West Town's bar scene just got a spicy infusion from the pop-up restaurant, Smash Jibarito, which is quickly becoming a local fixture within the walls of Desert Hawk Bar at 2049 W. Division St. Known for its inventive culinary mashup of smash burgers and jibaritos, a Puerto Rican sandwich staple that swaps out bread for fried plantains, Smash Jibarito is serving up culture with a side of crispy beef patties. According to a Block Club Chicago interview, co-founder Josean Irizarry expressed his excitement, saying, "We're excited to not only bring something good to the table, but to kind of put a little culture behind what we're representing in terms of serving a jibarito smash burger."
Embracing the collaborative spirit of the local bar scene, Desert Hawk is tapping into Chicago's rich culinary diversity by partnering with kitchen entrepreneurs like Smash Jibarito. Pete Figliulo, a partial owner of Desert Hawk, revealed to Block Club Chicago how the bar strives to offer "one seamless experience for a customer coming in," ensuring that while Smash Jibarito handles the cuisine, front of house staff at Desert Hawk expertly manages the service.
In the latest Chicago bar roundup from Eater Chicago, Desert Hawk has been marked out as a spot bringing back some charm to Division Street, with a nod to the Golden State through its tequila drinks and diverse cocktail offerings. They also highlighted the bar's recent culinary residency with Smash Jibarito, adding a unique gastronomic appeal to the venue.
Behind the scenes of Smash Jibarito's surge in popularity are founders David Matulac and Josean Irizarry, who started the venture in 2021 with the aim of fully exercising their creative culinary skills. The duo told Block Club Chicago about their competitive partnership: "We've just always challenged each other and always just wanted to work out the best of one another." Adding a personal touch to their endeavor, they explained their connection to the city: "We were kind of bored of the norm, and we just wanted to create something that we could call as unique as the jibarito and just make plantains cool, essentially," Matulac stated.
Figliulo, who hails from Chicago but currently manages bars in Los Angeles, is now planting his bar management roots back in his hometown with Desert Hawk. Citing the authenticity and drive of Smash Jibarito's founders as key factors for collaboration, he told Block Club Chicago, "What really drew us to these two as a team is the passion, the perspective and the authenticity." Desert Hawk, part of the Goat Group empire, differentiates itself by featuring outside vendors like Smash Jibarito and aims to offer something distinctive to the Chicago bar scene.
