Army & Lou's Restaurant Closes
CHICAGO (CBS/WBBM) -- A beloved South Side soul food restaurant that was a favorite of the late Mayor Harold Washington has closed its doors.
As WBBM Newsradio 780's Nancy Harty reports, Army & Lou's, at 422 E. 75th St., was one of the oldest African-American-owned restaurants in the Midwest.
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The restaurant served up delights such as chitterlings, fried chicken, baby back ribs, Creole shrimp and mixed greens with smoked ham hock. It had been open since 1945.
Army & Lou's also featured local jazz artists on Friday and Saturday evenings.
The outgoing voice mail message for the restaurant says restaurant operations have been put on hold, but they are still catering.
Army & Lou's lured the likes of Cab Calloway, James Brown, and even Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
It was best known among many Chicagoans as a favorite of Mayor Washington. When Washington died on Nov. 25, 1987, reporters came to Army & Lou's to talk to the many patrons who had often seen him there.
The booth where Mayor Washington sat still bears his name, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.
Army & Lou's has undergone a number of owners, including a group of investors brought in last year to reenergize it.
Supporters hope to reopen the restaurant sometime down the road.
