At 2234 N. Western Ave., a tall rotisserie in the front window holds about 50 chickens. On a Sunday, by 6 p.m. Chez Poulet has closed for the night, and it can close earlier if the chickens sell out. Three blocks south, Margie's Candies at Armitage is open until 1 a.m.
That gap shows how this part of Western Avenue works now. Three former restaurant spaces between the 606 and Fullerton reopened in summer 2026 as new restaurants, and each keeps a fixed evening cutoff. Taken together, they make the stretch a set of evening stops you visit in a particular order. The order runs by closing time, not by address, and the business that has been here longest stays open latest.
The Rotisserie Sets the Earliest Deadline
Chez Poulet opened on Tuesday, August 25. It comes from brothers Oliver and Nicolas Poilevey, who are behind Le Bouchon, Obélix and Mariscos San Pedro. The brothers own the building. Before Chez Poulet it housed the original Taqueria Chingón, which closed its Western Avenue location in November 2024 and later reopened in Fulton Market. Block Club Chicago reported that the brothers wanted the property to stay with a smaller, independent restaurant. Oliver Poilevey told the outlet that "when we're in France, rotisserie chicken is one of the things I look forward to eating."
The menu is short. According to ChiVibe, a whole bird costs $29 and a half costs $16, each with a cup of chicken skin jus. You can add a demi baguette or chicken bread from Mindy's Bakery and pick a bottle of French red from the shelf in back. Block Club lists the sides as Moroccan curried corn, rotisserie potatoes, collard greens, and a macaroni au gratin named after the owners' grandfather. Cheese, charcuterie, desserts and a farm tomato salad are also available. ChiVibe also reports that Chicago magazine ranked Chez Poulet No. 1 on its 10 Hottest Restaurants list for November 2026.
The hours are shorter than they were in August. At opening, Chez Poulet served until 9 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, until 9 p.m. on Saturday and until 8 p.m. on Sunday. The current schedule on its website runs 4 to 9 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and noon to 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. It is closed Monday and Tuesday. ChiVibe adds that service ends when the chickens run out. So the restaurant that gets the most attention on this stretch also closes first, and its closing time can move earlier on a busy night. Check the hours on the day you go.
Every Opening Took Over an Existing Restaurant Space
Chez Poulet is one of three restaurants that opened this summer in a space another restaurant had left.
- Bucktown Pizza, 1912 N. Western Ave., took over the former Oromo Cafe space, directly under the Western Blue Line station.
- Jomon Sushi and Izakaya, 1858 N. Western Ave., moved into the former Wave Sushi and Sake, which closed last year.
- Chez Poulet, 2234 N. Western Ave., opened in the original Taqueria Chingón space.
The first two opened in July and Chez Poulet followed in late August. The new operators each took on a narrow concept with a limited schedule, and that is why the order of your evening now matters.
The Middle of the Evening Is Near the Blue Line
Jomon and Bucktown Pizza are less than a block apart, which makes this the easiest part of the stretch to plan.
Jomon's ordering page lists lunch from noon to 3 p.m. and dinner from 4:30 p.m. Dinner ends at 8:45 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and at 9:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. The page lists no hours between 3 and 4:30 p.m., so a late-afternoon walk from the 606 can arrive in that gap. Block Club described a long sushi menu along with izakaya dishes: ribeye and pork belly skewers, gyoza and tempura. The menu also includes rolls such as the Haru Rainbow and the Bushido Salmon, plus beer, sake and wine. The Infatuation's review singled out the tuna and salmon maki, the scallop, the snow crab and the ikura kobore. It described the room as quieter, with an old-soul feel.
Bucktown Pizza stays open longest of the three. It serves from noon to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Owner Joe Smith is from the Newark, New Jersey area and has run pizzerias in the Chicago suburbs and along the East Coast. This is his first restaurant in the city itself. It is a counter-service shop that sells thin-crust slices and whole pies. At opening the menu had cheese, Margherita, pepperoni, sausage and garlic white. Smith described his approach to Block Club Chicago:
"Everything we do by hand, hand-roll the dough, hand-stretch the dough, homemade sauces, personalized service. You're going to see the product made in front of you."
Its location also matters for timing. Bucktown Pizza is directly under the Western Blue Line station at 1900 N. Western, so it is the stop closest to the train. It is still open after Chez Poulet and Jomon have closed for the night.
Margie's Has Kept Late Hours Since Long Before This Year
At the corner of Western and Armitage, between the pizza shop and the rotisserie, Margie's Candies has been in business since 1921. Its site calls the business family owned and operated for four generations. It sells hand-dipped chocolates, English toffee made with real butter, and ice cream desserts made from family recipes. The Bucktown shop at 1960 N. Western is open from 10 a.m. to midnight Monday through Thursday and until 1 a.m. Friday through Sunday.
Those hours are why the new openings work well as a group. None of the three needs to stay open late, because Margie's already does. On a Sunday, Chez Poulet closes at 6 p.m., Jomon at 8:45 p.m. and Bucktown Pizza at 10 p.m. Margie's stays open three more hours after that. On Mondays the rotisserie and the pizza shop are both closed, and Jomon and Margie's are the two stops open on this stretch.
The Stretch, Day by Day
The table below shows the latest hours each business lists for each day. Chez Poulet can close earlier on nights when the chickens sell out.
| Day | Chez Poulet, 2234 N. Western | Jomon dinner, 1858 N. Western | Bucktown Pizza, 1912 N. Western | Margie's Candies, 1960 N. Western |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Closed | 4:30–8:45 p.m. | Closed | 10 a.m.–midnight |
| Tuesday | Closed | 4:30–8:45 p.m. | Noon–10 p.m. | 10 a.m.–midnight |
| Wednesday | 4–9 p.m. | 4:30–8:45 p.m. | Noon–10 p.m. | 10 a.m.–midnight |
| Thursday | 4–9 p.m. | 4:30–8:45 p.m. | Noon–10 p.m. | 10 a.m.–midnight |
| Friday | 4–9 p.m. | 4:30–9:30 p.m. | Noon–10 p.m. | 10 a.m.–1 a.m. |
| Saturday | Noon–6 p.m. | 4:30–9:30 p.m. | Noon–10 p.m. | 10 a.m.–1 a.m. |
| Sunday | Noon–6 p.m. | 4:30–8:45 p.m. | Noon–10 p.m. | 10 a.m.–1 a.m. |
On a weekend afternoon, the order follows the street from north to south. Pick up a chicken at 2234 before the window empties and walk three blocks to Armitage for toffee at Margie's. Then continue south to the Blue Line for a slice, or to Jomon once dinner service starts at 4:30. On Wednesday and Thursday, Jomon closes first at 8:45 p.m. and Chez Poulet follows 15 minutes later. On Friday the two switch, with Chez Poulet closing at 9 p.m. and Jomon at 9:30 p.m. Every night it is open, Bucktown Pizza serves until 10, and Margie's stays open after all of them.
Our clients often ask which Bucktown blocks have filled in and which still feel quiet after dark. Western Avenue between the 606 and Fullerton is a good example, because three of its restaurant spaces reopened with new concepts this year. If you're thinking about a home near the Western Blue Line or just off Armitage, the team at Ivona Kutermankiewicz can walk you through what has opened nearby. Request a private consultation and home valuation, and we'll start with the blocks around your address.
