Joliet's Route 66 Diner: 'We Get People From Europe, All Over'

JOLIET, IL —Even though Wednesday marked the first day that Chicken-N-Spice was closed for good, downtown Joliet's restaurant scene remains alive and well. That was the case at lunchtime inside The Joliet Route 66 Diner, at 22 West Clinton St., across from the Joliet Public Library.

Just minutes after Joliet Patch's editor finished his interview with employees and local customers, a carload of tourists from Michigan, on their way to South Dakota, parked their sports utility vehicle along Clinton Street.

What brought them to visit downtown Joliet? Joliet's Route 66 Diner, they said without hesitation.

Claudia Salez and Ariana Ruiz operate The Joliet Route 66 Diner, and their breakfast and lunch diner has been a part of downtown Joliet for decades. Years ago, it was called the Peter Piper Restaurant.

Nowadays, the dining room is decorated with black and white photographs and Route 66 memorabilia. Music from the 1950s and 1960s plays in the background.

"It's very homey, very relaxed, (like) you're walking into the past," Salez said. "And we're pretty much the only place (downtown) open on Mondays now."

The Joliet Route 66 Diner strives to have a reputation for providing fast service and good prices. For instance, you can order a burger, fries and a soup for $9, the staff explained.

"We're pretty fast when the food comes out," Salez said. "The maximum you'd wait is five to 10 minutes."

On a typical week day, the diner also averages "20 to 30 carryout orders," Salez said.

At a time when many Joliet area restaurants stay closed on Mondays and many don't open on Sundays, either, that isn't the case for The Joliet Route 66 Diner.

It stays open seven days a week.

Restaurant staff said that business on Sunday is particularly strong because so many people around the Joliet area dine here after attending church service.

Joliet's Route 66 Diner is different from most of the area restaurants because it relies on tourism, even international tourism, to succeed.

About 50 percent of the restaurant's business is tourism-related, according to staff. That's right. People from all over the United States choose to eat their breakfast or lunch at The Joliet Route 66 Diner as part of their cross-country vacation journey.

The front window is where out of town tourists usually pose for their keepsake photo, in front of the red, white and blue Route 66 sign.

Many tourists say they learned about The Joliet Route 66 Diner through a Facebook page promoting destination stops along Route 66, the restaurant said.

"We get people from Europe, all over," Ruiz remarked.

Then, there are customers such as Ron Romero, founder of the Illinois Rock-N-Roll Museum, about two blocks away.

Romero said he eats here for breakfast and lunch several times a week.

"I like it because it's a family-style, good people, and the food is always served hot and fresh," Romero said. "It has that Americana feel on Route 66."

On Wednesday, Romero met for lunch with singer-songwriter Skip Griparis, one of the Joliet area's most well-known local musicians.

Griparis just performed a concert last weekend at Joliet's Bicentennial Park. He told Joliet Patch on Wednesday that he's heading to New Jersey in late October for a movie crew reunion for "Major League" and "Major League II."

Griparis appeared in both movies. He played Monty the Colorman, Bob Uecker’s broadcast partner, in Major League and Major League II.

For years, Joliet's Route 66 Diner posted a sign in its front window reminding customers that it only accepted cash. However, that sign was taken down in August.

"We are now taking credit cards," Salez told Joliet Patch during Wednesday's interview.

The diner's staff is hoping this week's permanent closure of Chicken-N-Spice just up the street around the corner brings them additional business.

"We are looking forward to seeing more customers come in," Ruiz said.

Route 66 Diner recently added a number of new entrées to its menu including a rib eye steak sandwich, chicken sandwich with bacon, BBQ chicken sandwich and a chicken wrap.

"Our soups are homemade. A lot of people like the chicken tortellini soup and the cream of chicken," Ruiz added.

The Joliet Route 66 Diner is open seven days a week from 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Carryout orders can be placed at 815-690-3505.