Locke-Ober Closes After 137 Years

One of the oldest restaurants in the country and one of the best-known in Boston is no more now that Locke-Ober has closed in Downtown Crossing. The 137-year-old institution's website says the restaurant "is currently closed for business pending the sale of our building," and the closure has been confirmed by Boston Restauran Talk, the Globe and Herald. According to a Facebook post by jm Curley manager Patrick Maguire, Locke-Ober closed on Saturday night at 7:30pm. The news is simultaneously shocking and unsurprising. While the word "venerable" has probably been used to describe Locke-Ober more than any other local restaurant, the crowds don't necessarily flock to eat venerable, and many have long been skeptical about Locke-Ober's future, including this Improper Bostonian article from June, titled "Locke Over," which notes that "The restaurant has opened and closed at various points" before.

Could this really be the end of this (no longer) living legend, a testament to the sophisticated dining scene of yesteryear? Will some enterprising new owner snatch up the ornate dining room and breathe fresh life into it? Or has this dinosaur finally met its asteroid? Hit up the tipline with any information, and comment your heart out about what this means for the Boston dining scene.

· Locke-Ober [Official Site]
· Patrick Maguire [Facebook via BRT]
· No clarity on closing of Locke-Ober restaurant [BG]
· Upper-crust eatery Locke-Ober closes [BH]
· Locke-Ober in Boston has closed [BRT]
· Locke Over [TIB]
· All coverage of Locke-Ober on Eater [~EBOS~]