We tried the Boston Fish Market for my birthday dinner this year, and had a pretty good experience. It was on a Wednesday and the restaurant was not busy. We were seated promptly in the formal dining room which was nicely decorated. Our semi-circular booth was spacious and comfortable. There were different sections in the restaurant that were more casual, tailored to the different tastes of the clients. Overall, food was delicious and portions were huge. I had a Boston Clam Chowder and a Gulf Grouper as the main. I would usually order a salad, but I didn't this time as each entrée came with a large plate of homemade roasted vegetables and wild rice. The Boston Clam Chowder had real pieces of clams in it. However, it was just lukewarm. My grouper looked great and tasted flavorful, but it was somewhat over-cooked (and therefore not tender), which was unfortunate. My wife had a bowl of Lobster Bisque and an order of Stuffed Flounder that had crabmeat sandwiched in the fish. She absolutely loved her choices. Our daughter had a Charbroiled Walleye and liked it too. Her only disappointment was the garlic bread being hard and dry. Our daughter and I each had a Chardonnay Stags Leap which was good, while my wife had a Virgin Mojito and truly enjoyed it. Surprisingly, the highlight of the night was the slice of tiramisu that our friendly and professional server Greg brought to me! It had a lit candle for my birthday, and Greg teamed up with two other waitresses enthusiastically sang me a happy birthday song! The tiramisu was excellent, creamy and not too sweet. I am not a dessert person but really appreciated this. I have a suggestion for the restaurant: as the portions were so large and each of us brought home half of it, it would have been nice that they make the portion 40% to 50% smaller, and lower the average price of $40 per entrée accordingly. It might help attract more customers. Just my two cents. All in all, I had a lovely birthday dinner at Boston Fish Market. Ambience was good, and service was outstanding. We will certainly return again. read more

See all

2nd time coming here. First time was two years ago and our food and experience was incredible. This time... not so good. Server Hugo wasn't the greatest. My ahi tuna was a tiny overcooked and kinda fishy. Portion was a lot of vegetables which were fine. My husband had halibut which was good, but only a couple pieces of asparagus. Last time he had potatoes and we both got green beans too. Coffee was lukewarm and tasted old When he made the reservation he said it was our anniversary. No mention of that at all either. Disappointed on this visit for the price you pay read more

I loved Boston Fish Market!!!! The restaurant was HUGE! We went on a wednesday and it was empty inside. Our service was great they brought us a free dessert for my boyfriends birthday. The bread they bring for the table is SO GOOD! We also started with the saganaki which was great but did not come with any bread, so make sure to ask for extra table bread to eat with it. I was with a big group and we all got different entrees. We had catfish, grouper, cod, octopus, lobster roll and a salad with grilled shrimp. We all loved our dishes and the potions were HUGE, we all had leftovers too. My favorite was the cod and the salad with shrimp, but they had so many other items I wanted to try so I can't wait to go back soon!!! read more

I came here traveling with a few friends to meet a group of good friends of mine who lived close by. They recommended this restaurant because they felt it would accommodate my search for good food. They were absolutely correct. I started out with an old fashion at the front bar while waiting for the rest of our party to appear. It was a good decision. The depth, flavors, citruses were all there to making this an enjoyable drink. It's been awhile since I've had one this good. The service was truly that of a 5 star restaurant. Our service was friendly, considerate and attentive. There wasn't much people in the dining area. The made it better to enjoy the vibe and ambiance of the place. A little rustic you didn't think you were inland but actually close to a harbor with all the sea worthy paraphernalia. I was here as a guest of a very good friend of mine whom I knew from birth. We are the same age. She did all the ordering. And there was a ton of food. And it was all done exquisitely well. Enough left overs to last a couple days. It still tasted just as good after heating it up. Definitely would come back again if we have the chance. I would come back just for that old fashion. read more

The restaurant space is large and has plenty of seating for different sized parties. The initial service at the table was delayed, but the waiter did apologize for the wait. The food arrived pretty quickly once our order was placed. My husband enjoyed the clam chowder and his fried smelts with fries. I had the fried shrimp and calamari with fries. The calamari was cooked perfectly. Although the shrimp was large in size, I felt that the breading was a little heavy and there was not enough seasoning. The portions are generous and could possibly be shared. The menu items are moderate to high in price. read more

