Kon Tiki Restaurant and Lounge
Tucson, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
The Kon Tiki Restaurant and Lounge in Tucson, AZ is a familiar sight to locals and those who are fans of Tucson and tiki bars. The location is one of the oldest of the remaining tiki bars in the country and can still be counted for its tropical themed decor and drinks.
The Kon Tiki opened its doors in 1963 with a fresh new Polynesian theme and tiki carvings throughout the complex. While the restaurant has refreshed some of its menu to stay on top of the times like incorporating Taco Tuesday, much of the menu features eclectic drinks fit for a tiki inspired lounge.
Mesa Italiana Restaurant
Holbrook, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Here’s the roadside marquee for Mesa Italiana Restaurant along Navajo Boulevard in Holbrook. Italian food may not be the first thing expected while traveling through the high Arizona desert, but this place serves up a mighty good meal. 09-21
Mesa Italiana offers pizza, lasagna, veal parmesan, shrimp scampi, garlic bread, and other familiar Italian dishes. The house-made creamy Italian dressing also has quite a following. A separate section of the building operates as the Mesa Grill and Sports Bar, giving travelers a choice between a quiet Italian dinner and a more casual place to watch a game.
UPDATE: Mesa Italiana remains open at 2318 Navajo Boulevard and continues serving locals and Route 66 travelers. The roadside marquee still stands out front, pointing the way toward one of the few dedicated Italian restaurants for miles around Holbrook. 08-26
Brat Haus Deli (Gone)
Flagstaff, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Check out the old roadside sign for Brat Haus Deli along Route 66 in Flagstaff. Sometimes listed incorrectly as the Brau Hau, the deli shared its building with the Sun Sausage Company and offered hungry travelers something a little different from the usual highway burger. 09-21
John and Kathleen Mazur operated the deli and sausage kitchen, making fresh sausages under the slogan “Made Fresh in the Mountains of Flagstaff, Arizona.” Keeping both sides of the business running meant plenty of seven-day workweeks for the couple.
The Brat Haus also supported Northern Arizona University athletics, frequently appearing as a sponsor in Lumberjacks game-day programs. Between the deli counter, restaurant, and sausage production, quite a bit was packed into this Route 66 storefront.
UPDATE: The restaurant portion closed on November 1, 2002, followed shortly by the remaining butcher and retail operation. The old Brat Haus sign was removed, and Arizona Music Pro remodeled the building and moved into the property in 2003. 08-26
Roadkill Cafe
Seligman, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Here’s the hard-to-miss Roadkill Cafe and O.K. Saloon along old Route 66 in Seligman. With its bright yellow sign, red building, Old West front, and a name guaranteed to make travelers look twice, this is not the place to ask too many questions about what may have crossed the highway. 09-21
The Roadkill Cafe began as an outdoor patio attached to the O.K. Saloon. What started as a simple place for saloon customers to sit outside eventually became popular enough to need walls and a roof. In 1997, the patio was enclosed and turned into a full restaurant.
The same family also operates the Historic Route 66 Motel next door. That makes this a handy little roadside setup where travelers can order dinner, stop at the saloon, and find a room without moving the car. After a full day on Route 66, that arrangement makes plenty of sense.
O.K. Saloon tanks on property
Seligman, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Inside, the roadkill joke follows customers all the way to the table. Taxidermy animals watch from the walls, while humorous menu names keep the theme going. Signed dollar bills and other currency left by travelers add another layer to the decorations. It looks like quite a few people have wanted to leave a little piece of their road trip behind.
Despite the name, the kitchen is not scraping dinner from the shoulder of Route 66. The cafe serves steaks, burgers, barbecue, breakfast, and other familiar road-trip food. The roadkill theme is all part of the fun, although the animals staring down from the walls may have a different opinion.
Another shot of the O.K. Saloon and Roadkill cafe
Seligman, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Seligman is filled with colorful signs, old motels, souvenir shops, unusual mannequins, and plenty of Route 66 humor. The Roadkill Cafe fits right into the scene. It may not date back to the highway’s earliest days, but it has become one of the town’s most photographed and recognizable stops.
UPDATE: The Roadkill Cafe and O.K. Saloon remain open and continue serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner to Route 66 travelers. The cafe, saloon, and neighboring Historic Route 66 Motel are still operated together by the Pope family. 08-26
Yippee EI-O Steakhouse (Gone)
Tusayan, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Woo hoo. Or rather, Yippee! The Yippee EI-O Steakhouse came with one catchy name and a sign that was just as hard to ignore. That bright green cactus made the whole thing stand out along the road, even without a giant cowboy hollering from the top. 09-21
The restaurant was known for steaks and chicken cooked over an open grill fueled with juniper wood. The Western theme and playful name were clearly aimed at hungry Arizona travelers, especially those making their way toward the Grand Canyon.
Another view of the Yippee EI-O Steakhouse Tusayan, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
This location comes with a bit of a mystery. No reliable street address or business record has been found for a separate Yippee EI-O Steakhouse in Flagstaff. The Maniaci family operated a well-known restaurant with the same name and Western branding in Tusayan, about a mile from the South Entrance to Grand Canyon National Park.
UPDATE: The Yippee EI-O Steakhouse in Tusayan remains open and has served Grand Canyon travelers since the early 1990s. 08-26
Mesa Italiana Restaurant
Here’s the roadside marquee for Mesa Italiana Restaurant along Navajo Boulevard in Holbrook. Italian food may not be the first thing expected while traveling through the high Arizona desert, but this place serves up a mighty good meal. 09-21
Brat Haus Deli (Gone)
Roadkill Cafe
O.K. Saloon tanks on property
Another shot of the O.K. Saloon and Roadkill cafe
Another view of the Yippee EI-O Steakhouse
