Dell Rhea's Chicken Basket — Restaurant in Willowbrook

Review Date: May 4th, 2021

This place gives a cluck!

I’m not sure how I discovered Dell Rhea’s originally but it has been on my list of places to visit since 2014. I know it was featured on an episode of ‘Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives’ so maybe that is where I heard of it. However I was made aware of it doesn’t matter as I finally got to mark it off my list since I was in the area and knew I needed to try it.

I stopped in during an hour-long lunch break from work and thought it was a place where you ordered at the counter and took a seat. Wrong. This is a full-fledged restaurant with an optional buffet if you should want to stuff your face until you pop. I snagged a table in the far corner and got to take in the restaurant as I looked over the menu.

One thing I noticed was a distinct smell if you took a big enough breath. I am not sure what that smell was but it was just a bit unpleasant. Not enough to sour the appetite if you breathed normally but enough to take note. The place also had a bit of a grime to it but that could be due to the sheer age of the place. I know it’s been around since the 1940’s, whether that adds to the charm of the place or detracts from it is up to you.

As I sat there and waited for my Buffalo Chicken Sandwich to come out, the waitress put a biscuit with a honey packet in front of me. I looked around and noticed other people with the same thing, so this must be an appetizer they give out to all patrons, similar to chips and salsa at Mexican restaurants. I ended up dipping my biscuit in the honey on the plate to avoid getting my hands too sticky. I enjoy a good accompaniment to my food and this biscuit was delicious. Easily a top 5 biscuit in my book (not that I am keeping track). This got me excited at the prospect of what my sandwich will bring.

I didn’t have to wait too long before my main meal was placed in front of me. The chicken sandwich dominated the basket and I had to snack on a few of the fries to be able to grasp the sandwich in a way that didn’t make a mess. The fries themselves were okay. Nothing special but also nothing awful. Just your standard french fry.

Since I was on a time crunch, I inhaled my chicken sandwich. I typically eat fast, so that wasn’t an issue. What I did encounter with trying to eat fast was that the buffalo sauce was indeed hot. I had to stop a few times to catch my breath and drink some water before I could continue. The sandwich came with blue cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and pickles. I learned while scarfing the food down that I wasn’t a big fan of blue cheese. Not that it took away from the sandwich, just a personal preference.

The sandwich itself was really good. It burned my mouth (in a good way), cleared up my sinuses, and hit the spot. It was more than enough to fill me up and I sometimes have an endless appetite. I couldn’t finish the fries that came with it but half of that was due to not finding the fries all that tasty. If I was in the mood for a chicken sandwich and lived in the area, this is the place I would hit up.

I might have to see if I can find the episode of ‘Diner’s, Drive-Ins, and Dives’ that featured Dell Rhea’s to see what it’s like...

I had Dell Rhea's saved on my "want to go" list on Google after coming across a video on social media of someone recommending it.

Let me start by saying there are chickens EVERYWHERE. No, not live chickens, chicken decor, and no two chickens are the same. Trust me, we looked.

The restaurant embraces its location along the old portion of Route 66. The signage and decor outside clearly showed this. (Pictured)

Anyways, onto the food,

I was so impressed by the taste and quality of such simple dishes

Cream of Mushroom soup was amazing. A bold, vivid flavor that paired incredibly well with their soft, smooth yet crumbly buttery rolls. This soup is worth a visit alone. It's likely in a first place tie for mushroom soups all time for me.

Mac and Cheese bites (pictured below). Apparently listed on WGNs "best of" lists. Certainly deserved the recognition. Can taste the quality on these. 4 to an order, and they come sitting in a pool of cheese. It's about $3.25/piece, but it's definitely worth trying.

Chicken Fried Chicken. (Pictured) 2 very tender and breaded breasts served with chicken gravy, mashed potatoes, and corn pudding. I'm not sure I've ever had breaded chicken so tender that a butter knife sliced through it with ease. This, too, was very good. The mashed potatoes on the side were a little bland in taste, but they were actual mashed potatoes with skin in them. Corn pudding (corn bread roughly) had hints of jalapeño in them. It was okay. Very sizable portion on that.

Our waitress was friendly, attentive, and personable. I don't recall her name. But she came with refills and to go boxes very quickly. She also answered our questions.

They also have a buffet during the week, and during weekend brunch, we didn't try it, but noted maybe 15 or 20 options on the hot island. We were informed it was $22 and a lesser option for endless soup and salad existed as well.

I hope to return here many times. There wasn't anything about my visit that I even...

I am editing this review. After a visit that went poorly, below and a year ago, I've been back with friends a couple additional times. Both were excellent visits. To leave my single, poor experience as my review would be misleading. Since that visit, our wait staff was, first, Vicki and then Ashley. Both were incredible! The food is really good: we had the fried chicken dinner,, the roasted chicken dinner, and the pork chops that were big and tasty. Plus, the soup and salad bar. Vicki and Ashley are incredibly good, under the pressure of a packed house both times, and deserve recognition from their management as they are the true face of this establishment.

Original review: This is a very cool place with a great history on Rt 66. I have had great meals here in the past and the wait staff has been fantastic....until today. A friend and I stopped here at 245pm today. He decided to try the Sunday buffet while I ordered the classic chicken dinner meal. I had the salad bar which is good and fresh. After waiting 20 minutes for my dinner, I asked if it would come soon. The place was emptying out. I was told it would be just a minute. 15 minutes later, and as my friend finished eating, I still didn't have my food. I went up to our waitress standing up front and asked her to just pack it to go. In 2 minutes, it arrived. I don't know if she forgot to place my order or what the problem was but this was a real disappointment as it's always been great before. The waitress didn't seem to care and offered no explanation. I paid the bill and left. It's going to be a while before I go back. We've been averaging about once per month for the last year and it's an hour-plus drive for me. When I do return, I'm going to make sure I get a different...