We’d heard a rumor of a new restaurant along Route 66 in Clinton, Okla., that used recipes from Pop Hicks restaurant, which burned down in a fire in 1999 and was never rebuilt.
That rumor turned out to be false. However, the restaurant in question, Gayla’s at the Market, turned out to have long Route 66 history of its own. And it was less than a block west of the historic Glancy Motel and the vacant lot where the Pop Hicks restaurant once stood.
Gayla’s co-owner Ed Janning, who was the cook one Sunday when we were there, affirmed he did not use Pop Hicks recipes. He does, however, use old family recipes, including this chicken-fried steak meal:
Gayla’s on the Market stands where the old Dorsey’s Fruit Market and Grocery started on Route 66 in the 1930s. The business had sat empty and deteriorating for 20 years when the Jannings bought it. Now open for nearly two years, Gayla’s serves as a breakfast-and-lunch restaurant, catering business, and gift shop.
You can see remnants of the old Dorsey’s Market, including the original house inside and the old sign outside.
Ed Janning also regaled us with stories about the Pop Hicks restaurant’s owner (including the time he was challenged to a duel — and won) and how the Dorsey’s Market was renovated.
Hours of Gayla’s on the Market are from 7:30 a..m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. The phone number is 580-445-7008.