or with beans — is a tame but flavorful blend of meat and spices. Shakers of ground red pepper and bottles of hot sauce are on all the tables to placate fire-eaters. Three-way chili (over spaghetti, with beans) and other variants are on the menu, but I’ve never bothered to order them. Such niceties strike me as gilding the lily when you’ve got a basic chili that’s so tasty and so filling all by itself.

Of course I was too busy wolfing down a large bowl to remember to take a picture of it the last time we were there, so if you want to see it, you’ll have to head down Admiral and order a bowl.

Ike’s is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.

As a West Sider, I am delighted to note that a new location opened last year at 1630 W. 51st St. Click here to read the Tulsa World’s article about it.

Grades:
Value: A
Product: A-
Convenience: B+
Service: A
Overall: A

Blue Dome Diner

(Cross-posted from Indie Tulsa.)

Located at 313 E. 2nd St. in Tulsa’s historic Blue Dome district on the east side of downtown, the Blue Dome Diner offers an upscale spin on old-fashioned diner fare.

Catering to a decidedly eclectic crowd, the diner serves such specialties as quiche, French toast, and grilled cheese sandwiches made with real cheese (not “pasteurized process cheese food”) stacked between thick slices of homemade bread.

Even a simple bowl of oatmeal becomes a gourmet affair at the Blue Dome Diner, where the cereal is cooked gently, with enough water to moisten it, but not enough to make it mushy; each individual oat remains separate and distinct, sweetened with plenty of brown sugar and big, fat raisins. The oats are a meal unto themselves, but they come with a side dish: toast, fluffy biscuits with thick cream gravy, or the diner’s to-die-for French toast.

The decor features exposed brick walls and poster-sized enlargements of postcards and photographs from Tulsa’s past. The diner sits catty-cornered — and takes its name — from the historic Blue Dome building, an Art Deco structure that once housed a gas station on the original alignment of Route 66.

The staff is friendly, helpful, and supportive of Tulsa’s indie business scene (a Blue Dome waitress clued us in to the existence of Under the Mooch while she was ringing up our order one morning last winter), and the prices — while a bit higher than most diners — are pretty reasonable, considering the quality and quantity of food being served.

Bring quarters to feed the parking meter if you go during the week, as the Blue Dome Diner, like the rest of downtown, suffers from a dearth of free parking. Still, you can usually find a meter fairly close by, and if you aren’t in the mood to walk, there’s a fairly inexpensive ($2 or so) pay lot right next door.

The Blue Dome Diner is open from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Friday; 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.Saturday and Sunday; and 6 to 11 p.m. Thursday through Saturday.

Grades:
Value: A-
Product: A
Service: A-
Overall: A-

Midpoint Cafe

The Midpoint Cafe on Route 66 in Adrian, Texas, has terrific bacon, great omelets, good sandwiches, and a spectacular gift shop, but all of that is really beside the point.

The Midpoint’s raison d’etre, as far as I’m concerned, is the pie.

Apple pie, coconut cream pie, peanut butter pie, chocolate pie, banana cream pie … doesn’t really matter which kind of pie you order, because it’s all spectacular, and it all elevates this rather nondescript little building in the Texas Panhandle to an international tourist destination.

The Midpoint takes its name from the fact that Adrian is generally regarded as the halfway point of Route 66. (Your mileage may vary, but who needs accuracy when you’ve got a good claim to fame?)

In any case, the Midpoint Cafe’s friendly service, well-stocked gift shop, and decadent “ugly crust” pie (so named by the baker, who says she’s never quite matched her grandmother’s talent for making pretty pie crusts) make it well worth a stop. While you’re there, be sure to browse through the Midpoint’s scrapbooks, which include photos of well-known roadies and articles from local, national, and international publications whose reporters visited the place and found it worth mentioning.

Prices are a little higher than most diners, but the food is so good, you won’t regret spending a little extra for it.

The Midpoint Cafe is located on the south side of Route 66 at the west end of Adrian. For more information, call (806) 538-6379 or visit the Web site.

The Midpoint is open 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. seven days a week from Nov. 1 to April 1, with extended hours during the summer.

Grades:
Product: A+
Service: A
Value: B
Route 66 spirit: A+
Overall: A

Hank’s Hamburgers

(Cross-posted from Indie Tulsa.)

In Tulsa, the competition for “best mom-and-pop hamburger stand” is fierce (after living here for three and a half years, I’ve yet to find a less than satisfactory burger), but one contender stands out from the pack: Hank’s Old Fashioned Hamburgers, located at 8933 E. Admiral Place — an old alignment of Route 66 on Tulsa’s north side.

Everything I’ve eaten at Hank’s has been good — the chili, the fries, the burgers — but two items stand out from the pack: the Big Okie and the chocolate-covered peanut butter balls. Even after consuming the former (a behemoth of a burger consisting of four, count ‘em, FOUR quarter-pound beef patties, layered with cheese, grilled onions, and all the trimmings), I manage to find a little room for the latter.

A couple of years ago, during our first encounter with the peanut butter balls, Ron and I noticed a sign taped to the side of the Pepsi machine that read: “We hate to brag, but these are the best thing you have ever tried.”

