HYDE PARK — Ribs ‘N’ Bibs, a staple for neighborhood barbecue lovers, closed suddenly on Monday.
The lights were off and paper was plastered over the windows by Tuesday at the restaurant at 5300 S. Dorchester Ave. known for its smoked ribs and chicken.
“Closed until further notice,” read a handwritten sign on the front door on Tuesday.
The building's owner, Vernon Bradley, could not be reached for comment.
Neighboring store owners said there had been rumors the restaurant might close in the summer, but hoped the store was only closed for remodeling.
The restaurant has closed numerous times in recent years, only to reopen.
In 2012, the restaurant was briefly closed after its certification was revoked by the Illinois Department of Revenue for failing to pay taxes. The restaurant was closed for more than seven months after the chimney caught fire in May 2004.
The cramped interior was lined with signed photos of local celebrities below a cartoon of cowboy in a bright yellow hat proclaiming the ribs provided “lip smackin’ satisfaction — tax included.”
The restaurant was helmed by the husband-and-wife team Vincent and Brenda Schoenberg until Vincent’s death in 2008. Brenda Schoenberg died in 2011.
"She was the rock of Ribs 'N' Bibs,” son Vincent Schoenberg said after his mother’s death.
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