66 Diner – Yes, It’s on Route 66!
1405 Central Ave NE, Albuquerque, NM 87106
Overall Bites:
Value: Prices are reasonable and the servings are healthy. I went for the desserts because they are ENORMOUS! The Banana Split says it’s good for two but in reality it’s big enough for 3 or 4.
Taste: Ok, so I ordered the Banana Split, I had a taste of the Strawberry Shake, and also a bite of Frito Pie. In that order. And they were A – Mazing!
Presentation: Nothing terribly special. Plates are white and food looks good but nothing that will blow you away. Except for the portion size of their desserts!
Vibe: It’s as if you’ve stepped back in time. The 50’s themed diner has turquoise and black leather booths and seats throughout. The wait staff is also dressed in 50’s attire. It’s a super cool place to visit and enjoy a good meal.
Accessibility: Right now it’s a bit hard to get into because of the ART (Albuquerque Rapid Transit) construction. Go West on Central from University and it’ll be easier to pull in.
66 Diner is a great place to visit and enjoy the decor and the desserts! I took the family on a Wednesday night since they were visiting from out of town. The first thing you’ll notice as you walk in is the Pez dispensers lined up all around the main entrance area. There are hundreds if not thousands! They are all grouped by the theme – Disney, Star Wars, the Presidesnts, etc. The diner is filled with turquoise blue, black and white upholstery with booths along the walls and plenty of tables too. This used to be an old garage back in the mid 40’s but was converted into the diner in the 80’s.
On to the desserts and the food. We really just wanted to experience the Banana Split. It is a mountain of Chocolate, Strawberry and Vanilla ice cream covered with Whip Cream, Nuts, Caramel, and Chocolate sauce as well. The menu says it comes with two spoons (for two people) but it is enough for 3 or 4. If you love ice cream then you’ll go bananas for the Banana Split at 66 Diner.
After having the ice cream we felt like we wanted something to wash it down with. What better way than to have the full shake, right? Full because they also offer a half. If you and your date want the same flavor shake then order the full since it’ll be a better value. The strawberries were blended well and the straw was a man’s size straw if you’ve ever seen one! There were no strawberry chunks plugging up this bad boy. Very tasty too!
Finally, we figured we would try a Frito Pie. This was on the Kid’s Menu but it is also available as a full meal. The chili was tasty, the veggies were fresh, and there was just enough cheese on the Pie to make it cheesy! Again, can’t go wrong here!
You’ll also notice that 66 Diner offers a Cruisen Club. You get a Shake for joining, a meal on your birthday and an appetizer on your anniversary. You definitely can’t go wrong with that!
66 Diner gets 4.5 Bites from me! The napkins on the table were the really cheap ones that fall apart which annoy the heck out of me. The staff was super friendly but their uniforms looked like they’ve seen better days. I’m sure it was just the mess from the day but it just didn’t look as presentable as it should have.
Last note, there is a wall of Route 66 memorabilia on the East side of the Diner. Go get your pictures taken there. When you’re done, hang out for a second and wait for other tourists to also start taking pics. Then, right about the time they all say ‘cheese,’ push the air horn button. The look on their faces is PRICELESS!