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My newest book celebrates 100 years of the most iconic highway in the United States. This unique compilation of recipes honors American transportation history with a focus on the food and restaurants that define Americana, encouraging you to explore new flavors from the Midwest to the West Coast.

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About the book.

Discover fascinating historical facts about the Mother Road’s early days and meet local legends that keep the spirit of Route 66 alive. Starting in Chicago, Illinois, and traveling over 2,400 miles to the endpoint in Santa Monica, California, you’ll make delicious pit stops in Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona.

With stunning photography at every stop along the way, The Route 66 Cookbook gets you off the interstate and onto the Main Street of America for the ultimate road trip and culinary adventure. Whether you’re craving burgers and pies or Tex-Mex and Asian fusion, you can sample it all—even when you’re not on the road.

More about The Route 66 Cookbook

This book is perfect for the person who has it all

What is great is that the author ACTUALLY packed up her kids and hubs, loaded up the RV and drove ALL of Route 66 from Santa Monica, CA to Chicago, IL to find the restaurants and diners in this book, to speak to the chefs and to find out what is keeping the Route still alive.

Part love letter to the nostalgia lore of Route 66, part fusion cookbook, part history of traveling across country, this book is perfect for the person who has it all or loves cookbooks that bring a different part of the world to you. The pictures will have you hunkering to get into the kitchen, and most of the recipes are fairly simple, from pantry items, or ones that are now easily accessible. Having travelled the Route many times, I would say she found many of my favorites, and a few new ones that I can’t wait to go find!

—bless their hearts mom

What’s inside.

Every one of my books is packed with helpful resources (such as recommended tools, brands, and kitchen techniques), useful tips and ingredient substitutions, and beautiful photos of what your dish will actually look like when you make it. Here’s what else you can find inside.

66+ recipes
Hundreds of original photos of the landscapes, restaurants, and food that define Route 66 today
Hardcover, 192 pages
Published by Harvard Common Press
ISBN: 076039363X
Release date: October 28, 2025

Introduction
Kitchen Standards
Route 66 Map
Illinois
Missouri
Kansas
Oklahoma
Texas
New Mexico
Arizona
California
Contributors
Route 66 Associations

Custom hand-drawn map of Route 66 destinations featured in the book
Colorful stories of the iconic places and people that embody Route 66
The truth behind the famous “midpoint” of Route 66
How to find the actual beginning and end of the historic road
“At-Home Tips,” chefs’ tips, and other helpful suggestions for ingredient substitutions and cooking techniques
Directory of Route 66 associations and every restaurant featured in the book
And more!

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Recipe Index

Grilled Thick French Toast: Lou Mitchell’s Restaurant & Bakery
Apple Strudel: The Berghoff
Dátiles con Almendras: Mercat a la Planxa at The Blackstone
Smoke-Filled-Room Cocktail: Mercat a la Planxa at The Blackstone
Sautéed Chicken Livers: Dell Rhea’s Chicken Basket
Crispy Chicken Adobo Wings: Lola’s

Morel Mushroom Pie: Maldaner’s Restaurant
Docs S’mores Sundae: Docs Just Off 66
Strawberry Whipped Cheesecake: The Ariston Cafe
Butter Spritz Cookies: Jubelt’s Bakery & Restaurant
Weezy’s Coleslaw: Weezy’s Route 66 Bar & Grill

Heavenly Hash: Crown Candy Kitchen
Heart-Stopping BLT: Crown Candy Kitchen
Curly-Q Dog: Carl’s Drive-In
French Onion Soup: Historic Big Chief Roadhouse
Cream of Chicken and Wild Rice Soup: Weir on 66
Cucumber and Onions: Missouri Hick Bar-B-Que
Beef Rub and Rib Rub: Missouri Hick Bar-B-Que

Blackberry Wine Cake: St. James Winery
Bang Bang Burger: Hoppers Pub
The Vernon—The Ultimate Route 66 Burger: College Street Cafe
Mom’s Yeast Rolls: Rise & Grind Coffee Station
Beans and Corn Bread: The Carthage Deli

Calf Fries: Clanton’s Cafe
Chile Colorado: El Rancho Grande Mexican Food
Chef’s Special Pastel: Doctor Kustom Bistro
Poor Man’s Pecan Pie, a.k.a. Oatmeal Pie: Rock Cafe
Späetzle: Rock Cafe
Root Beer Bread Pudding: Pops 66
Green Chile Grit Cakes: Classen Grill

Posole: Green Chile Kitchen
Green Chile Apple Pie: Green Chile Kitchen
Onion Fried Burger: Sid’s Diner
Lucille’s Jalapeño Fried Pork Chops: Lucille’s Roadhouse
French Silk Pie: Country Dove Gifts & Tea Room

Albert’s Ham Sandwich: Roy’s Motel & Cafe
Strawberry Margarita Pie: Chiquita Rosita’s
Chocolate Malt: Fair Oaks Pharmacy & Soda Fountain
Smoke and Peaches: La Cuevita
Sticky Short Rib Noodles: The Formosa Cafe
Wok Fried Rice with Pork Belly: The Formosa Cafe
The Route 66 Pup: Tail o’ the Pup

Albert’s Ham Sandwich: Roy’s Motel & Cafe
Strawberry Margarita Pie: Chiquita Rosita’s
Chocolate Malt: Fair Oaks Pharmacy & Soda Fountain
Smoke and Peaches: La Cuevita
Sticky Short Rib Noodles: The Formosa Cafe
Wok Fried Rice with Pork Belly: The Formosa Cafe
The Route 66 Pup: Tail o’ the Pup

Praise for The Route 66 Cookbook

Early press reviews

Just in time for the highway’s centennial celebration, The Route 66 Cookbook highlights 66 recipes from the best stops along Route 66 compiled by author Linda Ly.

This book is an armchair traveler’s fun read and also a good way to plan your own road trip filled with anecdotes, eateries, and recipes.

Even if you don’t make the drive on Route 66 in your lifetime, you can cook your way down the road and remember this is one of the historic treasures of America we hope will continue to survive despite modernization and budget cuts.

—melanie young, host of fearless fabulous you

One of the great joys of cruising Route 66 is experiencing local culture—and that includes food! Linda Ly has crafted a culinary journey that is about more than stereotypical diners and classic roadside fare. It’s an exploration of the American Dream by way of small businesses and vibrant cuisine, couched in the stories that make them special. You’ll want to make every recipe in here, then set out on your own to see what else you can find.

—Rhys martin, author of lost restaurants of tulsa

Linda Ly has created a delightful guidebook in addition to highlighting recipes from a range of eateries along the United States’ historic Route 66. Not all are from the midcentury golden era of the highway (a number are more recent), and there’s something for every taste, with the restaurant recipes adapted for home cooks and kitchens. Some recipes are more intricate than others, so the entries work for a range of cooking abilities and offer a varied menu.

The book includes brief histories of the restaurants and their owners, offering fun facts (such as which ones inspired characters in the Pixar movie Cars ) and shows people carrying on family businesses, making it a good read for anyone who enjoys on-the-road narratives. This is a great pick for armchair travelers and road-trip enthusiasts, as it weaves in some nostalgia while also describing new tastes and ideas from quirky stops across the U.S.

—library journal

Linda Ly has nailed it with this well-informed and eye-pleasing treasure chest of scrumptious recipes. From Strawberry Whipped Cheesecake in Illinois to Spicy Seafood Soup in California, herein you will find the very best from the boulevards and backroads of America’s legendary highway. Buy it!

—jim ross & shellee graham, authors of route 66

—the first 100 years