Illinois diners have endured another run of local restaurant losses after three treasured restaurants closed earlier this year. The latest group includes a five-decade Palatine institution, a longtime Chicago Thai restaurant and a much younger Oak Lawn brunch spot that quickly built a following.
Their lifespans were dramatically different, but all three became gathering places with identities that went well beyond their menus. Here are three Illinois restaurants that are now gone.
Durty Nellie’s in Palatine
Durty Nellie’s closed October 4 after 54 years in downtown Palatine. Opened in 1972, the Irish pub, restaurant and live-music venue became one of the northwest suburbs’ best-known nightlife destinations and a place where generations gathered for drinks, food, sports and concerts.
Its final day reflected that history. Longtime customers packed the venue to say goodbye, with one regular telling the Daily Herald that the place felt like family. The property is expected to become a new restaurant, bar and brewery, but Durty Nellie’s distinctive five-decade chapter has ended.
Dao Thai Restaurant and Noodle Palace in Chicago
Dao Thai Restaurant and Noodle Palace closed August 24 after 37 years on East Ohio Street. The longtime Chicago favorite served Thai curries, noodle bowls and hot soups, earning a loyal audience over nearly four decades in a restaurant market known for constant change.
The restaurant’s farewell notice did not give a specific reason for closing. Instead, the team thanked customers, friends and the community for the memories and support that kept Dao going for so long. Its sister restaurant, Tiparos Thai Cuisine & Sushi Bar, remains open, giving longtime diners another connection to the same restaurant family.
Hashtag 95 in Oak Lawn
Hashtag 95 closed September 25 after roughly two years in Oak Lawn. Nick and Jacki Perakis opened the restaurant in September 2024 and quickly positioned it as a playful brunch destination with creative dishes, a trendy dining room and food designed to be as photogenic as it was indulgent.
The restaurant also carried a personal connection for Nick Perakis, who grew up in Oak Lawn and spent much of his life in the restaurant industry. The closure announcement acknowledged that the sudden shutdown surprised some customers. Even with a far shorter history than Durty Nellie’s or Dao Thai, Hashtag 95 had developed enough of a local following for its disappearance to be noticed immediately.
Longevity is not the only measure of what a restaurant means to a neighborhood. These three closings show that a place can become part of local life over five decades, four decades or just a couple of years. In each case, regular customers were losing something recognizably their own.
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