This Route 66 Diner Was Featured On Diners, Drive-Ins, And Dives For Its Legendary Fried Chicken

Nat King Cole may have said it best when he sang, "Get your kicks on Route 66." To this day, open-air adventurers and foodies alike embark on the famous highway when they hear the call of the wild. Guy Fieri is one such sojourner who set out on a quest to find the country's best fried chicken on his Food Network series, "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives." In Season 5, Episode 9 (Return to Route 66), Fieri's pursuit of crispy chicken steered him along the historic roadway to Dell Rhea's Chicken Basket in Willowbrook, Illinois. It would seem that Fieri couldn't get enough of Dell Rhea's savory sensations, since he returned in Season 28, Episode 12 (All-American All-Stars). 

The historically celebrated restaurant, known for and named after its poultry, makes 2,000 pounds of chicken each week. The fried chicken is brined in salt overnight, before being dredged in enriched flour, milk, and breadcrumbs. Although the chefs won't share the temperature at which the chicken sizzles in grease, they will give away that it is cooked for 20 to 25 minutes. 

"Our birds are special!" Manager Bill G. wrote on Yelp, explaining that, "Dell Rhea's Chicken Basket fries in trans-fat and cholesterol-free soy bean shortening. The birds are cage-free, non-GMO, antibiotic and hormone-free. We only use USDA Grade-A birds that are fresh and never frozen ... It's this kind of quality that sets Dell Rhea's apart from the rest!" The tried-and-true preparation partnered with high-quality ingredients has brought customers to Dell Rhea's Chicken Basket for over 80 years. That's longer than Colonel Sanders' KFC chicken franchise.  

Dell Rhea's Chicken Basket has been serving up plump, juicy fried chicken since 1946. Around the late 1930s, gas station owner Irv Kolarik expressed a desire to expand his establishment's food selection. Two entrepreneurial women overheard and bartered with Kolarik — they would teach him how to make their fried chicken recipe as long as he agreed to purchase their chickens. The idea took off, and the chicken's popularity was more than the gas station's lunch counter could handle. By 1946, the building that still dishes up the delicacy was erected next door to its original location and was coined the "Chicken Basket." The demand for chicken became too much for the two-woman team, so they allowed a newly transplanted farmer to take over the poultry supply. That farmer, Stanley Helma, was the father of a future co-owner of Dell Rhea's Chicken Basket. 

Although the restaurant has changed hands twice, it has always remained a family-owned, small business that serves the original chicken recipe. In 1963, Dell and Grace Rhea bought the establishment and modified the restaurant's name to Dell Rhea's Chicken Basket. One final changing of the guard took place in 2019, when Annie Lombardi purchased the restaurant. The Chicken Basket was inducted into the Route 66 Hall of Fame in June 1992. It was included in "The National Register of Historic Places" in May 2006.

Dell Rhea's Chicken Basket serves up more than its signature fried chicken. It also offers fried, roasted, charbroiled, or baked chicken. The chicken pieces are offered à la carte in wing, breast, leg, or thigh, in packs of 12 to 100. Other chicken specialties include chicken pot pie, chicken sandwiches, and even a chicken liver dinner. There are also plenty of menu options that don't include chicken at all.  

One dish Guy Fieri tried was the mac 'n cheese, which features a "Colorado River of cheese and macaroni" according to the restaurant's menu. The diner classic is elevated at Dell Rhea's with bacon, jalapeños, and green onions. Dell Rhea's brunch, lunch, and dinner buffets are sure to satisfy a hungry work crew or host a family get-together.

"Dell Rhea's Chicken Basket is simply outstanding!" wrote Yelp user, Alan M., "The fried chicken is second to none — crispy outside, juicy inside — and the buffet is full of flavorful, fresh, and homemade sides that make it worth every penny." If you need a fried chicken recipe, we've got you covered, but if you'd prefer to have a taste of American fried chicken history, head down Route 66 and pay a visit to Dell Rhea's Chicken Basket.