This Old-School Route 66 Stop In Illinois Has Been Frying Golden Chicken For Generations

Half a chicken, a pile of fries, and a warm biscuit have been pulling hungry Illinois drivers off the same stretch of old highway since before most of our grandparents learned to drive. The recipe reportedly came from two local farm women, and the kitchen still follows it today.

From the outside, this historic Route 66 spot in Illinois looks more like a roadside time capsule than a famous restaurant. Stop in once and you will quickly see why families keep coming back, generation after generation.

A Mother Road Favorite In Willowbrook

Blink while cruising Joliet Road and you might mistake the humble building at number 645 for just another stop in a quiet business area. Look again.

That glowing sign belongs to Dell Rhea’s Chicken Basket, one of the most beloved eateries on the Illinois stretch of Historic Route 66.

The restaurant sits in Willowbrook, out in DuPage County, close to where I-55 meets Route 83. Many longtime locals still connect it with neighboring Hinsdale, since that name was tied to its original spot before boundary changes shifted it into Willowbrook.

Either way, it is an easy drive from Chicago and most of the western suburbs.

Its surroundings surprise first-timers a little. The spot sits among industrial buildings, which makes the old-fashioned exterior feel even more like a lucky find.

Plenty of travelers admit they only pulled over because they spotted it from the road.

So what exactly is it? At heart, it is a family-friendly chicken restaurant with a supper club soul, famous for golden fried chicken, a generous salad bar, homemade soups, and buffet spreads.

The menu also stretches to housemade pizza, catfish, and chicken pot pie, but the bird is the reason most people come.

From Gas Station Lunch Counter To Roadside Legend

Long before interstates carried Illinois traffic, a gas station on this road had a small lunch counter run by a man named Irv Kolarik. Its roots trace back to the late 1920s or 1930s, when Route 66 was the main way to head west.

Drivers filled their tanks and grabbed a quick bite before rolling on.

Then came 1938, the year that changed everything. As the story goes, two local farm women offered Kolarik their secret fried chicken recipe, with one condition: he had to buy his chickens from them.

He agreed, and the chicken became so popular that a bigger restaurant building opened right next door in 1946.

Dell Rhea took over in 1963, and his name has hung over the door ever since. The place even served as a Blue Bird bus stop, linking diners to destinations as far away as Los Angeles.

New owners stepped in during 2019 and promised to protect what matters most, including the original recipe and the homestyle feel. Honors have piled up along the way, from a 1992 induction into the Route 66 Hall of Fame to a spot on the National Register of Historic Places in 2006.

Overnight Brine And A Low, Slow Fry

Good fried chicken rarely happens in a hurry, and the kitchen here proves it every day. Each bird starts with an overnight brine, which helps the meat stay tender and juicy long after it leaves the fryer.

Only then does it get dredged in enriched flour, milk, and breadcrumbs.

Cooking takes a patient 20 to 25 minutes in soybean shortening that is free of trans fat and cholesterol. That low-and-slow method is the secret behind the signature result: a crackly golden crust wrapped around meat that stays moist all the way to the bone.

The breading has a light crumb texture, a bit different from the craggy coating found at fast-food chains.

Quality matters before the chicken ever reaches the kitchen. The restaurant uses fresh, never-frozen USDA Grade-A chickens that are cage-free, non-GMO, and raised without antibiotics or hormones.

Regulars describe the flavor as simple and old-fashioned, seasoned just right without being too salty. Pieces tend to arrive piping hot, so little ones may want to wait a minute before grabbing a drumstick.

For a sweet-and-spicy twist, try a drizzle of the house hot honey, which many guests like so much that they buy a bottle to take home.

Four Golden Pieces, Fries, And Those Unusual Biscuits

Order the dish the restaurant is named for and a basket lands on the table holding half a chicken, which means four hefty pieces. French fries, homemade coleslaw, and freshly baked biscuits ride along.

It is the classic combination Route 66 travelers have been ordering for decades.

Those biscuits deserve their own mention. They look unlike most biscuits you have seen, and guests often find them quirky in the best way.

Pair them with the famous corn fritters, dusted in powdered sugar, and you have a side dish kids will remember long after the car ride home.

Prefer a full dinner plate? A half-chicken dinner has recently been listed at about $20.99, served with mashed potatoes, green beans, biscuits, plus trips to the soup and salad bar and some desserts.

For a family keeping an eye on the budget, that is a lot of food for the money.

