Authentic Americana Cuisine

Tune in for Bizarre Foods: Route 66 on Tuesday, February 21 at 9|8c on Travel Channel.

Stretching from Chicago to Los Angeles, Route 66 is the most historic road in the country, an emblem of the American Dream. The fabled highway, also known as “the mother road,” is not just a means to a destination, but a destination in itself. One of my favorite sections is in Oklahoma, which lays claim to 400 miles of drivable Route 66 from the Kansas state line to Texas. The promise of authentic Americana cuisine steered us toward Clanton’s Café in Vinita. Open since 1927, this fourth-generation family-run restaurant is world famous for chicken fried steak, making more than 50,000 portions a year. Tenderized cube steak is dredged in buttermilk beaten with eggs, pressed into seasoned flour, and then fried on the griddle. More importantly, it’s topped with a sinful helping of cream gravy, green beans and mashed potatoes. It’s nothing fancy, just simple, wholesome ingredients done right.

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Contact

319 E. Illinois Ave.
Vinita, Oklahoma 74301
918.256.9053
clantonscafe.com

Photographs courtesy of Travel Channel.