326:
342:, at the time owned the Woodbine Inn down the street from the Chicken Basket. Rhea sold the Woodbine Inn and purchased the historic roadhouse in 1963, taking over Kolarik's former business and keeping the Chicken Basket's menu and name but adding his own name as well. Rhea's son Patrick, who grew up working in the restaurant along with his mother, Grace Rhea, assumed control of Dell Rhea's Chicken Basket following Dell's death in 1992. The Lombardi family bought the restaurant in 2019 with the promise to continue the tradition by keeping intact the original recipe, service, and homestyle environment that makes the Chicken Basket.
276:
62:
1006:
87:
48:
289:
disused automobile repair garage bays into dining rooms, which eventually became known as the
National Chicken Basket; but by the mid-1940s, further demand made it clear that a new building was needed to serve patrons. This prompted Kolarik to buy the adjacent property and build a full-service restaurant. Kolarik hired Chicago architect Eugene F. Stoyke to construct the one-story brick restaurant and cocktail lounge.
1017:
94:
69:
301:
acquired by West
Suburban Transit Lines, which went out of business in 1976). Becoming an official Bluebird bus stop helped increase business for the Chicken Basket, as did the fact that patrons of the restaurant could sit by the front windows and watch airplanes taking off and landing at what was then Hinsdale Airport across the street on Joliet Road.
283:
The
Chicken Basket began as a simple lunch counter selling sandwiches in a gas station along Route 66, operated by Ervin 'Irv' Kolarik, that was opened some time during the late 1920s. In 1938, two local farm women entered Irv Kolarik's gas station for a cup of coffee; they overheard him complaining
288:
with him if he agreed to buy his chickens from them. In fact, they even agreed to go to work for him and make the chicken. Kolarik consented, and the chicken was an instant success. The lunch counter was no longer sufficient for serving customers. Kolarik initially converted the station's by then
333:
Kolarik kept the restaurant open for many years; then when he discovered that construction of I-55 would cut the restaurant off from major highway traffic, he briefly sold it to another operator before buying it back. However, as more traffic moved to the interstate, business dwindled and the
300:
fostered its continued success, and it became a bus stop on Joliet Road for the west suburban
Bluebird Coach Lines in 1936, the year that Bluebird acquired the bus route from the Chicago & Joliet Transportation Co., which had introduced service on Route 66 in 1928 (this bus route was later
316:
in the 1950s forced roads such as Route 66 to reroute onto superhighways, and the restaurant was eventually bypassed by the construction and opening of I-55 during the late 1950s to early 1960s, which cut off its access to major traffic on this important highway.
895:
1076:
990:
926:
910:
900:
1046:
985:
931:
572:
952:
854:
885:
819:
784:
859:
764:
724:
549:
824:
814:
809:
789:
905:
739:
654:
1081:
774:
769:
644:
864:
829:
734:
709:
849:
799:
779:
754:
744:
729:
719:
704:
684:
659:
649:
639:
869:
844:
749:
689:
669:
664:
634:
624:
334:
restaurant was taken over by a local bank, which kept it in operation until another buyer could be found. Delbert 'Dell' Rhea, a prominent
Chicago businessman who had managed the then
804:
759:
699:
674:
629:
936:
834:
714:
679:
304:
Kolarik was also a minor genius at getting publicity for the restaurant. For example, during the winters, Kolarik would flood the roof of the restaurant and hire local youths to
890:
839:
794:
694:
312:
wing was added in 1956; that was the building's last major alteration. However, in the end, Kolarik's creative marketing ideas weren't enough to overcome other obstacles. The
602:
587:
542:
618:
1041:
1056:
1020:
535:
140:
86:
1010:
325:
485:
61:
1071:
1061:
582:
339:
558:
412:
346:
248:
116:
34:
284:
about how he hated running a gas station and preferred running the lunch counter instead, and offered to share their secret recipe for
1066:
973:
1051:
211:
1091:
206:
438:
275:
1086:
372:
359:
978:
957:
313:
264:
497:
592:
597:
577:
309:
292:
The present-day
