I'm not sure how many of you remember, but back in MYYY day (oh lord I'm old), Rax was a legitimate chain, a competitor to Arby's. After many years of the chain struggling, there are very few locations left. This spot in Joliet is basically the only Rax for, like, 500 miles. So that makes it very unique. That also means they're struggling against the odds. The store has clearly not been updated in years and years. (Although the 50s formica tables/chairs are super awesome and spotlessly clean.) The signage on the inside menu board is straight out of 1992, which really tickles me, I gotta say. The staff and the manager clearly do their best to keep this place up. As for the food, it's quite pricey. Their baked potatoes are like four bucks a pop. But you'll see why this place still does good business when you try their BBC - the roast beef, bacon, and cheese. It's phenomenal. And the liquid cheese has a pleasantly sour taste, almost vinegar-y, which pairs beautifully with the beef. The bacon is surprisingly good, too, way better than the typical fast food fare. Speaking of their beef, they cut it alllll day, so what you get on your sandwich has just been sliced - you can watch the process. So basically this is an out-of-place chain restaurant that time forgot. That's why I love it, and that's why I make the drive to Joliet.
(5)
Kimberly F.
Awesome sandwiches .I love the mushroom melt and curly fries.They have a nice salad bar,baked potato,beef sandwiches,hot ham and cheese sandwiches.Yum.Great place to eat.And very clean.
(5)
Jaelin R.
Can't really say I was a big fan. I think there's better places to stop and eat if you're in Joliet. I ate the chicken sandwich which was pretty good and my boyfriend ordered the roast beef which was also pretty good. Nothing that great wasn't bad but in my opinion was definitely not worth 14.00 dollars. Probably won't be back.
(3)
Ronny R.
Rax is an awesome food stop. First off, they have the best baked potato's you'll find at a fast food restaurant. (I'm partial to the broccoli and cheese baked potato, personally.) I've never met anyone that didn't have great things to say about the BBC (beef, bacon, cheddar). The turkey club or ham and swiss are also solid choices. If you're not up to a baked potato they have the best curly fries around in my opinion. If you're eating inside they have a very diverse salad bar with plenty of fresh veggies. Overall this is a can't miss stop for lunch or dinner. The service is great and its clean inside if you care to dine in.
(5)
Sarah H.
Ate here for the first time. I've never even heard of Rax, but a friend suggested we dine here before a show at the Rialto, so I figured I'd give it a whirl. The Rax Jr I had was actually pretty tasty. I also got the salad bar, which was okay. It's over $7 to add the salad bar option, which seems pretty pricey to me. I think if I were to eat here again, I'd skip the salad bar and order a bigger Rax. The restroom is creepy. There is one -- and the set up is bizarre. In order to wash your hands, you are crammed in a corner right beside the urinal (where the floor was wet -- really guys?! Is it that hard to aim??). GROSS. If you can hold it, use the facilities elsewhere.
(3)
Stephanie G.
Ok, if you're going to Rax for the buffet and reviewing them for that it's just not fair. Rax blows Arby's roast beef out of the water. Hand down Rax wins. Mushroom melt is the best. Rax is one of the few things I might even miss about living in the Joliet are.
(5)
Jeremy S.
RAX is a good place. I see lots of negative reviews about the salad bar but the last time I was there it looked amazing. a full cake , tons of fresh veggies,peeled eggs, a full taco /chili bar, THE WORKS. The decor has despeartely needed a rehab for at least 20yrs and I avoid eating inside if I don't have to.
(3)
Josh B.
Rax is a Joliet staple. For a quick roast beef sandwich I love the BBC. I used to be a fan of their buffet inside but over the years it's gotten quite gross. Otherwise the service is always nice and somewhat quick, the roast beef is tasty and the prices aren't bad.
(3)
Greg D.
