A Week of Specials at Topock66

Some restaurants have a specials board that nobody reads. Topock66 has a whole week of them, one for each day, and a couple of them are the kind regulars plan around. Here's how the week lays out, based on the restaurant's own specials page. Prices are the ones on the current menu, so confirm when you arrive.

Monday to Wednesday

Monday after 4pm is shrimp night. You can get Shrimp Scampi for 12.99 or Coconut Shrimp for 12.99. If you've never had the coconut shrimp, it's also on the regular appetizer list at 18.99, so the Monday price is a real break.

Tuesday after 4pm belongs to the smoker. Six smoked wings, any flavor, for 8.99. The regular menu lists smoked wings in hot, BBQ or half and half, so ask your server what's on for the night.

Wednesday starts earlier. After 2pm there's a Steak and Lobster Dinner at 29.99. That's the special to pick if you're celebrating something small, or if you've been on the river all day and decided you earned it.

Thursday to Sunday

Thursday after 4pm is ribs. A half rack with one side is 13.99, and a full rack is 21.99. Friday is the fish fry. After 11am it's an all-you-can-eat Fish Fry at 15.99, which makes Friday lunch a real plan and not just a default.

Saturday after 2pm brings Smoked Prime Rib. The 8oz is 20.99 and the 12oz is 25.99. Sunday at 11am is a lighter lineup of smoked jalapeno poppers and potato skins, 3 piece for 6.99 or 6 piece for 11.99. That one is made for sharing across a table of people who are in no hurry.

Happy hour, Sunday through Thursday

Happy hour runs Sunday through Thursday, with 2.00 off all cocktails and beer and wine. It's a flat discount, nothing complicated. The bar is part of the draw at Topock66. The interior has an arched bridge truss overhead, Route 66 shields on the walls and a wall of customer photos, with beer neon glowing in the corners.

A Google reviewer, Beth Lomnitzer, wrote about her visit: "Fantastic food and beers! Our server was very sweet and attentive (she gave me extra super delish orange slices with my beer)." That's a small detail, and it's the kind of detail people remember.

Smoked meat by the pound

Specials are only half the smoker story. Topock66 sells smoked meat by the pound, which changes how you can eat. You're not limited to a plate. You can take home dinner, or build a spread for a group of friends back at camp.

Pork or chicken is 20 per pound. Sliced tri-tip is 24 per pound. Ribs are 26 per full rack, and you can add one side to make it 28.99 for a full rack, or 18.99 for a half rack with one side.

The Topock 66 Smoked Meat Sampler is 54.99 and it's built for a group. It brings a half pound each of smoked pork, chicken and tri-tip, a half rack of baby back ribs, and six smoked naked wings, served with ranch, buffalo and house made BBQ sauce. Three sauces on one tray means nobody has to agree on a favorite.

Planning around the specials

A few ways to use the week. If you're driving Route 66 and can pick your stop, Friday for the fish fry or Saturday for the prime rib gives you a reason to schedule dinner at the river rather than pull off wherever the highway ends. If you're a boater, Tuesday and Thursday are good evenings to come off the water to something smoked.

If you're staying overnight at the hotel, the specials turn dinner into something you don't have to drive to. And if you're camping nearby, the by-the-pound menu is the easiest way to feed everyone without a grill.

The restaurant's hours are Monday to Thursday 8am to 8pm, Friday 8am to 9pm, Saturday 7am to 9pm and Sunday 7am to 8pm. The restaurant phone is (928) 768-2325. Ask about the specials when you call, since the board is the final word on what's running that day.

Topock66 holds a 4.5 rating from 2,936 Google reviews, and part of that is a menu that gives repeat visitors something new to try every day they come back. Pick a day, pick a special, and settle in.