Beloved Eleven City Diner Lincoln Park Closes Due to Landlord Dispute

Diners and delis continue to be an endangered species in Chicago, as Eleven City Diner has closed its Lincoln Park location at the corner of Clark and Belden streets. Ownership announced the shutter on Monday via Facebook and blamed a landlord dispute. It was a four-year run for Eleven City on the North Side; the South Loop location remains open.

The diner was popular for brunch and for families and students at nearby Francis W. Parker School and The Latin School of Chicago. It served gargantuan sandwiches, salads and its soda fountain — specifically its house-brewed root beer and floats — were extremely popular.

The space remains a prime spot for a restaurant, as nearby families need a kid-friendly spot near the Lincoln Park Zoo and the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum. Eleven City had occupied the lower level of the 2301 N. Clark St.—the former Tower Records building—for four years. Before Eleven City, it was a Ranalli’s. Max’s Deli called the space home prior to the pizzeria’s arrival.

Fans of Jewish diners and delis are bound to be sad, as it’s harder and harder to find a solid deli sandwich on Chicago’s North Side these days. At least the South Side still has Manny’s Coffee Shop & Deli.