Shaw's Crab House — Restaurant in Chicago

I would like to sincerely thank the good people of Shaw's Crab House for saving my Saturday night craving of lobster rolls and for providing exceptionally great service after my friend and I walked in, wet and bedraggled from the rain, and asked to be seated.

For context, we had been looking forward to attending the Lobster Fest on Navy Pier for the past two weeks, but due to unfortunate circumstances, arrived quite late. To explain my state of mind for the day, unfortunate circumstances included a devastatingly hot afternoon, followed by a drizzle turned thunderstorm... Nevertheless, we persisted to Navy Pier, only to find out all the lobster rolls had been sold out and their other meager offerings (lobster mac n cheese and loaded lobster fries) looked sad and pathetic. And side note - how can this Lobster Fest call itself a lobster fest with only five tents?? Ridiculous.

After searching the seven seas (Google Maps), we settled on Shaw's Crab House, and it was quite possibly the best decision of August. Even before we got the lobster rolls, we were treated to the best bread rolls of our lives. Think of the softest, moistest, most buttery bread, delivered straight from the upper echelons of heaven; this is what I had the pleasure of eating last night. I'm sure half of it was from being absolutely famished, but by god was this the best bread I've ever had in my life. And our dear server gave us ANOTHER round of bread after we devoured the first; I'm not sure of his name but thank you, kind stranger, for adding joy to my miserable day.

We had resolutely decided beforehand that this HAD to be the best lobster roll of our lives, and Shaw's definitely lived up to it. Their lobster roll was buttery and absolutely filled to the brim with lobster. The bread itself was delightful; toasted to just the right temp, it added a wonderful crunch that paired well with the actual lobster itself. I honestly don't really remember eating it because it felt like one minute it was on my plate, and the next minute it was gone! The fries were also quite yummy delicious.

Thank you again, chefs and waiters of Shaw's Crab House! You saved two girls' nights and prevented real tears from falling last night. This meal may have broken my budget, but it was 100% worth...

Shaw’s is like a time machine, transporting you back to the days of old Chicago, when the captains of industry and mob bosses would break bread, drink wine, and make plans in the long shadows of the white city’s skyline.

Of course, it’s only been around for 40 years, but it captures that feeling. And for that reason alone, it’s worth a visit to this amazing dining room, where the rich, dark wood and tiling tell the story.

The main dining room is cavernous, and thus a little loud. The atmosphere is big city boisterous, but that also adds to the fun factor. There’s good energy and even some decent people watching. It has that old world charm.

Famous for its crabs, Shaw’a is a high end seafood joint that changes the menu daily. There’s a fresh catch as well, so be sure to inquire about the fish.

Starting things off was the iceberg wedge, which took a spin on the traditional bleu cheese dressing by mixing it with the house vinaigrette. This made for a more viscous result, coating all the leaves. A great variation.

For entrees, we opted for surf and turf, ordering the twin filets with lobster and an Oscar sauce. We also had the yellowfin tuna, which came on a bed of crispy noodles. The ponzu sauce was delicious and had a little heat on it.

Dessert was a standard: creme brûlée. The custard was dandy, but the topping lacked the full caramelization that gives it the classic crunch I was hoping for.

From a culinary standpoint, I’ve been to the restaurant before - meaning there were no real surprises or “aha” moments. The steak was decent, and the fish was fine.

The bill was around $175 with a single beer between us. Cocktails were all $20 a pop or more (including mocktails), so if we had chosen to partake, it would have been over $200 for an experience that was memorable - but not earthshattering.

The service was impeccable. It’s part of the LettuceEat group, and there’s clearly an emphasis on training for high-end dining. That’s the cherry on top.

Worth the money? It’s definitely a unique Chicago food experience, so consider that. There’s also Shaw’s Oyster Bar next door, which features live music. So all in all, you should have it...

Update: It has been a full year since we returned to Chicago after working and moving over seas. Coming back during the pandemic takes a little getting used to. This is my first review since we got back. As you can see in my original review, we used to live Shaw’s especially for the brunch so this is the first thing we did. Something was missing from the past. The service is always great, ambient is the same with less people, but something is missing on the food, especially the seafood. The two oysters are the size of my thumb nail, I couldn’t taste the mussels in the heavy Asian vinaigrette, the prawns were ok but you can tell it has seen fresher days, most importantly the crab legs didn’t taste so fresh either, and salty. If I have to pick a favor in the brunch line up, I would pick the bacon.

I know the pandemic has put a strangle hold on a lot of business and you have to cut a little corners here and there just to stay afloat but we just don’t feel that it is the same brunch anymore. Looking at the latest reviews (I don’t look at anything from a 6 star reviewer or below), I am glad some people are excited about the cozy outdoor seating, the service and even the valet, but I don’t see people talk about food anymore, and there might be a reason why.

Old Review: We don't come here very often for dinner, because there are a lot of seafood chop houses around where we live in river north. The seafood places that we usually go to are more spacious, Shaw's is a bit tight but that's what all of the older places are like. However we love the brunch here. This is our second time visiting here for dinner for our anniversary (and mother's day). The sea food is just as good as Truluck and Joe's but the Ribeye that I had was one of the best that I've ever had, it is definitely aged perfectly and for the thickness (it is like a fillet cut) the wellness is perfect. I would definitely come back here more for dinner. The Lobster Fettuccini is also perfect and highly...