Some of the best meals in Illinois hide in places you would drive right past without a second look. Picture a modest roadside building, a gravel-and-asphalt lot, and then a plate of golden fried chicken that makes you forget every fast food stop you ever made.
Add warm biscuits, sweet corn fritters, and a salad bar that feels like a church potluck, and suddenly a quick detour turns into a story you tell for years. If you love old roads and honest comfort food, this one is worth putting on your weekend list.
A Route 66 Landmark in Willowbrook
Tucked along Joliet Road in Willowbrook, Dell Rhea’s Chicken Basket sits right on the old Mother Road, about a short drive southwest of Chicago. It is a historic American eatery known for fried chicken dinners, housemade pizza, and a salad bar that regulars love.
Here is the funny part. The setting is a little odd, since the restaurant sits in what one visitor described as something like an industrial park area.
You might wonder if your map app got confused.
Keep going anyway. Plenty of travelers choose it as their very first food stop after leaving Chicago on Route 66, and many say it set the perfect tone for the whole trip.
Locals who used to work nearby remember it as the kind of longtime restaurant you are glad still exists. For DuPage County, it is a genuine piece of road history you can actually eat at, not just photograph.
Eighty Years of One Recipe
Recipes come and go, but some stick around for generations. According to one longtime fan, the chicken here has been made using the same recipe for roughly 80 years, which explains why people treat a visit almost like a rite of passage.
That kind of staying power means something on a highway where so many old stops have faded away. Families who discovered the place decades ago now bring their own kids and grandkids.
One group of guests noted they had been loyal customers for more than 20 years.
History also shows up in the feeling of the room. Visitors call it a piece of Route 66 history that simply oozes old-school charm.
You are not just ordering lunch, you are joining a long line of hungry travelers, truckers, and neighbors who came before you. That sense of continuity makes every crispy bite taste a little more meaningful.
The Famous Fried Chicken Platter
Crunch first, then juice. Diners describe the chicken as crispy and golden outside, incredibly moist inside, and never greasy, which is exactly what you want from a place with chicken in its name.
Order the platter and you will see why so many leave with leftovers. One visitor mentioned a half hand-breaded fried chicken dinner for $20.99, served with mashed potatoes, green beans, biscuits, plus access to the soup and salad bar and some desserts.
That feels a lot like Sunday dinner at a relative’s house.
Portions are generous, so arriving hungry is smart. Regulars call the chicken the star of the show, and plenty say it is the best they have ever tasted.
Interestingly, one guest noticed the buffet version seemed oven baked with bread crumbs, so ask your server how it is prepared if you have a preference.
Corn Fritters, Biscuits, and Hot Honey
Sides at some restaurants feel like an afterthought. Not here, where the supporting cast nearly steals the spotlight.
Corn fritters come up again and again in conversations about this spot. Guests call them sweet, golden, and truly amazing, and they pair beautifully with the savory chicken.
The biscuits are another talking point, served with butter and honey, and one traveler noted they look unlike any biscuit he had seen before, in a good way.
Then comes the hot honey. Brunch fans rave about it and even suggest buying a bottle to take home.
Drizzle a little over chicken or a fritter and you may understand the hype. Add homemade mashed potatoes with gravy, baked mac and cheese that visitors describe as rich and creamy, and sweet potatoes, and you have a lineup worth planning a whole road trip around.
A Buffet Worth Timing Your Trip Around
Want a little bit of everything? The all-you-can-eat buffet is how many regulars do it, and the spread is surprisingly broad.
Visitors have spotted fried chicken, BBQ chicken, hamburger sliders, biscuits, corn fritters, waffles, pierogis, mac and cheese, mashed potatoes with gravy, and Brussels sprouts. On Sundays, the brunch buffet brings chicken and waffles into the mix.
One diner estimated the price at around $24 per adult, and many call it a great value.
Timing matters, though. A guest mentioned the lunch buffet runs until 2 pm, and another arrived just after and missed out.
