US 63 and US 24 cross at Moberly, halfway between Columbia and Kirksville. If you are driving through mid-Missouri in the morning, this is the breakfast stop: a diner covered wall to wall in hand-painted cartoons, a short hop off the highway on the old 63 Business strip.
Time it right
Doors open at 5:30 AM Monday through Saturday and 7:30 on Sunday. Everything closes at 2 PM sharp, so plan a morning or lunch stop, not an afternoon one. In a hurry? Order pickup online before you hit town and your food is ready when you walk in.
What to order
French toast off the homemade loaf, biscuits and gravy, or a hand-pattied Wimpy Burger if it is closer to noon. The plates carry comic-strip names, the portions are diner portions, and the bakery case rides along with espresso.
Stretch your legs
Moberly is the Magic City, a railroad boomtown from 1866. If you have time after you eat, the Railroad Museum and Rothwell Park are both close, and the kids can ride the park's Magic City Line miniature train in season.