Dell Rhea's Chicken Basket crowing strong in Willowbrook on Route 66: Mystery Diner

WILLOWBROOK – Dell Rhea’s Chicken Basket is tucked among small, one-story buildings and a few chain hotels on a dusty, winding road that once reigned as Route 66. Today, the towering neon marquee of the Willowbrook establishment enjoys a quieter perch.

Inside tells a different story. Clusters of relatives and favorite friends are gathered around small tables draped in red-and-white-checkered tablecloths. A darker shade of patterned red curtains flanks the windows. Ceramic chickens, framed newspaper articles and photographs fill in the spaces of sporadically placed shelves and countertops. A small fireplace stands flat against the wall on the far end of the dining room.

The room feels familiar. It feels like home. And there’s no denying that the 66-plus-year-old restaurant has greeted passersby throughout the decades, treated them like family, and wished them well on the way to their destinations. As for the Chicken Basket, it arrived in the Route 66 Hall of Fame.

As my parents and I took our seats and scanned the menu, we adopted the rhythm of the nostalgic room, swapping smiles and stories. Importantly, we prepped ourselves for the beginning of our comfort food adventure.

We began our meal with appetizers we consider classic – fried chicken liver and gizzards. The tasty starters were served with sweet-and-spicy barbecue sauce. What’s noteworthy about them is their flaky coating, especially the chicken gizzards. Both were crispy, moist and lightly seasoned – neither bogged down by a dry outer crust nor drowning in oil.

Our appetizers were followed shortly by two of Dell Rhea’s specialties – its famous fried chicken in a basket and baked mac and cheese.

The basket comes with four, finger-licking pieces of chicken (leg, wing, breast and thigh), shoestring french fries, homemade coleslaw and baked biscuits. I don’t even know where to begin in describing this dish, but let me put it this way: Our chit-chat came to a sudden halt, and we sat silently enjoying every bite.

Hands down of course, the chicken is the hero of the meal. Never frozen, the meat is marinated for 24 hours, and cooked to order. According to the restaurant’s website, the recipe dates back to two female farm owners who sold chickens to the original spot when it was just a gas station with a lunch counter around the 1940s. Dell Rhea took over the Chicken Basket in 1963, and what endures is the carefully crafted, breaded and deep-fried meal – a crunchy, tender, lip-smacking and succulent sensation.

The baked mac and cheese is a hearty complementary dish to the main course. Tiny elbow macaroni are smothered in what the eatery describes as a “Colorado River of Cheese Sauce,” topped with shredded cheeses, and baked until golden brown.

The restaurant menu extends to sandwiches, ribs, salad bar, soups and seafood, plus prime rib, roast turkey and other specials on various days of the week.

The only mistake my parents and I made that Sunday afternoon was not saving room for dessert. And for those who know me and my mother best, the only way to our hearts is a classic root beer float.

Dell Rhea’s, which also proposes a Route 66 Dreamsicle Float and a slice of apple, key lime or cherry pie, keeps in mind that the best way to truly start and end a meal is with the company you keep, savoring the time you spend together.

The Mystery Diner is a newsroom employee at Suburban Life Media. The diner's identity is not revealed to the restaurant staff before or during the meal. Only positive dining experiences will result in published reviews.