WICKER PARK — On Friday night, hunky Mario Lopez, known as "A.C. Slater" on the hit show "Saved by the Bell," made a surprise visit to the Wicker Park pop-up The Max, a replica of the diner frequented by the posse of teens who attend fictional Bayside High School on the show.
Lopez lauded The Max's staff for being "on point" and while scanning menu items joked about the cocktail drink named after his character, "The Albert Clifford."
"Why does it got to be a margarita? What's up with that? This place is funny," Lopez said in one of several short videos posted on his Instagram.
Lopez told fans he had to cruise by the Saved by the Max diner while in Chicago.
"The attention to detail is hilarious," Lopez observed.
Short for Albert Clifford, Lopez's Bayside High character was known for sitting backwards on his chairs at school and in The Max, as well as being the "jock" among his pals.
Slater, who often wore sleeveless shirts to show off his buff upper arms, was a wrestler and quarterback on Bayside's football team.
The diner, featuring shiny blue and red booths, pays homage to Lopez with an appetizer called "AC Sliders," comprised of three mini buns stuffed with Goose-island braised pulled pork.
Located at 1941 W. North Ave., sandwiched between Santullo's and wine shop Liquor Park, the 80-seat Saved by the Max took over the former Geek Bar space. The diner plans to stay open until Dec. 31.
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