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    El Cangrejo

    4.0 (72 reviews)
    ModerateSeafood
    Closed 11:00 am - 9:00 pm

    El Cangrejo Photos

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    EL CANGREJO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Very loud
    Good for kids
    Good for groups

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    Rice
    Monika W.

    Oh. My. Gosh. I came here on a date and the food changed my life. First they start your off with a complimentary fish ceviche served with tostadas and crackers. You know a place is gonna be good when the first thing they bring you before the menu is ceviche! This was my first time having langostinos in Nayarit sauce and I'm worried I'll never find anything as good as how this restaurant does it. Their Nayarit sauce is absolutely flavorful and delicious, I could not get over it. Put it on your rice, dip your tortilla in it, dip some bread in it and it all pairs nicely. The langostinos were cooked perfectly, the sauce was flavorful but not to the point that it overpowered the flavor of the langostino as well. The service was fantastic and they're BYOB as well! We washed everything down with agua de jamaica. I can't wait to come back and bring my friends!

    Pulpo a la diabla Langostinos Chicken nuggets

    To start off with it's packed for the hype It's not that great We got the langostinos and they where too salty We got the pulpo a la diabla and they tasted like bar barbecue sauce and some hot sauce and weren't that good And on top of that my little girl got some nuggets and didn't even eat them she said McDonald's nuggets were better Only pro it's byob but they took my miche mix cuz they said they sell it

    12 oz shrimp ceviche, cooked

    4/5 Food 4/5 Service 3.5/5 Atmosphere / Seating Arrangement 3.5/5 Value (good but better at other places) 4/5 Cleanliness I was really craving some fresh ceviche on a hot 80 degree day in May. El Cangrejo did not disappoint! We were given fish ceviche as an appetizer which was enough for 2 tostadas. The small 12 oz shrimp ceviche was a great size, enough for 3-4 tostadas more. After 2, I was full so I took the rest home.

    Osiris R.

    I'd give them more stars if i could! Best seafood in all of the Chicago area ! Bit of a wait on weekends , but trust me it is very much worth it !! The restaurant is BYOB friendly and they have live music . Make sure you check it out

    Raw oysters
    Angie 'Nana' M.

    You must try the cucaracha style/sauce. It is straight FIRE. I eat it on its own. It's amazing on tostadas, shrimp, langostinos...haven't tried it, but for sure would be bomb on oysters. The restaurant is BYOB. The waitresses are really nice and professional. The restaurant is clean and adheres to social distancing and reinforce wearing masks. The aqua mineral preparada (with salt and lime, served in a salt- rimmed cup) is my go- to drink.

    Lino I.

    Bro this shit it bad 20 dollar for the this shit. I might as well go to Los Magueyes Seafood there pasta taste better and it's more for sure. This is how I got it my plate all I did was push everything together. Not even for three bits I have her in the dish. It's a rip off

    The sign.
    Damian P.

    This place at one time was La Isla Maria's and wow the seafood was awesome. With that said: We decided to come on down on a Sunday afternoon for some seafood soup and a shrimp/octopus cocktail, since we do live about 5 minutes from their front door. Now, back in the day (a few years ago actually), we use to come and have the above concoctions and be so satisfied and always we would leave with a smile. Of course, they are BYOB so that was a plus. Today was different..... We came in and of course my partner wanted the Sopa de Mariscos which is seafood soup. I, on the other hand wanted a cold and cool dish such as a cocktail of shrimp and octopus. We brought in our beers, from the outside. And they seemed warm so of course, the waitress gave us glasses with ice, ummm corona's so don't taste good when they are watered down. So I asked: "Miss Waitress, what is the Mendiga Especial"? It was in the section with the cocktails so this had to be good. Of course, she said it was minced up jalapenos, octopus and whole shrimp. Okay this is an easy hit, I want it. My partner of course got his seafood soup ("Why am I not surprised), so I was happy. Until she came with a cocktail glass and HOT SOUP! Oh no, I thought this was a cocktail, and I didn't really bitch about it because it took a while and I didn't want to wait any longer. But she did state, would you like something else instead. Ummmm no I am hungry! (YELPers, we never compromise on a meal and I am sorry to say, I broke that mantra, I COMPROMISED)!!! It was weak, the shrimp still had their shells on and their feelers looked so unappetizing. What is wrong with me? But I take full blame, but it still doesn't help the taste. They just don't have that. So of course I give it a 3 Star, yes my friends, a rarity, but it happens. Next time we go to a real seafood joint that we are familiar with. So not worth the $30+ tip we spent. *(Well the partner spent). Go somewhere else if you want seafood that has flavor. It just didn't make the cut. But you be the judge,

    Krystal R.

    Wow!! From BYOB (family had micheladas, in which the place gave them the mix and they brought their modelos), to the live music, and of course all of the yummy, spicy seafood!! I'm just mad I haven't found out about this place sooner!! P.s don't go with a large group on a Friday because you'll wait a while for a table. Pic of the stuffed pineapple I had but family had way more delicious food as well.

