GT Fish & Oyster

Went with a group of friends for the last night of Chicago restaurant week and super disappointed by the service/​front desk staff.
We had a 7:45 reservation, weren’t seated til 8:15 and I had to ask for status 3x before someone gave me some generic excuse for why people were being seated before us even though our whole party was there on time (all 4 of us!)
My friend was disappointed with his cocktail, it was half full but full priced. The tuna poke saved the meal but really disappointed by how rude the staff was in getting us seated on time or even apologizing. So what is usually a 5 star place for me has been downgraded bc of how poorly the front of the house handled peak dinner time — act like you’ve been here before guys.

Friends and I went for restaurant week, and the meal was very filing and delicious. We also got some oysters, and they were unbelievably fresh !

I am planning on going back to GT Fish & Oyster just so that I can (hopefully!) update this review.
A friend and I met for Friday lunch for Chicago restaurant week and ordered off of that menu. We had a reservation for two, but it was pretty unnecessary as others just walked in. Ambiance is fantastic, and it’s not too loud in here (even when modestly crowded) that you can’t hear your friend speak. Service was solid, although they kept splashing a bit of water everywhere when refilling our glasses…
On the table (we shared everything so that we could taste it all!)
–Clam chowder
–Seared tuna salad
–grilled mahi mahi with Chinese black rice, boy choy salad, peanut-​ginger sauce
–Oyster po-​boy roll with kimchi
–Chocolate caramel cake with salted caramel ice cream
–Key lime pie with gin and tonic sorbet
The regrettable:
–Limp salad… Really could have done without this dish. Four thin slices of seared tuna, some eggs, red potatoes, and a mound of limp salad. No.
–While the two pieces of mahi mahi were fine, there was zero flavor (literally zero salt) in the sauce. We really couldn’t figure out what they were trying to do with this one — Asian fusion without the flavor?
–The salted caramel ice cream was RIDICULOUSLY salty, even when coupled with the (deliciously dark) chocolate cake.
The great:
–Clam chowder was tasty, the right temperature, and the perfect size for an appetizer.
–The oyster po boy!
–The key lime pie was EXCELLENT! While we didn’t think the sorbet really went with the pie, both were separately delicious.
Honestly, the key lime pie was the highlight of the meal.
Until next time!

I’m writing GT Fish & Oyster a review based on my experience during restaurant week.
I had been meaning to come here for a while now, so my friend and I finally snagged a late lunch here during RW. We had a 2:00 pm reservation, and the restaurant was starting to clear out a bit. The space felt very polished– tons of natural light and plenty of tables and seats at the bar.
I started with the clam chowder, which came in a cute little glass container with a side of oyster crackers (that are made in house!). The chowder was chocked full of clams (and no grit– YES!!), potatoes, celery, and bacon. The crackers were a tad on the salty side, but provided nice body when added to the chowder. Also appreciated that the cream base wasn’t too rich. It was a hearty and satisfying dish.
I then ordered the mahi mahi for my entrée. It came with black rice and a sliced pickled bok choy salad and a peanut curry sauce. The black rice was decent, although it didn’t hold together and seemed slightly watery. The bok choy salad was good; it was more of an asian inspired slaw with a great vinaigrette. The sauce was also tasty and paired nicely with the rice and veggies. My mahi mahi was definitely overcooked, but at least it had a nice looking sear!
For dessert, I had the chocolate caramel food cake with chocolate mousse and salted caramel ice cream. The cake and mousse combo was dense and sweet but the real star here was the salted caramel ice cream. The salted caramel flavor was concentrated; It was creamy, light, not too sweet, and tasted phenomenal. This has been (hands down) my favorite dessert of RW so far! The dessert, in my opinion, made this meal.
Service here was good. The servers were very nice and my water glass was never empty. It’s a shame that the mahi mahi was very overcooked– it could have easily been a 4.5 or 5 stars from me otherwise!

