The Route 66 Cookbook: A Culinary Road Trip with Linda Ly

What this episode covers

On this week’s episode of The RV Atlas Podcast, we’re heading out on an unforgettable culinary adventure with Linda Ly, author of The Route 66 Cookbook: The Best Recipes from Every Stop Along the Way. Linda—known to many as the creator of Garden Betty, her popular blog about homesteading, farm-to-table cooking, and outdoor adventure—joined us to share stories from her family’s 10-week RV journey along America’s most iconic highway. All photos by Will Taylor This isn’t Linda’s first time around our campfire. We’ve had her on the show before to talk about The National Parks Cookbook and her The New Camp Cookbook, both instant favorites among campers and RV cooks. But this new project might be her most ambitious yet. In partnership with her long-time publisher, Linda spent the summer crisscrossing 2,400 miles of Route 66, collecting recipes and stories from diners, cafes, and roadside joints across eight states, from Santa Monica to Chicago. Her goal? To document the flavors that have fueled generations of travelers along “The Mother Road”—and to celebrate the people and places that keep its spirit alive. Illinois: Lou Mitchell’s — Grilled Thick French Toast Every great road trip needs a good breakfast, and at the Chicago start of Route 66, that means Lou Mitchell’s. This legendary restaurant has been serving travelers since 1923 with heaping plates of hearty food and what they proudly call “the world’s finest coffee.” Linda’s featured recipe—Grilled Thick French Toast—is everything you want on day one of a long road trip: comforting, rich, and unapologetically indulgent. “They soak thick slices of bread in batter,” Linda explained, “then literally squeeze out the excess like a sponge before throwing it on the griddle.” The result? Crispy on the outside, soft inside, and finished with powdered sugar and fresh strawberries. It’s the perfect send-off for a day on the open road. Missouri: Crown Candy Kitchen — Heavenly Hash and the Heart-Stopping BLT In St. Louis, Crown Candy Kitchen has been satisfying sweet tooths since 1913. “My kids were in heaven,” Linda laughed, recalling the shop’s endless candy displays and milkshakes. But the star of the show is their Heavenly Hash—a decadent brick of jumbo marshmallows coated in chocolate and pecans. For savory fans, there’s the Heart-Stopping BLT, a sandwich that more than earns its name. What started as a standard BLT evolved over time as staff kept adding bacon—until it reached a full pound per sandwich. “It’s one of the most popular dishes,” Linda said. “They cook the bacon in a kettle, and it’s amazing.” Kansas: Monarch Pharmacy and Soda Fountain — The Egg Cream Kansas may only have 13 miles of Route 66, but it still serves up a unique stop at the Monarch Pharmacy and Soda Fountain. The featured recipe, the Egg Cream, contains no egg and no cream. “It’s an old-fashioned soda fountain recipe from New York City,” Linda explained. “Just milk, chocolate syrup, and soda water—sometimes topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.” It’s a fizzy, nostalgic treat that evokes an earlier era of counter stools and chrome milkshake machines. “I thought it was going to be like eggnog,” she admitted, “but it’s lighter, refreshing, and totally unexpected.” Oklahoma: Sid’s Diner — The Onion Fried Burger In El Reno, Oklahoma, the iconic Sid’s Diner serves up one of the most beloved dishes on Route 66: the Onion Fried Burger. Born during the Great Depression, it was a way to stretch scarce hamburger meat by mixing it with cheaper onions. At Sid’s, owner Adam uses a custom-made “smasher”—a modified mason’s trowel—to press the onions and beef together on the griddle. The burger is served simply, with mustard and pickles, no ketchup allowed. “It started as a Depression burger,” Linda said,