King Crab House Chicago
King Crab House stands out for succulent crab legs, generous seafood boils, plump raw oysters shucked at the bar, and peel-and-eat shrimp regulars rave about. Its cozy, Cheers-like atmosphere works for date nights, birthdays, drinks, or casual groups, with attentive bartenders and welcoming patio service often earning praise. Crab is the safest bet, while perch and occasional overcooked or dry seafood draw criticism; prices and service handling complaints can also be inconsistent.
What 1,259 diners keep saying
verbatim, from Google
“We decided to go last minute for my brother's and nephew's birthdays and managed to get seats at the bar. The wings, jalapeño poppers and spicy shrimp were standard good, although the poppers and shrimp weren't spicy AT ALL, no kick whatsoever. We ordered the all you can eat perch and the salmon with mussels appetizer summer special. The perch was tender but very small pieces that had no real flavor, the mussels were described as bad but I didn't try them (they were exchanged for chowder) but the salmon was perfect. Lastly, the tiramisu was good too.”
“King Crab House was so good. We had a couple beers, a super refreshing cucumber martini, and finished with a key lime martini that was the perfect end to the meal. The oysters were incredible. They were fresh, plump, and had the perfect bite. The cocktail sauce was awesome too, a little sweet at first with a nice kick at the end. The complimentary warm pita was phenomenal, and the peel and eat shrimp were unreal. I seriously could’ve eaten like 35 of them. Shoutout to the bartender with the mustache. I didn’t catch his name, but he was running the entire bar by himself and absolutely crushing it. Super friendly, attentive, and made the whole experience even better. We’ll definitely be back.”
“We came for my sisters 40th birthday. The staff was amazing and the food even better. I’m so glad we were able to have this experience”
“The food was absolutely amazing ,and the staff was very attentive,”
“Just wow. It was Mother’s Day, we were traveling from Colorado and little did the staff know we had just experienced a miscarriage a few days earlier and traveling issues the day before. My oldest wanted crab and crab is not cheap but as a momma I wanted my kids to experience the best. My youngest and oldest bicker, a ton and my youngest had a meltdown that led to me having one. But the staff, esp Evelyn (our waitress), the owner (I presume) and two older gentlemen just accommodated us in ways that respected our struggle and made our experience phenomenal. There must have been an angel in our presence. The food was delicious but expensive. We ate everything. The ribs, ribeye, snow crab, fries, potatoes and broccoli were all seasoned well and yummy as heck. We tried 2/4 desserts priced wonderfully. The chocolate mousse beat the key lime pie by far. A million thanks over.”
“First time back in 10yrs + Had a lobster roll sandwich and it was delicious!”
“King Crab House advertised a meal that included calamari and a slice of key lime pie. We paid for exactly what was advertised. Instead of honoring the order, they sent us a handwritten note that said: "Sorry, the key lime pie & calamari doesn't come with the dinner anymore. ☹️" Seriously? That's not how restaurants work. You don't get to change what's included after the customer has already paid. If you run out of something, you call the customer. You offer a substitute or a refund. You don't simply decide it "doesn't come with the dinner anymore" and keep the customer's money. By that logic, why not write, "Sorry, the crab legs don't come with the dinner anymore," or "Sorry, the filet mignon doesn't come with it anymore"? Once someone has paid, you don't get to rewrite what they purchased. The food wasn't worth defending anyway. The crab was oversteamed, the quality was mediocre, and the service has always been indifferent. This experience was simply the last straw. There are far better seafood restaurants in Chicago that actually honor the orders they accept. We won't be back.”
“Stopped in on Sunday, hit the bar. The bartender I believe her name was Margaret was amazing, very attentive, super cool. I can tell she is good at her job. 5 stars for my first time experience.”
“I tried out King Crab House on a quiet afternoon, drawn in by their raw oyster special. I was impressed by the food and service. The oysters were sizeable and shucked at the bar. Perfect for a warm day. I didn't try the other food but everyone around me seemed to enjoy what they ordered as well. John, behind the bar, was pleasant and attentive. Overall a great way to end my trip to Chicago.”
“John was phenomenal, food was amazing absolutely will come back”
“Authentic, not full of tourist, lovely service, perfect and huge dose of food. Loved it!”
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