 "When we started the remodeling of the building, it was suggested to
put in a soda fountain, and we all thought that was a great idea,"
says co-owner Tom O'Donohue. "And my mom said, ‘Lincoln needs a good
place to get a good hot dog.'" O'Donohue adds, "But we wanted to
give the Lincoln people the real thing. We use real Vienna hot dogs
and Best Kosher hot dogs. Those are the popular ones all over the
Chicago area." So the Route 66 Hot Dog Stand was born. Another
Chicago touch is the sweet relish. It's a true sweet relish that is
a little surprising to someone for the first time, but fun as well
-- it's almost a neon green.
In addition to Tom, there are two other co-owners; his mother,
Barb O'Donohue, and Chad Lawrence.
Now nine months later, these three are looking into several more
fresh ideas to bring to the community. They are going to be
reinventing the menu a little for the summer by adding tenderloins,
and Barb O'Donohue is looking into salad bar options for some
health-conscious choices. There will also be (limited) food delivery
in the near future (delivery is now available).
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But there are a few other ideas that they want to concentrate on
first. "We want this to be a very family-friendly, fun place to be,"
says O'Donohue. To achieve this, they will also be opening a game
room and offering their facility for birthday party events.
O'Donohue also hopes to have wireless capabilities soon for anyone
who would like to come in and sit down with their laptop while
enjoying an ice-cold soda fountain. "We want something to offer for
everybody," says O'Donohue.
The menu also includes Italian beef sandwiches and polish
sausages, to just name a few.
Summer hours for O'Donohue's Old-Fashioned Soda Fountain and
Route 66 Hot Dog Stand are Monday-Thursday 11 a.m.-8 p.m.,
Friday-Saturday 11 a.m.-10 p.m. and Sundays noon-5 p.m.
The restaurant can be reached during the above hours at 732-3191.
[Janell Woolard]
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