US-66: Swiss Inn Drive-In (Lebanon, MO)

Last March my wife and I drove to Branson, MO. Our older daughter and her family were vacationing there so we thought we'd join them for a long weekend. The basic route to Branson involves I-44 west to Springfield before heading south, which gave us a great opportunity to get some Route 66 driving in.

The Mother Road leads right into Lebanon, MO and the Swiss Inn Drive-In is a few blocks northwest of 66 on Jefferson Avenue. Apparently it was once a Mr. Swiss fast food restaurant; from what I've been able to find online there were a number of Mr. Swiss franchises scattered about the country back in the '60s and '70s but I've yet to find a really comprehensive history.

I loved places like this when I was growing up and I still do today.

The menu has all the items you'd expect from a place like this: burgers, fries, onion rings, etc., with one or more signature items. And at the Swiss Inn the signature item is the Big Swiss Steak Sandwich.

Big Swiss with Sysco-style curly fries.

The Big Swiss is basically a country fried chopped steak patty (you weren't expecting a ribeye, were you?) on a bun, and is normally adorned with the typical burger toppings along with a barbecue sauce. I'm not a big fan of salad on a burger so I ordered mine with just the sauce.

Let's be honest. We're not talking fine dining here, but with the confines of its genre the Big Swiss is a pretty darn decent sandwich and I enjoyed it. It was hot and crisp, and the sauce provided some balance. If I lived and/or worked fairly close to a Mr. Swiss or Swiss Inn I'd certainly stop in a couple of times a month.

The Swiss Inn does have some limited inside seating. It was a warm day and we chose to eat in to enjoy the air conditioning, but on a nicer day this is absolutely carryout food. In the car, on the tailgate, or at the park (on a blanket with a lovely Merlot, of course).

I'm always happy to find a restaurant like this, especially in a smaller community. They've been a part of peoples' lives for decades and have a special place in American life.