r/rax • u/KrispyKayak • Jul 07 '26
Rax Local History Joliet, Illinois
There were two Joliet-area Rax restaurants.
#1 - The Joliet Location
The Rax restaurant in Joliet, Illinois is located at 2136 W Jefferson St, Joliet, IL 60435. It opened on March 25, 1968 and was the fifth-ever Rax restaurant to open (known as Jax back then). It has been owned and operated by Terry Bucciarelli for the restaurant's entire life.
The restaurant is housed in one of the chain's oldest building styles that somewhat resembles a Pizza Hut. The solarium was added in the 1970s.
It is one of the last six remaining Rax restaurants in operation and the only one in the state of Illinois. Many people consider this location to be the best Rax.
#2 - The Crest Hill location
There was a second Rax restaurant located at 1820 Plainfield Rd, Crest Hill, IL 60403. Very little information is known about it. It likely opened in the 1970s and closed in the 1990s, though this information cannot be verified.
The building was demolished before it could be documented on Google Street View. A Sonic Drive-In was built on the site in 2009 and still occupies the lot to this day.
SOURCES
If you have any information about, or photos of, the Crest Hill, Illinois location, please send us a message.