The Jibarito Stop
Puerto Rican restaurant · Heart of Chicago ·
Puerto Rican eatery serving plantain sandwiches, vegan options
Puerto Rican eatery serving plantain sandwiches, vegan options
"If you've ever wondered what the lovechild of a burger and jibarito would taste like, quit wondering and just head to Smash Jibarito. This resident pop-up, located inside Wicker Park's Desert Hawk, specializes in pressed patties sandwiched between fried plantains. Each burger gets a sweetness from the plantain pucks—our favorite is the Estilo Animal, with animal sauce, sweet pickles, and american cheese for a little saltiness. It goes well with a ranch water highball while hanging out in Desert Hawk’s dark wooden space or front patio." - john ringor
"After outgrowing their extremely popular food truck The Jibarito Stop opened a brick and mortar in Pilsen in 2015. Their specialty, the jibarito, comes in four varieties: steak, slow-roasted lechón, vegetarian, and vegan. Their jibaritos also come in convenient half sizes, so you can try as many as possible. The woman-owned business also serves piñon, a sweet and savory Puerto Rican-style casserole, vegan potato salad, vegan beans, and a brightly flavored mango coconut salad topped with cilantro and tamarind dressing. The seating at the front of the restaurant gives you a raised view of the 18th street “L” that elevates (pun intended) the whole dining experience." - jessica rome, john ringor
"Usually, I go to Humboldt Park to satisfy my jibarito craving. But Jibarito Stop (which started out as a food truck and is woman-owned), set up shop right in the heart of Pilsen and is making some seriously delicious jibaritos. I like ordering the pork with arroz con gandules and a Champagne kola, but they also have great dinner plates, like stewed black beans or empanadas." - courtney sprewer
"A family-run Puerto Rican restaurant located in Pilsen that was singled out as the sole Puerto Rican representative among a roster of high-profile chefs at the fundraiser, highlighting the relative scarcity of such representation and the resource constraints family-owned establishments face; these small operators are often more fatigued by the pandemic and less able to donate food or funds for charity events." - Ashok Selvam
"After outgrowing their extremely popular food truck, The Jibarito Stop opened a restaurant in Pilsen in 2015. Their specialty, the jibarito, comes in four varieties including steak, slow-roasted lechón, vegetarian, and vegan (and they have a vegan potato salad and a vegan side of beans). Their jibaritos also come in convenient half sizes for each option. The woman-owned business also serves piñon, a sweet and savory Puerto Rican-style casserole, and a brightly flavored mango coconut salad topped with a cilantro and tamarind dressing. The seating at the front of the restaurant gives you a raised view of the 18th street “L” that elevates (pun intended) the whole dining experience." - Jessica Rome