Irving Park’s former Taquizas Valdez spot has a new tenant, and it is not shy about the grill. Smashburger House & Wings quietly slid into 3038 W. Irving Park Road late last month, trading in the longtime taqueria setup for smashed patties, wings and Mexican-inspired sides aimed at both stroller crowds by day and late-night snack runs after dark.
New owners with local ties
The restaurant is run by Jose Garcia and Rosa Ruth Flores, who took over the old Taquizas Valdez space, signed a lease and did light renovations like fresh paint and new murals before opening the doors. Garcia previously launched Chicago-style taco operations out of Las Vegas and opened another taqueria in Lombard, and the pair say they wanted a neighborhood-friendly menu that mixes smash burgers with wings and handhelds. The restaurant opened on June 29, according to Block Club Chicago.
City records confirm the move
City business license data lists Smashburger House & Wings at 3038 W. Irving Park Road, putting the newcomer in the same storefront that housed Taquizas Valdez for years. The listing appears in official city documents, per City of Chicago business-license records.
Menu highlights
The menu leans hard into smash-style burgers. There is a Popper Smash stacked with American cheese, jalapeño cream cheese, cherry bacon jam, grilled onions and garlic aioli, a more traditional smash with pickles and burger sauce, and a Hawaiian Smash with teriyaki and grilled pineapple. Rounding things out, the owners are also serving wings, tacos, burritos, loaded fries and hot dogs, and they say the burgers are made with fresh, not frozen, beef. Those items, along with the restaurant’s hours, are laid out in reporting by Block Club Chicago.
Part of a busy summer for openings
The Irving Park arrival lands in the middle of a packed summer for Chicago dining, with new and returning spots popping up from high-profile chef projects to low-key counter-service joints. Coverage of the season’s openings has highlighted a steady wave of fresh menus and neighborhood restaurants across the city, putting Smashburger House & Wings squarely in this latest rush of debuts (WTTW).
The owners say they logged more than 80 hours painting the interior and installing murals to give the compact room a lively, hometown feel. Smashburger House & Wings is open for dine-in, takeout and delivery from its Irving Park storefront, and city business records list the new operation at 3038 W. Irving Park Road.
