Keep yourself fully fuelled up with delicious dishes as you traverse the New Mexico leg of Route 66. Expect classic neon-lit diners, hearty food trucks and excellent local produce.
Close your eyes and picture a classic American diner – chances are you’re imagining something extremely close to 66 Diner. Its checkerboard counter, its booths, its menu of comfort foods, that’s this establishment to a tee. Lit up at night with glowing neon lights, 66 Diner describes itself online as “whimsical and retro” and it looks like something from a 1950s film set. Its food is very typical American diner fare, but it also has the classic New Mexico green chile cheeseburger for anyone seeking to try a local specialty.
Weary travelers can’t help but be drawn towards the neon lights of 66 Diner
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© roadsurfer
This Tucumcari diner is very highly rated by both locals and road trippers, and is known for its versatile menu of diner cuisine that goes across several pages. It gets its name from its founder, Del Akin, who opened the joint back in 1956, making it a direct connection to the heyday of Route 66.
Big smiles and hats in the air for Del’s
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© roadsurfer
Ola’s Route 66 Lunch Box
On Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, this unassuming little cabin serves up some of the best breakfast burritos and sandwiches in New Mexico. Homemade cinnamon rolls are baked daily, as well as old fashioned buttermilk biscuits served with gravy, as well as a healthy selection of barbecue options.
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The Mine Shaft Tavern & Cantina
After a long day of driving, The Mine Shaft is a great place to relax with some hearty food, a beer or a cocktail and a healthy slice of local history, with an on-site museum teaching people about the town of Madrid, where the cantina is, and its mining heritage. What’s more, it also has its own brewery.
Russell’s Truck & Travel Center
The food at Russell’s Truck & Travel Center is pretty highly recommended, with its classic American-style cuisine served in a typical diner setting. However, it’s also a great place to stock up on provisions, with its own supermarket, as well as a Route 66 museum with classic cars and memorabilia. It also has its own chapel for anyone looking for a roadside prayer, perhaps to keep them safe on the next leg of their journey.
After all the various diner stops and fast food snacks, it’s good to find something a little healthier every once in a while. Farm & Table’s seasonal menu offers locally grown food in Albuquerque’s picturesque north valley, on an expansive twelve-acre property. Its dishes are packed full of healthy vegetables and local meat and fish that will provide a much-needed break from the burgers and pancakes.
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Dining and Cooking