Delgadillo's Snow Cap Drive-In

Delgadillo's Snow Cap Drive-In is a historic small restaurant and roadside attraction along a part of what used to be Route 66 in Seligman, Arizona USA. The drive-in was built in 1953 by a man who lived in the town, Juan Delgadillo (May 17, 1916 - June 2, 2004). Delgadillo had very little money, so he built the restaurant mostly from scrap lumber he found at the nearby Santa Fe Railroad yard.

Delgadillo thought of a fun way to bring attention to his new restaurant. He cut the roof off of a 1936 Chevrolet, put paint, horns and emblems from other cars all over it and placed an artificial Christmas tree in the rear of the car.

Delgadillo's had a sense of humor which could be seen both on his car and on his menu. That menu still has such choices as a "cheeseburger with cheese" and "dead chicken." "Juan's Garden" at the rear of the restaurant is just as funny. That is the place Mr. Delgadillo kept his collection of old cars and other strange things. Even the building itself has strange and funny things written on it. Hand-painted signs in the parking area warn drivers that they are "parking at their own risk." A neon sign in the window tells people, "Sorry, we're open." The door which leads inside has two knobs, one on the right and one on the left. The knob on the right is fake; the one on the left opens the door. Delgadillo would have fun with his customers by asking, for example, if they wanted cheese on their cheeseburgers.

While learning about the history of Route 66 for the 2006 Disney/Pixar motion picture Cars, John Lasseter met Delgadillo's brother, Seligman barber and Route 66 expert, Angel Delgadillo, who told him how traffic through the town almost completely went away on the day that nearby Interstate 40 opened.

Since Delgadillo's death in 2004, the Snow Cap has been run by his sons John-Michael and Robert. They both work the counter and play with the customers like their father did. The walls around the counter area itself are covered with business cards from all over the world.

Author Michael Wallis covers the history of the Snow Cap in his book, Route 66: The Mother Road.

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Laura Bodnar
24 May 2012
Must go! Burger was good. Order a chocolate shake! Best one I've had in a looong time! Love the atmosphere! Gotta love their sense of humor! And,yes, I was squirted with "mustard".
Christopher Zaleski
12 May 2013
1 of my favorite stops EVER. I love this place. Especially when you are getting your change back. They have a million tricks up their sleeve. You will not get this treatment just anywhere, so enjoy!
Scott Dunham
29 June 2014
We love Cecilia! She's full of fun and puns and is full of... cool, funny, quirky things that make your stop a memorable one!
EDR
24 October 2022
A place full of humor. An historical place thought out to attract crowds to road 66 as the latest road 40 has derailed business away. A joyful experience.
Erik Brok
10 May 2016
Very cool quirky place with an old route 66 feel to it with decorated old cars
Stephen Escobedo
4 June 2011
Great food, great service, owned by the Delgadillo family that helped save Historic Route 66. You MUST go.
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8.2/10
憑き狐娘 and 9,317 more people have been here
Map
Lamport St, Seligman, AZ 86337, USA Get directions
Thu 11:00 AM–7:00 PM
Fri-Sun 10:00 AM–6:00 PM
Mon 10:00 AM–5:00 PM
Tue 10:00 AM–6:00 PM

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