Andersonville Barbecue Spot Pork Shoppe Shutters After Two-Plus Years

Sad news for barbecue fans. After almost two and a half years in Andersonville, Pork Shoppe has unexpectedly closed. The restaurant’s telephone is disconnected and there’s a sign taped to the entrance reading “closed 4 good” — complete with a frowny face — at 5721 N. Clark Street. The Pork Shoppe brand debuted in Avondale in 2010 before ownership opened this second restaurant in 2015. The Avondale location closed in July 2016, where Pisolino currently serves Italian fare.

When the owners of Tizi Melloul opened the original Pork Shoppe eight years ago at 2755 W. Belmont Avenue, they had a commitment to serve ethically raised meats. They sourced their meats from Slagel Family Farms. Tizi Melloul was a Moroccan restaurant that lasted nine years in River North.

Ashok Selvam

The new restaurant had room for 150 inside a relic of a space familiar to many longtime Chicagoans. There was also a 100-seat patio. That strip of Andersonville includes brunch favorite M. Henry and upscale Thai spot Blu 57. The restaurant’s Yelp page already has a post from a person interested in the space.