See all

Reservation for 4 for birthday celebrations at 6 pm. Large party seated at the same time. We must have been the "write off" table. Food finally delivered at 8 pm. We had one drink each. We weren't offered another drink besides water the entire evening. Finally left at 9 pm. This was on a Wednesday eve. Food was good but not great. Total bill $275 plus tip. Very disappointed. read more

We have passed by the Boston Fish Market in Wheeling so many times, but for some reason we were never attracted to give it a try until Yelp sent me an enticing picture of a Cioppino.  The 3-star overall rating was again not attractive.  However, as I read the Yelp reviews, I noticed that most of the reviews with lower ratings were posted before the pandemic years ago. Many of the more recent reviews gave it 4 or 5 stars.  As we are seafood-lovers, we decided to give it a try.  My husband even picked it for his birthday dinner!  I was glad that it turned out to be an excellent choice! I found that many of the complaints that Yelpers wrote years before had been corrected or improved.  I was glad that I was able to make a reservation for 3 through Opentable.  After reading fellow Yelp Elite friend Howard L.'s reviews, I requested through the reservation that we would like to sit in the formal dining room area. We went on a weekday and the restaurant was pretty quiet with only several tables being occupied, all seated in the formal dining room.  When the restaurant is busy though, the request would be necessary, as some of the rooms were pretty casual, unless that's what you want.  The host was very nice and polite, we were promptly led to a very spacious semi-circular booth, which was nice and comfortable.  The formal dining room was beautiful and had a luxurious feel without being stiff.  I felt that the upscale setting truly enhanced the dining experience. Our server, Greg, was absolutely fantastic.  He was very friendly, attentive, and professional.  Toward the end of the dinner, I reminded him that we were celebrating my husband's birthday.  He pleasantly assured me that he will bring a birthday dessert when we were done with our dinner.  When the time came, he returned with a slice of tiramisu topped with a lit candle, followed by two other servers. They cheerfully sang "Happy Birthday" to my husband, and it was such a fun moment because they were clearly enjoying themselves too. You could tell that they genuinely love their job.  I had a couple bites of the tiramisu, which was very delicious! My husband and daughter each ordered a Chardonnay Stags Leap - Napa, California ($16 each).  I wanted a non-alcoholic drink, and Greg happily made some suggestions.  He mentioned that they can turn any cocktail into a mocktail. I went with a Mojito ($10), which was not a big glass, but was one of the best that I ever had.  The subtle tartness balanced the slight sweetness very well.  I would order that again. Our daughter loves garlic bread and was looking forward to trying them at Boston Fish Market.  However, the garlic bread here was not warm, and were a bit hard and dry.  Olive oil would have helped but was not offered.  It was unfortunate that I didn't think of that until we were almost done with the entire dinner. As all dinners included homemade roasted vegetables and wild rice here, we did not order a salad.  I had a bowl of Lobster Bisque ($10.99), which had lumps of fresh lobster, that's so good.  My husband had a Boston Clam Chowder ($8.99) that had pieces of clams.  All the entrée were generously sized and came out piping hot.  I had Stuffed Flounder ($42.99) which was wonderfully prepared, with crabmeat sandwiched between two big pieces of smooth and flaky fish.  This was one of the best fish dishes that I ever had.  It was so fresh, well-seasoned, and truly outstanding.  Our daughter ordered the Charbroiled Walleye ($38.99) and was happy with her choice. There were some small bones in the fish, but she handled it just fine.  My husband had the Gulf Grouper ($39.99), which was also very fresh, though it appeared to be slightly overcooked, making the texture more compact and a bit dry.  Each of us also got a generous side dish of potatoes, roasted vegetables and wild rice.  Greg was happy to box our leftovers to take home.  The food was still good, even after being microwaved the next day! We all really enjoyed this dining experience and will definitely return to try more items from their extensive menu. I would give it 5 stars, rounding up from 4.5, since my experience was almost perfect.  I'd like to mention that they have a fish market in the front right, which is a good size market selling all kind of fresh seafood and some steaks.  We feel lucky to have Boston Fish Market so close to home. read more

See all

I've gone to their store in Des Plaines for years and always get great seafood and service at the counter. The owner is always helpful and smiling - wanting to help the customer. After trying the wheeling store twice I can say whoever manages this place is the problem. No patience and no service. Quality of food is lower probably because they don't process the fish here, Des Plaines does and ships it here. The manager here needs an adjustment. read more

