TV Restaurants

Is Dell Rhea's Chicken Basket Still Open? Update (Willowbrook, IL)

Open verified

As of September 2026, Dell Rhea's Chicken Basket is open — confirmed via the restaurant's current website/social account, accessed September 7, 2026.

Primary source
chickenbasket.com ·
Secondary source
Wikipedia ·

Last verified

What the source shows: The restaurant's own website, last modified 2026-09-07, lists current hours and a working online ordering system; Wikipedia's entry, independently revised 2026-09-04, confirms the restaurant's Route 66 location.

  • Season / episode Season 5, Episode 9
  • Original air date
  • Address 645 Joliet Road, Willowbrook, IL 60527

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What happened after Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives?

Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives featured Dell Rhea's Chicken Basket in Willowbrook for the 'Return to Route 66' episode (S5E9), which aired 2009-02-02, highlighting the restaurant's fried chicken. Dell Rhea's has served fried chicken along historic U.S. Route 66 since 1946, according to its own website, chickenbasket.com. The restaurant sits in DuPage County near present-day Interstate 55, according to Wikipedia's entry on the restaurant, revised 2026-09-04. Chickenbasket.com, last modified 2026-09-07, lists current Sunday hours of 11 am to 9 pm, a working online ordering system, and links to the restaurant's Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts. The site also lists a Buffet Menu, a Catering page, and a private event space called the Route 66 Room. The restaurant's phone number, (630) 325-0780, and social-media links are also posted on the current site, according to chickenbasket.com.

Dell Rhea's Chicken Basket served its fried chicken buffet from its longtime location along historic U.S. Route 66 in Willowbrook, Illinois, near present-day Interstate 55. According to Wikipedia (revised 2026-09-04), the restaurant sits in DuPage County along the historic highway route. The restaurant's own site, chickenbasket.com, lists current hours (Sunday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.), a buffet menu, catering, and a private Route 66 Room, and the site's server reported a last-modified date of September 8, 2026.

Featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives

Season / episode
Season 5, Episode 9
Original air date
Episode title
Return to Route 66
What was featured
World-famous fried chicken on historic Route 66
Role
Featured restaurant
Name on the broadcast
Dell Rhea's Chicken Basket
Season / episode
Season 17, Episode 12
Original air date
Not confirmed
Episode title
Hit the Road
What was featured
world-famous fried chicken buffet on historic Route 66
Role
Featured restaurant
Name on the broadcast
Dell Rhea's Chicken Basket

Frequently asked questions

Is Dell Rhea's Chicken Basket still open in 2026?

As of September 2026, Dell Rhea's Chicken Basket is open — confirmed via the restaurant's current website/social account, accessed September 7, 2026.

What happened to Dell Rhea's Chicken Basket after Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives?

Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives featured Dell Rhea's Chicken Basket in Willowbrook for the 'Return to Route 66' episode (S5E9), which aired 2009-02-02, highlighting the restaurant's fried chicken. As of September 2026, Dell Rhea's Chicken Basket is open — confirmed via the restaurant's current website/social account, accessed September 7, 2026.

Where is Dell Rhea's Chicken Basket located?

645 Joliet Road, Willowbrook, IL 60527. That is the address on the record as of September 7, 2026.

What season and episode of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives featured Dell Rhea's Chicken Basket?

Season 5, Episode 9 of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, first aired February 2, 2009. The episode is titled “Return to Route 66”.

Is Dell Rhea's Chicken Basket still using the Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives menu or branding?

The site also lists a Buffet Menu, a Catering page, and a private event space called the Route 66 Room. Anything newer than our last check on September 7, 2026 may not be reflected here.

Every status on this site carries a confidence label and a date, and names the source it rests on. Read the Editorial & Corrections Policy for what each label means and how quickly we act on corrections. The questions above are generated from this record's own published fields — we never publish a question we cannot answer from the data.

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Visit info

Address
645 Joliet Road, Willowbrook, IL 60527
Venue type
restaurant
Official website
chickenbasket.com

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