Chefy's Kitchen: 'We've Been Called The Hidden Secret'

JOLIET, IL — The shutdown of Illinois bars and sit-down restaurants during the new coronavirus crisis caused Jason and Paula Taylor to step back and reassess their Joliet restaurant, Chefy's Kitchen & Catering.

The Taylors have operated Chefy's at 1511 Plainfield Road for the past five years. The owners of Chefy's decided to stay open for carryout and curbside pickups. The restaurant is in the same building as Fritz's Pour House. An old black and white photograph displayed on a wall inside Chefy's shows when the property was known as "Fred's Air Conditioned Restaurant."

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When the new rules governing Illinois restaurants took effect March 16, "That first week, we didn't know how it was going to go," Jason Taylor told Joliet Patch's editor Tuesday afternoon. "Then, Brian Bessler created this Facebook page, and everything went through the roof."

After the state shutdown of bars and sit-down restaurants, Bessler established a Facebook page, Joliet Area Restaurant Delivery/Curbside/Carryout Options. The new Joliet Facebook group already has more than 8,000 followers.

Since the Facebook page launched, scores of Joliet area restaurant customers have posted photos of their carryout meals. Business at Chefy's has snowballed ever since.

"We do everything homemade," Jason Taylor told Patch. "We bread our own cheese sticks, tenderize our own poor boys and we grind our own burgers here."

Chefy's is best known for its breaded cheese sticks. If you have never had them, you need to. They are giant.

Chefy's gets its cheese from a well-known local business that has been on Mills Road for decades: Mancuso Cheese Company.

"Pretty much everything on the menu is selling well, especially our daily specials," Jason Taylor said.

"The fried chicken is a big seller," remarked Paula Taylor. "We only do it Friday and Saturday. It's juicy and nice and big pieces."

If you drive along some of Joliet's busiest roads, including West Jefferson Street and Larkin Avenue, you will still see several of Joliet's big-name restaurants staying closed for business during the ongoing health crisis. Even the legendary Joe's Hot Dogs on Plainfield Road has chosen to stay closed since mid-March.

Meanwhile, at Chefy's Kitchen, "I'm finally feeling that we are on the map," Jason Taylor said.

His wife said the added social media exposure since March has been fabulous for Chefy's.

"We've been called the hidden secret. I say,'Let the secret out. We're on Plainfield Road!'" she laughed.

Chefy's is staying open noon to 6 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday, noon to 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday, and it's closed Sunday and Monday. To place your order, call 779-225-8608. To check out the entire menu for Chefy's Kitchen & Catering, go here.

One more thing: Chefy's menu has a great motto. It reads: "Homemade food so delicious you'll swear your mother made it!"

Joliet Patch continues to write about the city's small local restaurants and businesses during the ongoing health crisis. Patch created a simple survey to let everyone know they are open and their current hours of operation. More than 130 Joliet businesses have been added to Patch's list so far. If you want to add your business to Joliet Patch's list of open and closed businesses, you can do so here.

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