Snix Snax

-Grubbing in Chicago

Chicago Park District Puerto Rican

Welcome Back. I wish it could be under better circumstances but the notion of "going back to the way it was before all this" is ridiculous and probably semi racist at this point. The truth is we had a restaurant problem before covid and we had a racism problem before George Floyd and Breonna Taylor and the countless others who's lives were lost to police brutality. I've "blogged" about the food in Chicago for more than a decade as both a hobby and as a way to better see and understand the city. So I didn't want to just up and stop that as it's actually in some ways good for my health especially now to be able to escape our sad reality for a little while by sitting down and pounding out a post about a place like Snix Snax in Independence Park over by the Irving Park neighborhood.

 Locals Favorite in Independence Park 

I wanted to get a post on Snix Snax up last summer but it ended to quickly and cold weather was here before we knew it. It worked out delaying it until now as not only do we have lots of summer left but the entire dining world has been shaken upside down with covid and even though places are starting to open it's clearly not safe to be eating and drinking inside. So the fact Snix Snax is a little permanently parked food cart means you have no choice but to eat outside or bring your food home. The menu here features both Puerto Rican and Chicago favorites. I wouldn't know about the Chicago dogs and pizza puffs bc the Puerto Rican food is where it's at. For example the lady who's been inside on all three of my visits will cook items like a mini jibarito to order. For me this is the perfect size jibarito if I need to do something productive the rest of the day. It's about half the size of a regular one and the fillings inside are as good as any I've tried. The steak was really tender and not the least bit resistant. She also offers a nice selection of finger foods like morcilla and papas rellenas.

Jibarito and Papa Rellena at Snix Snax

Snix Snax also makes pinchos (pork or chicken) to order. These are the Puerto Rican version of kebobs. Skewers of meat are fried up until golden and tender and served with your choice of rice and your choice of fried plantains or tostones. Garlic bread rounds out what could be a two meal container of food for something like $10 and tax. As long as the weather is nice and eating outside is an option I encourage everyone to practice that right now be it via takeout or outdoor dining. The latter is a bit more risky but as long as you're not in a festival like setting with a crowd of people around you. Whichever way you choose to eat your food for the love of god make sure you tip min 20% but there's no reason it shouldn't be a little more. People are risking their lives to make sure some don't have to eat frozen pizza all year and more importantly so they can have a place to live. It's never been more important to be a responsible diner. My posts will try to reflect that as far as the rest of the year goes.

Pork Pinchos at Snix Snax 

Snix Snax
3945 N Springfield Ave
Chicago, IL 60618
Seasonal Operation