Ratted Out

By Erin in Food on Jun 22, 2006 6:14PM

Normally Chicagoist isn't big into reporting on every restaurant/bar/whatnot that has its door shuttered for health code violations. But this one we couldn't let pass by.

This morning, a Chicagoist operative was on assignment out in North Center (read: drinking many beers at the Globe watching the World Cup) when he stumbled on over to Lincoln Restaurant only to find the doors locked and a big ol' neon-green sticker on the front, which means only one thing - there is some seriously nasty stuff going on in the kitchen. Which is incredibly disappointing for us because there is little we love more than the Merrimac after a night of binge drinking, served up to us in a room with wood-paneled walls.

The Lincoln Restaurant's closing is a blow to the hungover everywhere. And this being the first of the Big Three Music Fest weekends, we're not quite sure now how we're going to soak up all of the booze.

According to the Chicago Department of Health's Web site, seems the two biggest violations center on a lack of the food and equipment being protected from the "elements," which seems to include rodents, roaches and vermin ... oh my!

You'd think that this news would deter us from every returning to the Lincoln when it reopens its doors, but you'd be wrong. We've already heard people claim to see rats run through the dining room and while we're sure they're not lying, they clearly didn't have a skillet.

Lincoln image via rachelleb.com