26th Street Sugar Shack

Funnel cake, funnel cake, funnel cake! YUM! Can’t really go wrong at this place, just make sure you bring cash only, they do not accept cards.

One of my favorite places in the neighborhood. I’ll be frequenting this summer. Pray for my waistline.

Don’t let the long lines fool you. These people work quick!
This place is perfect for any summer treat you could could need. I got the funnel cake fingers with caramel sauce. SOOOOOO good. The scoop of italian ice was also great.

My boyfriend refuses to go anywhere near this place in summer months because I’ll jump from a moving vehicle for warm funnel cake. He’ll drive blocks out of the way to avoid hearing of my need for a shack attack. It’s just ice cream, he whines… he doesn’t understand, & neither do you. Stop in. Fall down the rabbit hole.

Awesome soft serve ice cream! My wife and I tried this place after leaving Ricobenes. We’ll definitely be back.

I grew up around the area and used to fiend on Sugar Shack. I remember rummaging through my mom’s drawers to find coins in order to buy a blizzard back when I’m younger. I don’t have to search for change anymore but it’s still always great to come back for a treat once an a while.
I’ll admit — I’m giving it 5 stars from nostalgic values, nothing is really «special» as everything is good. The one thing to note is the Funnel Cake Sundae (mini or otherwise) is amazing! On top of being an extremely good value, it’s a great size to share. It’s no longer a treat you get from amusement parks and state carnivals often overpriced and overshadowed by rides and other gross food. It’s an easy thing to share and I highly recommend it (try not to eat it all yourself!). I would prefer to go (almost) anywhere else for soft serve — milkshakes — and blizzards though.
Last thing (and minor complaints)– parking is a hassle, cash only and it’s only opened seasonally. Otherwise, enjoy your summer time treat!

I was here today and it was just average. Normally, when you get three scoops in your banana split it comes in three flavors. The standard is chocolate, strawberry and vanilla. I mean isn’t that pretty basic? All the extra toppings like cherry whipped cream chocolate syrup and nuts normally come w it too. This place, you have to specify those as extra! So if I didn’t mention those, basically I would have gotten it w three scoops of vanilla and banana slices. Don’t think I’m going back:/. I ll apply this lesson in my other restaurant visits. Ergo: when I order pasta, I’ll be sure to mention please add sauce so I’m not dished a plain serving of noodles. Money wasted, next time around I’ll drive further and go get banana split the right way! I really don’t understand where all the hype is coming from

I know the Family that runs this business and by far they are the nicest and most helpful people and it really shows in their business. That aside their ice cream is becoming famous not only in Bridgeport anymore but throughout Chicago. The ice cream there is AWESOME funnel cakes are great! With that being said make sure you get there early! FIVE Star!

I love it when I stumble on gems in other cities. This place was ridiculously good if you have a sweet tooth. They have soft serve & Italian ice but you have to get the ice cream sundae funnel cake, it’s amazing.

Oh Sugar Shack, how I crave you even though it’s freezing outside. Your funnel cake was beyond amazing and I miss it so much.
I want to try everything from their menu! I tried it back in the summer and had a wonderful experience. I can’t wait to have more when they’re open again. The lines are always long, but always worth the wait.

Yum!!! I love all the fun ideas they had. I was craving ice cream one night and got the pumpkin sundae. I was so excited! We are new to the southside and to see how busy it was, was a good sign.

Finally, lines way to long in summer months, visited in October — had funnel cake and mini funnel cake sundae, with chocolate and whip cream, will be back just not in the summer, also. CASH ONLY

Love it! Had so many deserts to choose from. Deep fried twinkie will be my next treat there. Sugar overload. It would be 5 stars but it’s to crowded and not a great spot for a group to go but we’ll worth a visit. Great prices too!

*heart eyes emoji*
Look no further for your dessert or sweet treat. The menu is large (funnel cake sundaes, Italian ice, ice cream sandwiches, blizzards, deep fried Twinkies, etc.) so you can always find something to tickle your fancy. On my last visit, there were a number of fall selections that included fried apple wedges with caramel dipping sauce, pumpkin funnel cakes and apple pie blizzards. Seriously?! I need to get me some of that ASAP.
The workers are typically high school kids who are on point with dealing with customers and making the system efficient. There are four tables available, so you can snag one if you’re lucky. Parking can sometimes be tricky.
Unfortunately I have to take off a star for being cash only :(Prepare to wait in line, but I promise it’s worth the wait.

