Route 66 Restaurant — Restaurant in Manheim Township

Over the years, I have consistently patronized this establishment and am grateful for the establishment of a reputable burger joint in Lancaster. While the quality of the food is commendable, there are several aspects that I find concerning, including the ambiance, customer service, and operational hours. The ambiance is marred by the inappropriate music selection, which initially consisted of unpleasant rap music and vulgar language. Such content is not conducive to a pleasant dining experience. Additionally, the customer service is consistently lacking in a smile, thank-you, or appreciation for business, unlike other establishments such as Chick-fil-A. Furthermore, as a Muslim and a supporter of other Muslims and those of our faith, I am troubled by the owners’ lack of Islamic principles. While they are Muslim, their actions, such as greeting me with a non-Islamic greeting like “Salam,” are disrespectful and contrary to Islamic teachings. Lastly, the operational hours are inconsistent and inconvenient. The establishment closes at unusual times, such as Sundays, when it would be ideal for families to dine out. Additionally, it closes early at 6 pm, which is contrary to the typical diner hours. Despite these shortcomings, I believe that the establishment has the potential to improve. I would appreciate it if they could address these issues, particularly the lack of Islamic principles and the inconsistent operational hours. I hope that they will continue to strive for excellence in the future.

Response to Owner: Wa alaykum as-salam, and thank you for your response. I understand the challenges with hours and staffing, and I appreciate the update. My bigger concern though is that myself, my family, and friends who come to this restaurant are never returned our salam (‘As-salamu alaykum’). In Islam, this isn’t just a casual word — it’s a greeting of peace that should be answered with ‘wa alaykum as-salam.’ For Muslims, returning salam is a simple but important sign of respect. I just wanted to share that perspective...

I came here on a recommendation from a friend. In a nutshell, I'd recommend the burgers here in a heartbeat!

The place is small because of it's location. It's a renovated end-of-row home like a lot of places in Lancaster city, located just as you come into the northern end of the city on Prince Street. You're not far from Route 30 and a lot of shopping, so this is a great place to take a break if you're out at the shoppes.

There is no parking lot that I saw -- on-street is what you get.

The grill is readily visible from the tables, so you can see what you're getting. My son and I both decided to go big and get the quad cheeseburger along with a side of mozzarella sticks and onion rings.

The owner/cook was exceptionally friendly and pleasant. You got to watch him make the burgers fresh, and the smell of it all while you waited just made your mouth water. The burgers here definitely rank among the best in the city. They were fresh, juicy, and absolutely delicious. The were cooked perfectly -- not dry, not underdone. The burgers were also assembled nicely with a paper half-wrap instead of just being thrown together. Each bite was heaven!

As a plus, they also offer the Impossible Burger as a vegetarian option. They get high marks in my book for that!

I don't have anything special to say about the sides other than they were good mozzarella sticks and onion rings. I was really here for the burger, so I didn't concentrate on the sides much.

The kind of flavor and quality you get here is great, and the prices are just as good. I'd rather spend my money on a local place like this when given the chance, anyway. Recommended highly. :-)

EDIT: Guess who's still open during the COVID-19 scare? This place! My son wanted to go there for his birthday. My review still stands. This place is awesome, and the burgers are, too! It's pretty much all take-out since the inside isn't very big and social distancing would be...

I actually don’t know how I’ve never reviewed this place.

It is hands down the best restaurant in Lancaster. I repeat the BEST restaurant in Lancaster. And to legitimize what I am saying and nothing more, I am a verified reviewer for Amazon. Meaning I was asked by the company based on the quality and correctness of my reviews by consumers agreeing to be in an invite only program Amazon offers to review items. I also know food very well as I worked in the industry for many years, am a very good cook.

With that said, this place knows what’s up. It checks all the boxes, satisfying, consistent, quality and flavorful. The staff is always so nice and the friggen crank out food.

The tables at times may be a little messy but it’s because it’s so busy because it’s that good… soo we give them a pass in that department.

They make their own fries, ice cream and spices for certain items.

If it’s your first time and you like spicy and even if you don’t, get the Nashville hot chicken sandwich. You will not be disappointed. House cut fries are on point, same with the ranch. Some could argue there is better ranch and there is but it’s still good.

The burgers are satisfying however I have noticed there will always be on tiny piece of cartilage or something hard in the burger. At least every time I’ve gotten it, now thats not exactly their fault either and again give them a pass because everything else is so great.

I’ve been going for 7yrs now and it’s stayed consistent. No change in quality or service, I always know I’m getting a good meal made with care. And their prices points are note worthy. They don’t jackup anything just because they can.

Just because it’s not what you’d think for the best restaurant in Lancaster doesn’t mean it can’t hold its own. What they do, they do well. It’s literally bomb diner food, burgers, fries, chicken sandwiches and ice cream.

I applaud them and ask they change nothing and just...