White Fence Farm Main Restaurant — Restaurant in Romeoville

I've seen the signs for this restaurant from the expressway for ever and we finally had a chance to stop in. I really wanted to have a great experience but I have to be honest about it. The first thing that comes to mind is it's a bus tour stop, definitely. Many, many, many (10+ individual dining rooms) dining rooms so an entire bus tour can be seated together. Tables are spaced very far apart. The rooms are big heavy with decorations and again, great distraction for weary travelers. It's outdated but it is fun to explore. The menu is limited but covers all the bases. Be aware that the chicken is not breaded and fried, but rather flash fried, just skin on. It's not "fried chicken". They have steak and fish options too. An entrée, like chicken, is about $23 and automatically comes with a few 1/2 cup size sides they call relishes. There is a kidney bean salad that was pretty good. There was plain cottage cheese, sliced pickled beets with a few onion slices, a finely chopped cabbage thing that was very bland in my opinion. Just cabbage and water. They also had fritters that were refillable. However, they were tough, small, bland... like fried dense bread dough. I only took a bite of one. There was also a yellow, gelatinous chicken gravy that I didn't dislike. And I actually needed it on the dry chicken. I'm an older person and I did like the assortment of relishes/ sides. It really was what I would have seen on a Sunday after church dinner. However, we're talking 1/2 cup serving size each for our table of 2 to share. There is some caveat on the menu of which of those is refillable and that a refillable relish cannot go in a doggy bag. The chicken was 1/2 bird in quarters, measly, and tough. It didn't appear to be brined. It wasn't juicy. There was such a small amount of meat on the wing or leg, they just took up space on the plate. The chicken dinner was not worth the $23 in my opinion. The sides were obligatory so you're paying for that whether you want them or not. Again, bus tour dinner. And sadly, there was horribly undercooked, pink, raw chicken served to my companion, twice. If an older person with limited vision, or a youngster too hungry to check, they would have eaten it. They didn't offer to comp even after the second time she got raw chicken. It is not a kid friendly environment and they acknowledge that in writing on the menu. Again, bus tour stop. It is a niche, an entertaining place for older people who are NOT on a budget. It's not the best place for good...

We used to love this place, but our recent visit was shockingly bad. Upon walking back to be seated with our stroller, the staff was immediately confrontational, refusing to let us proceed further. When we tried to discuss the matter politely, they escalated the situation by calling us liars and being condescending and confrontational with us, which was absolutely unacceptable. The owner, rather than diffusing the situation, was the most unprofessional and disrespectful of all. I’m not surprised the staff is rude and hostile, that’s how the owner behaves and they must think it is ok! For a business that promotes itself as family- and kid-friendly, their actions were the complete opposite. Several other customers observed the hostility and were just as appalled, pointing out that if they accommodate wheelchairs, there’s no reason to deny strollers. The restaurant was nearly empty on a weekend, and after enduring such a hostile and unpleasant experience, it's no wonder why. We will not be returning.

Edit to respond:

The owner’s response claims their staff was kind, but that’s not true. The front hostess knew about our stroller, and if you check other reviews, we’re not the first to have problems with her “not seeing” strollers. When we were being seated, the hostess was hostile and lied, saying we never mentioned the stroller.

When I tried to explain to the owner that it felt like they didn’t care about families, instead of helping, she said, “I’m not talking to you anymore,” and walked away. Before that, I also tried to explain that babies shouldn’t stay in car seats for long periods, especially with medical concerns. She didn’t care and dismissed it. Thankfully, we didn’t stay.

The sign about strollers is small, handwritten, and often blocked. This place clearly isn’t for families, and we won’t be spending money here or at their other locations.

Their response isn’t about making things right—it’s just an argument. So if you go and encounter a problem, expect hostility.

As for my husband, he’s a disabled veteran who served honorably. He doesn’t get upset without a reason. The front hostess accused him of lying and shoved her finger in his face while he explained our daughter’s medical needs. Understandably, he got quite upset. Both of us have worked in retail and restaurants, and we know that’s not how anyone should be treated.

Here’s a screenshot showing we’re not alone in...

Tonight, Saturday the 22nd, we had a very poor service experience here that ruined our family dinner. We had a 5:30 PM reservation and got seated quickly, but we did not get our meals brought to the table until 70 minutes later, at 6:50 PM. It was frustrating to see several nearby tables of people that came in either at the same time we did or after we did get their chicken orders way before our party was served. Then we had to wait 20-30 minutes just to get drink and side dish refills. On top of the huge delay in getting our food, some hot sides were lukewarm or cold when we finally received them. The server told us several times the food "would be right up", and when we asked about the long delay, she complained about the large groups and the "five dining rooms they need to serve". The 70 minute wait and poor service was unacceptable, as we explained to the owner when paying the bill. To our surprise, she was very defensive and offered nothing more than a weak apology - there were no "good faith" gestures like free deserts, dinner coupons, or meal discounts. She claimed that the wait could not have been avoided due to the need to serve some large parties. I find that claim to be ridiculous. With the tables around us getting far quicker service, it seems clear that the server must have put our party's order in late. In fact, the arrival time stamped on the receipt was 55 minutes AFTER we sat down. That was certainly an obvious defensive move by the server to make it look like we got there 55 minutes after we were seated. The owner's reaction was a shock; we did not appreciate her attitude and defensive posturing. That is not conducive to good customer relations, and in fact will drive people away. We have come here in the past and had good service. I am being kind with the 1 star review for this all-around bad experience; it would have been zero, except in fairness the WFF fried chicken is decent (but not worth waiting 70 minutes for). We will not be back, and we will be sure to inform friends about...