Half Shell

The most disgusting oysters I have ever had in my lifetime. Maybe to Chicago seafood standards this place serves «food,» but where I come from, it would be considered «drek.» Inedible. Avoid. Hours later, I can’t get the nasty taste to go away. Dreading what tomorrow may bring. Thanks, Unilocalers!

Half shell is seriously a hidden gem in the city! It’s very unassuming, so you could miss it when you walk by it. I don’t expect restaurants in Chicago to serve giant Alaskan crab legs, but Half Shell definitely delivers! The Alaskan crab leg dinner is to die for! You get about 5 – 6 giant crab legs and underneath is a pile of salty fries. Oh so good. Not to mention a couple of pieces of toast that you can dip in the warm butter. The oysters are excellent as well. My husband and I like to sit outside and feast in the summer. They continue to raise the prices, but we keep coming back. Service is always great and friendly. This place has been here since the 1960’s, do you know it’s worth trying. I’m excited to go back this summer for some awesome seafood!

Rude, rude, rude. Got up and walked out after terrible hospitality. I can get better seafood, with a better attitude elsewhere. Pass.

Best seafood I’ve ever had, even when comparing it to a year of eating in Boston! No one beats their Lobster bisque! King crab, lobster, clam chowder, etc were all delicious. Prices are also extremely cheap for the quality of food you’re getting. Best seafood bang for your buck in town!
Beware: Cash only, pretty dingy bare bones type place in a building’s basement. Kinda makeshift… like they’ve got a bathtub in the bathroom, but whatever, makes it charming. Remarkably delicious!

it was a nice day out so we sat out side, this place does not take reservations so its first come first serve. I had the crab cakes they were really good. I also tried the calamari which was pretty good

Good value, food was fresh and good, not too crowded and no wait for seats! Got the king crab leg appetizer, clam crowder, raw oysters and clams, calamari, crab cakes, cold shrimps and mussels.
The legs, chowder, raw clams, calamari and mussels were very good. The oysters were a bit too fishy and sandy and the crab cakes were not the best (especially after having shaws the weekend before), but the price is very low so i didn’t mind. You do get a lot of food for a pretty good price.

Pretty pricey and from what I remember I didn’t get much bang for my buck.
Came here on a winter day and it was pretty low key. Parking is tough and it’s pay to park if you end up getting lucky. It’s buried in the corner and way underneath like a garden apartment. It’s small so when it gets packed it can be pretty crowded.
Service was okay. What I like most is they have great deals on pitchers and they give you huge pitchers of beer.
It’s cash only and it can be over 100.00 if you’re eating with another party and you’re getting crab legs. Can’t do separate checks/​split in half. The crab legs were good but not much meat. It does taste fresh and is quality I just hate doing so much work for hardly any crab meat.
They give you a plate of legs, fries and comes with a lollipop. Pretty random, I can do without the lolli.
If you’re a fan of seafood and vintage you should make it your life’s mission to at least try it once. It’s pretty old school and has been around since the 70s-​very cool ambiance.

You can’t go wrong with crab legs and this place is a hole in the wall very small but so worth the wait. Cash only place… can’t wait for my next trip to Chicago

Best crab I’ve ever had in the city (if it’s too far for you to go to Bob Chin’s Crab House at Wheeling).
ALSO, the WORST SERVICE I’ve ever had in my life… I took a star off because of the not that satisfying service.
We ordered grilled swordfish and the king crab legs+snow crab combo. We waited more than 30 mins before the food was served… While we checked with the server about food, he was really impatient and rude.
However, I have to admit that the food was worth the waiting. But my recommendation is that skip the combo and just order the king crab legs. Because although the crab meat taste really good, snow crab has really thin legs and the meat you get from it is not worth the effort of taking the meat out of it…
Will come back to try the oyster. Hopefully we will get better service next time.
btw, it’s CASH ONLY…

The mussels and clam chowder were incredible. The weather was warm enough to eat outside, which was really nice, but I think eating inside would be really cramped. Not many non-​fried options. The prices were very reasonable.

