TV Restaurants

What Happened to Fat Rice After Best Thing I Ever Ate? (Chicago, IL)

Closed verified

As of September 2026, Fat Rice has closed — confirmed via blockclubchicago.org, June 9, 2020.

Primary source
blockclubchicago.org ·
Secondary source
Yelp ·

Last verified

What the source shows: Block Club Chicago reported on 2020-06-09 that Fat Rice's owners shut the restaurant down indefinitely amid staff allegations against a co-owner, and a Yelp listing updated 2026-09 still marks the Diversey Avenue address permanently closed.

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What happened after Best Thing I Ever Ate?

Fat Rice was a Cantonese-Macanese fusion restaurant in Chicago's Logan Square neighborhood, at 2957 W Diversey Avenue, according to Wikipedia. Best Thing I Ever Ate featured Fat Rice's fusion menu, including its signature arroz gordo, in the episode "I'll Have What They're Having" (Season 9, Episode 16). According to Time Out Chicago, the owners announced in April 2020 that the restaurant would close and be replaced by a meal-kit market called Super Fat Rice Mart. According to Block Club Chicago, reporting 2020-06-09, the owners then shut that business down indefinitely after former employees accused co-owner Abe Conlon of racially insensitive remarks and verbally abusive behavior. A Yelp listing, updated 2026-09, marks the Diversey Avenue address permanently closed. No reopening or new-ownership reports were found in this check.

Featured on Best Thing I Ever Ate

Season / episode
Season 9, Episode 16
Original air date
Not confirmed
Episode title
I'll Have What They're Having
What was featured
Cantonese-Macanese fusion arroz gordo and other dishes at Fat Rice
Role
Featured restaurant
Name on the broadcast
Fat Rice

Frequently asked questions

Is Fat Rice still open in 2026?

As of September 2026, Fat Rice has closed — confirmed via blockclubchicago.org, June 9, 2020.

What happened to Fat Rice after Best Thing I Ever Ate?

Fat Rice was a Cantonese-Macanese fusion restaurant in Chicago's Logan Square neighborhood, at 2957 W Diversey Avenue, according to Wikipedia. As of September 2026, Fat Rice has closed — confirmed via blockclubchicago.org, June 9, 2020.

Is Fat Rice permanently closed?

As of September 2026, Fat Rice has closed — confirmed via blockclubchicago.org, June 9, 2020. We publish a closure only with a dated source behind it, and we say plainly when it has not been independently confirmed.

Where is Fat Rice located?

2957 W Diversey Avenue, Chicago, IL 60647. That is the address on the record as of September 7, 2026.

What season and episode of Best Thing I Ever Ate featured Fat Rice?

Season 9, Episode 16 of Best Thing I Ever Ate. The episode is titled “I'll Have What They're Having”.

Is Fat Rice still using the Best Thing I Ever Ate menu or branding?

Best Thing I Ever Ate featured Fat Rice's fusion menu, including its signature arroz gordo, in the episode "I'll Have What They're Having" (Season 9, Episode 16). Anything newer than our last check on September 7, 2026 may not be reflected here.

Every status on this site carries a confidence label and a date, and names the source it rests on. Read the Editorial & Corrections Policy for what each label means and how quickly we act on corrections. The questions above are generated from this record's own published fields — we never publish a question we cannot answer from the data.

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Visit info

Address
2957 W Diversey Avenue, Chicago, IL 60647
Venue type
restaurant
Official website
None found

Businesses change fast. Always confirm directly with the restaurant — call ahead, or check its own current website or social media — before making plans around anything on this page.

Sources

  • blockclubchicago.org — https://blockclubchicago.org/2020/06/09/fat-rice-owners-shut-down-business-indefinitely-after-employees-allege-racism-verbal-abuse/
  • Yelp — https://www.yelp.com/biz/fat-rice-chicago
  • timeout.com — https://www.timeout.com/chicago/news/fat-rice-closes-its-restaurant-to-transform-into-a-marketplace-042820

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Record btiea-0720 · last verified .