Historic Route 66 Restaurants with John Sellars

Historic Route 66 Restaurants with John Sellars

From Savor The Ozarks by Around The Ozarks

April 10, 2026 · 42 min

About this episode

Joy interviews John Sellars about the history of Route 66 restaurants in Springfield.

Buckle up for a trip down memory lane! 🚗 This week on Savor the Ozarks , Joy is taking a break from restaurateurs to talk history with one of the most knowledgeable people in town— John Sellars , Executive Director Emeritus of the History Museum on the Square. With the massive Route 66 Centennial Celebration approaching, John takes us on a "drive" along the Mother Road in Springfield, sharing stories of the legendary spots that paved the way for the 417’s food scene. You'll hear the backstory of how Springfield became the birthplace of Route 66 and so many other fascinating stories, including the hilarious reason why Red’s Giant Hamburg ended up with such a unique name and why the Steak ‘n Shake at St. Louis and National is more historic than you think. Thanks to our sponsors,  Fazoli's ,  Jimm's Steakhouse and Pub , and Kitchenland USA ! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

People in this episode

Host: Joy

Guest: John Sellars

Topics covered

  • Route 66
  • history
  • restaurants
  • food scene
  • Springfield
  • celebration

Keywords

  • Route 66
  • Springfield
  • restaurants
  • John Sellars
  • history
  • food scene
  • Red's Giant Hamburg
  • Steak 'n Shake

Sponsors

Fazoli's, Jimm's Steakhouse and Pub, Kitchenland USA

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: History Museum on the Square

Places: Springfield, Route 66, St. Louis, National

More episodes of Savor The Ozarks

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Savor The Ozarks podcast page.