The service was excellent. Our waiter made sure we had everything we needed- food and drinks came quickly. The food was cooked to perfection and very flavorful. Cioppino was the best we ever had read more

Boston Fish Market - Fried Fried East Coast Oysters and Cioppino - Seafood Markets Near Me - Wheeling, Illinois

This place was fantastic from the very start. Beautiful restaurant and even better food. The portion sizes are huge and can even be split between two people. We went at a very busy time so service was a tad bit slow but overall still a good experience. I'll definitely be coming back read more

See all

Hmm ... it really puts me at a crossroads with this restaurant. Portions are humogos one plate is enough for 2 and way to much for one. so reality is on a date night you're gonna have to share, but what if the other person doesn't like what you ordered. The food was decent. Was it worth the expensive price in my eyes no. Sure they have a variety of options of seafood. but I'm looking for a flavor and I didn't really find it here. Service was great. But I don't come for the service I come for the food... Check this place out you might like it. read more

We were a large party of 14 and they were able to accommodate us and our needs. The restaurant location is huge and roomy, with a dedicated parking lot. The fish market inside the restaurant had fresh seafood, steak, and dessert available. Wait staff efficient and courteous. We love seafood and food was just exceptional!! Cooked and seasoned to perfection in my opinion. Delicious food, which were pricey but well worth it as portions a large. Ideal for sharing. If you love fresh seafood, this is the place to go!! read more

See all

What can I say about this go to sea food restaurant that we love to visit all the time. Their food is outstanding , the sea food is always fresh and cooked perfectly. Service is always top notch and very friendly. This is a little pricey but the portions are always very big. I think we have had to always take home some food that we could not finish. Great for date night or business dinners. This should be a must on your dinner roster for sure. Also have steaks and other none seafood dishes for the guest that don't like sea food. read more

We went here for a birthday lunch. It's has a nice ambience and dining room space is very large to fit large parties. Food was excellent and large portion. The servers were attentive. Not very busy on a Sunday afternoon. read more

See all

Fantastic food! I had the New York steak strip and lobster tail. So much food! Had my first mojito too! read more

Boston Fish Market - New York strip steak and lobster tail. - Seafood Markets Near Me - Wheeling, Illinois

See all

What a HORRIBLE experience. The server Kevin was rude and obnoxious. The halibut was served cold. The soda had no fizz. The manager seemed overworked and uncaring. We took our father to celebrate his 88th birthday and it was so bad I was embarrassed. Bad service, bad food, bad management. The tables on both sides of ours had the same problems. Good luck getting your water filled. If I could leave 0 stars I would. read more

I don't know how this place has a 3 star. Should be a high 4-5. The portions are enormous. The seafood taste as fresh as just caught and the service is excellent. Our server Silvio was very attentive even though we were very causal about our dinner timing. We ordered backed clams and oysters Rockefeller. Both were delicious but the baked clams were outstanding- the largest and best tasting clams ever had. Also sampled the fried smelts that were cooked perfectly. For dinner we ordered the cioppino which read very well but I thought a bit pricey. When it arrived I saw why. Enough to feed 4-5 people. Filled with mussels, baby clams, shrimp, and crab legs. The broth was amazing. We ate hearty and then brought leftovers home and fed 4 more the next day over pasta. My friends had the surf and turf and the steak was excellent. Highly recommend. read more

Boston Fish Market - Cioppino was enough for 4 - Seafood Markets Near Me - Wheeling, Illinois

See all

(4) ~ very good food & service DRINKS: ** Water (tap) = (4) very good, must be filtered;) ** Double Espresso = (4) very good * Assyrtiko Santos (Greece White Wine) = (3.75) Good FOOD: ** Clam Chowder = (4) very good ** Tuna Dinner = (4) very huge ** Galaktobonreko = (4) very shareable *** Baklava = Next time... read more

Boston Fish is a great seafood spot! What is great to know right away is you can enjoy it two different ways. It of course is a full blown restaurant, but they also have a small store in the front too. Here you can buy fresh fish and other products to cook in your own home. I highly recommend the shrimp cocktail! One of the best quick dinners for my husband & I is buying 1lb of shrimp cocktail with two cocktail sauces! The restaurant is also delicious! Portions are a good size so you can easily share with friends and family. The mussels are delicious! Everyone is friendly and the food comes out quickly too. During the warmer months they have a beautiful patio to sit out at as well! read more

