Wicker Park's Earwax Cafe To Close
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The Earwax Café in the Wicker Park neighborhood is set to close at the end of the month after 21 years in business, according to multiple reports.
The Wicker Park-Bucktown Insider's Guide reported that the restaurant at 1561 N. Milwaukee Ave. would close on Feb. 28.
Reached by phone, a staffer at the restaurant declined to comment on the closing, and said a manager was unavailable. But several fan postings on the restaurant's Facebook page mourned the popular restaurant.
The Earwax Café has gained a following among locals and tourists alike, for its salads, vegetarian burgers and sandwiches, and seitan offerings.
The restaurant is painted in bright orange, red, yellow and blue, with circus-themed artwork, and even a front doorway set up to resemble the entrance to an old-fashioned freak show.
The Earwax Café opened in 1990 in a storefront on Damen Avenue, then moved to 1564 N. Milwaukee Ave. the following summer, and finally to its current location around 2002, according to published reports.
Time Out Chicago points out the restaurant's old location, now occupied by the Myopic Bookstore, also made a brief appearance in the 2000 John Cusack movie "High Fidelity."
CBS Chicago Web Producer Adam Harrington contributed to this report.
