Route 66 Traditions at Lou Mitchell’s

If you’re aiming your front wheel down the spine of America, there’s an unwritten rule seasoned riders will nod to without saying a word: your Route 66 journey doesn’t begin at the “Begin Route 66” sign. It begins one block earlier—at Lou Mitchell’s. Tucked into downtown Chicago, this diner has been welcoming travelers since 1923. That’s three years before the Mother Road was born, which makes Lou’s less of a pit stop and more of a prologue.

Step inside and you’ll understand why it became a rite of passage. Lou Mitchell’s hums with the kind of energy you only find when people are on the cusp of a big adventure. Business travelers mix with wide-eyed tourists. Before you even sit down, a server swings by with a free handful of donut holes or Milk Duds, a decades-old quirk that no one can explain with certainty. Honestly, it doesn’t need explaining. It’s just part of the charm, like chrome on a tank or a diner coffee cup that never quite stays empty.

The food itself is classic American comfort done with zero pretense. Plates arrive heaping: eggs, toast, pancakes the size of hubcaps, bacon that means business. You drink your coffee not because you need the caffeine, but because it’s part of the ritual. 

Starting your Route 66 journey here isn’t just about fueling your body. It’s about anchoring yourself to nearly a century of history. Think of the countless riders who sat in these same booths before pointing their bikes toward the Pacific. Generations of families made this their first stop. Cross-country truckers. Road-trip romantics. And now you. You're joining a living tradition, one that began before the road did, carried forward by every rider who walks out the front door, flips down their visor, and rolls west with a full belly and a sense of anticipation.

Starting your Route 66 journey here isn’t just about a meal. It’s about joining a tradition that’s older than the road itself.