This sign can't be missed along Route 66 in Adrian, Texas. Photo/P.Dolinski
The Route 66 MidPoint Cafe is famous for ugly pie, but just like the burgers at this landmark eating spot, the desserts are delicious.
The café is in Adrian, Texas, the half-way point between Chicago and Los Angeles along the historic Route 66.
One of the bakers, Joann, was helping at the café using her grandma’s recipe called “No-Fail Pie Crust,” but while it made a great tasting pie, the Joann just couldn’t get the beautiful shape her Grandma got.
Those ugly pies are a bit better looking, and are a signature dish for the café, but the name “ugly pie” has stuck.
The eatery has gone by several names in over 60 years, and the current name was not given to the café until 1995 when the current owner, Fran, realized the café was located right in the center of Route 66 and renamed it “Midpoint Café and Gift Shop.”
The Midpoint Café has been returned to the vintage style of the 50s and 60s and now is one of the popular stops for tourists along the route. While it started as a one room café, the building has been remodeled, enlarged, changed owners over the years, and survived fires.
The MidPoint Café serves one of the best traditional hamburgers around. The meat is just right, as so many of their local customers are cattle people, and “they would know the difference” if the burger wasn’t the best. All the trimmings are there, in just the right proportion. The pie may be famous, but the fruit cobbler with ice cream is delicious, and enough for two, if you have just finished the burger!
The Mid-Point Cafe is filled with period furniture and memorabilia. Photo/P.Dolinski
The present owners have decorated the café with artifacts from Route 66, and have a small gift shop as part of the business.
The café is particularly popular with foreign tourists who have read about the famous Route 66, seen it in movies and on television, and come to capture some of the romantic history of the road and the businesses along the route.
Note that the cafe does usually close at 4:00 PM, and in the fall and winter when there is no traffic it may be even earlier. They are also closed from December 23 to late February for the winter.
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Comments
My first time across Rte. 66 I was so looking forward to stopping at the Mid-Point Cafe, but unfortunately I arrived after they'd closed for the day....aarruugh!! Just a gentle reminder to your readers that the restaurant closes at 4pm so plan accordingly!
Thanks for that reminder, Jill. We got there just in time before they closed, so I checked with the cafe to be sure it is still 4:00 PM, and added the information about winter times, too. This place is best for lunch, or a late lunch.
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