Dell Rhea's Chicken Basket - Willowbrook, IL
Posted by: 
adgorn
N 41° 44.940 W 087° 55.980
16T E 422427 N 4622329
The Chicken Basket as it is today opened in the summer of 1946 on Illinois Route 66 and 79th Street in Hinsdale right next door to its original location. Stop in for great chicken and a Rt. 66 root beer!
Waymark Code: WM3FGW
Location: Illinois, United States
Date Posted: 03/29/2008
Views: 38
The Del Rhea’s Chicken Basket was built in 1946 on the south side of U.S. Highway 66. In the 1960s, Interstate 55 was constructed directly south of the building and now forms its southern boundary. Dell Rhea’s Chicken Basket traces its history to a small lunch counter established in the late 1930s inside a gas station owned by Erwin (Irv) Kolarik. As Kolarik’s restaurant business prospered, he opted to do away with the automobile repair side of his operation and transformed the two garage areas into dining room facilities. The Chicken Basket continued to grow in popularity, and in the mid-1940s Kolarik purchased adjacent land to build a brand new restaurant. This 1946 building is the current restaurant, designed by Chicago architect Eugene F. Stoyke.
Street address:
645 Joliet Rd.
I55 & Rt. 83
Willowbrook, IL USA
County / Borough / Parish: Dupage County, IL
Year listed: 2006
Historic (Areas of) Significance: restaurant on Rt. 66
Periods of significance: 1946 - present
Historic function: restaurant
Current function: restaurant
Privately owned?: yes
Season start / Season finish: From: 01/01/2010 To: 12/31/2010
Hours of operation: From: 11:00 AM To: 10:00 PM
Primary Web Site: [Web Link]
Secondary Website 1: [Web Link]
Secondary Website 2: Not listed
National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
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