74Smash
Score
Score
Smash Score👍 Solid Smash
A River North dessert bar with a smash burger that holds its own. The Zip Sauce build - two patties, American cheese, and a house Big Mac riff - is the most-ordered food item on the menu.
Photos courtesy of JoJo's ShakeBAR via Facebook and Yelp.
JoJo's ShakeBAR opened in Chicago's River North in February 2019, founded by Robbie Schloss and named for his daughter JoJo. The concept: a next-generation diner that revives 80s and 90s nostalgia through arcade game tables, BIGGIE Shakes, and a savory food program built around Chef Christine McCabe's elevated diner classics. The JoJo's Smash Burger - Schloss's riff on the Big Mac he grew up eating - has become the most-ordered food item on the menu.
The JoJo's Smash Burger puts two 4 oz patties through a hard sear, layering American cheese onto each, then building the full stack with lettuce, pickles, onions, tomato, and Zip Sauce - the house-made special sauce that's explicitly designed as an upgraded Big Mac sauce - on a sesame seed brioche bun. At a restaurant where the shakes run the headline, the smash burger earns its place as the reason to order something savory.
JoJo's ShakeBAR serves a broader menu; this assessment focuses specifically on JoJo's Smash Burger.
The burger oozed juices onto the lettuce and bun giving everything a slightly salty, beefy flavor - a delicious dive bar burger (that's a good thing).
Shakes, Fries, & Damn Good Vibes - there's a lot more to this spot than those lovely drinks.
4.3 out of 5 stars from nearly 5,000 Google reviewers - JoJo's ShakeBAR is one of River North's most-reviewed dining destinations, driven by the BIGGIE Shakes and the Smash Burger.
4.0 out of 5 stars from 2,880 verified OpenTable diners - consistent food scores from reservation diners who come specifically for the full diner experience.
4.4/5 from over 3,300 Facebook reviewers - JoJo's social community strongly endorses the arcade-era atmosphere and the Smash Burger as the centerpiece of the savory menu.
3.5 stars from 1,147 Yelp reviewers - some praise the burger and shakes while others note high prices and inconsistent service in a venue they feel prioritizes social media moments over food execution.
3.4 out of 5 stars on TripAdvisor from 44 reviewers - thin sample but directionally consistent with Yelp: visitors praise the shakes and atmosphere while food quality comments are more mixed.