700 Sodas On The Menu? This Route 66 Diner Is A Must-Try Pit Stop

Vld.enc/Getty Images

Some of the best roadside restaurants in the U.S. sit along iconic Route 66, many of which harken back to another time. Pops 66 in Arcadia, Oklahoma, is a cornucopia of roadside necessities packed into one establishment. Complete with a restaurant, gas station, convenience store, and a 66-footl LED-lit soda bottle, Pops is a one-stop shop for weary (and thirsty) travelers. In a quirky twist that perfectly befits the Route 66 vibe, Pops also carries over 700 types of soda.

If you can't imagine that 700 flavors of soda even exist, join the club. The bewilderment only grows as you step inside and behold row upon row of glass-bottled sodas lining the walls. They come in every color of the rainbow and flavors you'd never dream of. All of the usual suspects are available (there are 80 different types of root beer) as well as some old fashioned soda brands like Dad's. You can also find some pretty bizarre varieties — and we're not talking "merely unusual" like  pear or watermelon (though you can find those, too). There's a Ranch Dressing soda made by Lester's Fixins, a Teriyaki Beef Jerky pop by a brand called Beefdrinker, and Buffalo Chicken Wing soda to round out the savory selection. There's also peanut butter and jelly, sweet corn, maple bacon, and others. And if you can't pick just one, Pops lets you create your own mix-and-match six pack.

danesprintshop/Shutterstock

The late Aubrey McClendon, co-founder, CEO and chairman of Chesapeake Energy Corporation and part owner of the Oklahoma City Thunder, opened Pops 66 in 2007. He asked architect Rand Elliot to model the impressive structure on the kind of mid-century modern gas stations his father once owned. The name is also an homage to McClendon's father, or as he called him, "Pops." McClendon died in 2016, and Pops was bought for $2.22 million by Jessie and Zar Sandhu. 

Even under new ownership, all the things folks love about Pops remain. The restaurant, which serves breakfast on Saturday and Sunday and lunch and dinner all week, continues to offer burgers, sandwiches, salads, and hot dogs and, naturally, floats. At Pops 66, however, your float options aren't limited to Coke or root beer. You can choose any of the flavors from Pops' cooler. If you're looking for the best soda to add to floats that aren't root beer, we like orange, red cream, and lemon, but keep your eyes peeled at Pops; You might just make the next big flavor pairing.