The iconic Irish pub and concert venue Durty Nellie’s has closed after 54 years in the northwest suburbs.
For generations of suburban music fans, Durty Nellie’s offered something increasingly hard to find outside Chicago: a legitimate concert venue steps from a Metra station.
Durty Nellie’s first opened in Palatine in 1972 and moved to its longtime home at 180 N. Smith St. in 2003.
The venue survived a 2019 fire and reopened after the pandemic.
Nellie’s hosted major acts over the years, including Violent Femmes, Gin Blossoms and the Jonas Brothers.
Local acts were a fixture, too. From Local H to cover bands, the venue became one of the northwest suburbs’ premier destinations for live music.
It was also a gathering place for the Palatine community, hosting fundraisers, weddings, reunions and other celebrations.
“We are grateful for all the love and support we have had from our patrons over the years,” the club said on its Facebook page.
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. And as the Irish say, “Slainte.”
In 2023, owner Jim Dolezal said the club was struggling to fill its 18,000-square-foot space. He and developers proposed demolishing the building and replacing it with a six-story development featuring a much smaller Durty Nellie’s.
That plan fizzled amid concerns over parking.
Instead, Iowa-based Big Grove Brewery will take over the building, with plans to open next year after renovations.
Big Grove plans to remove the concert stage and won’t operate the space as a live music venue.
It’s the end of an era in the northwest suburbs.
