Chicago Burger Pop-up News You Need to Know About
If you’ve been following Burger Boyz then you know I’ve had you guys covered for a year now on any and all burger-related news in -and around- Chicago, and there won’t be any slowing down in 2024. With that being said, here’s some upcoming events and updated that you should know about.
Big Rigs Burger at Ludlow Liquors
I’ve been preaching about Big Rig’s Burgers by Brent and Taylor since August of last year, and they ended up making my Top 10 favorite burgers list for 2023. They made an announcement yesterday that they will be participating in Ludlow Liquors’ Monday Night Foodball event next Monday, February 5th. If you’ve been wanting to try their burgers but never got the chance, here’s your official week notice to clear your schedule!
Heffer BBQ is Now Offering Smash Burgers on Thursdays
I know a lot of folks are only eating burgers nowadays if they have the buzzword “smash” in the title, and it looks like Heffer BBQ also took notice and decided to add one to their weekly menu as well. They did a test run a couple of weeks ago and the feedback was great, so they’ll be offering them every Thursday night at Whiner Beer Co. until further notice. But don’t worry — their famous brisket burgers aren’t going anywhere and are back on the menu every Friday through the weekend (unless sold out).
Smash Jibarito Has an Official Residency at Omarcito’s Latin Cafe (Updated)
If you’ve never heard of Smash Jibarito before, they’re a food pop-up that started in the summer of 2022, but really exploded on the scene in 2023. Their claim to fame is a smash burger that is served between two fried plantains — yes, plantains. I’ve yet to try it out, but it’s on my burger calendar for next week. The pictures of it look great and I’ve heard nothing but positive reviews about it. If you’re interested in getting your hands on one of these, head over to Omarcito’s Latin Cafe on Mondays and Tuesdays from 2–8PM!
Update: Smash Jibarito will be having a pop-up TODAY at Raizes (3925 N. Lincoln Ave) from 3–8pm!
McBrennan’s Gourmet Burger Shack
I mentioned McBrennan’s a couple times last year when they were doing pop-ups at the Farmers Market in Frankfort, but now they’ve started to make their way to breweries in Evanston and other locations around the Chicagoland area. This is another one I’ve yet to get my hands on, but I can tell they’ve made some changes and switched up their technique since they got started. I’m planning to be at their pop-up in Evanston at Temperance Beer Co. on February 9th from 4–8PM. They’ll be back at Temperance again on the 23rd (same time), and then at Mikerphone Brewing in Elk Grove Village on the 24th from 2–5PM.
PrimeTime Bar & Grill Has a Great Burger Special on Wednesdays
One of my top 3 favorite burgers from last year, PrimeTime Bar & Grill in Albany Park has one of the best burger deals in the city right now. You can grab a single smash burger with fries and a draft beer for $15 every Wednesday! With the way burger prices are going up, it’s getting harder and harder to find a good/great one for less than $20 or more. But if you can get a burger of this quality at that price, you don’t sleep on it — you run to it.