Delishy. Affordable. Tough spot.
Saw no less than 20 cop cars during our 20 minute wait in line. I thought it was worth it, my partner said no. Good for when you are craving a funnel cake and are not near a carnival. I wouldn’t make this my new go-​to just because I don’t want to spend hours in the gym afterward, but it did make my mouth dance.

I think I have a new favorite ice cream place! I can totally see why The Sugar Shack more often than not has a long line outside. It’s the best thing ever!!!
Located in the Pilsen area, the menu had a ton of delicious options to choose from — Funnel cakes, dreamsicles, Italian ice mixed with ice cream, fried twinkies, and so much more. Even nachos!!! I opted for a funnel cake with vanilla ice cream, caramel, whip cream, and cookie dough! Absolutely sinful!!!
The space to sit at outside is rather small so there are quite a few patrons that opt to eat in their cars.
Other than that though, the place is great and reasonably priced. Go and see what diabetic inducing creation you can come up with!!!

My 100^th review on Unilocal!Yessssssss… finally!
Oh, sweet, heavenly Sugar Shack. There is something about this place that keeps me coming back despite the somewhat sketchy neighborhood. I’ll risk it for the $ 1.50 funnel cake with powdered sugar.
They sell other desserts, but you come here for the funnel cake. Six Flags has nothing on this place! The funnel cake is so fresh and has just the right texture. Everyone raves about the funnel cake sundae, but I haven’t gotten enough courage to tough out my lactose intolerance for it yet. I will one day, don’t you worry.
Expect a line. Always. That’s just how good it is here. You’ll probably end up waiting 10 – 15 minutes, but it’s TOTALLY worth it.

This place just became my favorite ice cream shop!
Found a Groupon deal online and decided to stop by. Late in the evening, the line was super long, even with 4+ staff members working in the back. I decided to come another time around 5 in the afternoon and it was much better.
For the sundae, you can get a choice of vanilla with two toppings with whipped cream and a cherry on top. I ended up getting cookie dough and Oreo which was delicious!
The orange creamsicle had a perfect blend of orange sherbet and vanilla ice cream.
Will definitely stop by again to try all the other wonderful desert combos!

What’s in Bridgeport? Some would say it was the neighborhood where lots of Chicago mayors and politicians came from, while some would say it’s an extension from Chi-​town Chinatown in the modern era.
Well, I would say «if you are looking for sugar, an excessive amount of sugar, look no further, my friend!»
Groupon obviously endorses the establishment of a «sugar shack.» At approximately 0400 hour this morning, we woke up and played with my i-​pad mini. I came across with the Groupon for «26^th. St. Sugar Shack.» I made a wise decision to purchase the option #2: two (2) blizzards, sundaes, creamsicles, or avalanches for $ 5.
So some curious Unilocal friends would probably inquire what the option #1 was: their infamous, sugar-​coma-​inducing funnel cake.
It turned out to be that option #2 was equally sugar-​coma-​friendly. We went with the «Avalanche,» which featured vanilla ice cream and a choice of Italian ice. I picked the Hawaiian colors: blue raspberry and lime. Wow, this entire cup was the real deal! I’ve never had vanilla ice cream this thick in my 29-​year life prior to visiting 26^th St. SS. Delicious that was, but the portion was so large that I wish someone took over my cup and finished it up for me!
I saw many giant funnel cakes come out of the pick-​up window. This place is really quintessential America: generous servings and sweet-​until-​you-​see-​your-​name-​on-​the-​grave.
I felt the staff did a good job at explaining the menu and how everything works. As long as you’re holding your green bucks tight, your eyes will open wide until the morning light. It’s the power of saccharide!
Whenever you’re ready for the challenge, get off at the CTA Halsted Orange Line station and walk to the 26^th. St. Then head east until seeing the flashing lights.

Went here for my birthday after a late comedy show. You know a place is good when it has a line outside and there open until 11pm which I love.
I have been thinking about funnel cake sundae since I got it for the first time and I’m hooked. The small funnel cake was just enough and I shared it with my cousin.

Sugar shack has gone down hill! The crowd it attracts has made me look elsewhere for funnel cakes:(plus it takes forever to get your order! The line is crazy long! Not worth waiting over 30 minutes!