Yes, I am a total fan of RAX and have been for over 20 years. The first one I ate at in California (sadly no longer there) hooked me for life. Sure, it's fast food but it's like an upscaled Arby's. If you like Arby's you will probably love this. When I saw the sign I nearly ripped the tires off the rental car doing a U-Turn and bee lined it hard to the lobby counter. My favorites are the BBC (no, not the British Broadcasting Company) which is the sliced roast beef which they cook there, bacon and cheddar. In fact I think they have a trademark on "BBC". If you are close to this restaurant then you are lucky. They really do have some of the best sandwiches in the nation. Normally I don't give any chain more than 3 stars, but RAX is so small and rare now that I don't think they should even be considered a chain anymore. I will most certainly drive to this location the next time in Chicago.
(5)
Andrew C.
horrible food, it taste like it was sitting there for a while even though i saw it get cut, and the frys were so dry and tasteless. the salad bar was disgusting and it was all over the side and the floor, also the manger was throwing potatos at employees even jokeing that is not how you should do bussnies, and I think one girl that workd there was slow and everyone was like laughing and makeing fun of her.
(1)
Mark J.
They have excellent beef sandwiches, that are far better than Arby's. The service there is generally friendly. There is a gal there named 'Tina', who is always right on the money with your order, and always makes sure you have the extra stuff like napkins and ketchup.
(4)
Dave N.
Had the salad bar, I was very disappointed, they have a good beef sandwich, just the salad bar was lacking, many things were empty, others were left way too long, for ten dollars I could have went to Golden Corral, and got a better selection, my mistake
(2)
Chris C.
I've always preferred Rax over Arbys. Their sandwiches are very good and I think the roast beef is better. They have excellent potatoes. I really enjoyed the selection at the salad bar. All the typical salad stuff plus tacos, wings, fruit, desserts. They need to give you a bigger plate since you have to keep going up to the counter to get a new one. The staff was efficient. The place could use a major upgrade in decor.
(4)
David T.
One of my local favorites, always fresh and hot!
(5)
Brian C.
I just want to tell Jeremy S. To settle down about the salad bar. Just relax a bit OK pal
Sorry, Store hours have not been updated. If you are the owner of this restaurants. Please update the store hours.
Specialities
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Brunch Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Alcohol : No Outdoor Seating : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : No
Region R.
I'm not sure how many of you remember, but back in MYYY day (oh lord I'm old), Rax was a legitimate chain, a competitor to Arby's. After many years of the chain struggling, there are very few locations left. This spot in Joliet is basically the only Rax for, like, 500 miles. So that makes it very unique. That also means they're struggling against the odds. The store has clearly not been updated in years and years. (Although the 50s formica tables/chairs are super awesome and spotlessly clean.) The signage on the inside menu board is straight out of 1992, which really tickles me, I gotta say. The staff and the manager clearly do their best to keep this place up. As for the food, it's quite pricey. Their baked potatoes are like four bucks a pop. But you'll see why this place still does good business when you try their BBC - the roast beef, bacon, and cheese. It's phenomenal. And the liquid cheese has a pleasantly sour taste, almost vinegar-y, which pairs beautifully with the beef. The bacon is surprisingly good, too, way better than the typical fast food fare. Speaking of their beef, they cut it alllll day, so what you get on your sandwich has just been sliced - you can watch the process. So basically this is an out-of-place chain restaurant that time forgot. That's why I love it, and that's why I make the drive to Joliet.
(5)Kimberly F.
Awesome sandwiches .I love the mushroom melt and curly fries.They have a nice salad bar,baked potato,beef sandwiches,hot ham and cheese sandwiches.Yum.Great place to eat.And very clean.
(5)Jaelin R.
Can't really say I was a big fan. I think there's better places to stop and eat if you're in Joliet. I ate the chicken sandwich which was pretty good and my boyfriend ordered the roast beef which was also pretty good. Nothing that great wasn't bad but in my opinion was definitely not worth 14.00 dollars. Probably won't be back.
(3)Ronny R.