We had a delightful Restaurant Week 2016 lunch here (3 courses, $ 22 pp) and it was a great way to try another new place for us. I’ve also always liked dining in this area as it is easy and convenient to get to from I-​90 and I always find nearby street parking, albeit for $ 4 per hour. We tried and shared both of the two RW lunch offerings, so we pretty much got a taste of everything. Wife had clam chowder, mahi mahi, and the chocolate caramel cake/​mousse. I had the seared tuna salad, oyster po’ boy, and key lime pie. We dined in the inside dining room (away from entrance and bar) and found it quite nice and cozy and with ample table spacing. The space is not that large but is trendy and vibrant and noise level can get let’s say energetic. Service was friendly, knowledgeable, and efficient and I really liked the water guy keeping my glass filled. I also really liked our server proactively asking me if I wanted a soup spoon once she noted that we might like to share our courses. As far as the food — wow, really nice on the flavors, textures, and presentation. Clam chowder was hearty, though a little on salty side to me. The seared tuna salad was delightful, and beautifully presented — I’ve never seen seared tuna that looked like thin colorful grapefruit slices, having a bit of sheen or glaze to it. The mahi mahi with Chinese black rice was the best main, and with a nice curry sauce, was again beautiful to look at, and eat. The oyster po’ boy was ok, with 2 fried oyster pieces, sandwiched within warm grilled and buttered bread, and with a nice and unique kim chee kick. Of all the goodies though, it turned out the outing’s highlight was actually the wife’s chocolate caramel devil’s food cake/​chocolate mouse concoction. That chocolate dessert was likely the nicest tasting and delectable dessert we’ve ever had, and I mean ever — it was sooo good that that is what runs through your mind as you are absorbing the flavors and textures. The key lime pie was decent and also unique with a raspberry/​vanilla meringue topping and gin-​and-​tonic sorbet, but paled in comparison. To do the chocolate dessert justice, the actual menu description is: chocolate caramel devil’s food cake, chocolate mousse, salted caramel ice cream, orange, cacao nib tuile. I happened to look at their website and the pastry chef’s name/​bio was shown and it is Andrea Bonitatibus. All I can say is — if you ever see her name somewhere, don’t forget to order a dessert! Anyway, I noticed I used the word liked a lot in this review. I guess that has to make it a 5 star review!

Finally made it here for restaurant week, and glad I did. Started with a delicious lightly seared tuna salad with delicious dressing and a great mix of olives, eggs, butter lettuce and tuna. Entrée was either a po’boy or mahi mahi. My friends said the po’boy was delicious and it came with yummy onion strings. The mahi mahi was good, but I found the fish to be slightly overcooked. However, it came with black rice (my fav), the most delicious pickled veggies and some sauce that was delicious.
The star of the show for me was dessert. My friends got to chocolate, carmel dessert, which was good, but I’m not a chocolate person. I got the key lime pie and you have to try it! The pie was so fresh and delicious, with the most perfect crust. The kicker is that it comes with a gin & tonic sorbet, that tasted like a gin & tonic, alcohol and everything. It was the perfect partner for my key lime pie.
Service was wonderful, and the ambiance was fun and young and trendy. Overall, a great meal and I’ll have to come back for sure!

My boyfriend and I went here for Restaurant Week tonight and I’m glad we did! Overall, the ambience was welcoming. The tables were spread out enough that we could hear each other talk, but not so quiet that it was uncomfortable. Flavor-​wise, there were a lot of Asian flavors in the dishes we got and a spicy kick to many of the dishes as well! Each table has the two GT bottled hot sauces to add even more heat to your meal. We tried both and they were both great!
We started with the Tuna Poke and Shrimp Bruschetta. The tuna poke was nice and light with the mango adding a fresh fruity taste that paired well with the tuna. The shrimp bruschetta had a great crunch with three fresh shrimp on top.
Next, we both had the clam chowder, which came with house-​made oyster crackers. It was the perfect soup for a cold day. The bacon added a unique saltiness to the chowder that’s unusual compared to other clam chowders we’ve had before.
For the third course, my boyfriend ordered the oyster po’boy and I had the mahi mahi special with Chinese black rice and bok choy and peanut salad. The fried oyster po’boy came on a delicious thick toasted bread and was topped with kimchi. Would definitely recommend this for someone who likes the pickled taste of kimchi who isn’t afraid of spice. The mahi mahi was cooked perfectly with a great sear and the salad was a great pairing to add some crunch and spice to the fish.
Finally, for dessert, we both had the chocolate caramel dessert, with devil’s food cake, salted caramel ice cream, orange, and a cacao nib tuile. The dessert had a little bit of everything– crunch, chocolate, fruit, sweet from the chocolate and salty from the ice cream. Delicious! The only part that wasn’t excellent was the tuile, which was a bit hard to chew/​bite into and got stuck in our teeth more than anything else.
Overall, it was a great dining experience. I think it should be noted that this restaurant menu is meant to be a shared plates concept, but some of the plates are hard to share. For example, the bruschetta only came with one long piece of toast so to share it, my boyfriend had to eat half and then give me the other half. Also, the service was a bit slow. We both ordered iced tea and we spent two courses with empty glasses waiting for refills. But we will definitely be back to try other menu items in the future!