If you just want some good seafood without the hassle of getting all dressed up, or paying an arm and a leg, then this is the place. It’s a dive bar with awesome seafood for cheaps. We ordered king crab legs, soft shell crabs, and a salad for two people. It was more than enough. The portions were big for seafood. We had five beers. Our bill was about $ 110 total. The bartender Al was quick and friendly. Before we left, he gave us each a free shot. I would definitely come back.

I’ve been here twice (only, sadly) and I can definitely say I’m a fan! The restaurant itself is pretty small, but the seafood is as fresh as it can get.
I was here the first time I visited Chicago. Slightly disappointed after trying some steak (at a different restaurant) that is supposed to be so good in Chi-​town, we decided to indulge in some king crab and snow crab special here. The crab legs slip right out of the shell (fresh-​alert!) and the melted butter makes everything perfect. Tried the crab cakes and fried fish baskets as well, but if you’re on a budget, I would recommend skipping those and going straight for the fresh seafood.
This place had such a good impression on me that when I visited the University of Notre Dame a year later, I just had to drive back to Chicago from Indiana to eat at the Half Shell. Didn’t disappoint the second time around – I’ll be back!
The atmosphere is super laid-​back with dim lights and loud customers at the bar. Wouldn’t recommend for a large meeting group because it can get pretty loud in there, but great for casual meals.

FOOD: 3 stars
king crab (real real good) & snow crab special
ATMOSPHERE: 2 stars
ate inside, it’s a dive
SERVICE: Ate at the bar. I was so uncomfortable with how the owner (?)/​bartender was treating certain customers that I had trouble carrying on a conversation with husband. Owner (?) was rude to us when we got there, but perked up after we sat at bar and checked up on us frequently. This, while treating 2 other groups of customers so poorly that I felt like I was going to crawl out of my skin. So… Zero (maybe negative 10) Unilocal stars for that. King crab was good, but I can’t imagine going back.
If you do decide to go…
BE SURE NOT TO MISS: The thoughtfully decorated tub in the women’s bathroom.

The food is great. We had the lobster bisque, oysters and the king and snow crab legs. The portions were generous, the price point is very fair, and it was a fun experience. No reservations and cash only as tips.

Celebrated my brothers birthday here.
Nothing fancy — the quality of the food is why you come. I love the old school character to it, it’s CASH only.
Bartender is friendly and takes good care of you!

I Was lured in by the Crab legs deal I had heard about from another Crab Leg addict (I’m seriously addicted to crab legs !) So my boyfriend and I decided to give it a try .
Bad Decision !
The staff is sooo rude here ! The older guy behind the bar (owner maybe) was not very inviting and I felt like cattle being herded in. They also have a no hat policy? REALLY? This isn’t exactly a fine dining establishment. Judging by others reviews I cant help but think they do it to keep the urban crowd out .I cant believe I read that they asked a diner to remove his turban he wears for religious purposes? YIKES ! My boyfriend had bed head and that’s why he wore his cap but we both didn’t get it .Its a dingy basement DIVE bar /​restaurant for gods sake.
Servers act like order takers and never crack a smile or engage in conversation. We watched our young male server play with (maybe his) baby that someone brought in while we had to get up and ask him (or anyone else we could find) for anything and then he had the nerve to act bothered ?!! Oh sorry dude, didnt know it was bring your baby to work day, sorry for intruding on your father /​baby bonding time GTFOH !!
The Crab legs were delicious, I cant deny that. But I just cant see myself coming here again based on the crappy service and treatment of customers
Needless to say my boyfriend and I ended up getting into a fight with each other on the way out because we somehow felt the need to take our anger out on someone and he was especially pissed that he spent that much for such shitty service and was still nice enough to tip.

This place is the cats meow. First off, GET THE ALASKAN KING CRAB LEGS and the tiedye lollipops are bomb. And then, it’s good to know that you could probably wear a sweatsuit here– it’s nothing fancy but phenomenal service. The people are so nice. Absolutely loved the calamari & the oysters the fried jumbo shrimp was good but not a deal breaker… if you’re looking for a hole in the wall /​/​bomb ass seafood place then you should come here!
In my opinion, you would come here after a long day of being a tourist and trying to chill. They have TV’s and you don’t have to talk to anyone you don’t want to. It’s not a full bar.

