Ariston Café
Longest-operating restaurant along U.S. Route 66.
via Wikipedia: Ariston Café · see source
The Ariston Café is a historic restaurant located in Litchfield, Illinois, United States, along Old U.S. Route 66. It was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 2006. Built in 1935 for original owners Pete Adam and Tom Cokinos, the café takes its name from the Greek word “aristo,” meaning “the best.” It is the longest-operating restaurant along the entire stretch of U.S. Route 66, and it remains a living piece of roadside history.
Quick Facts
- Location
- 413 Old Route 66, Litchfield, Illinois
- Built
- 1935
- Architect
- Henry A. Vasel (builder)
- Architecture
- No particular style; allusions to Art Deco
- Added
- May 5, 2006
- Area
- less than one acre
Facts from the source article.
Did You Know?
- Pete Adam had previously operated an Ariston Café in Carlinville, Illinois, starting in 1924.
- Construction began on April 4, 1935, and was completed on July 5, 1935—just over three months.
- The café originally had two fuel pumps out front, like many Route 66 businesses.
- It was identified as over one hundred years old in American Road Magazine's Volume 23, Number 4, during the Route 66 Centennial year in 2026.
Design
The building does not follow a specific architectural style but was built in a utilitarian manner common for small commercial structures of its era. Its interior booths incorporate echoes of Art Deco design. Exterior features include a curved parapet wall on the front façade and fine, varied brickwork. The café originally had two fuel pumps in front.
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