Chicken Basket was opened next door from the gas station in 1946 in what was then
293:
47:
350:
527:
335:
224:
1035:
285:
260:
252:
128:
120:
406:"National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Dell Rhea's Chicken Basket"
991:
University and college buildings listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
493:
354:
305:
244:
405:
155:
142:
1077:
Commercial buildings on the
National Register of Historic Places in Illinois
464:
442:
522:
256:
124:
297:
345:
The building and its classic freestanding neon sign were added to the
986:
List of jails and prisons on the
National Register of Historic Places
324:
274:
357:. In 2009, the restaurant was featured on a Route 66 edition of
349:
on May 5, 2006, along with fellow
Illinois Route 66 restaurants
1047:
National Register of Historic Places in DuPage County, Illinois
531:
465:"Chicago suburban transit routes: Joliet interurban, Line 832"
296:, Illinois, now Willowbrook. The roadhouse's proximity to
93:
68:
966:
945:
919:
878:
611:
588:
History of the National Register of Historic Places
565:
230:
217:
205:
197:
189:
171:
134:
110:
1082:Diners on the National Register of Historic Places
619:List of U.S. National Historic Landmarks by state
1011:National Register of Historic Places portal
543:
8:
441:. Dell Rhea's Chicken Basket. Archived from
338:and had been the executive director of the
550:
536:
528:
46:
559:U.S. National Register of Historic Places
35:U.S. National Register of Historic Places
433:
431:
429:
384:
1042:Commercial buildings completed in 1946
18:
439:"Dell Rhea's Chicken Basket: History"
400:
398:
396:
394:
392:
390:
388:
340:Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau
7:
1057:Willowbrook, DuPage County, Illinois
413:National Register of Historic Places
347:National Register of Historic Places
974:National Historic Preservation Act
14:
259:. It is located along historical
1016:
1015:
1004:
92:
85:
67:
60:
1072:1938 establishments in Illinois
1062:Restaurants established in 1938
927:Federated States of Micronesia
573:Architectural style categories
219:
1:
212:Route 66 through Illinois MPS
101:Show map of the United States
16:United States historic place
488:Diners, Drive-ins and Dives
373:List of chicken restaurants
360:Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives
177:; 78 years ago
1108:
979:Historic Preservation Fund
958:American Legation, Morocco
523:Dell Rhea's Chicken Basket
329:Interior of the restaurant
241:Dell Rhea's Chicken Basket
27:Dell Rhea's Chicken Basket
1067:U.S. Route 66 in Illinois
999:
920:Lists by associated state
314:Interstate Highway System
279:Chicken Basket (postcard)
218:NRHP reference
54:
45:
41:
32:
25:
21:
901:Northern Mariana Islands
198:Architectural style
1052:Restaurants in Illinois
896:Minor Outlying Islands
879:Lists by insular areas
593:Keeper of the Register
330:
280:
598:National Park Service
578:Contributing property
328:
278:
156:41.74750°N 87.93944°W
953:District of Columbia
76:Show map of Illinois
1092:Poultry restaurants
321:Change of ownership
263:, near present-day
201:No particular style
161:41.74750; -87.93944
152: /
1087:Diners in Illinois
331:
281:
1029:
1028:
583:Historic district
238:
237:
1099:
1019:
1018:
1009:
1008:
1007:
932:Marshall Islands
552:
545:
538:
529:
510:
509:
507:
505:
500:on June 10, 2010
496:. Archived from
482:
476:
475:
473:
471:
461:
455:
454:
452:
450:
435:
424:
423:
421:
419:
410:
402:
308:on top of it. A
221:
193:Eugene F. Stoyke
185:
183:
178:
167:
166:
164:
163:
162:
157:
153:
150:
149:
148:
145:
102:
96:
95:
89:
77:
71:
70:
64:
50:
19:
1107:
1106:
1102:
1101:
1100:
1098:
1097:
1096:
1032:
1031:
1030:
1025:
1005:
1003:
995:
962:
941:
915:
874:
607:
561:
556:
519:
514:
513:
503:
501:
484:
483:
479:
469:
467:
463:
462:
458:
448:
446:
445:on May 14, 2010
437:
436:
427:
417:
415:
408:
404:
403:
386:
381:
369:
323:
310:cocktail lounge
273:
181:
179:
176:
160:
158:
154:
151:
146:
143:
141:
139:
138:
115:
114:645 Joliet Road
106:
105:
104:
103:
100:
99:
98:
97:
80:
79:
78:
75:
74:
73:
72:
37:
28:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1105:
1103:
1095:
1094:
1089:
1084:
1079:
1074:
1069:
1064:
1059:
1054:
1049:
1044:
1034:
1033:
1027:
1026:
1024:
1023:
1013:
1000:
997:
996:
994:
993:
988:
983:
982:
981:
970:
968:
964:
963:
961:
960:
