Twin Anchors is a rib house and tavern at 1655 N. Sedgwick St., in the Old Town Triangle section of Lincoln Park. It has served ribs since 1932 in a building that dates to 1881, and the restaurant calls itself one of the oldest in Chicago.
What it’s known for
The menu centers on slow-cooked barbecued ribs with the restaurant’s original sauces, a recipe that came from the Walters family; chicken, burgers and a pulled pork sandwich round it out. The nautical name came from Captain Herb Eldean. A tavern operated on the site around 1910, and during Prohibition it ran as a speakeasy called “Tante Lee Soft Drinks.” The bar still in use was donated by the Schlitz Brewing Company during World War I.
Frank Sinatra became a regular in the early 1950s, and in 1982 the restaurant delivered ribs to him and his orchestra before a ChicagoFest show at Navy Pier. Twin Anchors appears in the films Return to Me (directed by Bonnie Hunt) and The Dark Knight (2008). The Tuzi family, its third owners, have been involved for almost 50 years; siblings Gina Manrique and Paul Tuzi are the current partners.
Good to know
- Hours (per the official site, October 2026): Monday–Friday 4:30–10 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday noon–10 p.m.
- Reservations: None. Seating is walk-in only for any size party.
- Transit: The CTA Sedgwick station (Brown and Purple lines, 1536 N. Sedgwick St.) is about a block and a half south; CTA lists it as accessible.
- Sauce to go: Barbecue sauce orders are taken by phone at (312) 266-1616, weekdays 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Read more about Lincoln Park’s sub-neighborhoods or browse Lincoln Park restaurants by cuisine.
Sources: twinanchorsribs.com, twinanchorsribs.com/our-story, transitchicago.com/station/sedg
Photo courtesy of Twin Anchors.
