Oyster Bah

Average at best. So many other great seafood places for the money (cold storage, etc). Pass

Wanted to love this place but the entrees fell short. I give 3 stars because 4 isn’t justified. Arriving for our reservation we were excited. Ordered two cocktails before sitting down and they were delish. At the table we ordered a bottle of wine, oysters, and the poke poke poke… All excellent. Everything up to our entrée was great– including staff, timing, etc.
For our meal I ordered the lobster roll and he ordered the snapper– per the server these were the 2 top things on the menu. Do not waste your money on the lobster roll. I believe the cost was $ 27 and I received 3 bite size pretzel buns with barely any lobster ingredients inside them. All three combined should have been one. I ate one as it came and then combined the 2 remaining lobster portions into one. The fries it came with were mediocre at best. It was a complete disappointment. When I mentioned it to the server she said, «I’ll let them know».
The snapper was good but overall the entrees didn’t meet our expectations. When spending over $ 200, I expect to be happy when I leave.
I recommend the cold portion of the menu along with the cocktails.

I had dinner with my boyfriend here the other day and it already started off on a bad note as they cancelled our reservation on Opentable even though I confirmed with them earlier in the day that we were coming in so we had to wait 10 – 15 minutes for another table.
When we finally got our table we decided to order the Poke, Poke, Poke, Fried Oysters, Wicked Calamari, Shrimp & Grits, and Crispy Fish Tacos. With the Poke, Poke, Poke it was good but we thought the portions were pretty small and it could’ve been marinated with the sauces a little more seeing as there was so much avocado in the bowls with the poke. The Fried Oysters were okay but it wasn’t anything to wow us with. If given the chance between raw oysters and fried oysters I’d honestly go for the raw oysters. The Wicked Calamari was alright as well. The breading was too flaky so it got all over and wouldn’t stick onto the calamari even though it should’ve been fried. After a while we just got tired of eating it and didn’t even finish the plate. The Shrimp & Grits were alright. I never really had grits before this and realized that we both didn’t like grits. The shrimp in the dish was average and seemed like it was frozen shrimp. The Crispy Fish Tacos were average yet again and there was nothing to rave about them. The fish in the Crispy Fish Tacos weren’t seasoned at all and tasted like nothing and the overall seasoning used on the toppings of the fish tacos was way too strong and spicy for the both of us.
So overall I really wanted to like this place but everything in this meal was just average and honestly it made us sad that we chose to eat at this place our first night back in Chicago.

Fabulous food and good service.
Crowded, very loud, and very pricey.
Clayton was an excellent server. Oysters were good. Garlic bread was ordinary. Shrimp and grits were better than I’ve ever had in New Orleans. Coconut cake was moist and light, absolutely perfect. Wine listing was very weak — good variety but few choices, I can’t even call it a wine «list.»
End result: We agreed, we’ll stick with Shaw’s, Closer to home, not as noisy, larger menu selection, and similar quality food. But if you’re a lot younger than us and enjoy the noise and crowd, give Oyster Bah a try. The food is outright fabulous.

Finally I was able to came here today, I saw this on Unilocal few months ago and i wanted to go yet the time didn’t permits me, I’m so glad I made it today. As an oyster lover you will certainly love this place. I’ve been to a lot of restaurant that have the dishes yet never had the same taste like this, for me it’s spectacular. Freshness is its utmost level and flavor is incomparable.
I got a mussels also which were great specially the one with spicy red sauce. As I asked for some dessert, the server suggested that i should try their coconut cake i i did order one, it’s pretty delicious, price is a little high but still i wanted to come back for more yum dishes.

I went to Oyster Bah on its opening night and have been back a few times since. Each time I go back seems to be better than the last.
The seafood is always fresh and prepared perfectly. They have a great oyster selection and are knowledgeable about type. You really can’t go wrong here, the staff is very friendly and accommodating.
Make sure you make your reservation early because they are often booked. Save room for the coconut cake, it is the best! I’ll be back for sure.

From the owners of Boca this great seafood spot opened across the street just a little while ago and has been the buzz.
I came here on a Thursday night and the place was packed!
We started with the chilled seafood platter. Being a midwest girl I’m not a huge fan of oysters but gave it a shot. The platter included oysters, shrimp, little neck clams, poke, stone crab and crab bites. We asked the waitress to give us a few char grilled oysters instead and she happily accommodated. I definitely enjoyed the garlicy grilled flavor the oysters had with the crunch of breadcrumbs.
For entrees we had the crispy rainbow trout and the crispy one-​sided red snapper with thai chili sauce. I wasn’t that impressed by the rainbow trout but the crispy red snapper was amazing! It took a bit for me to get the hang of fish on the bone but the flavors and heat definitely made up for my labor involved meal. The chili sauce was addictive and the crisp texture was perfect. I didn’t sense it to be greasy and the fish was flaky and moist. The french fries as a side were a great option to dip in the thai chili sauce as well.
Over all I loved the laidback vibe and fresh fish options. The hostess, manager and wait staff were all great and I would definitely be back!

