Cookin' From Scratch

Breakfast is the meal Cookin' From Scratch does best and is served all day, every day. The biscuits-and-gravy plate is the signature order — two hand-mixed biscuits split and topped with a generous ladle of sausage gravy made from scratch with real sausage and a proper roux. It is a substantial plate (about $7-8) and arguably the single best biscuits-and-gravy along Missouri Route 66. Add two eggs any style for $2 more and you have a complete meal that will keep you full through lunch.

Other breakfast highlights include the country breakfast platter (two eggs, choice of meat — bacon, sausage, ham, or sausage patties — hash browns or grits, and biscuits or toast), the pancake stack (three plate-sized pancakes that you can barely finish), country-fried steak and eggs with gravy, and a hearty breakfast burrito. Coffee comes in a real ceramic mug, kept hot and refilled without being asked. Orange juice and milk are properly cold.

The breakfast experience is part of why so many Route 66 travelers and Fort Leonard Wood-area visitors specifically schedule a breakfast stop at Cookin' From Scratch. The combination of hearty country food, friendly service, and the genuinely from-scratch cooking creates a meal that anchors a day of road-tripping or sightseeing. Many locals come several mornings a week, and the breakfast counter at the back is usually populated with regulars working through coffee and newspaper.

Lunch and dinner at Cookin' From Scratch lean heavily into Southern-influenced country cooking, with the fried chicken being the absolute headliner. The chicken is hand-breaded daily in seasoned flour, fried in proper hot oil to order (not pre-cooked or held under a heat lamp), and served with two sides of your choice. The exterior is crisp, the interior is juicy, and the seasoning is balanced rather than overly salty. A three-piece dinner with two sides and a biscuit runs about $13-15 and is genuinely one of the best fried chicken meals along Route 66.

Beyond fried chicken, the menu includes country-fried steak (a battered cube steak topped with white country gravy), meatloaf (made with real ground beef and onions, not filler), hot beef sandwiches open-faced with brown gravy and mashed potatoes, BBQ ribs and pulled pork, baked ham, chicken fried chicken, and a daily special chalked on the board. Sides are the supporting cast and include real mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans cooked with bacon, mac and cheese, fried okra, slaw, corn, and seasonal vegetables.

Sandwiches and burgers are also available for lighter appetites — the burger is hand-formed from fresh ground beef and is solid, the BLT uses real thick-cut bacon, the chicken-fried chicken sandwich is essentially the fried chicken dinner in handheld form. Salads exist but are not the strong suit; vegetarians have limited but workable options including grilled cheese, salads, and side-vegetable combinations.

Save room for pie. Cookin' From Scratch bakes pies in-house daily and rotates flavors based on season and the baker's mood. Standards include chocolate cream, coconut cream, lemon meringue, apple, pecan (in fall and winter), peach (in summer), strawberry-rhubarb (in spring), and a daily special that varies. The crust is hand-rolled and the fillings are not pre-made — order a slice with ice cream for about $6 and you have a proper homemade pie experience.

Practical tips: arrive before 11am on weekends to avoid the lunch rush. The restaurant takes cash and credit cards. No reservations — walk-in only. Parking is in the large gravel lot. WiFi is available. Family-friendly with high chairs and a kids' menu featuring smaller portions. Restrooms are clean and accessible. The covered porch has additional seating in pleasant weather.

For Route 66 travelers, Cookin' From Scratch is the natural meal stop in the Waynesville-Devils Elbow area. Pair breakfast here with a morning at Roubidoux Spring Park and the Old Stagecoach Stop Museum; pair dinner here with a daytime visit to Devils Elbow Bridge and a sunset cruise of Frog Rock. The restaurant is family-owned and locally focused but warmly welcomes travelers — wave at the regulars at the counter, order coffee, and settle in for a meal that genuinely lives up to the from-scratch promise.