Want a taste of real Americana on your Route 66 road trip? This trio of fan-favorite fried chicken restaurants are must-stop destinations for foodies looking for a hot home-style meal. As you travel along the Mother Road, you’ll encounter some of the Midwest’s most iconic eateries specializing in fried chicken, some of which have been serving up delicious golden-battered goodness for more than a half century. Be sure to start your journey hungry, you’ll want to sample the food at each one of these time-tested locations.
Dell Rhea’s Chicken Basket
645 Joliet Road (I-55 & Route 83), Willowbrook
Fans of fried chicken have been loyally returning to Willowbrook’s classic Dell Rhea’s Chicken Basket since its doors were first opened to Route 66 travelers in the early 1940s. This celebrity of American roadside dining, part of the Route 66 Hall of Fame, has been serving up chicken, cocktails and farmhouse recipes in a traditional supper club atmosphere for more than 60 years. Originally founded as a service station and restaurant combination, the Chicken Basket’s popularity grew right alongside the Mother Road…