This place was recommended by a friend who lives here (I’m from Texas). Exactly what we were looking for! Lively bar area with ample table seating for the singles to mix it up. The bar itself was a good size and another dozen or so tables around it. There was also plenty of more traditional seating for friends and couples wanting a quieter ambiance. Those tables were kind of behind a wall.
The wait staff was spot on and the food AMAZING! Our waiter, Scott, kept us laughing all night. He never missed a beat recommending or explaining a dish. The plates are more akin to tapas plates rather than something you still order only one of. It means you get to experience a good deal of the menu which is superb. I highly recommend the octopus and sole. We finished off with a key lime pie that was devine!
For those who like «pretty» food, this place will not disappoint. The overall aesthetics of each dish was beautiful and obviously thought out. Each dish had a unique plate that made serving it and viewing it even better. Well done!

My husband has wanted to try this place for so long, but I was always leery b/​c I’m not a big seafood fan — even though I know I should eat more of it! So I caved in this past Friday night, and I’m so glad I did. This place is really good. Good enough that my husband asked again on Monday if we could go there for lunch. I vetoed b/​c who wanted to venture out in 0 degree weather — even for delicious clam chowder!
We ordered an assortment of items — starting with the cold sunfish ceviche and shrimp bruschetta. Both were really good and accompanied by delicious sauces. GT also has two hot sauces on each table that we tried and loved. Who can deny adding a little kick to dishes?
We then shared a clam chowder. I had never had clam chowder before so we split one of them. I soooo wish we got two b/​c it was that good. The mix of bacon and chowder was delicious. Lastly, we had the octopus and fish tacos. Our waitress told us that the tacos were only three so we gladly added a fourth so we were even. It was really nice of her to forewarn us. Again — both dishes were really good.
It was recommended that for two people, we should get 5 – 6 dishes, but we wanted our sixth dish to be dessert. We tried the carrot cake. I must admit that it was not my favorite — in comparison to the other small plates we had. When we go back, I would skip the dessert and just get another clam chowder or try something else. I’m not saying the carrot cake was bad, but I liked the other dishes much better.
As for atmosphere and service — both were really good. I loved the inside of GT and while it wasn’t completely packed, it was crowded, and I could actually hear what my server and husband were saying throughout the meal! Something that isn’t always true at many places these days. Our waitress was also very attentive and always checking on us.
If I had to say there was a lesser appealing feature of the evening, it would be the drinks. We got the Waitlist, On the Up and Up and Banana Hammock and none of them blew me away. Just nothing that had me wanting to order another one of either. I will stick with wine next time.
Overall — a great place that I will be back to in the near future. So many more items on the menu to try!

Gem!!! Me and my husband come out to Chicago 4 times a year and we never miss going to this place. This restaurants design is just absolutely beautiful. The Thought out process of the entrance and everything with in the set up is just charming! We walked over for brunch this time and deff enjoyed ourselves… We started with some fresh oysters then moved on to the reason why we come here… deep fried oyster sliders so yummy! We also split the truffle burger and lobster roll! But whatever you do save room for desert. It’s one of the best chocolate cakes I have ever had…