We've been to the BFM in Des Plaines as well. Was trepidatious about coming here with family concerned about crowds, parking, pricing and service. We came recently Mar 2026 for lunch and the experience was fine. The service was very attentive and all the requests we made (low salt, etc.) was accomodated. There is plenty of parking and this weekday lunch was comfortable, and the wait was not bad at all. We weren't rushed out, and of course the portions are extremely generous. We ordered various dishes and the fish was cooked and seasoned superbly. Pricing reflected the quality of the food. Will be back to dine and yes, buy the fresh fish & steaks at the front of the restaurant. Glad that we experienced it for ourselves. read more

Swordfish kebabs with finely roasted vegetables and rice pilaf were amazing. It was on a huge platter after an excellent shrimp cocktail. Clam chowder was OK not great. Server was wonderful. These dishes are enormous meaning plenty to bring home. Next time Greek dishes I will try. read more

We recently dined at Boston Fish Market. My husband ordered the Holland Dover Sole ($69), and I had the halibut and shrimp combo ($49). The seafood was very fresh, and the garlic bread was fine. The meal was somewhat disappointing for the price point. The sides were listed as roasted vegetables, but what arrived was a serving of mushy green beans in tomato sauce along with white rice seasoned with herbs. My husband was also surprised that the Dover sole was served whole and required him to fillet it himself, although he did a nice job. Fresh seafood, but the value and presentation did not quite match the cost. (3/5) read more

Can't wait to be back. Food was great and portioned for a king! Service was outstanding and the atmosphere was amazing too read more

See all

Good Concept, Poor Execution on a Slow Sunday I placed a takeout order on Sunday, May 24, 2026 at 4:38 PM, and I was given a 4:58 PM pickup time. I did not receive the order until 5:10 PM, and only after I had to intervene. The Boston Fish Market location in Wheeling, IL has a nice open layout. The fish counter looks directly into the final prep and staging area of the kitchen. That transparency cuts both ways: on a positive note, you can see the final steps of the preparation, the plating. On the downside, you can also see exactly what is going wrong with your order. Our fish sampler (shrimp, scallops, perch, and mahi-mahi) arrived lukewarm. All items except the scallops were overcooked. Given that we live less than ten minutes away and outside temperatures were a mild 65 degrees, the food's condition at pickup was not a transit problem. The issue originated in the kitchen. Here is what I observed. On a large stainless steel table or cart, an expediter placed the fish components into an aluminum tray, covered it, and then walked away toward the restaurant side of the house, apparently to retrieve a bottle or two of liquor to restock the bar. The tray sat unattended. The same expediter was seen moving around in the kitchen but never returned to the tray. I flagged a manager who appeared to be overseeing both the kitchen and the dining room, and he completed and delivered the order. He looked perplexed but followed through. This was not a busy service window. Yet the operation came across as overstaffed in headcount and understaffed in accountability. Expediters should not abandon a staged order in mid-process. A takeout order that is plated and covered should be boxed and called out immediately, not left to cool on a steel table while staff attends to other tasks. We ordered takeout from the Boston Fish Market because we were told it carries good product. The service model and kitchen discipline need to catch up with it. read more

Usually do not dine on Valentine's Day and wish I didn't. Had reservations for 8 PM arrived a little before eight and a line of probably 25 people waiting to be seated although we were probably seated in less than 10 minutes. There were four of us. Ordered Saganashkee and some cocktails,. Then ordered two entries which we shared fillet and lobster and a strip steak with a king crab leg. The fillet was overcooked as well as the strip steak. To add to that our entrées did not come out till almost 9:45 PM for a hefty price of over $500 for two entrées ,cocktails and a few appetizers along with the extremely long wait it was not worth it! read more

Foods here is fresh and comes in huge portions, which is great considering the price your paying for your food. Place is clean with decent seating. You can also purchase fish up if you wanted. Service however is left to be desired; we find ourselves often waiting quite some time till we get acknowledged. However, the generous menu size and consistency keeps us coming back. read more

