Chicago has some of the best places to indulge in crab away from the coast. Whether you’re looking for cajun-style boil or a classic crab experience, these Chicago crab destinations will surely satisfy your craving. And if you’re not a crab fan, these spots have a full seafood and classic American food menu for you to enjoy too. With that, here are our five favorite restaurants serving up the best crab in Chicago.
Crab Cellar
1962 N Halsted St, Chicago, IL 60614
Located down the stairs at Quality Crab & Oyster Bah in Lincoln Park, Crab Cellar is Chicago’s only all you can eat Alaskan king crab and prime burger experience. They serve steamed Alaskan King Crab legs and prime burgers made with prime beef and topped with Roquefort (sheep milk cheese from Southern France) and crispy onions. The experience starts at $109 per person. Seems like a lot to pay for crab, right? Wrong! It’s all you can eat! And if you want to go overboard you can add on unlimited Filet Mignon or round it out with bottomless sides. Be sure to make reservations because they fill up insanely fast!
King Crab House
1816 N Halsted St, Chicago, IL 60614
Home to the legend and hospitality industry expert, Cy Sadaka, King Crab House is an excellent restaurant to attend if you’re looking for some of the best crab and fresh catch in the city. I personally was there this weekend, and I can tell you that you will not run out of options and it will definitely be hard to decide on what to order. The menu offers small, medium, large and jumbo-sized snow and king crab smothered with your choice of garlic butter or Cajun butter and the best part? They have a buy one get one free option! And to top it all off they serve their famous Mai Tais, $2 beer, and $12 bottles of wine.
The Crab Pad
2529 N Milwaukee Ave #1, Chicago, IL 60647
The Crab Pad is a hip BYOB spot for Cajun-style shellfish cooked in a bag. The staff at this restaurant in Chicago also offers garlic noodles, wings and popsicles (lol)! The menu includes daily specials and an everyday special of a combination of 1lb shrimp, 1lb claws, 1lb mussels, 1lb crawfish or 1/2lb snow crab PLUS potatoes, rice, or fries for $29! I would recommend The Crab Pad if you’re looking to indulge in a variety of shellfish.
Lowcountry
South Loop: 1132 S Wabash Ave, Chicago, IL 60605
Lakeview: 3343 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60657
Seafood boils are a childhood tradition for Hompluem, whose family traveled to New Orleans every summer for the crawfish, crabs and shrimp. The lowcountry boil — also known as Frogmore Stew, a Beaufort boil or a tidewater boil — tends to be slightly milder that its spicier cousins, but it still has strong ties to Caribbean, African, New Orleans and Cajun cuisine. Lowcountry provides a comfortable and backyard-like environment. Aside from the traditional order of King Crab or Snow Crab, you can order combos or the traditional Cajun-style bags where you get to pick the protein, sauce, heat level, and sides!
Shaw’s Crab House
21 E Hubbard St, Chicago, IL 60611
Shaw’s Crab House in Chicago specializes in classic American Seafood as well as contemporary, globally influenced offerings. The restaurant offers Alaskan Red King Crab Legs, Maryland Style Crab Cakes, and more than 20 fresh fish and seafood selections. The menu at this restaurant includes a $100 per person 3-course Crab dinner featuring Shaw’s classics. The dinner comes with a Caesar salad, 1 ¼ lb of Alaskan Red King Crab (served with drawn butter and lemon) with creamed spinach and mashed potatoes, and a chocolate layer cake. But if you don’t want a 3-course commitment, they have season crab ranging from $34 crab cake platter to the $85 1 ¼ lb Jumbo Alaskan king crab legs.
Featured Image Credit by Roslizan Nordin from Pixabay