North Center’s The Bad Apple is looking to expand to a second location, potentially in Lincoln Park, located at 658 W. Belden Ave.
The 6,816 square-foot restaurant will possibly move into the former home of long-time neighborhood John Barleycorn bar towards the end of the year, possibly in 2023, considering the restaurant’s 10-year lease starts November 2022. The burger-focused restaurant opened at 4300 N. Lincoln Avenue in 2009 under Craig Fass before he sold it to Kevin O’Hare in 2019. O’Hare tells What Now Chicago he is working on a deal for a second location, but nothing is finalized.
When O’Hare took over the business three years ago, he promised to keep everything intact, from the food menu to the beer program. Now, the former Bottleneck Management Vice President of Operations appears to be ready to open a new location of what many believe to be one of Chicago’s best burger spots. Guests can expect 14 delicious burger creations that feature everything from braised short ribs to peanut butter and jelly. The restaurant also features classic starters, fresh salads, sandwiches, and desserts.
On top of the mouth-water burgers, The Bad Apple also offers dozens of beer, wine, and cocktail options. It’s unknown exactly how many alcohol options the new location will have, but the original site features 25 beers on tap and over 150 in bottles and cans. For those having trouble deciding which beers to try, they can get a flight and choose any five to try. The Bad Apple also offers mead, bourbon, or even tequila-ish flight options.
