CHASE WATERS was a teenager when he started working at Del’s Restaurant, which Del Akin opened in 1956. The restaurant still serves its signature chicken-fried steak and other homestyle favorites. Waters, whose family has deep roots in Tucumcari, bought the restaurant in 2021 because he’d always loved it. He’s hardly changed a thing, except to bring back breakfast. “If it’s not broken, don’t fix it,” he says.
Chase Waters, who bought Del's Restaurant in 2021 after working there as a teenager, embraces the nostalgia of Route 66.
Photograph by Steven St. John.
We call Route 66 “the Boulevard” here. It’s always been the same, dating back to when my parents were in high school and used to cruise the Boulevard in the evening with all the neon glow. It’s still a thing that high schoolers do—as well as tourists.
My grandfather owned a Philips 66 station here on Route 66.
Route 66 let people slow down and take in the beauty of the land all across the state. People enjoy their time, appreciating the small things instead of always going, going, going.
I still have my grandfather’s old pickup truck, a Ford F-100. He bought it brand new, and sometimes I park it front of the restaurant.
Read more: From glowing motels and retro diners to neon-lit museums and roadside oddities, this Route 66 stretch delivers vintage vibes in every mile.
