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Midpoint Café

Retro roadside
In Adrian, Texas
On Route 66

The Midpoint Café in Adrian, TX, is a diner and gift shop that marks the halfway point of historic Route 66, with signs putting Chicago and Los Angeles each 1,139 miles away. It opened in 1928 as Zella's and took the Midpoint name in 1995. Former owner Fran Houser inspired Flo, who runs the V-8 Café in Pixar's Cars, and its "ugly crust" pies are the other big reason to stop.

What is Midpoint Café?

A small roadside diner with booths, tables and a short counter, plus a Route 66 souvenir shop. The gift shop fills the original one-room building from 1928, which once had a dirt floor. The menu is classic diner food, from breakfast plates to burgers with green chile, but the homemade fruit and cream pies are the star, sold under the Ugly Crust name even though they look fine.

Outside, a sign marks the midpoint with the mileage to each end of the route, a favorite photo spot.

History of Midpoint Café

The café opened as Zella's in 1928, two years after Route 66 was created, when the road through Adrian was still dirt. In 1947 it was enlarged and stayed open around the clock for highway traffic. Over the years it was also Jesse's, Peggy's, Rachel's and the Adrian Café, and business fell off once Interstate 40 bypassed the old road.

Fran Houser bought the café in 1990. Around 1995 Route 66 author Tom Snyder pointed out to her that Adrian sat at the middle of the route, so she renamed it the Midpoint Café and put up the signs. She also hired a local baker for the pies that made the place known. Pixar's team, researching Route 66 for Cars, based the character Flo on her. Houser ran the café until 2012, and it has passed through other owners since, still serving as a diner.

Visiting Midpoint Café: tips

The café is right on Route 66 in Adrian, so there is no detour. Stop for a meal or a slice of pie, then step outside for a photo at the midpoint sign. The café reports wheelchair access. It has taken a winter break in past years, so check its current schedule before a cold-season trip.

The Fabulous 40s Motel is about 0.1 miles away if you want to stay the night. The ghost town of Boise is about 11 miles away, and Glenrio, on the New Mexico line, lies farther west.

Updated October 9, 2026 · Written by Route 66 Trip Guide

Practical info

Address: 305 West Historic Route 66, Adrian, TX 79001
Phone: +1 806-536-6379
Website: facebook.com/MidpointCafe
Hours: Wed–Sun 8–4
On site & nearby

Sources: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) · Wikidata · official site — may be outdated. Suggest a fix

On the map

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Midpoint Café with the 6 closest stops. Tap a marker for details.

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Stops near Midpoint Café

All of Texas

Boise

Boise, Texas · 0.9 mi from Route 66

A quiet Texas ghost town at about 4,000 feet, south of Interstate 40 and east of Glenrio.

Ghost town

11.2 mi from Midpoint Café

Glenrio

Glenrio, Texas · 0.2 mi from Route 66

A Route 66 ghost town split in two by the Texas–New Mexico line, just off I-40 at Texas Exit 0.

Ghost townPhoto credit

21.7 mi from Midpoint Café

Cadillac Ranch

Amarillo, Texas · 0.1 mi from Route 66

Ten old Cadillacs buried nose-first in a row in Amarillo, a 1974 artwork about the rise of the tail fin.

Art & landmarksPhoto credit

39.1 mi from Midpoint Café

Don Harrington Discovery Center

Amarillo, Texas · 0.2 mi from Route 66

Amarillo's hands-on science center, with a full-dome planetarium and a helium monument by the door.

MuseumPhoto credit

43.2 mi from Midpoint Café

U.S. Route 66-Sixth Street Historic District

Amarillo, Texas · on Route 66

Amarillo's preserved stretch of Route 66 along Sixth Street, home of the old Amarillo Natatorium.

Route 66 sitePhoto credit

45.2 mi from Midpoint Café

Ranchotel

Amarillo, Texas · on Route 66

A 1940 motel on Amarillo's old Route 66 that was a favorite with highway travelers.

Retro roadsidePhoto credit

45.8 mi from Midpoint Café

Questions about Midpoint Café

Is the Midpoint Café really halfway on Route 66?

It bills itself as the midpoint, and signs in Adrian put both Chicago and Los Angeles 1,139 miles away. The exact figure depends on which alignment of the old road is measured, and the café has used the Midpoint name since 1995.

Is the Midpoint Café the café in Cars?

Not exactly. The character Flo, who runs Flo's V-8 Café in Pixar's Cars, was based on Fran Houser, who owned the Midpoint Café from 1990 to 2012. Fans of the film still stop to see the real diner and take a photo at the midpoint sign.

Is the Midpoint Café open all year?

Not always. In past years the café has taken a winter break from about November to mid-March, and its days and hours can change from season to season. Check its current schedule before you go.

Own or run Midpoint Café? Send us a photo or a correction.

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