Exit 88 Diner

Décor feels like a 1970s insane asylum.
Service staff are «southern sensible» friendly but like most everything in this irrelevant state, it’s stops just short of mediocre.
Food was «eh”-dibble but pricey for what it is.
NOT what you expect from a national chain (TA franchise)
Everything about this place is just «blah»
If you have the chance, skip it.

Pleasantly surprised. Awesome home made soups and the small salad bar was fresh and nicely attended. I had the $ 11 all you can eat catfish and it was outstanding too. The two filets were huge and I couldn’t reorder.
The soups are standouts here. Excellent service too. You will not be disappointed

I’m not sure what the first rater was thinking to give this place a 4 star. They don’t get more than 3 out of me for the crappy service. The waitresses act like they are doing you a favor. I asked for a salad bowl and she laughed at me. She got the drinks messed up. Never smiled. Walked as slow as you possibly can without standing still. And they were not busy. Believe it or not, the food is good.

Located at the TA Truckstop off I-​44 Exit 88, the Exit 88 Diner is a full service restaurant serving breakfast (anytime), lunch, and dinner, situated between Subway and Champs Chicken. There is ample table seating in the open dining area with a salad and soup bar too.
The breakfast menu offerings include egg (& meat) platters, omelettes, biscuits & gravy, pancakes, French toast, and oatmeal. The lunch/​dinner offerings include burgers, sandwiches, salads, quesadillas, chips, fries, lasagna, fettuccine, sirloin steak, country fried steak, pork chops, chicken, seafood (catfish & shrimp), and desserts (pie, cake, ice cream). Most entrees $ 5.99-$ 13.99, add soup & salad bar to a meal for $ 3.29. There are specials posted too.
On my drive through SW Missouri, I stopped at the TA Truck Stop to take a drive break. While here, I decided to grab dinner at Exit 88 Diner expecting the pretty standard American fare served at Country Pride or Buckhorn restaurants.
I sat myself at an open table next to the soup & salad bar. The waitress (older woman) promptly took my order. I ordered the All You Can Eat Catfish Special ($ 10.99 plus tax) served with potato or vegetable, hush puppies and the soup & salad bar included. The salad bar was basic, which had iceberg lettuce, garnishes, dressings, cole slaw, potato salad, and macaroni salad. The 2 pots of soups at the bar were a navy bean & ham soup (decent) and a cheddar potato & noodle soup (really good).
The food came out quickly. The initial plate had 2 big pieces of fried catfish, mashed potatoes with brown gravy, and 2 hush pupples, tartar sauce on the side. The fried catfish was very good, which came out very hot with a moist soft texture and coated with a thin crispy cornmeal breading, not greasy either, The mashed potatoes were soft and had chunks of potatoes in the mix and a standard brown gravy. The hush pupples were firm and not salty. I got a reorder for 2 more big pieces of fried catfish, which came out very hot, served in a basket.
I had enough to eat (no dessert) and the check/​ticket was placed on my table with the reorder of catfish. This meal I had was surprisingly very good (at a truckstop restaurant) and reasonably priced for a lot of food. I was all good with food for the rest of my drive to St. Louis.