One of Chicago’s biggest music events, Summer Smash Festival — which should draw about 100,000 over three days — returns from Friday, June 14 through Sunday, June 16 at SeatGeek Stadium in South Suburban Bridgeview with hip-hop headliners Cactus Jack, Playboi Carti, and Chief Keef. As an independent festival with local organizers, the event has earned a reputation for a unique food lineup and this year is no exception. When have concertgoers ever seen Ron of Japan, the teppanyaki steakhouse, at a festival?
Ron of Japan is part of Summer Smash’s lineup and will serve dishes like steak and rice and bang bang shrimp and fried rice. The steakhouse is one of 16 new festival vendors, including Jim’s Original and Ricobenes. The lineup consists of 29 food vendors like Harold’s Chicken, Manny’s Deli, and the Tamale Guy.
Additionally, it’ll offer a special pop-up menu from music director and Lyrical Lemonade founder Cole Bennett and chef Brian Fisher. Fisher was the chef at Entente, a Chicago restaurant that earned a Michelin star before it closed in 2020. He’s also known for the first menu at the Saved by the Bell pop-up, a production that toured the country. Last year’s Summer Smash Restaurant includes dishes like Lil Uzi’s strawberry Pop-Tart (made by local baker Halee Raff at Hardbitten), BLP Kosher Fried Pickle, and the Ohmangooddman Burger by Famous Rex with giardiniera mayo. This year’s menu will be released shortly.
Tickets are still available for Summer Smash, ranging from $150 for a single-day pass to $395 for all three days. Check out the full vendor lineup below.
- Bacci Pizza
- Bobalicious
- CHKN BOX
- Chicago Taco Authority
- Crumbl Cookies
- Gold Coast Cafe
- Grandma Annie’s
- Harold’s Chicken
- Iltaco Pizza Puff
- Jim’s Original
- Kurimu
- La Michoacana Premium
- Manny’s Deli
- Mario’s Italian Lemonade
- Nudo House
- Portillo’s
- Prime Tacos
- Prince Street Pizza
- Ricobenes
- Ron of Japan
- Sausage Fest
- Seoul Taco
- Soul & Smoke
- Sweet Circle
- The Summer Smash Restaurant
- The Tamale Guy
- Woogie Roll
- Zero Degrees
- 3 Little Pigs