Historic American Restaurant

About Us

The Ariston Cafe was founded by Pete Adam, a Greek immigrant, in Carlinville, Illinois in 1924. The original cafe was located on Route 4, the predecessor of historic Route 66. In 1929, the Cafe was relocated to Litchfield, Illinois, and moved into its present location on Route 66 in 1935. We believe the Ariston Cafe to be one of the oldest, if not the oldest Route 66 restaurant. In 1992, The Ariston Cafe and the Adam family were inducted into the Route 66 Hall of Fame.  In May 2006, the cafe was placed in the National Register of Historical Places by the State of Illinois and the National Park Service , United States Department of Interior.

Since 1966, Pete's son Nick and his wife, Demi, have continued to offer the traditional service expected of a family-owned-and-operated American restaurant. In July 2018, the Cafe was purchased by the current owners Will and Michele Law and Marty and Kara Steffens, all from Litchfield. We look forward to continuing the cafes long tradition.  Both of our families welcome you to Litchfield and invite you to share the Ariston Cafe history, and its' food, with us.