Bob Foos
If you, like many, were sad when Famos Grill didn’t reopen after moving to a new, larger location in Carl Junction as Famos Italian Smokehouse, you’ll be glad to know two of the original staffers have now reopened the original restaurant as Famos on 66.
Famos (without the “u”) is coined from Amos, the last name of the family that owns the restaurants.
Ellsworth and Kayla Amos, both instrumental in the success of the orginal Famos Grill, were married in November and reopened it around Thanksgiving.
The Famos endeavor began at the Webb City Farmers Market when J.T. Amos and his wife, Nicole, along with J.T.’s nephew, Ellsworth, were vendors serving meals and their homemade pasta.
Meanwhile, the former Dairy Creme ice cream stand in Carterville, at 328 E. Main St. – a corner where decades of Route 66 travelers had to turn – became vacant.
As they opened Famos Grill, they built an addition and deck and renovated the kitchen.
Ellsworth managed Famos Grill, and Kayla was establishing loyalty with her attention to customer service.
J.T. and Nicole saw the availability of the former Bailey’s restaurant space south of Briarbrook on Fir Road in Carl Junction, as a way to expand the business. Famos Italian Smokehouse has room for two bars and 55 tables.
Ellsworth says the plan was for him to come back and continue managing Famos Grill, but there were staffing issues that required him to be at the new location. And then he took a job as the IT manager at American Ramp.
Kayla was part of the business for the entire time at both locations. When they married, they decided to go back to the original Famos location and start their own business, Famos on 66.
Quoting from their website:
Ellsworth and Kayla Amos built Famos on 66 out of two shared loves: feeding people and bringing their community together. After years of cooking for friends, family and events, they dreamed of a place where guests could slow down, share a great meal and feel genuinely taken care of. Route 66 was the perfect backdrop – classic, a little nostalgic and full of stories – just like the recipes and ideas they’d been perfecting at home.
Famos on 66 is their way of turning that dream into a reality: a family-run restaurant where scratch-made food, creative cocktails and warm hospitality all come together. For Ellsworth and Kayla, it’s not just a business – it’s their family’s table, open to anyone passing through or calling this town home.
Most of the menu remains the same. Kayla says be sure to look for the items with Kayla Approved stamps.
Famos on 66 is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday through Sunday. They also cater and host parties.
“This place was started by word-of-mouth,” Ellsworth says. They’re now depending on word-of-mouth to let everyone know Famos is back in Carterville.
“We know how to do it,” Kayla says. “We just need to have all the people come back.”
