The historic appeal and present-day allure makes Route 66 one of Amarillo’s chief attractions, the well-worn path bisecting the city and leaving in its wake a trail of time-tested businesses hardened by decades of traffic. The stretch of 6th Street that runs just north of the city’s downtown core is marked by diners, antique shops and Amarillo’s best dive bars.
The city’s oldest restaurant, the GoldenLight Cafe, looks largely, the exterior reminiscent of the city jail that might be seen in old Western. Nearby Broken Spoke Lounge plays up the more Texas roadhouse-feeling end of Amarillo’s dive bar spectrum, complete with outdoor cigarette lighter shrine.
And then there’s the literally named House Bar, a dive bar option a little closer to Amarillo’s downtown area inhabiting, you guessed it, a converted ex-house. The options extend well beyond just Route 66 and its surrounding area, of course, but there’s something potent about the combination of timeless highway, Texas sun and cold, domestic beer.
We’ve been lucky enough to visit the locations below in Amarillo. Each location includes a full review and SFG score to help you decide on how to prioritize your travels.
Below you’ll find the truly deep cuts, gems in waiting that we have not yet been able to visit. Let us know if you find a particularly potent destination.
What did we miss? Send along your ideas on the dives and neighborhood bars we need to visit next.
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