Since buffet schedules can vary, calling ahead at 630-325-0780 is wise. Staff keep the trays restocked often, even on slow afternoons, so food stays hot and fresh.
It may not have hundreds of items, but people say quality wins over quantity.
Soup and Salad Bar Throwback
Remember when every family restaurant had a salad bar? Here, that tradition is alive and thriving, and guests call it a delightful throwback.
One visitor counted five kinds of dressing, two soups, and plenty of toppings. The dressings are house-made, and the whole setup carries a charming church potluck vibe that fits the menu perfectly.
Save room for the chicken dumpling soup. Fans describe it as rich and thick, loaded with big chunks of meat, the kind of bowl that warms you up on a gray Illinois afternoon.
Chicken pot pie also gets frequent mentions among regulars who want something cozy beyond the classic platter. Freshness is a recurring theme, with diners noting how crisp and clean everything looks.
Even if you came only for fried chicken, a quick lap past the salad bar makes the meal feel complete and balanced.
Grandma’s Kitchen Meets Roadhouse Charm
Kitschy? Maybe a little, and that is part of the fun.
One guest said the decor reminded them of their grandmother’s kitchen, and they meant it as a big compliment.
The space is split, with a bar side on one end and a dining room on the other. The dining area features a stone fireplace that crackles gently on cooler days, adding to the homey glow.
Outside, the building has that classic off-the-highway diner look that makes travelers stop for photos.
Expect some noise. Visitors mention it can get loud, so be ready to raise your voice across the table.
Screens on the bar side show games from every angle, which sports fans enjoy. It is not a huge place, and it fills quickly, especially on weekend evenings.
Still, the overall mood stays casual, cheerful, and wonderfully retro.
Service With a Friendly Face
Kindness goes a long way, and the staff here seem to know it. Travelers repeatedly describe servers and managers as warm, welcoming, and quick.
Small gestures stand out. One guest wanted a souvenir shirt, and the manager brought the catalog right to the table.
Another noticed drink refills arriving before they even asked. Servers get mentioned by name in glowing terms, which says a lot about how personal the experience feels.
Fairness matters, so here is the other side. A large graduation party once reported a disorganized evening with mixed-up orders and cleaning that began near closing time.
The owner reached out with an offer for a future meal. For big groups, it may help to confirm details ahead of time.
Most visitors, though, describe service that makes them feel like old friends rather than passing tourists.
Hours, Prices, and Getting There
Good news for flexible planners: the doors open daily from 11 am to 9 pm, Monday through Sunday. That makes it easy to fit into a lunch break or an early dinner after a day on the road.
Prices stay friendly. Guests mention a half chicken dinner with sides at $20.99 and a buffet around $24 per adult, though prices can change.
The menu is extensive, with pizza, bourbon chicken, and chicken and waffles among the options.
Find it at 645 Joliet Rd in Willowbrook, right on historic Route 66 in DuPage County. Arriving around 5 pm on a Saturday may score a quick table, but one visitor saw it fill within 15 minutes.
Sunday afternoons can also get crowded. Check chickenbasket.com or call 630-325-0780 for buffet times and reservation questions before you go.
Why the Detour Pays Off
Sometimes the unplanned stops become the best memories. One family pulled in just to snap a few photos and ended up staying, laughing, and calling it a highlight of their Route 66 trip.
That is the magic here. It does not try to be fancy.
Instead, it offers crispy chicken from a long-loved recipe, fritters worth bragging about, a nostalgic salad bar, and staff who treat strangers kindly. Some regulars admit it is simply a solid, step-above-average buffet, and that honesty fits the place.
For Illinois day-trippers, it is an easy claim-and-defend kind of spot, the sort you recommend to out-of-state friends with a little pride. Road trippers starting the Mother Road get a fitting first meal.
So plan a weekend drive, bring a big appetite, and maybe leave room in the car for a bottle of hot honey.
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