Whenever I see the word «Fish» or «Oyster» in a restaurant name, I immediately think it’s going to be a casual fish market type restaurant that smells of seafood and isn’t chic. However, GT Fish & Oyster is surprisingly chic with a classy atmosphere inside. The interior is great and is a perfect spot for a date.
We got to the restaurant 30 minutes before our reservation time, so we sat at the bar and ordered wine. It was nice to relax at their bar and see some of the plates leaving the kitchen, which enticed us on what to order.
Once we were seated, it took a while for our waiter to come over. Actually, throughout the entire night, our waiter spent more time chatting with one of his tables (my guess is that it was his friends) than tending to our drink requests and food orders. We had to flag other waiters down to get attention because our waiter was not into our table whatsoever.
We started with two Oyster Po-​Boy Sliders, one for my fiancé and one for myself. The sliders were out of this world delicious! The mildly crunchy oysters had so much flavor and really worked well with the kimchi and soft bun. If it weren’t for us wanting to try other options, we would have ordered more.
For my entrée, I ordered the Sole dish and was not impressed at all. The portion size wouldn’t have filled up a 10 year old. It was a very delicate plate which left much to the imagination. I wouldn’t recommend anyone to try this unless they are interested in a first course tasting.
My fiancé ordered the Lobster Roll and it was good. I can’t say it was the best I’ve had, but it didn’t disappoint.
We ordered a side of Lobster Mac and Cheese and I can most definitely say that I’ve had better, at many other restaurants. I like to order mac and cheese at any restaurant I go to because it’s fun to try different versions of it; however, this mac and cheese reminded me more of a bland pasta dish.
I was still hungry after all of that, so we ordered two fish tacos to share. The fish tacos were amazing! The fish was extremely moist and it had a nice crunch with the bread crumbles on the top of the tacos. I highly recommend them!
Overall, the service needs improvement and the Sole should be listed as a small plate. Other than that, it was a good choice.

Everything was to perfection: from the service to each plate we had a pleasure to try. Oysters were fabulous! Both, my husband and I loved it. They turned him into oyster lover now ;) No more words needed.

Best gnocchi of my life. But really. I came here with a friend, and although the waiter suggested that we each order two or three plates, we ordered three altogether and had leftovers! The portion sizes really seem to vary, though, so our experience could certainly have been different if we had chosen other items.
Our three choices were the aforementioned gnocchi, which was absolutely delicious but a tiny portion (it did come with four mussels, though), the shrimp bruschetta, which came as three relatively small pieces, and the mussels, which came in a giant portion! The mussels were also accompanied with delicious bread, and our waiter offered to bring more when he realized that we had finished it.
The service was excellent, too. Definitely planning to come back and actually try their namesake oysters! The only reason I didn’t give them five stars was because of the inconsistent portion sizes.

Came here for brunch around noon on a Sunday and was pleasantly surprised to find no wait. I got the duck chilaquiles (I know, it’s a seafood restaurant, but I couldn’t resist), which I thoroughly enjoyed– I loved how the herb mix that topped the dish balanced out the saltiness of the duck confit quite well as well as how there was a nice crisp to the tortilla strips. However, while a very well executed dish, there wasn’t much else that stood out about the dish; the flavors came together in a very standard, predictable way.
Overall, nice ambiance, great service, and very solid food.

WTF … Excuse my language, but this place is stellar!
*places hand on chest* I don’t know where to start.
First, let me say the staff is friggin amazing! You have to use the bathroom and there’s a line no problem the guy walked me down the stairs to the private bathrooms. You don’t have reservations no problem we will call you at the time of your reservation to remind you. Product knowledge — everyone that works there from the bus boys, bartenders on down to the newer waitresses knows exactly what they are getting into. They can advise you like a pro so listen to them.
Second, yeah this place is a bit pricey, but it tastes like it. You are buying the experience — the food, the service and the cleanliness. You’ve eaten at places before for a cheaper rate and your food was okay, but your stomach wasn’t this place isn’t that one so — no worries! It’s comparable to other places that serve seafood, but tastes so much better.
Third, the food. The food… The darn good food is so *bites fist* good. The oysters, the drinks, the sandwiches — well the menu in general is your oyster. Ha ha ha
This is a good place to …
— to eat amazing octopus!
— bring a date
— to sit at the bar alone and snack after a long day
— to impress your out of town friends and family
— to listen to music and eat great food with friends
— to order to assure yourself that you’ve worked hard and deserve a d*mn good meal.
Enjoy!
You will see me there and I will probably have a fork in my hand and a smile on my face! *cheers*