955:
949:
947:
943:
942:
940:
939:
934:
929:
923:
921:
917:
916:
914:
913:
911:Virgin Islands
908:
903:
898:
893:
888:
886:American Samoa
882:
880:
876:
875:
873:
872:
867:
862:
857:
852:
847:
842:
837:
832:
827:
822:
820:South Carolina
817:
812:
807:
802:
797:
792:
787:
785:North Carolina
782:
777:
772:
767:
762:
757:
752:
747:
742:
737:
732:
727:
722:
717:
712:
707:
702:
697:
692:
687:
682:
677:
672:
667:
662:
657:
652:
647:
642:
637:
632:
627:
622:
615:
613:
612:Lists by state
609:
608:
606:
605:
603:Property types
600:
595:
590:
585:
580:
575:
569:
567:
563:
562:
557:
555:
554:
547:
540:
532:
526:
525:
518:
517:External links
515:
512:
511:
477:
456:
425:
383:
382:
380:
377:
376:
375:
368:
365:
351:Lou Mitchell's
322:
319:
272:
269:
236:
235:
232:
228:
227:
222:
215:
214:
209:
203:
202:
199:
195:
194:
191:
187:
186:
173:
169:
168:
136:
132:
131:
112:
108:
107:
91:
90:
84:
83:
82:
81:
66:
65:
59:
58:
57:
56:
55:
52:
51:
43:
42:
39:
38:
33:
30:
29:
26:
23:
22:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1104:
1093:
1090:
1088:
1085:
1083:
1080:
1078:
1075:
1073:
1070:
1068:
1065:
1063:
1060:
1058:
1055:
1053:
1050:
1048:
1045:
1043:
1040:
1039:
1037:
1022:
1014:
1012:
1002:
1001:
998:
992:
989:
987:
984:
980:
977:
976:
975:
972:
971:
969:
965:
959:
956:
954:
951:
950:
948:
944:
938:
935:
933:
930:
928:
925:
924:
922:
918:
912:
909:
907:
904:
902:
899:
897:
894:
892:
889:
887:
884:
883:
881:
877:
871:
868:
866:
863:
861:
860:West Virginia
858:
856:
853:
851:
848:
846:
843:
841:
838:
836:
833:
831:
828:
826:
823:
821:
818:
816:
813:
811:
808:
806:
803:
801:
798:
796:
793:
791:
788:
786:
783:
781:
778:
776:
773:
771:
768:
766:
765:New Hampshire
763:
761:
758:
756:
753:
751:
748:
746:
743:
741:
738:
736:
733:
731:
728:
726:
725:Massachusetts
723:
721:
718:
716:
713:
711:
708:
706:
703:
701:
698:
696:
693:
691:
688:
686:
683:
681:
678:
676:
673:
671:
668:
666:
663:
661:
658:
656:
653:
651:
648:
646:
643:
641:
638:
636:
633:
631:
628:
626:
623:
620:
617:
616:
614:
610:
604:
601:
599:
596:
594:
591:
589:
586:
584:
581:
579:
576:
574:
571:
570:
568:
564:
560:
553:
548:
546:
541:
539:
534:
533:
530:
524:
521:
520:
516:
499:
495:
491:
489:
486:"Guy Fieri's
481:
478:
466:
460:
457:
444:
440:
434:
432:
430:
426:
414:
407:
401:
399:
397:
395:
393:
391:
389:
385:
378:
374:
371:
370:
366:
364:
362:
361:
356:
352:
348:
343:
341:
337:
336:Stevens Hotel
327:
320:
318:
315:
311:
307:
302:
299:
295:
290:
287:
286:fried chicken
277:
270:
268:
266:
265:Interstate 55
262:
261:U.S. Route 66
258:
254:
253:DuPage County
250:
246:
242:
233:
231:Added to NRHP
229:
226:
223:
216:
213:
210:
208:
204:
200:
196:
192:
188:
174:
170:
165:
137:
133:
130:
126:
122:
121:DuPage County
118:
113:
109:
88:
63:
53:
49:
44:
40:
36:
31:
24:
20:
825:South Dakota
815:Rhode Island
810:Pennsylvania
790:North Dakota
502:. Retrieved
498:the original
494:Food Network
487:
480:
468:. Retrieved
459:
447:. Retrieved
443:the original
416:. Retrieved
358:
355:Ariston Cafe
344:
332:
303:
291:
282:
240:
239:
946:Other areas
906:Puerto Rico
740:Mississippi
655:Connecticut
249:Willowbrook
234:May 5, 2006
159: /
135:Coordinates
117:Willowbrook
1036:Categories
855:Washington
775:New Mexico
770:New Jersey
645:California
379:References
245:restaurant
147:87°56′22″W
144:41°44′51″N
865:Wisconsin
830:Tennessee
735:Minnesota
710:Louisiana
306:ice skate
190:Architect
1021:Category
850:Virginia
800:Oklahoma
780:New York
755:Nebraska
745:Missouri
730:Michigan
720:Maryland
705:Kentucky
685:Illinois
660:Delaware
650:Colorado
640:Arkansas
504:June 14,
470:July 24,
449:June 14,
418:June 14,
367:See also
294:Hinsdale
257:Illinois
225:06000375
125:Illinois
111:Location
967:Related
870:Wyoming
845:Vermont
750:Montana
690:Indiana
670:Georgia
665:Florida
635:Arizona
625:Alabama
298:Chicago
271:History
180: (
805:Oregon
760:Nevada
700:Kansas
675:Hawaii
630:Alaska
566:Topics
937:Palau
835:Texas
715:Maine
680:Idaho
409:(PDF)
243:is a
172:Built
891:Guam
840:Utah
795:Ohio
695:Iowa
506:2010
472:2014
451:2010
420:2010
353:and
182:1946
175:1946
129:U.S.
247:in
220:No.
207:MPS
1038::
492:.
428:^
411:.
387:^
363:.
267:.
255:,
251:,
127:,
123:,
119:,
621::
551:e
544:t
537:v
508:.
490:"
474:.
453:.
422:.
184:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