It’s a bold assertion, but it comes close to the truth. As far as I’m concerned, there are only two desserts better than a peanut butter ball from Hank’s, and neither is available in Tulsa.*

When Waylon Jennings came through Tulsa, Hank’s was one of his favorite haunts — as evidenced by the autographed photographs of Jennings and his wife, Jessi Colter, hanging in the dining room.

When I stopped by for lunch one afternoon, a radio in the kitchen was playing a James Taylor tune, and the tantalizing smell of grilled onions and sizzling beef hung in the air. I got a single cheeseburger — cooked to order, with grilled onions, mustard, tomato, and pickles — for $2.84 and paid 75 cents apiece for a half-dozen peanut butter balls.

It took all the restraint I could muster to keep from eating the entire bag of rich, creamy, truffle-like creations on the way back to the office.

Roadfood.com did a terrific writeup on Hank’s a couple of years ago. The review includes a photograph of the Big Okie.

Hank’s opened in 1949 and has been in its current location — a small yellow building on Tulsa’s oldest alignment of Route 66, between Mingo and Memorial — for more than 50 years. The restaurant is open from 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. The dining room closes at 6:30 p.m., so plan accordingly.

Grades:
Value: A
Service: A+
Product: A+
Overall: A+

*The only two desserts I love more than Hank’s peanut butter balls are the Dutchman’s Delight concrete from Ted Drewes’ Frozen Custard in St. Louis and the maple truffles from Funk’s Grove Maple Sirup in Shirley, Ill.

Cozy Dog Drive-In

If there were a Mount Rushmore of Route 66 restaurateurs, the late Ed Waldmire’s face would surely be on it.

While serving in the Air Force during the 1940s, Waldmire invented what he called a “crusty cur” — a wiener dipped in cornmeal batter, impaled on a skewer, and deep-fried. His wife, Virginia, later convinced him to change his creation’s name to “Cozy Dog.” According to the official Cozy Dog Web site, the Waldmires began selling the deep-fried delicacies at the Lake Springfield Beach House in 1946.

More than 60 years later, Waldmire’s grandchildren help their mother run the Cozy Dog Drive-In at 2935 S. Sixth Street in Springfield, Ill.

In addition to Waldmire’s world-famous, much-beloved corn dogs, the Cozy Dog offers skin-on French fries and some of the best cheeseburgers on the road, along with plush Cozy Dog souvenirs; batter mix; and gorgeous pen-and-ink artwork by Waldmire’s son Bob, an ethical vegetarian, itinerant artist and longtime hippie who inspired the character Fillmore in the movie Cars.

Below is a rat-terrier’s-eye view of a Cozy Dog just seconds before our faithful sidekick, Scout, swiped it right off the stick:

(Scout offers her own account of our trip to the Cozy Dog on her Web site, Kidson66.com, where you can also download a free guidebook to kid-friendly attractions on Route 66.)

If you’re traveling through Springfield on Route 66, the Cozy Dog is not to be missed.

The Cozy Dog Drive-In is open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Closed Sundays and significant holidays. For more information, visit the Web site or call (217) 525-1992.

Grades:
Product: A+
Value: A+
Service: A
Route 66 Spirit: A+
Overall: A+

Beto’s Mexican Grill

(Cross-posted from Indie Tulsa.)

If your vision of heaven involves tortillas covered with meat, cilantro, and onions, then Beto’s Mexican Grill, 1709 Southwest Blvd. in Tulsa, is a little slice of paradise.

This is especially true if your concept of the perfect taco includes barbacoa, which I think is Spanish for “I’ll have three of those, please.” (OK, so I just made that up. Barbacoa is actually Mexican barbecue, and around here, it frequently involves goat, which is what beef wants to taste like when it grows up.)

Beto’s offers an extensive menu that includes terrific enchiladas, quesadillas, menudo, American-style tacos, and my personal favorite: traditional Mexican tacos, which consist of small, soft, gently fried corn tortillas topped with meat, cilantro, and finely chopped onions. Tacos are available with a variety of meats, including the usual steak, pork, and chicken, along with several more exotic options (we’re fond of goat and beef tongue). Dine-in orders are served with chips and fresh salsa made just the way I like it: with plenty of cilantro and a respectable kick.

On our last visit, Ron tried the fish tacos, which include grilled fish and fajita-style peppers and onions, while I had the barbacoa tacos and a bowl of menudo — a simple, brothy soup made from tripe, pork, and whatever else the cook feels like adding. Beto’s version is served in an enormous bowl, accompanied by a couple of lime wedges and several little dishes containing dried oregano, chopped jalapenos, and dried New Mexican chiles, all of which can be added to the bowl at the diner’s discretion.

Upon learning that this was my first encounter with menudo, the restaurant’s owner — an affable guy with a quick smile and a friendly manner — gave me a crash course in the finer points of making and seasoning this traditional Mexican dish. He suggested squeezing a lime wedge over the bowl and adding some Tabasco, which turned out to be good advice.

The prices are very reasonable (you can stuff yourself for under $10), and the service is friendly. On very hot days, it might be advisable to eat late or take dinner orders to go, as the orientation of the windows is such that the restaurant can get a little too warm just before sunset.
Beto’s is open 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday. It closes at 3 p.m. on Sundays. Dine-in, carryout and delivery are available. For more information, call (91 599-9300.

You can read more about Beto’s in this Tulsa World story.

Grades:
Product: A+
Service: A
Value: A
Overall: A