Just 2 weeks after eating in here for the first time, I returned again with a party of 4 for another Friday evening dinner. I remembered to specifically ask for the main dining room this time, and we had ourselves a comfortable, delicious, and delightful seafood dinner there. I'll go with 4.49 stars for this outing, rounded down to 4. Our party had the following and as expected, the seafood offerings were tip-top fresh, delicious, and generously sized. - 1/2 lb shrimp cocktail, $18.99 - charbroiled walleye (mine), $38.99 - charbroiled halibut (wife), $39.99 - charbroiled Gulf red snapper (BIL's wife), $39.99 - grilled octopus (BIL), $33.99 - 7 layer carrot cake, $19.99 Each and every one of us enjoyed our entrees with the usual delicious side plate of roasted veggies and potatoes, and wild rice. I also again enjoyed a Three Floyds' Zombie Dust pale ale. The carrot cake was pretty good, albeit a tad over-sweet with a white chocolate frosting. Our server Ricky was friendly and attentive. I docked 1/2 Yelp star only because despite generous serving sizes, an outing here is still a tad on the pricey side. read more

See all

If you want fresh, delicious seafood, this is the place to go. We both started with so tasty cocktails. I had the Boston clam chowder, so creamy and full of flavor. I had the biggest fresh fried shrimp, homemade fries and coleslaw. My guy had Alaskan salmon with lots and lots of sides. Service was awesome. Very attentive and super friendly. They have a casual room, where we sat, a fancy room and outdoor patio. Whatever floats your boat. Great place! read more

Had dinner at Boston Fish Market with some friends and it was a great experience. We sat outside during sunset, which made for a beautiful setting. My friend, who's a regular, did the ordering, and we ended up with the Zuppa di Pesce--it was heavenly! The portion was huge, and we also got the fish and chips, which I always love getting at places, and this was pretty delicious. We definitely ordered with our eyes because it was a lot of food for the three of us. Our server was really nice too! read more

Boston Fish Market - Fried Crispy Fish and Chips - Seafood Markets Near Me - Wheeling, Illinois

See all

Food was delicious but the service was horrible. Our waiter never brought our entrees, then asked us if we wanted dessert. This happened twice; both times we told him we hadn't gotten our entrees yet. Despite how long we had been waiting, there was no sense of urgency to get us our dinners. After we finally received and finished our entrees, we asked for a dessert menu. We waited 20 -25 minutes before our waiter returned and by that time we had decided not to spend any more time or money at this establishment. This was our first time to this restaurant. We had reservations, but the host seated us in the bar area and asked us if a booth was okay. We had no idea that the nice part of the restaurant was in a separate room behind us. Maybe the service would have been better in the other room. This was a Valentine's weekend dinner and I couldn't have been more disappointed, especially considering the cost of the meal. read more

This place is a great fish market, but it provides a terrible restaurant experience. On our recent visit, we sat for nearly thirty minutes before being acknowledged. When we were finally approached by the waiter, we asked for a drink menu - he grabbed a dirty one from the table across the aisle and dropped it on our table. Then he disappeared for another 10 minutes. The appetizer platter was expensive and meh. The shrimp were flavorless, and the crab meat lumps were super bland. You really had to struggle to detect any crab-like flavor. Everyone's entrees were... okay. A slightly elevated Red Lobster experience, but with worse service. Probably worth dropping in for a lobster roll if you get it to go. But not worth the hype, otherwise. read more

Trying to make sense of the low rating as I loved this place! I had a lot of questions going in as I couldn't tell the vibe through just the photos. So the front end of the restaurant is like a seafood market for those wishing to pick something up to cook for dinner. However, the bar and dining room opens up to quite a large classic restaurant with elevated decor. The food was phenomenal. Started with some amazing lobster bisque with big chunks of lobster. For my entree I got the seabass Cajun char grilled with vegetables. The fish was fresh and flaky. The vegetables were delicious and all seasoned quite well. Frankly I even enjoyed the garlic bread service with olive oil. Also, had a delicious chocolate cake for dessert. Service was attentive and friendly. I think maybe some of the specialty dishes like the lobster roll may not be great hence the reviews. The place has a Greek flavor to it and it's best to stick to fish. Overall a great spot for a nice seafood dinner! read more