After an amazing meal at nico osteria, I was skeptical of going to another top rated seafood place, but we are adventurers and had to come to GT Oyster to see what everyone was raving about.
And boy was I so impressed after we left.
Drinks: the wait list (vodka and elderflower, bitters)
Sailor mouth: rum, aperol, almond and citrus
Drinks were ok, not fantastic, but the boy liked his a lot (sailor mouth)
Menu:
Half dozen oysters: so so so incredibly fresh. Some were briny and others were just a touch of that taste. I loved each and every bite of these!
Smoked platter: oh do we love our smoked foods. This platter was good, but we were completely impressed. There were amazing components and those that weren’t so delicious.
Octopus: how do you top off octopus at nico? You go to GT! Savory, soft, crispy, delightful. I wish I could describe it more, but can’t quite remember what ingredients were in it (this was several months ago!)
Gnocchi: this was untraditional gnocchi that was spectacular. It was almost like pasta buns garnished with accompaniments but it was tender and savory. I would definitely venture to say that this is a must try!
Fish and chips: and since we were still hungry, we sprouted for the fish and chips which were really quite good! Not too breaded and not too oily. The chips were thick so they weren’t my favorite, but they were well-​crisped on the outside. The fish was flakey and well-​seasoned and wasn’t at all dry. Such fresh fish was used to make this dish!
Overall, we were so pleased with this place and once I return to Chicago, this is definitely on top of my list of places at which to dine!

Absolutely wonderful food. The most tender octopus ever. Eggplant was incredible. Great place for a drink and seafood. The mussels were also great.
The service is top notch. Great staff.
Very well run.

I’m embarrassed to say that GT has been in my bookmarks to try for more than a year! Finally, when my mom came to town last week, I had the foresight to book a weeknight reservation so we could finally check the box.
But now I want to come back and check more boxes here. We both loved it.
I’ll admit, I was a little skeptical of the menu at first («this is it?») but it’s obviously meant to be a seafood place and believe me, they know what they’re doing. The waiter recommended 3 – 4 plates per person for dinner, and they can easily be shared. We factored our oyster orders into that number and ended up with: ½ dozen oysters, «deviled» egg, shrimp bruschetta, tuna poke, fish tacos, lobster Mac n cheese, clam chowder, and a dessert to boot.
Oysters, deviled egg (without the liquor), shrimp bruschetta, and fish tacos were the highlights for me by far. My mom couldn’t stop raving about the poke. She said she may even stick to the cold side of the menu if we came again, while I would definitely need to try more of the hot side before I could make that decision.
I’m not sure what our total was (thanks mom!) but the food and service was well deserving of whatever we paid. I can’t wait to come back!

Stumbled upon what seemed to be one of the best restaurants in Chicago!
Loved the first visit so much that instead of journeying to other restaurants on my short visit, I came back the very next day! I normally dislike clam chowder, but this place was hands down the best – tasted even better than the one in Fisherman’s Outlet in San Francisco.
Oysters are fresh beyond belief too. I would definitely come back here when I am in town again.

Our party of 14 made a reservation and were seated at the wooden boomerang table near the entrance. Good call, GT, as certain members of our party were very rowdy compared to other patrons. Seems like there is a variety of seating areas ranging from casual (bar, front of restaurant) to more intimate (back of restaurant).
FOOD — what I liked:
–Oysters. At $ 3, they are definitely on the expensive side, but I like the variety. Conversely, it also felt overwhelming. Regardless, how can you not have oysters at a place that has «oyster» in its name? I just picked the three largest oysters ’cause size matters… ha.
–Fish and chips. I usually stay away from fish and chips, because «chips» sound so cool but then I remember it’s just French fries. I have to say — best fish and chips I’ve ever had. Everything is fried, obviously, but it tastes so light. Oh, and the tartar sauce is bomb.
–Maine lobster roll at MP — $ 30 in July 2015. Pricey but worth. I think what GT does well is they keep things simple. Their items are not overdressed, and you taste quality seafood at face value. It comes with pickled shallots and cauliflower, which is interesting.
FOOD — pass:
–Fish tacos. Contrary to what another Unilocaler mentioned, their fish tacos are NOT better than fish tacos in San Diego. Lies… don’t go to the Midwest for fish tacos.
–Oyster poboy sliders. I love me some oyster poboy, but I didn’t like their Asian fusion twist with kimchi. Felt like the kimchi overpowered the light and deliciously fried oysters.
DESSERT (Their pastry game is strong thanks to their pastry chef. Seriously, if anything, come for their dessert.):
–The Vacherin. Green tea ice cream with strawberry compote and wafers was mind-​blowing.
–Gin and tonic sorbet. My cousin, who is dairy-​free, loves gin and tonics. He got the gin and tonic sorbet and absolutely loved it. It tastes exactly like gin and tonic.
Side note: I really feel I can start a business making strictly alcoholic ice creams and sorbets. However, is it not a thing because alcohol freezes differently? Gimme a shoutout if you are a chemist. *mic drop