Wicker Park is about to lose one of its longest-running smoky institutions. After 31 years on Division Street, Smoke Daddy BBQ will serve its final brisket on January 4, 2026, Block Club Chicago reports —though the space won’t stay quiet for long.

The closure, confirmed to the outlet by Josh Rutherford of 4 Star Restaurant Group, marks the end of an era for 1804 W. Division Street, where Smoke Daddy first fired up in 1994. Back then, it was “more of a bar that just happened to have some barbecue,” Rutherford said. Over the years, it grew into a neighborhood fixture with a revamped dining room, a steady roster of live music and an unmistakable perfume of ribs that drifted down the block.

Still, three decades is a long time in restaurant years and the post-pandemic landscape hasn’

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