    Platillo de chapuzon...spicy! But yummy!
    Stephanie R.

    This is my favorite spot for langostinos! Every time we've come here we are sat immediately and the service is usually good. Beside the delicious langostinos, the shrimp empanadas and the chapuzon are among my favs on the menu. The patrons are always served an appetizer of ceviche and tostadas to share and an unbelievably spicy (but also delicious) habanero salsa. El Cangrejo is a BYOB restaurant which is a major plus but it's does tend to get pretty loud when there's a band playing, so if you're looking for a nice romantic date night spot this is NOT the place for you lol. But it is great for large groups.

    Camarones a la Diabla
    Andrea R.

    This little restaurant has delicious spicy seafood to fill your cravings! The presentation and taste of the food was al cien! I arrived before 3:30pm on Friday and there was plenty of tables available but were immediately filled so my suggestion is to arrive timely! Since it's BYOB, tables take a lot more time to empty.

    Coco Relleno

    Soo so good! The shrimp ceviche, mussels, stuffed coconut and paella are delicious! It's a BYOB restaurant so it keeps the bill low and they don't take reservations.

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    8 months ago

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    1 year ago

    Service was not bad but the food was oily :( not worth returning. I ordered lagostinos and pastas

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    6 years ago

    Best Mexican seafood in Chicago! Staff is great and its BYOB! Best Langostinos & Red snapper, both must try...

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    8 years ago

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    6 years ago

    This is a great place the food is cooked perfectly. The Saturday nights karaoke is a great time.

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    7 years ago

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    8 years ago

    Literally the best seafood place in Chicago. Everything on the menu is FIRE! Cucarachas and garlic bread is my fave!!!

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    5 years ago

    My parents go to place for mariscos. They are very timely and quick with orders during covid.

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    7 years ago

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    Wentworth Seafood House

    Wentworth Seafood House

    4.3
    (220 reviews)
    4.8 mi
    $$

    Tl;dr this place is very solid and my go-to dim sum place. I'm sure the seafood and everything else…read moreon their huge menu is also good. Be prepared to wait a little bit for a table, or share a big one with another party at peak times. Prices are reasonable and portions are pretty generous. ===== Kind of lost count of how many times I've been. Love getting the dim sum and noodle dishes here. Some favorites: beef cheong fun with egg, siu mai, Singapore noodle, xo rice noodle rolls, spare ribs, pork and century egg congee. All the food has been very solid. Inside is always bustling and can be a bit crowded. Service is pretty friendly as far as Chinatown goes, and very efficient. There's a guy who works there who I think is the manager or something, because he puts in 200x effort and is always hustling. When he's not around it feels like something is missing. Prices are very reasonable and we like ordering a lot here so that we have tasty leftovers for later. This place has quite a few big tables and is good for large groups. My only nits are that very occasionally a dish or teacup will have a dirty spot, and that the bubble tea here is kind of meh. I don't remember exactly which one I ordered, but it was a little watery and lacking in flavor. It's also probably tough since they're boxed in by boba places now. Pro tip: When you first get your table, they'll ask you what kind of tea you want. If you ignore them or don't know how to answer, the default is green tea. Another one is to come at off-peak times. Not only will you get a table faster, but I think they tweak their portion sizes depending on how crowded it is. Definitely will be back! And I recommend you visit too

    We like this restaurant. It is about 4.25 stars. The restaurant decorated nicely and clean. There…read moreare a lot people come to enjoy typical Hong Kong style cuisine. We got the sea cucumber beef tendon casserole. This is a good dish and my wife has not have sea cucumber sometimes. The sauce is great to go with rice. We also got seafood chow mein. This is a pan fried noodles with different seafood. Overall we enjoy it. Their menu has good selection.

    Photos
    Interior of the restaurant
    Interior of the restaurant
    Nice shrimp rolls
    Nice shrimp rolls
    Wentworth Seafood House

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    Shaw's Crab House

    Shaw's Crab House

    4.2
    (2.8k reviews)
    6.8 mi
    $$$

    Shaw's Crab House | Chicago's ultimate happy hour just got a major upgrade!…read more Sip on a savory $10 Mignonette Martini or a crisp $7 Wine of the Month. Treat yourself to $15 mini lobster rolls on pillowy, buttery brioche. Turn up the heat with crispy buffalo shrimp tossed in signature blue cheese. Live large with the $57 Happy Hour Tower loaded with fresh oysters and lobster tails! Shaw's Crab House | 21 E Hubbard, Chicago | Happy Hour: Mon-Fri 4-6pm

    (Kari's Rating 8/10)…read more Came for an early dinner as we were seated by 5:30. I actually love coming to eat early because the servers are a little more attentive since they just started their shift and the service is a little faster as there are less tables. Let me tell you, though, whatever we came it was quite busy with graduations and family dinners-which I didn't mind at all! What ate a relatively large meal as I had eaten a smaller lunch. We started off with the wedge salad and a yellowtail sushi roll. The wedge salad was pretty average, but the dressing was really delicious. The yellowtail was also pretty good and the jalapeño topping gave an extra kick last minute. For the entrées, we ordered the scallops as well as the pan seared Chilean Seabass. The scallops are buttery, rich, and had a perfect crispy crust. The Seabass was flaky and light-overall a very good combination of flavors. We got a side of the broccolini and then the crème brûlée and a piece of Keylime pie to go. Overall a very filling and delicious meal-I was pleasantly surprised with the scallops and how light the sea bass was.