I can’t say enough amazing things about this place. I discovered this in an article that described the best dessert places in Chicago. After seeing that they had funnel cake I knew we had to check it out. Depending on the day and time there can be quite a wait. As in, blocks down the street from this little ice cream window. However, it’s worth the wait. Don’t wait until you go to a festival for an overpriced funnel cake because this is the best in the city by far. My Nutella funnel cake sundae with swirl ice cream was amazing. There’s a generous portion of soft serve and the dough is piping hot, which is a requirement of mine. This ain’t no carnival funnel cake. Come and bring your friends so you can share the calories!

If it’s summer in Chicago, it’s time to head to Sugar Shack for some sweet, sweet funnel cake. I’ve tried a couple of other things on the menu (which are great) but you’d be a fool not to get the funnel cake. It’s funnel cake with two big scoops of ice cream and two toppings. It’s got the crunch from the cake and the sweet from the ice cream. It’s pretty big so 2 people minimum for the full size, you fatties. Service is reasonably fast, takeout an option (you ice cream will melt by the time you find a seat on the limited number of outdoor seating), and prices are not bad!

Holy cow! I know everyone else and their mother has already reviewed the mini funnel cake sundae, but I just have to add my two cents.
I had one about a week ago and I can’t stop thinking about it! Thank goodness this place is cash only and I rarely carry cash, otherwise I’d be going broke and having to be rolled down the street for eating so much creamy, fried and doughy deliciousness.
I got the mini funnel cake sundae with nutella, bananas and pecans. Definitely worth the $ 5 – 6! And it was just enough — I see some other reviews that say the regular size is too much and the mini is just not enough, but I really think the mini is the perfect size. It gave me just the right amount of sweet, ooey gooey, fried and crispy goodness in my mouth, without leaving me bloated and hating myself for indulging.
I can’t wait to go back and get another one!

Funnel cake so good and crunchy here! Make sure to try it here!
Cash only!
Outdoor seating only (first come first served)… Wish it provides more seats and indoor too so we all can enjoy our food, rather than eating it while it’s humid and hot and flies all over the place. :(

Line was crazy long but the customer service was good! The owner or manager walked up to the window while I was getting my food and asked
«don’t you want whipped cream on that Twinkie» she was nice. I also got a funnel cake so I got my fix I’m gone for the rest of the year! Lol

This isn’t too far from Ricobene’s which makes this something to think about for dessert downtown. I have been here for many years, and I still come here. This place is famous for its funnel cake sundae, but they also sell Italian ice, blizzards (ice cream with one topping of your choice), and scoops of ice cream.
I usually take the ice cream I ordered to go home because there isn’t a lot of seating there. Before I tried the Italian ice, the service here was great. The staff are friendly, and they do my ice cream like they always do which is good. That’s a reason I like this place.
I liked the strawberry Italian ice. There was pieces of strawberries and it made more flavor out of the Italian ice. The ice itself had a great flavor of strawberries. It felt like summer was already here. I will try this Italian ice again someday.
All in all, I love this ice cream parlor. This place sells the treats that kids and adults enjoy. I will always come back here after a day in downtown Chicago!

Not sure why it’s taken so long for me to stop by considering it’s in my ‘hood and all. We ordered nachos and a strawberry/​chocolate shake, both of which were simply ok. I DO want to go back and try their funnel cake as I’ve heard nothing but great things about it.
One thing I did notice was how long it took for people to get their orders.
TIP: cash only.

This place is simply delicious and I’m so glad I found it last year. The only thing I hate is I haven’t gone as often as I would have liked this summer.
Make sure you bring cash because they do not accept debit or credit.
This is also a walk up restaurant and there are a few tables outside.
There are so many topping options to choose from and it took me a few minutes to decide what I wanted and even after I picked I was thinking man I could have gotten oreos… lol
The first time I got the regular funnel cake and that was enough for three people. The last time I got a mini funnel cake and I wished I had more.
The next time I’m just going to get the regular funnel cake I would rather eat until I don’t want anymore then eat it all up and wishing I had more.
Everything is so fresh and just writing this review is making me want to head that way today.
Please beware if you give this place a try you will be hooked… lol
I wish they were open all year long but they aren’t and I’m not sure when they close up for the winter but just thought makes me poke out a lip but it is always great when they open back up so get there while you can and…
Enjoy!!!