Photography sourced from Shorty's social channels.
Chicago's #1 smashburger per The Infatuation - a permanent pop-up inside Desert Hawk Bar in Wicker Park. The fried cheese skirt alone is worth the trip.
Photography sourced from Shorty's social channels.
Shorty's began as a pop-up at Desert Hawk, a bar on Division Street in Wicker Park, in spring 2024 - and became a permanent fixture by 2025. The concept is built around a single, obsessive idea: the cheese-skirted smashburger. Owner 'Shorty' developed the technique over years, taking pride in the craft that shows in every order. What started as a bar residency is now Chicago's most-cited smashburger destination, with The Infatuation naming it #1 on their definitive city ranking.
The defining move is the cheese skirt: a fried cheese blanket that extends well beyond the patty edges and fuses to the smashed beef during the cook, creating an audaciously crispy, salty-crunchy frame around every bite. Bacon jam, giardiniera aioli (a Chicago-specific touch), and tangy stadium sauce complete the build. The double - two smashed patties with the full skirt treatment - is the play. The Infatuation's verdict: 'in a league of its own.'
Shorty's is a permanent pop-up residency inside Desert Hawk Bar. Aggregator ratings belong to Desert Hawk's listing, so the Smash Score reflects Shorty's burger quality using the host venue's review footprint where applicable.
Take one look at the massive fried cheese blanket extending from the burger at Shorty's, and it's clear this smashburger is in a league of its own.
Desert Hawk's latest pop-up, Shorty's, makes excellent burgers unlike anything else in the beef-cheese-bun landscape.
That cheese 'skirt' gives the juicy smashpatties some saltiness and crunch to go with the bacon jam, giardiniera aioli, and tangy stadium sauce.
This is one of the most addictive smash burgers in Chicago... That audacious cheese skirt. Crispy, excessive, and used not just on the burgers - but on the wings too. That's different.
Shorty himself brings the energy - cool personality, takes pride in the craft, and it shows in the food.
Don't miss the smashburgers. I'm craving one now. The food is excellent, and the drinks are even better.
While Shorty's burgers might be the most eye-catching thing on the menu, don't neglect the lemon pepper wings - these zingy pieces are worth a visit to Desert Hawk alone.