TV Restaurants

Is El Che Bar Still Open? Food Paradise Update (Chicago, IL)

Food Paradise, Season 14 Chicago, Illinois

Current status

Open

As of October 2026, El Che Bar is open — confirmed via the restaurant's current website/social account, accessed September 8, 2026.

What the source shows: El Che's own website carries a live OpenTable reservation link and current dinner and wine menus, and Google Places lists the business as operational at the Washington Boulevard address. How we decide a status →

What happened after Food Paradise?

The episode (S14E11, 'Fire It Up') featured El Che Bar, a steakhouse built around open-hearth, live-fire cooking in Chicago's West Loop. The business operates under the fuller name El Che Steakhouse & Bar, with a menu split between dinner, wines, and a dedicated hearth section, plus a chef's counter for closer views of the fire. According to the restaurant's website (elchechicago.com), checked 2026-09-08, the site lists current dinner and wine menus, a happy-hour section, and a working OpenTable reservation link. Google Places, checked the same day, lists El Che as operational at 845 W Washington Blvd, matching the location tied to the business. No reporting on a closure, sale, or rebrand for El Che turned up in the sources reviewed, and its own site continues to promote reservations and group dining at the West Loop address.

The episode Food Paradise, Season 14

Air date not confirmed
Title: Fire It Up · What was featured: open-hearth steak and live-fire cooking
How Food Paradise restaurants have fared: 27% closed →

Also in Season 14 Food Paradise

Season 14: 68 of 95 still open · 4 renamed, moved or under new owners

All 13 Season 14 episodes →

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  • Urban Belly (Urbanbelly)

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All 220 TV restaurants in Illinois →

Before you go: Businesses change fast. Always confirm directly with the restaurant — call ahead, or check its own current website or social media — before making plans around anything on this page.

Sources we checked 1 reference

  1. elchechicago.com http://elchechicago.com/
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We work hard to keep every status accurate and dated, but restaurants change fast and our sources aren't perfect. If something here is wrong — a status, a name, an address, anything — tell us what you're seeing and where you saw it, and we'll check it.

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Record fp-1151 · checked by Cal Marchetti.