What we got:
Dad: Trout Dip appetizer, Fish and Chips
Mom: Tuna Poke appetizer, shrimp cocktail app as an entrée
Me: Originally lobster roll, substituted with BBQ Peel & Eat shrimp
Dessert: Coconut cake
What was good:
–Tuna Poke was great but very small and my mother doesn’t believe in sharing
–My Peel & Eat BBQ shrimp was excellent and I thoroughly enjoy any appropriate reason to get BBQ sauce all over myself and have it be publicly acceptable
–Ambiance and décor is awesome
–In which countries is it legal to marry coconut cake?
What was meh:
–the trout dip was just weird, but maybe I’m just not a trout fan
What was bad:
–I originally ordered the lobster roll and it came out looking fine enough, but one bite set off a red siren in my head. My dad is the king of «it’s fine, just put it in your mouth and eat it» so I had him take a bite… and for probably the first time in my life, he agreed that something tasted really off — almost sour and the lobster was uncomfortably warm. I was not in the mood for digestive issues that evening and flagged down the waitress, who was awesome about it and my new order came out in record time.
–The prices are higher than Willie Nelson. Let’s break this down: I had 7 pieces of shrimp and two drinks. My dad had fish and chips, a thing of dip smaller than the size of my fist, and a beer. My mom had two drinks, 6 pieces of shrimp, and 4 chips worth of tuna poke. We all split one dessert. Before we applied our Lettuce Entertain You points, that came out to almost $ 60 a person. Unless the fish is blessed by the Pope, that seems a little insane for the amount of food we actually ate. Maybe it’s me, but this place is way over priced for what it is.
TL;DR
come on payday /​with a wealthy significant other and cry tears of joy whilst eating your coconut cake

A group of us were looking for somewhere to brunch and since we’re all from New England, decided that Oyster Bah would be a great spot. The interior is really fun and feels just like a bar on an East Coast beach. It’s nautical and fishy without being tacky. We were easily able to get a reservation at 11 on a Sunday morning and it really never got too packed or hectic. Our server was helpful and friendly. We took forever to order and he was very patient with us.
The others in my group had the bloody mary, which came with a ton of toppings like pickles and shrimp. I had the Pearl in the Park but with vodka instead of gin. My drink was delicious. It was like a fancier mimosa with a nice fruity flavor, but not too sweet. The others started with three types of oysters (not my thing) and they really enjoyed them. There’s a great selection of oysters available, I think there were 12 the day we visited, from both the East and West coast. I had the fish tacos, which were insane. You get three tacos. The fish pieces were huge and so crispy. They also had a really nice amount of meat in the middle so they weren’t all batter. It had a cabbage slaw and some kind of nice spice on it as well. My husband had the oysters benedict, which he said was delicious. My friends got the shrimp and grits and it looked awesome as well.
We had a really nice time at Oyster Bah. When it was time to pay our server helped us sign up for the Lettuce Entertain You app so we could get points on our meal. I’ll absolutely be back for food, and definitely cocktails.

Great dinner and atmosphere at Oyster Bah. Had a 7:30 reservation on a Friday night and we were promptly seated at one of the few remaining tables. By the time we ordered drinks there were many more people standing around, hoping to get downstairs to the Crab Cellar.
Our server was friendly and helpful. We took some of her recommendations and order a few smaller plates and an entrée to share:
½ dozen oysters – so fresh. I also really appreciated that on the oyster menu they include descriptions of what they have rather than just the name. Our favorites were the Island Creek ones (which comes as no surprise as they are always our go to when in Boston)
Tuna poke – so good and just the right portion. Would definitely order again.
Fried oysters – Instead of ordering more fresh oysters, we wanted to try their fried ones and I have to say, they didn’t disappoint. Not too greasy and a good size.
Red Snapper – great flavor and plenty big to share between 2 people. We opted for the rice, but it was the only thing that we were disappointed by (and why this is a 4 star review instead of 5). It wasn’t anything special, flavor-​wise, and not cooked very well. We dined at Naoki the previous week (another LEYE spot) and they should just steal their rice recipe!
Fries – because we wanted fries but opted for rice with the snapper, we got them as a side order. Though they look like regular fries, they are actually harder and crispier, kind of like kettle potato chips. Didn’t bother either of us as we were perfectly happy with them, but it’s worth noting.
Coconut cake – I am not much of a dessert nor coconut fan, but having read the rave reviews on here, I wanted to make sure we saved room for this. It did not disappoint! So so good and definitely more than enough for 2 people. It’s sweet and I don’t even want to know my caloric intake from the night, but sometimes you gotta live a little.
If you’re looking for a quieter date night, I would look elsewhere. The atmosphere at Oyster Bah was pretty loud and lively. Not so much that you’re yelling to hear your dinner mates, but not a great place to come and discuss anything serious. They also REALLY committed to the boating theme; it really is on the edge of being a little tacky. I saw some reviews on here mentioned timing and long waits in between courses, we experienced a little bit of that, but nothing too extreme.