Portions run large, so leftovers are common. The mac and cheese comes in generous, family-sized servings, and mac and cheese balls in a cheesy sauce make a fun starter.

Other favorites include chicken and waffles, chicken pot pie, chicken livers, catfish, and a comforting chicken dumpling soup.

Buffet Spreads And A Throwback Salad Bar

Here is a tip that can stretch your dollars: come hungry and ask about the buffet. On weekdays, a lunch buffet runs until 2 pm, and many diners call it one of the best values in the Chicago area.

Arrive a little late and you will miss it, so plan accordingly.

Fried chicken is the headliner, of course, and it is all you can eat. Around it, side dishes rotate from day to day, with past spreads featuring homemade mashed potatoes and gravy, breaded fish, barbecue ribs, pierogis, mac and cheese, Brussels sprouts, thin crust pizza, and those powdered sugar corn fritters.

Weekend guests have found buffets too, including a Sunday brunch spread with chicken and waffles, scrambled eggs, bacon, and sausages. One recent Saturday evening buffet came in at roughly $24 per adult.

Because schedules can shift, it is smart to check ahead before you go.

Then there is the salad bar, a true throwback that feels like the family dinners many parents remember from childhood. It stays fresh and well stocked, and two soups usually sit nearby, including the popular chicken and dumpling.

Kids tend to love building their own plates, which makes the whole meal feel like an adventure.

Grandma’s Kitchen Warmth Beside A Stone Fireplace

Walking inside feels a lot like stepping back in time. The decor has a retro, slightly kitschy charm that reminds many guests of a grandmother’s kitchen, and that is exactly the point.

Nothing here tries to be trendy, and nobody seems to mind one bit.

On cooler Illinois days, the dining room’s stone fireplace adds a cozy glow that makes a fall or winter visit extra special. The space carries the warm, unhurried spirit of an old supper club, yet it stays casual enough for kids in sneakers.

It can get a little loud when full, but mostly with the happy sound of families enjoying a meal.

Staff members earn plenty of praise for being friendly, attentive, and quick with refills. Servers often make first-timers feel like regulars by the end of the meal.

Clean tables and comfortable seating round out the welcome.

Who will love it most? Grandparents who remember Route 66 in its heyday tend to feel right at home, and the crowd often includes plenty of retirees.

Road-trippers chasing Mother Road landmarks make it a must-stop, while young families appreciate the easy menu and big portions. Special events add extra fun too, like a festive Cinco de Mayo buffet complete with a strolling mariachi band.

Hours, Prices, And Getting There

Good news for flexible planners: the doors open at 11 am and close at 9 pm every single day of the week. That makes it easy to fit into a Saturday outing or a spontaneous weeknight supper.

Most meals land in the $20 to $30 range per person. Budget-minded families can get the most value from the weekday lunch buffet, which wraps up at 2 pm, or from a chicken dinner that includes the soup and salad bar.

Since portions are big, sharing a basket or packing up leftovers helps stretch every dollar.

Finding it is simple. Head to 645 Joliet Road in Willowbrook, just off the I-55 and Route 83 interchange, and watch for the classic neon sign, which has been lovingly restored.

The restaurant is not huge, so timing matters.

Crowds build fast, especially on weekend evenings and Sunday afternoons. Diners who arrive around 5 pm on a Saturday may snag a table right away, only to watch the room fill within minutes.

Lines sometimes form at lunchtime too, so a little patience goes a long way.

Before leaving, take a moment to read about the restaurant’s history on display. It turns dinner into a mini history lesson kids might actually enjoy.

A Golden Tradition Worth The Drive

Plenty of restaurants chase the next food trend. Dell Rhea’s Chicken Basket has spent more than eight decades doing the opposite, frying chicken the same patient way since a pair of farm women shared their recipe in 1938.

That kind of steady devotion is rare anywhere, let alone on a road as storied as Route 66.

Food Network fans may recognize it from an appearance on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, but celebrity hardly defines the place. What sticks with people is the crunch of that first bite, the sugar-dusted corn fritters, and servers who treat every table like old friends.

For Illinois families, it checks a lot of boxes at once. The prices stay friendly, the portions are generous, and the setting sparks conversations between generations about how road trips used to be.

Grandparents can share memories while kids discover why fried chicken is worth waiting 25 minutes for.

Pair a meal with a slow drive along the old Mother Road, and a simple Saturday becomes a story your family retells for years. Few outings in the Chicago suburbs deliver this much flavor and history for so little money.

Bring an appetite, and maybe a container for leftovers.