Nelly's on Route 66

The signature item is the Angus cheeseburger, available as a single or double, dressed with American cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion and pickle on a soft local bun. The beef is 80/20 ground in-house and hand-formed so the texture is loose, juicy and slightly uneven in the best way. Specialty burgers rotate seasonally; recent favorites include a barbecue bacon double, a chili cheeseburger, and a mushroom-Swiss with caramelized onions.

Beyond burgers, the pulled pork sandwich is the kitchen's calling card. Pork shoulder is smoked overnight, hand-pulled and tossed in a house barbecue sauce, then piled high on a Milano Breads bun with a side of slaw. The handcut fries are blanched twice for crispness, and the beer-battered onion rings are large enough to share. For lighter appetites, a chicken Caesar wrap and a chopped Cobb salad with grilled chicken are reliable choices.

Save room for dessert. Hand-dipped ice cream, milkshakes and homemade brownies are available year-round. Strawberry shortcake appears as a seasonal special in early summer, and a soft-serve menu opens on the walk-up window during warm months. Soft drinks are standard fountain, plus bottled root beer and craft sodas; the restaurant does not serve alcohol, which keeps the family atmosphere intact.

Nelly's hits the sweet spot between authentic and themed. The walls feature original Route 66 advertising tin, framed prints of Illinois Muffler Men, a vintage gas pump in one corner, and a chalkboard listing the daily specials in colored chalk. A wide front window looks out onto Bridge Street, providing a clear sightline to the Gemini Giant a couple of hundred yards away. Tables are mostly four-tops with vinyl-cushioned booths along the windows.

Crowds vary by season. Weekend afternoons during Route 66 travel season can fill the dining room with international visitors, motorcycle clubs and antique-car tours, while weekday lunches feel like a local hangout where the cooks know their regulars by name. The kitchen processes both crowds at roughly the same pace, and even on the busiest days the wait for a table rarely exceeds ten or fifteen minutes.

The restaurant is family friendly, with a small kids' menu and high chairs available. Pets are allowed on the outdoor patio during summer months. Service tends to be casual and warm; tipping at counter service is appreciated but not expected. The restaurant accepts credit cards, has free WiFi, and offers a customer loyalty card that can save a few dollars over repeated visits.

Most travelers visit Nelly's as part of a Wilmington day-trip loop. A typical sequence: photograph the Gemini Giant at South Island Park, walk five minutes north to Nelly's for lunch, then continue into historic downtown for antique shopping and a stop at the Mar Theatre. If you are doing the full Illinois Route 66 in one or two days, Wilmington is a natural late-morning to early-afternoon stop heading south from Chicago.

Nelly's is well set up for takeout orders if you would rather picnic on the riverfront at South Island Park. Call ahead by phone or order at the counter; most food is ready within fifteen minutes. The picnic tables along the Kankakee River are shaded by mature trees and offer benches with views of the truss bridge and the Gemini Giant in profile.

The restaurant occasionally hosts Route 66 themed events during summer weekends, including classic car nights, motorcycle group gatherings and a signature ice cream social during Wilmington's August Catfish Days festival. Centennial year programming for 2026 is expected to include extended summer hours, a commemorative burger, and a special menu of Illinois-only ingredients honoring the 100th anniversary of the Mother Road.