Lettuce Entertain You continues to show that they know what they’re doing when opening new restaurants and trying out new concepts.
The atmosphere here is great and the inside reminds you of an East Coast seafood restaurant.
We had a group of 3 (including myself) and instead of everyone ordering main dishes we went with the Chilled Seafood Platter which has Oysters, Shrimp, Little Neck Clams, Stone Crab, Tuna Poke and Crab Bites.
All of these was very fresh and very good!
We also got the Kennebec Fries on the side which were great!
All-​in-​all it was a very nice evening and while I would certainly come back nothing about this place stood out as being amazing or special.
Chicago is a hard market to be a restaurant in since there are soooo many good options too choose from, but overall the Oyster Bah is another solid seafood option to add to the list.

Wanna know where I’ll be on my birthday – the one day a year my wife will take me anywhere I want to go and spend any amount of money without contest? I’ll be at Oyster Bah.
Yes, that’s how much I loved this place. I’m a bit of a seafood addict, and, in my dream life, I walk down a rock New England beach each day, meandering to lunch in my favorite seafood shack.
That’s probably not going to be my reality anytime soon, but eating at Oyster Bah sure filled that void.
We went recently on date night, wanting a good, but casual, meal. The vibe at OB – complete with kitschy seafood shack décor – really fit the bill. We’d made reservations, which I’d suggest, and were seated immediately.
I expected all of the good raw bar options: oysters, crab legs, shrimp, etc. What I hadn’t expected was the entrée listings, which were packed full of pretty much every one of my death row meals: lobster roll, fish tacos, NOLA BBQ shrimp, whole fried snapper in a Thai sauce. I could go on.
Our poor waiter, who was AMAZING, fielded a gazillion «what would you order?» questions.
We ended up with oysters – both raw and charbroiled, crab bites (OMG – can I have these instead of a birthday cake?!), tuna poke (needed a bit more spice and salt, but pretty good), clam chowder, garlic bread, fish tacos, and the whole fried snapper. Everything was insanely delicious, fresh, and plentiful.
We also had two cocktails, including The Cape – their take on a cranberry and vodka. Also delicious.
For dessert, they only have two options: coconut cake and peppermint ice cream with hot fudge. We did what any self-​loving people would do; we ordered both. WOW. You really don’t need multiple desserts when the ones you have are so gosh darn perfect.
Our bill was well over $ 250, which was a bit much for a casual night out, but what could we expect? We ordered half the menu.
We left satisfied and woke up the next day craving more. «That’s where I want to go for my birthday,» I told my wife on the way home. And that’s where you’ll find me.

My boyfriend and I came here this evening for a nice Wednesday date night. I was actually way more impressed by my second Oyster Bah food experience (tonight) in comparison to my first one. I was able to easily make a reservation for this Wednesday night dinner, but unfortunately we were running late due CTA delays. Despite our 15 minute tardiness, we were welcomed with a smile and seated right away.
The dinner started with a refreshing glass of one of their white wines. For appetizers, my boyfriend and I ordered some of the oysters the waiter recommended, and also the fried calamari. I was very pleased with the taste and quality of the oysters, just like during my first visit. The calamari had a good balance of lemon and spice to it. The portion of the calamari is also very generous, and would be fine for groups up to 4 people.
As my main dish I had the shrimp and grits, and the tomato type gravy that is used really complements the meal perfectly. I only had the shrimp and grits like 4 hours ago, but I can’t wait to have it again. My boyfriend had the bbq shrimp, and that dish was unexpectedly delicious as well. When I imagined bbq shrimp, I almost was imaging some shrimp swimming in Sweet Baby Ray’s or something. I don’t know what this bbq sauce is made of, but it is unlike any other bbq sauce I’ve ever had and I’m sure it’s homemade. My second Oyster Bah experience was wonderful in every way.

