Beef Shack coming to DeKalb

DeKALB – After cementing its legacy in Kane County for the past five years, Beef Shack is bringing its cheesy beef sandwiches to the city of DeKalb.

DeKalb economic development planner Jason Michnick said a couple of months after Bowlrrito vacated the property at 1180 W. Lincoln Highway, the Beef Shack franchise reached out to the city about moving in.

“It’s going to be a great addition and different from some of the other campus food locations,” Michnick said. “They have really good sandwiches from what I’ve tried at the St. Charles location.”

Since the location already has a lot of the necessary amenities, Michnick said the property shouldn’t require a special-use request or rezoning to perform interior work.

Michnick did say, however, that he’s not sure how soon Beef Shack’s DeKalb location might open.

Beef Shack’s menu, which varies by location, features beef and cheese sandwiches, cheeseburgers, chicken sandwiches, grilled cheese, Chicago dogs, Italian sausage, cheesy garlic bread and salad. The restaurant also does catering and delivery orders.

Before Bowlrrito opened in March 2017, the building was home to Diddy Dogs, a specialty hot dog restaurant, which opened in 2015.

Beef Shack opened its first location in St. Charles, 2115 W. Main St., in 2012 with the dream of introducing its menu to the rest of the country, according to the company’s website. Progress has been slow so far, with only two locations in St. Charles and Elgin, 3145 W. Route 20.

In addition to DeKalb, however, there are plans for a restaurant in Joliet at 1606 W. Jefferson St.