.jpg)
White Fence Farm
- Restaurant
- In Romeoville, Illinois
- 0.1 mi from Route 66
White Fence Farm is a large family-style restaurant in Romeoville, IL, known for fried chicken served with a spread of old-fashioned side dishes. It began in the early 1920s on Joliet Road, which carried Route 66 toward Joliet until 1940, so the restaurant is older than the highway in front of it. The Hastert family has run it since 1954, and antique cars, farm animals and a giant chicken make it more than a meal stop.
What is White Fence Farm?
The restaurant has been enlarged several times, and its many dining rooms now seat more than 1,000 guests. Meals come family style. The main dish is fried chicken cooked twice, with a second frying once it is ordered; the restaurant bills it as "The World's Greatest Chicken." Side dishes include corn fritters dusted with powdered sugar, coleslaw, cottage cheese, kidney-bean salad and pickled beets, and the house dessert is a frozen Brandy Ice.
The lobby and a museum gallery hold antique cars and other collectibles. Outside, small farm animals are kept by the red barn (alpacas and goats in recent years), and a giant chicken figure stands near the entrance.
History of White Fence Farm
White Fence Farm opened in the early 1920s, before US 66 existed (the highway dates from 1926). Its founder, Stuyvesant "Jack" Peabody, head of the Peabody Coal Company, opened it on a plot of about 12 acres and ran it until his death in 1946.
Robert (Bob) Hastert Sr. bought the restaurant in 1954 with his wife, Doris, and the Hastert family has run it ever since. The third generation is now in charge, led by granddaughter Laura Hastert. The family also runs White Fence Farm carryout shops in other Chicago suburbs, including Joliet, Downers Grove and Riverside.
Joliet Road was part of the original Route 66 line toward Joliet. When the main highway moved west through Plainfield in 1940, this stretch became Alternate US 66, and a 1957 postcard of the restaurant gives its location as Route 66-A, north of Joliet.
Visiting White Fence Farm: tips
The restaurant faces Joliet Road, the pre-1940 Route 66, so it sits right on the old alignment. Treat it as a sit-down meal stop, and leave a little time for the cars in the lobby and the animals by the barn. A Route 66 interpretive marker about the restaurant stands on the grounds, and the giant chicken by the entrance makes an easy photo.
Practical info
- Address
- 1376 Joliet Rd, Romeoville, IL 60446
- Phone
- +1 630-739-1720
- Website
- whitefencefarm-il.com
- Hours
- We have no opening hours for this stop yet — check the official site.
- On site & nearby
Sources: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) · Wikidata · official site — may be outdated. Suggest a fix
On the map
Full mapWhite Fence Farm with the 6 closest stops and other places to eat (fork and knife). Tap a marker for details.
Tap a dot to see that stop here.
Stops near White Fence Farm
All of Illinois0.7 mi from White Fence Farm
2.5 mi from White Fence Farm
3.0 mi from White Fence Farm
3.4 mi from White Fence Farm
4.6 mi from White Fence Farm
5.2 mi from White Fence Farm
More places to eat nearby
All diners on Route 66 →
Questions about White Fence Farm
Is White Fence Farm on Route 66?
Yes. It faces Joliet Road in Romeoville, part of the original Route 66 line toward Joliet. That stretch became Alternate US 66 in 1940, when the main route was moved west through Plainfield.
How old is White Fence Farm?
It dates from the early 1920s, so it is older than US 66. Founder Stuyvesant "Jack" Peabody ran it until 1946, and the Hastert family has run it since 1954.
What is White Fence Farm known for?
Family-style fried chicken, cooked twice, served with sides such as corn fritters dusted with powdered sugar. Antique cars and other collectibles are on display in the lobby and a museum gallery.
Own or run White Fence Farm? Send us a photo or a correction.