Chicago's beloved Wishbone restaurant is preparing to serve its final brunch after 36 years, ending a run that helped define West Loop dining. The Southern-inspired restaurant will remain open through August, but its owners have not announced the exact closing date.
Joel and Julie Nickson announced Monday that Wishbone is shutting down its last remaining restaurant on Jefferson Street, according to Axios Chicago. The news closes the latest chapter for a restaurant that became a reliable destination for comfort food, cocktails and weekend brunch.
Wishbone Helped Put The West Loop On Chicago’s Food Map
Chef Joel Nickson founded Wishbone in West Town in July 1990 with just 23 seats, nine stools and a menu built around Southern classics, according to Wishbone's official site. A second location opened on Washington Boulevard in 1992, when the West Loop was still far from the restaurant-heavy neighborhood Chicagoans know today.
The Morgan Street restaurant gained extra visibility from its proximity to Harpo Studios, drawing Oprah Winfrey Show staffers, audience members, celebrities and politicians over the years. Michael Jordan and Common were among the notable customers, Axios Chicago reported.
A Restaurant That Already Survived One Major West Loop Reset
Wishbone left its longtime Washington Boulevard location in 2018 and moved to the former Bin 36 space on Jefferson Street. At the time, Eater Chicago reported that rising West Loop rents had made the old location increasingly difficult to maintain.
The restaurant's current website still lists breakfast, lunch and weekend brunch, with dishes including blackened catfish, jambalaya, shrimp and grits, biscuits and classic Southern sides. For now, Wishbone remains open through the month, leaving Chicago diners one last stretch to visit before the restaurant's final date is set.