There are so many things that I like about this concept that this should have this be a 4 or 5 star review. After all, there are at least 10 different east and west coast oysters daily, a cocktail list that has a little of something for everyone, and servers who really seem to love what they do.
But after two months, they are still working out some of the «new restaurant blues» which I found surprising, given this is a Lettuce Entertain You concept and usually they nail it from day one.
But I digress. This was actually my third try to get into the Oyster Bah. On my first attempt, the hostess told us we «didn’t need a reservation but just to come before 6:30». So we did. Only to be told when we arrived at 6pm that the earliest that they could seat us would be after 10pm. And clearly she told this to others as well as the two couples in front of me had the same story at the hostess stand. And if she sends you down the basement to the «Crab shack», know that the space there is even tinier so all the people who didn’t fit upstairs are now downstairs.
On my second attempt, there was an OpenTable glitch and while I had the much needed reservation, they couldn’t find me in the System when we arrived. Hmmm…so their sister restaurant Summer House was great about getting us in.
Third time’s the charm and on this visit, the reservation went fine and we had a nice table for two, but on this visit, the kitchen pacing was off. But let’s start with the good.
Our server, Clayton, was terrific! Friendly, knowledgable, and just all around nice, he was quick to suggest some of his favorite drinks and items on the menu, which of course we followed.
My friend had «The Cape» which was a vodka based cranberry drink (with crushed ice, my fav) and I had the Nor Easter which was rye based and smooth and creamy, says a lot for the drink as I am not a huge of rye.
We ordered a range of oysters to start as well as the tuna poke and a crab cake, but this is where the timing issues started. We waited an hour (yes, I checked my watch) for the oysters to show up. We were joking that they must be out catching them or that the little buggers were putting up a huge fight about being opened. The tuna poke (super fresh) came as did our crab cake (just like Shaw’s and served with a horseradish sauce) and both were excellent but still no sign of those darn oysters. Odd given this place is called the «oyster bah».
Our server was very apologetic and ended up comping the oysters, when they did come, which was very nice.
But the next delay came in getting our entrees to come up. I ordered the trout which was delicious, split, fried in some glorious butter with crispy skin, then served with creamy potato salad and was spot on. My friend had the BBQ shrimp and just like our server warned, was «very messy». The shrimp have their shells on which means you have to peel them through the BBQ sauce, thus the mess, but hot towels and lemons were provided to clean up afterwards.
But this food, again, took a very long time to come up. So much so, by the time we left, we had been at the restaurant for almost 2 hours and 20 minutes. And while that would be okay in a fine dining restaurant with many courses, this place is all about a casual dining experience.
Also– save room, as while they only have 2 desserts on the menu, on this night, it was a coconut cake that was smooth and creamy and certainly calorie worthy!
If you drive, valet parking is available out front for $ 14. And while this is casual dining, know that the prices may be higher than what a «crab shack» might conjure up. Dinner for two with two drinks was $ 160 (the oysters had we been charged for them were another $ 18) but it’s priced right for the quality of the food and the neighborhood.
All in all, I came, I saw, I ate. But I am wondering what all the hype is about? The food is good, the place is cute, but the timing hiccups are probably going to find me heading elsewhere to get my «oyster fix» until they get those resolved.

I’ve wanted to try this restaurant since it opened plus they were participating in Restaurant Week so it was a great opportunity. Fourth LEYE restaurant in the area.
Making a reservation was very easy via
. When I had arrived, I was greeted by the hostess and seated right away. Dina M, server, had greeted me within a few minutes. She was very polite and very professional. Since I had reviewed the menu prior to my arrival, I had decided to order off of the Restaurant Week menu. Beginning with Shrimp Cocktail and then Fish n’ Chips for the entrée.
This is a smaller restaurant than most of the Lettuce restaurants with a nautical ambiance. There is a small bar area. The dining area has various size of tables. A little cozy.
My appetizer was delivered — no complaints. After the appetizer, the food runner had delivered the main entrée. The entrée was just the right size and delicious. Meanwhile, Dina would check in with me without being intrusive.
Great service! I did save room for dessert. I had ordered the Peppermint Ice Cream with Hot Chocolate Syrup on the side — excellent.
My entire experience was excellent. I would highly recommend this restaurant and Dina M for service.

