Even from outside, Strat’s looks like it was lost in a time warp. One would expect the parking lot to be filled with vintage cars and teenagers with DA haircuts and cigarette packs rolled up in the short sleeve of their white t-shirts. Everything is done up in neon, and golden oldies blare from the speakers outside. Sometimes, you can hear some classic rock, but more often than not, you’re listening to Elvis, Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, and their likes as you approach the front door.
Inside, there is a counter running along the back wall, and all the tables have Formica tops. Around the ceiling hangs a train set, and sometimes, you can see the train circling above everyone’s heads. Along with the train tracks is a series of Illinois license plates, dating back to the ‘Fifties, as well as old advertisements for local car dealerships that have long since gone out of business.
There is a cigarette machine in the corner—for display purposes only—which seems to be filled with packs that might have been cellophane wrapped in 1966. There is a coin slot higher up on the machine, declaring that for a penny, you can get a match. On top of the machine is a collection of old beer cans, some recognizable, others not. Who out there remembers the Falstaff brand? On the wall next to the cans is an astray with a hot tip in the middle, long condemned as a fire hazard.
On the opposite side of the room is an antique Coke machine, again for display purposes only. On top is a crate of old fashioned Coke bottles, and nearby is a Coke cooler which has a door in the side, rather than on the top.
On the walls are pictures of Marilyn Monroe, the Three Stooges, the Beatles, and others, side by side with vintage beer advertisements. The most recent of them declares that Schlitz can be bought here in bottles, and surely enough, this is true.
Sounds like a lot of places around here, doesn’t it? Well, there’s a difference: Strat’s actually was here in the olden times of the ‘Fifties. It looks practically the same now as it did back then. There was no tear down and build up. Hell, there haven’t even been renovations. It’s the same as it ever has been.
The atmosphere isn’t the only draw; the food is damned good, too. The hot dogs might not be the best in town, but they’re still pretty good, and the burger will kick the shit out of any other charburger in the ‘burbs, even Portillo’s. The fries are a bit on the soggy side, though, so you might as well order them with cheese on them. That way, you’ll get a fork to go with it.
On Wednesday nights in the summer, they have a car show in their parking lot, which attracts quite the crowd. Sometimes, they also attract the police, as fights tend to break out often at these shows, but people very rarely come into the restaurant, so you don’t have to worry about long service times or finding a place to sit and enjoy your meal.
Overall, you will have a much better dining experience at Strat’s than you would at any other similarly themed restaurants, both in the aesthetic sense and in the quality of food.
Strat’s
231 E. North Ave
Villa Park, IL 60181
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