Rax is an awesome food stop. First off, they have the best baked potato's you'll find at a fast food restaurant. (I'm partial to the broccoli and cheese baked potato, personally.) I've never met anyone that didn't have great things to say about the BBC (beef, bacon, cheddar). The turkey club or ham and swiss are also solid choices. If you're not up to a baked potato they have the best curly fries around in my opinion. If you're eating inside they have a very diverse salad bar with plenty of fresh veggies. Overall this is a can't miss stop for lunch or dinner. The service is great and its clean inside if you care to dine in.
(5)Sarah H.
Ate here for the first time. I've never even heard of Rax, but a friend suggested we dine here before a show at the Rialto, so I figured I'd give it a whirl. The Rax Jr I had was actually pretty tasty. I also got the salad bar, which was okay. It's over $7 to add the salad bar option, which seems pretty pricey to me. I think if I were to eat here again, I'd skip the salad bar and order a bigger Rax. The restroom is creepy. There is one -- and the set up is bizarre. In order to wash your hands, you are crammed in a corner right beside the urinal (where the floor was wet -- really guys?! Is it that hard to aim??). GROSS. If you can hold it, use the facilities elsewhere.
(3)Stephanie G.
Ok, if you're going to Rax for the buffet and reviewing them for that it's just not fair. Rax blows Arby's roast beef out of the water. Hand down Rax wins. Mushroom melt is the best. Rax is one of the few things I might even miss about living in the Joliet are.
(5)Jeremy S.
RAX is a good place. I see lots of negative reviews about the salad bar but the last time I was there it looked amazing. a full cake , tons of fresh veggies,peeled eggs, a full taco /chili bar, THE WORKS. The decor has despeartely needed a rehab for at least 20yrs and I avoid eating inside if I don't have to.
(3)Josh B.
Rax is a Joliet staple. For a quick roast beef sandwich I love the BBC. I used to be a fan of their buffet inside but over the years it's gotten quite gross. Otherwise the service is always nice and somewhat quick, the roast beef is tasty and the prices aren't bad.
(3)Greg D.
Yes, I am a total fan of RAX and have been for over 20 years. The first one I ate at in California (sadly no longer there) hooked me for life. Sure, it's fast food but it's like an upscaled Arby's. If you like Arby's you will probably love this. When I saw the sign I nearly ripped the tires off the rental car doing a U-Turn and bee lined it hard to the lobby counter. My favorites are the BBC (no, not the British Broadcasting Company) which is the sliced roast beef which they cook there, bacon and cheddar. In fact I think they have a trademark on "BBC". If you are close to this restaurant then you are lucky. They really do have some of the best sandwiches in the nation. Normally I don't give any chain more than 3 stars, but RAX is so small and rare now that I don't think they should even be considered a chain anymore. I will most certainly drive to this location the next time in Chicago.
(5)Andrew C.
horrible food, it taste like it was sitting there for a while even though i saw it get cut, and the frys were so dry and tasteless. the salad bar was disgusting and it was all over the side and the floor, also the manger was throwing potatos at employees even jokeing that is not how you should do bussnies, and I think one girl that workd there was slow and everyone was like laughing and makeing fun of her.
(1)Mark J.
They have excellent beef sandwiches, that are far better than Arby's. The service there is generally friendly. There is a gal there named 'Tina', who is always right on the money with your order, and always makes sure you have the extra stuff like napkins and ketchup.
(4)Dave N.
Had the salad bar, I was very disappointed, they have a good beef sandwich, just the salad bar was lacking, many things were empty, others were left way too long, for ten dollars I could have went to Golden Corral, and got a better selection, my mistake
(2)Chris C.
I've always preferred Rax over Arbys. Their sandwiches are very good and I think the roast beef is better. They have excellent potatoes. I really enjoyed the selection at the salad bar. All the typical salad stuff plus tacos, wings, fruit, desserts. They need to give you a bigger plate since you have to keep going up to the counter to get a new one. The staff was efficient. The place could use a major upgrade in decor.
(4)David T.
One of my local favorites, always fresh and hot!
(5)Brian C.
I just want to tell Jeremy S. To settle down about the salad bar. Just relax a bit OK pal
(5)