TV Restaurants

Is Smoke Daddy Still Open? Best Thing I Ever Ate Update (Chicago, IL)

Best Thing I Ever Ate, All-Star Chicago, Illinois

Current status

Open

As of October 2026, Smoke Daddy is open — confirmed via the restaurant's current website/social account, accessed September 7, 2026.

What the source shows: our records' 2026-09-07 site check showed thesmokedaddy.com actively promoting a 2027 event with working online ordering for the Wrigleyville address, and a Yelp listing for that address, updated 2026-09, shows 552 reviews with no closure tag, while Time Out reported the separate original Division Street location's permanent closure on 2026-01-04. How we decide a status →

What happened after Best Thing I Ever Ate?

Food Network's Best Thing I Ever Ate has recognized Smoke Daddy for dishes such as its pulled pork Benedict, part of a Chicago barbecue restaurant that has offered live-music dinner service since 1994. The business's original home on Division Street in Wicker Park closed for good after 31 years; Time Out Chicago reported the location served its final brisket on January 4, 2026. Smoke Daddy continues to operate from its second location, opened in 2018 inside Hotel Zachary in Wrigleyville at 3636 North Clark Street. As of 2026-09-07, the restaurant's own website lists that Wrigleyville address, offers online ordering, and promotes the location's role in 2027 MLB All-Star Game festivities, while a Yelp listing for the same address, updated 2026-09, shows 552 reviews with no closure notice.

The episode Best Thing I Ever Ate, All-Star

Episode 6
Air date not confirmed
Title: Brilliant Barbecue · What was featured: pulled pork Benedict and live-fire smoked barbecue

Also in All-Star Best Thing I Ever Ate

All-Star: 35 of 51 still open · 1 renamed, moved or under new owners

All 8 All-Star episodes →

Nearest restaurants By distance from 3636 North Clark Street

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 4 references

  1. thesmokedaddy.com https://www.thesmokedaddy.com/
  2. Yelp https://www.yelp.com/biz/smoke-daddy-chicago-2
  3. timeout.com https://www.timeout.com/chicago/news/chicagos-beloved-smoke-daddy-bbq-is-officially-closing-111925
  4. thebestthingieverate.com https://www.thebestthingieverate.com/Smoke-Daddy-Chicago-IL
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Record btiea-0941 · checked by Cal Marchetti.