There is no way you can stop in Kingman, Arizona and not stop at Mr. D’z Route 66 Diner.
With wrap-around booths, circular bar stools, and bright colors, this rockin’ 1950’s-era, old fashioned diner takes visitors back to the glory days of The Mother Road, Route 66. It’s packed with Route 66 memorabilia and the pink and turquoise paint job can’t be missed.
Even Oprah Winfrey and Gayle King made a point to stop here for lunch several years back on their televised road trip across the United States.
While the retro diner is best known for it’s homemade root beer, pizza, and milkshakes, they also serve up traditional diner fare like burgers, chicken-fried steak, patty melts, chili, sandwiches, salads, and breakfast all day, as well as hot dogs, french fries, sweet potato fried, coleslaw, and onion rings. Craving something a little different? No sweat! The record-shaped menus at Mr. D’z are loaded with options, so you’ll also find items like fajitas and grilled tequila chicken.
When you’re done with your meal and completely stuffed, walk it off a bit and visit the Route 66 Locomotive Park, the Historic Powerhouse Visitor Center, the Arizona Route 66 Museum and Route 66 Electric Vehicle Museum, and the Mohave Museum Of History And Arts.
Mr. D’z Route 66 Diner History
Mr. D’z Route 66 Diner is housed in the former Kingman Café and Kimo Shell Station which opened in 1939. The Dunton family bought the old gas station and cafe building in the 1980s, gutted it, remodeled it, and turned it into a diner.
Roy Dunton ran Mr. D’z Route 66 Diner for several years and many of the dishes were based on his family recipes. Dunton even created the world-famous Mr. D’z Root Beer. After tasting a delicious root beer at the fair, he tried to recreate the taste, and several taste tests later, contracted the manufacturing of the syrup that is still beloved today.
In 2000, Dunton leased Mr. D’z to Armando and Michelle Jimenez. At the time, Armando was working as Suez Chef at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, but he was over the big corporate restaurants and longed for something different. They heard that the Route 66 Diner was for sale, hopped in the car, drove to check it out, and have been in Kingman ever since.
Know Before You Go
- Mr. D’z Route 66 Diner is located at 105 E Andy Devine Avenue, Kingman, Arizona 86401 across the street from the Powerhouse Visitor Center and Arizona Route 66 Museum, next to the Historic Locomotive Park, and just two blocks from the Mohave Museum of History and Arts.
- The old fashioned diner is open from 7:00 am to 9:00 pm daily.
- The Route 66 icon is larger than it looks with ample seating, an old fashioned soda counter, and kitsch 1950s decor.
- The front dining room area is where the old gas pumps used to be when the building was the Kimo Shell Station.