Iconic Chicago dive bar putting out hella-​fresh seafood minus the more oft seen Crook County jacked up prices. Old school, no reservations, cash only. Somehow, sans hostess, these gents manage to keep pretty good track of their guests, and get you seated as soon as something in their cramped dungeon opens up. A half dozen Blue points and the $ 29 King Crab/​Snow Crab combo is a no-​brainer. Paired with a $ 16 pitcher of Lagunitas, my friend, the shitty drive from the ‘burbs makes this fish-​filled dank basement all worthwhile. Sweet home Chicago.

New favorite neighborhood spot!
TIP: CASH ONLY, sketchy ATM within the restaurant that didn’t withdraw the money requested and caused my friend a headache of a mess to bc he had to explain the situation to his bank. SO, just go to the Chase ATM at the Walgreens around the corner.
Half Shell is a rare gem of a spot in Lincoln Park/​Lakeview that serves up fresh seafood without breaking the bank. My friend and I showed up at Saturday opening time at exactly noon but saw none of the outside tables were set up so we killed time around the nearby stores until 12:15. We grew impatient and walked into the bar where they told us that outside dining wasn’t available yet. It was a beauuutiful day in Chicago, but we were hungry so we opted to sit in rather gloomy interior of Half Shell. (Couple minutes later they started offering patio seating, boo). I think if we had sat outside, my review would have been a 5 star, but the ambiance inside was depressing at the hour we went.
But obviously, you come to Half Shell for the seafood, so let me break it down for you: AH-​maxing.
Six Blue Point Oysters for $ 8.70 — not the meatiest, but fresh and a great appetizer
Clam Chowder — hearty and hit the spot! Would definitely order again
Snow and King Crab Special for $ 32 — comes with fries, random veggies and toast
The crab legs were top-​knotch quality and when paired with their butter sauce… magical! My roommate and I were rolling our eyes in utter satisfaction
All this food was more than enough to split for two hungry girls and we had no complaints (minus no outside seating)! We are definitely Half Shell fans and I would recommend this to anyone in Chicago who wants delicious, fresh seafood without having to pay the $$$ price that usually accompanies it.

Once upon a time, I had a seat at the chef’s table at NEXT. My date and I lucked out on tickets last minute thanks to a connection of a connection. Needless to say, I was having a hoity toity time with four strangers. I prepared myself for the awkward triple date. What do you talk about whilst gorging on multicourse fancifulness? More food. One fellow raved about Half Shell exclaiming how much he adored the oysters and for the value, he could spend all day feasting through their menu. Since then, my Half Shell bookmark was sitting there collecting dust…’til now.
Oysters– is this the kind of stale, sad tasteless stuff usually reserved for $ 1 oyster nights? Wait, [pulls out mental math calculator $ 8-​ish for six oysters ~$ 1.50] yeeeaah. I avoid shadester AYCE sushi and oyster blowout specials like the plague. I slurped one down with a touch of lemon and cocktail sauce. I could feel the frozen sadness. My mistake. I chased it down with a hefty dollop of cocktail sauce and said a prayer. I didn’t even bother to engage the rest. RIP.
The king crab legs arrive– okay, a little lackluster in taste but not bad for the price.
I love me a good value, but when it comes to seafood I just can’t bear to spend half of what I would shell out at Kinmont or GT Oyster on less-​than-​stellar options.

Destination? Far from it. Neighborhood nostalgia moreso than a hidden gem.

Went there on Saturday night. This place is small so good luck getting a table. We ate at the bar and really enjoyed the bartender. I messed up and got the catfish, which was good, but my fiancé got the king crab and snow crab combo special and it was fantastic! This place certainly lived up to its reputation as being one of the best places for crab legs! They did an awesome job! My fiancé was mad that I was taking her to a basement, dive bar, t-​shirt and jeans place. When we left she said it was one of the best meals I have bought for her.