Lexington Betty Smokehouse is relocating into a much larger space at Pullman, located at 756 E 111th St.
What started as a food truck is turning into a full-scale restaurant at the One Eleven Food Hall, according to Block Club Chicago. The food hall that opened in 2019 is undergoing major restructuring, transitioning from three smaller tenants to one full-service restaurant: Lexington Betty Smokehouse. Owner and pit master Dominque Leach says she will use the space to eventually host private events of up to 150 guests. Leach will also use the larger area to better operate her catering services, which has served as “the backbone of the company”
Community Neighborhood Inititves, the food hall’s non-profit owner, initially asked Leach in November to fill out the space. The previous vendors, AndySunFlower Cafe and Majani, had been long-gone by then, and Leach had been looking for a new home for her restaurant, originally located at 6954 W North Ave. Now Leach is already getting ready to install the smoker on March 22, with a planned opening set for April 30.
When the new, full-scale restaurant finally does open, which is expected to be in phases, guests can expect all the classics found at the original location, such as their signature smoked wings. To honor some of the fallen vegan restaurant Majani, Lexington Betty Smokehouse will offer some vegan dishes as well, including portabella fries and fried cauliflower tossed in barbecue sauce. On top of that they also have a smoked vegan Italian sausage and vegan charcuterie plates. Eventually Leach hopes to obtain a liquor license to serve various bourbons and other types of alcohol.
“We want to be different,” Leach tells Eater Chicago. “We want to draw the community to a restaurant from a native Chicagoan. The community cares so much about that. Personally, I want higher-end events. Certainly we want the holiday brunches, we’ll offer holiday meals to stand out.”