Boston Fish Market - Seafood Markets Near Me - Wheeling, Illinois

Friday night. First time. Seated quickly but wasn't expecting to be seated in a sports bar with gambling machines. Turn off. For the prices we're expecting excellent service and excellent food. Clam chowder, good, but not hot and not exceptional. We ordered an appetizer, garlic spread which I hoped would be something like greek skordalia. We got a 1/2lb of garlic mashed potatoes. We tried a spoonful and asked the waiter, we don't care for this--he went came back and basically said sorry you ordered it. Not coming off the bill. Next we got a special salad of the menu $25, beets, lettuce in a light honey dressing, one of the beets was not fully cooked, like a piece of stone. Darling ordered a nice piece of fish, it was good, served with mushrooms but a piece of broccoli would have made it much better. My restaurant experiences are a bit jaded as we eat at the Greek Islands on Halsted, Psistaria on Touhy, Wild Fire... these restaurants are a benchmark for service, food quality and value. For the prices, this restaurant missed... especially refusing to take $10 of garlic mashed potatoes--we didnt touch-- off the bill. For $10, out of a $192 bill. Absurd. read more

I have dined here three separate times, and the food is always very good. My rating relates to the service we received after our meal from the hostess/cashier at the front of the store. We ordered some fresh fish as well as a piece of smoked salmon to take home. The hostess picked up the raw fish with her gloved hand then proceeded to pick up the smoked salmon with the same glove. My husband asked her if she was going to change her glove before touching cooked fish, and she gave an audible sigh in annoyance. This is unacceptable. Not only is it unsanitary to use the same glove to handle raw then cooked fish, the obvious attitude she gave made it worse and certainly didn't instill much confidence in us that our food is untainted. This is a health hazard and can make someone sick, and it's worrisome that this is what we saw out front. It makes me concerned about how the fish is being prepared in the kitchen where we don't have eyes on it. Whoever is working the cash register and doubling as hostess needs to either be more professional and follow stricter safety precautions or just quit her job, because this was not okay. read more

Have eaten here in the past, so I was looking forward to bringing guests. For what we paid, it was a great disappointment. Silverware wrapped in paper for starters. Garlic bread served cold. Sad plate of rice, mixed vegetables and lemon sliced potatoes, looked unappetizing and also cold. I had 6 scallops that were rubbery. For what we paid was not worth it, will not recommend. read more

Best seafood in all of Lake County! Fresh fish clams oysters mussels EVERY thing is excellent Take out eat in all us good read more

The thing we love about Boston's is that they give you a lot of food for your money. Tasty food! This was our 3rd time eating there. As an appetizer, we ordered the oysters. They were very fresh, big, juicy and flavorful. I ordered the stuffed flounder with crabmeat. Let me say that this was DRY! This dish would be so much better with a sauce. It needs a sauce. It was well seasoned but I couldn't finish it due to the dryness. My wife ordered the walleye fish fry. That came unseasoned and bland. My daughter had the grilled octopus which came salty and sliced up into little coins - which dried it up. My suggestion to them is to let the customer cut it to their liking. So the seasonings on the dishes were inconsistent. I've had their seafood pasta dishes in previous visits and those are your best choices. Again, lots of good flavorful when it comes to those particular pasta dishes. Service? That was great with friendly, attentive staff. read more

Everything was over seasoned and the oysters Rockefeller tasteless Very expensive not returning.

The ambiance is dark with the use of some coloured lights. Both sure what they are going for here, but it makes you wonder what are they trying to hide? The food was alright. The food was a little greasy and the crab cakes are ok. I wasn't too impressed with the place. read more

Boston Fish Market - Crab Cake - 2 pcs - Seafood Markets Near Me - Wheeling, Illinois

I tried Boston Fish Market for the first time today - awesome food and good service. The place is huge - there's an indoor meat/fish market in the restaurant, and there's a huge bar. There's plenty of indoor seating and a huge outdoor patio for warmer weather with live instrumental music. Your server first will start you off with a complimentary basket of garlic bread (delicious). I tried the Mussels as an appetizer, they were very good and the portion was huge. For my entree, I tried the Cajun Catfish dinner - it comes with rice and vegetables, the Cajun catfish included 3 big pieces. Boston Fish Market is very expensive, but a very good place for a nice meal. I'd recommend for a nice seafood dinner in the area.. read more

Boston Fish Market - Cajun Catfish - Seafood Markets Near Me - Wheeling, Illinois