Russell's Barbecue (Joliet Route 66 BBQ)

The ribs are Russell's signature and have been refined over ninety-plus years into a consistent, distinctive style. Baby back and St. Louis-cut spare ribs are smoked low and slow over a hickory-oak blend for approximately five to six hours, producing a deep mahogany exterior with significant bark and a tender, juicy interior. The ribs are served either dry-rubbed with the house seasoning or finished with the famous Russell's barbecue sauce brushed on in the final minutes of smoking — the dry-rub version is the purist's choice, while the saucy version showcases the family recipe at its best. Half-rack and full-rack portions are available, with the full rack feeding two normal eaters or one serious carnivore.

The pulled pork sandwich is a sleeper favorite. Pork shoulder is smoked for ten to twelve hours until it pulls apart easily by hand, then served on a soft bun with a generous dose of sauce and a side of crisp coleslaw. The combination of tender smoked pork, tangy sauce, and crunchy slaw is the platonic ideal of a barbecue sandwich, and at under $14 with sides it is one of the best food values along the Illinois Route 66 corridor. Beef brisket is also available, smoked overnight and sliced thick against the grain, with the bark-to-fat ratio that defines proper Texas-influenced brisket — though the seasoning here leans more toward the Chicago-style sweet-spice profile than central Texas salt-and-pepper minimalism.

The barbecue sauce deserves its own paragraph. The Russell family recipe has remained essentially unchanged since 1930 and balances tomato, vinegar, brown sugar, and a proprietary spice blend into a sauce that works equally well brushed on smoked meats, served as a dipping sauce on the table, or used as a marinade for home cooks who buy bottles to take with them. Three variants are produced — original, hot, and a smoky version — and all three are sold at the restaurant and through the Russell's online store. The sauce has won regional barbecue competitions and is regularly featured in roundups of best regional barbecue sauces.

The dining room has changed remarkably little since the mid-twentieth century. Wooden booths line both side walls, a long counter with stools faces the open kitchen at the rear, and tables fill the center for larger groups. Lighting is warm and low, walls are decorated with vintage photographs and signs from across the restaurant's near-century of operation, and the menu boards still use the same hand-painted style they have used for generations. The result is one of the most authentic Route 66-era food atmospheres anywhere in the Chicago region, and the restaurant is regularly featured in Mother Road travel guides for exactly this reason.

Several photographs and framed memorabilia tell the restaurant's story directly. Images of founder Norman Russell with early staff, snapshots of mid-century classic-car cruises that gathered at the restaurant, and newspaper clippings from various Route 66 anniversaries and Illinois travel features are all displayed throughout the dining room. Staff are happy to point out specific items and share family stories, and the owners are typically on site and available to chat with Route 66 travelers who want context on the building's history. The restaurant has been featured in numerous Route 66 documentaries, books, and travel articles over the decades.

For 2026 Centennial programming, Russell's is participating in the Illinois Route 66 Centennial calendar with several special events including a 96th anniversary celebration that aligns with the highway's 100th birthday, a series of pop-up appearances at Route 66 festivals along the Illinois corridor, and a limited-edition centennial sauce bottling that will be available throughout the year. The family is also working with Joliet-area heritage organizations on a small permanent display about the restaurant's role in feeding Route 66 travelers from the 1930s through the highway's decertification in 1985 and beyond.

The restaurant is open seven days a week with longer hours on weekends to accommodate the higher volume of weekend Route 66 travelers. Reservations are not typically needed for parties of fewer than six, but larger groups should call ahead. Take-out and curbside pickup are available, and the kitchen handles take-out volume efficiently — a major plus for road-trippers wanting to grab dinner to take to a hotel room or onto the next stop on their itinerary. Catering is also available for larger groups, and the restaurant has handled countless Route 66 organization events over the years.

Pricing is reasonable by any modern standard. A half-rack of ribs with two sides runs around $22, a pulled pork sandwich combo is closer to $14, and family-size platters that feed four to six people for around $60 are excellent value for groups. The restaurant accepts all major credit cards, has a small but adequate beer and wine selection, and offers a kids' menu with smaller portions and milder flavors. Service tends to be friendly but efficient — this is a working barbecue joint rather than a fine-dining destination, and the focus is on getting good food onto the table promptly.

Combining Russell's with other Joliet Route 66 attractions is straightforward. A late lunch here after morning museum and theater tours leaves the afternoon for the Old Joliet Prison and Iron Works, with a casual dinner elsewhere or a take-out box brought back to the hotel. Alternatively, an early dinner here after a full day of touring caps the Route 66 experience with exactly the kind of meal the highway is most famous for. Travelers continuing southwest can take a few bottles of sauce on the road for picnic stops or hotel-room sandwiches later in the trip — the sauce keeps well unrefrigerated until opened.