Lilo Russell, a German native who owned the landmark Westside Lilo’s Cafe along Route 66 in Seligman, Arizona, for decades, has died. She was 83.
Russell’s death was announced on Monday on several Route 66 groups on social media, including the restaurant itself:
Here’s a video made by a traveler a few years ago who stopped by the restaurant:
Westside Lilo’s opened in June 1996 in a former hobby shop built in 1954, according to the restaurant’s website. The shop became a restaurant a few years later, and it closed in the 1980s. With the help of her husband Patrick and two daughters, Russell opened the restaurant.
Lilo had always dreamed of opening a business and longed to have a place that offered good quality food and a taste of her German specialties that her kids grew up loving to eat. Lilo’s quickly became a favorite of the locals and many people who travel Historic Route 66 on a regular basis. Lilo’s’ daily specials and homemade soups continued to drive repeat business, and the restaurant today has quite a following.
Lilo has been baking her giant cinnamon rolls, fresh bread, and her now famous carrot cake since the first day of opening her restaurant. After the passing of her parents, Josef and Paula Hohmann, she brought over many memories of Germany. The large hutch in the restaurant, pictures of her family, and old utensils found in the cellar are just a few things that help to create the atmosphere in the restaurant. The large elk and mountain lion were additions from her grandson, Rocque, as hunting is a passion of the Russell family.
One of Lilo’s daughters, Brenda, now owns the restaurant with the help of her son Rocque.
Russell was born in Wiesbaden, Germany, in 1941 amid a family carpentry business. She married Patrick Russell, stationed in the Army at Camp Perry in Ohio, in 1961. The couple came to Seligman the next year.
Patrick, who spent most of his life in Arizona, died in 2022 at age 82.
UPDATE 1/18/2025: Westside Lilo’s posted this obituary information, including a celebration of life at the Seligman High School gymnasium on Feb. 1.
(Images of Lilo Russell and Westside Lilo’s Cafe via Facebook)