Forget gas station snacks.
A new Route 66 adventure is inviting travelers to trade chips and candy bars for artisan cheese, working farms, charcuterie boards, and local food experiences. Stretching across the Mother Road, the Route 66 Cheese & Food Trail highlights stops where food is still made by hand and every bite comes with a story.
From goat dairies and cheesemakers to museums and specialty food shops, these are some of the standout stops worth adding to your Route 66 itinerary.
All Together Now
Chicago, Illinois
Every great road trip needs a starting line, and this one begins with cheese.
Located near the historic starting point of Route 66 in downtown Chicago, All Together Now serves as the official launch point for the Route 66 Cheese & Food Trail. Part wine bar, part cheese counter, and part neighborhood gathering place, it’s a modern introduction to the food-focused journey ahead.
Prairie Fruits Farm & Creamery
Champaign, Illinois
This working goat dairy has become one of the Midwest’s most celebrated cheese destinations.
Prairie Fruits Farm & Creamery produces award-winning farmstead cheeses and welcomes visitors for farm tours, tastings, dinners, and special events. It’s the kind of place where you can meet the goats, sample fresh cheese, and see firsthand how local agriculture connects to the food on your plate.
Alma Creamery
Alma, Kansas
Kansas may only have a short stretch of Route 66, but Alma Creamery makes it count.
Known for handcrafted cheddar and deep roots in rural dairy traditions, this family-owned creamery showcases the agricultural heritage that has long shaped life across the Great Plains.
DeSmet Raw Milk Dairy
Bosque Farms, New Mexico
For travelers looking to get closer to the source, DeSmet Raw Milk Dairy offers a true farm-to-table experience.
The working dairy focuses on grass-fed cattle and sustainable farming practices while giving visitors an opportunity to learn more about modern dairy production in New Mexico.
The Mouse Hole Cheese Shop
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque’s only cut-to-order cheese shop has become one of the Route 66 trail’s most distinctive stops.
Inside, visitors will find carefully selected cheeses from around the world, charcuterie essentials, and plenty of expert recommendations. It’s a perfect place to build a road trip picnic or discover something completely new.
Picnic NM Cheese & Charcuterie
Santa Fe, New Mexico
If your idea of a great souvenir involves cheese instead of keychains, put this stop on your list.
Picnic NM specializes in artisan cheeses, charcuterie, and thoughtfully curated food experiences that showcase both regional ingredients and global flavors. You’ll find it inside the Chomp Food Hall.
Camino de Paz
Santa Cruz, New Mexico
Part school, part farm, and part dairy, Camino de Paz offers one of the most unique experiences on the trail.
Visitors can explore a working goat dairy focused on sustainability, education, and small-batch production while enjoying a closer connection to the people behind the food.
Mountain Priory Cheese
Tehachapi, California
High in the Tehachapi Mountains, artisan cheesemaking is alive and well.
Mountain Priory Cheese produces handcrafted cheeses using local milk and traditional methods, offering a glimpse into California’s thriving farmstead cheese movement.
Gioia Cheese
South El Monte, California
Fresh mozzarella fans, this one’s for you.
Gioia Cheese has been crafting Italian-style cheeses for generations and is especially known for its hand-pulled mozzarella, burrata, and other fresh favorites rooted in old-world techniques.
Agnes Restaurant & Cheesery
Pasadena, California
Restaurant? Cheese shop? Why choose?
Agnes combines both under one roof, creating a destination where visitors can enjoy a meal, discover new cheeses, and experience one of Southern California’s most celebrated cheese-focused dining spots.
Ollie’s Cheese & Provisions
Oakland, California
This independent cheese shop is all about great products and the people who make them.
Stocked with artisan cheeses, specialty foods, and carefully sourced provisions, Ollie’s highlights the makers, farmers, and producers driving today’s food culture.
The Route 66 Detour Cheese Lovers Didn’t Know They Needed
Route 66 has always been about discovering something unexpected around the next bend. The new Route 66 Cheese & Food Trail takes that spirit in a delicious new direction, connecting travelers with family farms, cheesemakers, specialty food shops, and local stories that often get missed at highway speeds.
Turns out, one of America’s most iconic road trips just got even better.
