Southport Grocery Closes After 23 Years, and New Spots Apothecary Lounge and Oak & Honey Bring Fresh Energy to Lake View
By Socialhood News · Lake View ·
Lake View neighbors, three stories are on the neighborhood radar this week — a bittersweet farewell to one of the corridor's most deeply rooted breakfast and lunch institutions, and two new arrivals adding fresh dimensions to the neighborhood's already-active dining and bar scene.
The hardest news first: Southport Grocery and Cafe is closing after 23 years in Lake View. Block Club Chicago reported the closure, marking the end of a run that spans nearly a quarter century on one of Chicago's most beloved neighborhood commercial streets. Southport Grocery built its reputation as a scratch-kitchen café with a loyal following for its weekend brunch and pantry-stocked shelves of carefully chosen provisions — the kind of neighborhood place that regulars describe not as a restaurant they go to, but as part of the rhythm of living on this block. Twenty-three years is a tenure that outlasted dozens of neighbors, two recessions, a pandemic, and the entire modern era of app-based food delivery. For longtime Lake View residents, the closure is the kind of loss that doesn't resolve quickly, because the places that anchor a neighborhood's daily life aren't easily replaced by whatever opens next. If you've been meaning to get back in for one more brunch, now is the time to check whether the doors are still open.
On a more forward-looking note, two new concepts have recently arrived to add to Lake View's restaurant and bar landscape. Apothecary Lounge has opened at 3242 N. Clark St. in Lake View, bringing a cocktail-forward concept built around complexity and craft to a Clark Street corridor that already draws heavy foot traffic from Wrigley Field, the Belmont CTA station, and the dense residential blocks in between. According to WTTW's coverage of the opening, Apothecary's cocktail program was developed by Zachary Heller, a veteran of CH Distillery, and features intricate builds — including one centered on eucalyptus and highballs incorporating fermented ingredients. The food program, led by Jacquelyn Lord, rounds out the menu with dishes like fried mushrooms and duck confit flatbread. The name nods to old-world apothecaries, and the Clark Street space leans into that aesthetic: a cocktail bar that positions itself as a place to slow down and drink deliberately rather than a high-volume game-day stop. For neighbors who have been watching the 3242 N. Clark St. address, Apothecary is open now.
Also newly listed among Lake View's active restaurants on Resy is Oak & Honey at 3124 N. Broadway, in the Lakeview East stretch of Broadway that has proven consistently receptive to chef-driven, daytime-anchored concepts. The Lakeview East Chamber's business guide describes Oak & Honey as serving elevated New American cuisine alongside artisanal breads and pastries, with craft wine, cocktails, and beer — and operating for breakfast, brunch, and lunch. The Broadway address puts it within easy reach of the Belmont CTA stop and the residential density along that stretch of the corridor, the same blocks that have welcomed Tilly Bagel Shop and Noodleverse in recent months. For neighbors whose morning routine has been evolving with each new addition to Broadway, Oak & Honey is a daytime destination worth adding to the rotation.
Taken together, this week's news captures the full emotional range of following a neighborhood closely. The closing of Southport Grocery after 23 years is a genuine loss — the kind that belongs to the long memory of a block, not just a news cycle. Twenty-three years of weekend brunches, pantry staples, and counter regulars don't get replaced by a permit posting and a new sign. And yet the arrivals of Apothecary Lounge on Clark Street and Oak & Honey on Broadway are a reminder that the corridors Lake View has built over generations continue to attract operators with real vision and genuine craft. Both are worth discovering. If you have news about Southport Grocery's final days — or if you've already made it to Apothecary or Oak & Honey — tag your experience on Socialhood. The sharpest neighborhood reporters in Lake View are the ones who actually live here.
Sources:
1. https://blockclubchicago.org/eats/
2. https://www.wttw.com/playlist/2026/03/19/upcoming-restaurants-spring-2026
3. https://lakevieweast.com/businesses-on-the-move-in-lakeview-east/
4. https://blog.resy.com/new-on-resy/new-on-resy-chicago/