We dined at the bar last night and had a really great time! I’ve been super excited to check this place out and I’m so glad we did. The restaurant itself is small, decked out in a nautical theme. You feel like you’re on the East Coast instantly. They did a really nice job with the interior.
The cocktail list is small, but filled with great selections. Try the Fish House Punch! The wine list is ample as well.
We started out with some Stone Crab (of course) and then moved on to the Ceviche which had amazing flavor and a bit of a kick to it. I should have ordered a second one!
Next we ordered the New England Stuffies. I have never had these before and they were so flavorful! I’ve been a fan of Shaws for years and we always order the King Crab Bites, so we had to get some of those to nosh on. Always amazing. We ordered the Lobster Roll to share after that, and it came with their house made fries. The Lobster meat was tender and perfect, and the brioche roll was delightful. These house made fries were just so good too, and they go through quite an interestingly long process. We also ordered the Broccoli side, made with garlic, parmesan and chili. Order this… it’s SO good!
Luke helped us out at the bar and was great to chat with the whole time. He clearly loves the food and his job. He knew the menu really well and knew all sorts of fun facts about the dishes.
A+! You can’t go wrong with Lettuce. I can’t wait to bring more friends here.

Swordfish Schnitzel Bah!
Doesn’t have quite the same ring to it.
On a mid-​December Tuesday evening, I found myself seated downstairs in the nearly empty Crab Shack (Cellar) which, with its red-​n-​white picnic table cloths, mismatched chairs and black-​and-​nautical themed shortie bar, was acceptable enough in itself. Where it went awry for me… was the «just my imagination… runnin’ away with me» and «every-​body plays the fool…» I’m a fan of Motown but it just didn’t seem to fit the scene.
Something else was off: timing.
Soup came out quickly — the clam chowdah was good, as compared to my other experiences with the Lettuce Entertain You Ent (LEYE) restaurants, and it tasted as expected.
Then what? The Swordfish Schnitzel chef must’ve been overwhelmed. The waiter explained «it’s the same kitchen as upstairs,» (where it was bustling) but this server too, timing-​wise, seemed uneven: pregnant pauses, an air of formality in a casual setting… the service just felt «off.»
As a fan of LEYE overall, I’m happy to return and to try again. The schnitzel and accompanying potato salad was good, as expected, (& hey, coming from Christkindl Market & nabbing a tasty fish schnitzel, how fitting) even if the service/​pacing/​music downstairs was not exactly to my liking, I liked the menu choices.
Next time, I’ll stick to upstairs, eat oysters and enjoy the more vibrant atmosphere and hopefully a smoother dining experience.
Oysta Bah!

I saw they were opening a couple months ago and made a note to go. Finally had the chance to stop in this week. Started off with a dozen of the oysters. I generally like west coast over east, and the Washington based oysters were by far the best. My friend had the blackened fish which I believe was actually the mahi, with the grilled asparagus.
I went with the mussels which were massive. Generally I go with a spicy red sauce with mussels but their white garlic is amazing! Our waiter suggested dessert so we went with the coconut cake which was light and moist. Overall the food was amazing, I only wish the cocktail menu was a little more developed, but I’ll definitely be back!

This was hands down such a wonderful experience from start to finish! From the ambiance, to the service, to the food, my friends and I loved everything about Oyster Bah.
We sat in the downstairs lounge area and were fretted by the world’s best server, Dina. We started with the Cape cocktails (delish!!) and ordered the stuffies right away. Dina recommended a few dishes and we ended up with bowls clam chowder, red snapper, salmon, and fish tacos. I loved my red snapper and would order it again. My friends enjoyed their dishes as well.
The lounge was an adorable spot, perfect for any occasion. I loved the «boat feel» of the space and the cozier vibe.
I can’t wait to go back to Oyster Bah… if this first experience was any indication, the next will be just as great if not better!

East coast charm to the extreme! Small inside which just adds to that cozy feeling of walking into an old, neighborhood east coast seafood joint. We were seated right away and after some recommendations on wine and food, we threw in a bunch of orders. Everything we had was amazing so I recommend it all! The oysters, crab bites, clam chowder, and poke were the apps worth getting. The snapper and the swordfish are two of their most ordered entrees– I can see why! For dessert the blueberry pie tasted like homemade. Phenomenal meal and service.
Downstairs is an even smaller space called the «crab cellar». Its a bar and a few tables and they serve a few things there if you’re hungry and can’t get a seat upstairs. Their focus down there is the king crab platter. Be sure to grab a drink at the bar from the friendly bartender, Rudy.
Will def be back!