Skippy’s Route 66 Restaurant: At the Crossroads of Good Food and Good People

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Leasburg, MO Skippy’s Route 66 Restaurant, at the Onondaga Cave Exit 214 off I-44, provides what owner Skippy Sheleski, who hails from Wisconsin, calls “Good Food for Good People.” Skippy and manager Denise Basham, and three other cooks prepare the good food. Skippy, Denise, and their employees provide the homey atmosphere and the heart and soul of the restaurant’s family feeling that attract the good people.

The Food This Route 66 eatery offers home style cooking at affordable prices for the traveler or locals who drop in for a break, a drink, or good eating, whether it be one of the daily specials or their signature dishes of Walleye, fried chicken with a great chicken gravy, freshly cut steaks, hot wings, a great roast beef sandwich with provolone cheese, or Skippy’s “more than enough” half pound burger. The fact that they go through about a 100 pounds each of wings and burgers in a good week speaks to the dishes’ popularity.

Each day brings one or two homemade specials to the menu. Denise’s meatloaf special is like your mom use to make if she could make a really good meatloaf. Other specials are spaghetti and homemade meatballs, chicken fettuccini, chicken enchiladas, brats and sauerkraut, beef tips and noodles, and the list goes on. Each of the cooks has a signature dish. “Every cook sticking to his or her own specialty provides consistency,” states Skippy.

The History of the Restaurant Joe and Loretta White built the restaurant and bar, then called the Coachlight Inn, in 1970 after Joe retired from the railroad. They, with help from their four kids, ran it for 18 years. After they sold it, it went through a couple of other owners until Skippy bought it.
Skippy bought the former Coachlight Inn and opened it on Labor Day of 2000 as The Route 66 Inn. Things were not smooth at first. When Skippy bought the restaurant, he was a body shop manager in St. Louis. He learned that trying to manage from afar was a nightmare with a lot of quality problems.

He decided it was necessary to be a “hands on” owner and took over running the restaurant himself. He also convinced Denise Basham to quit a successful job in Human Resources and join him in managing the restaurant. “The first time I walked in, I said, ‘Oh, my gosh, we’ve got a lot to do,’” states Basham.

Denise and Skippy joined forces in cleaning, improving, remodeling, and plowing profits back into the restaurant and bar. After two years Skippy’s put his own name on the business because he wanted to let his customers know that there was someone there with pride in the establishment and that they could bring their comments to him.

They developed a menu that brought customers coming back for more and improved the facilities, remodeling their dining area twice and upgrading furniture. Games and a pool table add to the activities available. Today, Skippy and Denise keep the restaurant running smoothly seven days a week, with the kitchen staying open until 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and until 10 p.m. Friday through Sunday. Friday and Saturday night bring the karaoke crowd. Due to customer demand they also cater, offer carry out service, and will deliver for larger corporate orders.

Improvements in the Works In the spring of 2008, Skippy’s indoor dining area was remodeled again. Beautiful new restrooms were built. A covered outdoor dining room with a stone bar crafted by local mason Craig Stovall opened. The new addition, which doubles their dining capacity, is called The Gravel Bar, and there are plans to add an outdoor fireplace. Larger groups can reserve the space for special occasions, and several family functions have already been held in the bright, airy outdoor dining area.

They are improving the green space around the restaurant and off-street parking lot with berms and plantings. The next phase of improvements includes a larger kitchen area and storage. More landscaping is in the works. A 6’ by 12’ lit sign 30’ in the air will soon beckon their customers.

Skippy’s Give Back to the Community To Denise and Skippy, an important part of their business is giving back to the communities that they serve. They now live locally in Cuba, Missouri, and the Cuba Relay for Life cancer fundraiser is an annual project where they sell turkey legs, shrimp skewers, and donate the money to the Relay. Turkey Shoots on the day after Thanksgiving and on Good Friday raise additional funds for the Relay. They also donate to projects that benefit the youth of the area, such as Youth Football.

Take Care and Come Back Although Skippy’s may seem a small wayside eatery, besides the “locals” ranging from Springfield to St. Louis, Skippy’s draws from Route 66 travelers and visitors to the Onondaga Cave State Park and the river resort Ozark Outdoors that are just down Hwy. H from the Leasburg crossroads. From Skippy and Denise to their employees, you will find friendliness and a desire to provide a good dining experience. Even local customers have been known to tell travelers to “take care and come back.”

Skippy’s is open from Monday-Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. and on Friday and Saturday, they are open until 1:30 a.m. On Sunday they open at noon until 10:00 p.m. Lunch is Monday-Sunday from 11:30 a.m.-2:00 p.m. Call 573-245-6666

Contact Skip Sheleski or Denise Basham