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Lincoln Restaurant Demolition Underway, So Long Honest Abe

By Patty Wetli | September 1, 2016 9:27am
 The longtime neighborhood landmark closed in 2013 and has now met the wrecking ball.
Lincoln Restaurant Demolition
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NORTH CENTER — Lincoln Avenue has lost another landmark — Abe Lincoln himself — with the demolition of the Lincoln Restaurant.

A "wreck and remove" permit was issued for the property Aug. 23, according to data obtained through Chicago Cityscape.

No new construction permit is known to have been filed. Records indicate that the property, at 4008 N. Lincoln Ave., last changed hands in 2011, when it was purchased out of foreclosure. Owners listed on the deed could not be reached for comment.

The Lincoln Restaurant, a Greek diner with a Civil War-themed menu, had been a North Center fixture since 1970. Its enormous Abraham Lincoln sign was one of the neighborhood's most identifiable features.

The restaurant closed in December 2013, with owner Tony Athans simply telling DNAinfo, "We're retiring."

The Lincoln Restaurant closed in 2013. [All photos DNAinfo/Patty Wetli]

The iconic Abe Lincoln sign is gone.

The facade of the Lincoln Restaurant may look intact, but from the building's rear, it's a different story.

Little evidence of the Lincoln Restaurant remains in the pile of rubble.

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