Breese Is A Small Town In Illinois With Two Neighboring Vintage Fast-Food Huts From The 1950s
By Elizabeth Crozier|Published August 30, 2019
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Elizabeth Crozier
Author
An Illinois transplant who grew up and went to school in Indiana for 22 years, Elizabeth holds a BFA in creative writing and has enjoyed traveling across the country and parts of Europe. She has visited half of the states, as well as parts of Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean, and regularly travels home to the Hoosier State to see friends and family. With more than five years of writing experience, Elizabeth’s articles have been featured on several websites, and her poetry and short stories have been published in multiple literary journals.
There are two vintage fast-food restaurants in the tiny town of Breese, Illinois that sit so close to each other, it can be hard to decide which one to enjoy. Both are old enough to prove they have excellent food and service, but you may just have to try both to pick your favorite.
Burgers, shakes, and more abound at both. Scroll on to learn more about these old-fashioned eateries.
At the moderately busy corner of 4th Street and North Walnut Avenue in the small town of Breese sit two iconic fast-food joints that have been in business for more than 60 years.
Though both somewhat began in the same year, Wally's has been at the same location since 1951 and is known as one of the best drive-ins in southern Illinois.
The burgers here are made from a special ratio of 100 percent beef that is cooked fresh and made-to-order. Get your patties stacked as high as you like.
Other menu items at this hot spot include fried fish sandwiches, shakes, onion rings, and much more. The best part is that it is open daily between 10:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m.
For more details about this classic joint, click here.
The second of Breese's vintage fast-food restaurants, the Dairy King just across the street has been in business just as long but its building was put in place in 1954 and opened in 1955 after years of operating out of a catering company.
The owners decided to expand when they saw a need for an ice cream place in town. In addition to shakes, concrete, and smoothies, guests also enjoy savory meals and snacks.
The Dairy King is open Monday through Friday between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m., Saturday between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m., and Sunday between 9 a.m. and 10 p.m., and you can get more details on its website or Facebook page.
Address: 691 North 4th Street, Breese, IL, 62230
The Dairy King has a second location! Address: 320 West Broadway, Trenton, IL, 62293