    Photos
    Inside main dining room
    Inside main dining room
    Full Dozen Oysters
    Full Dozen Oysters
    Lobster Roll

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    Lobster Roll
    JM Seafood Restaurant

    JM Seafood Restaurant

    4.3
    (77 reviews)
    3.5 mi
    $$$

    We got the duck in plum sauce, blue crab, and stir fried garlic string beans. The food was all…read moregood, but the crab was pretty laborious to eat - which extends the amount of time eating at the restaurant - and didn't have much meat to them. The stir fried garlic string beans were good, but nothing special. My favorite was the duck dish - the plum sauce gave it a nice sweet flavor profile. The wait staff were a bit impatient overall - but that's how you know the food will be authentic at a Cantonese restaurant lol. Wait time for us on a Friday evening was about 25 minutes.

    Came here for my mom's birthday. The staff really went above and beyond to make her day feel extra…read morespecial. They played a birthday song over the speakers and let us bring a cake to the restaurant. Service wise, would give this place a 10/10. The food was really unique and special, you don't see a lot of these dishes at Chinese restaurants. The menu had many many different options to choose from. We shared the twin lobster sticky rice (came with 2 lobsters for $88), the salted yolk pumpkin, and the pork belly chicken soup. The soup was good but the white pepper taste was a bit too strong. The other dishes were on the heavier, oily side but they were really delicious. There were generous portions of lobster. They served a really nice, fragrant jasmine tea with dinner which they kept refilled and pipping hot. Bathroom was clean and the restaurant has a beautiful design inside that's nice for parties of 4 or larger groups for family style dining. There's plenty of paid street parking options, around $5 for 2 hours. I would recommend giving it a try!

    Photos
    JM Seafood Restaurant
    Lobster
    Lobster
    Vegetable

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    Vegetable
    La Palapa

    La Palapa

    3.3
    (397 reviews)
    2.2 mi
    $$

    What a fun vibe! My girlfriend and I were looking for a restaurant on a Monday night and ended up…read morehere after our architecture boat tour. There was live music, lit palm trees, and it had a fun beachy vibe. We ordered the Charolada de Mariscos and Langostinos, both were so good!! The sauce on both had so much flavor. The staff were all really friendly! Would definitely come back the next time I'm in Chicago.

    I had no idea this place even existed until a friend invited me for dinner. I pull up to La Palapa…read moreto find a spacious restaurant with cute, lit palm trees outside, reggaeton music blasting through the speakers and fast and friendly service. My friend was already there munching on ceviche and once I sat down, our friendly waitress came over right away and gave the menu rundown/highlights. I was overwhelmed by the all the amazing offerings and finally decided on a large Jamaica (a refreshing hibiscus tea/kool-aid like drink and the rompecolchon, a delicious grilled seafood and rice dish. My friend ordered the pineapple chicken, which was half a pineapple grilled and stuffed with chicken, seafood and veggies. Our food came out quickly and we proceeded to pig out. The rompecolchon was similar to a paella but with more seafood, more citrus and lots of cilantro. I was in heaven. The portions were so generous, we had enough to take home for lunch the next day (or a midnight snack). I've already been back and can't wait to go again.

    Photos
    Dining area
    Dining area
    Chicken Taco Carne Asada Taco Rice and Beans
    Chicken Taco Carne Asada Taco Rice and Beans
    La Palapa

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    Langosta Nayarita

    Langosta Nayarita

    4.1
    (29 reviews)
    1.8 mi
    $$

    Avoid This Place: A Dive Bar Masquerading as a Restaurant…read more​If I could give this place zero stars, I would. We came to Langostra Nayarita expecting a decent meal, but what we got was four and a half hours of pure frustration. ​We arrived ahead of our group and were seated quickly, but that was the only efficient part of the entire experience. They dropped off a tiny cup of ceviche and some tostadas, and then we effectively ceased to exist to the staff. ​The service was nonexistent. Our waitress (the one with blonde hair) was the definition of unprofessional. She spent the entire afternoon doing shots with other customers and lounging at their tables rather than doing her job. In the nearly five hours we were there, we only saw her twice. ​To make matters worse: ​The Food: Completely average. Nothing justifies the lack of service. ​The Atmosphere: They're acting more like a messy dive bar than a professional restaurant. ​The Exit: We have currently been waiting for our check for over an hour. ​It is insulting to pay for a meal when you have to beg for the bare minimum of attention. Save your time and your money--skip this place. I will never be back.

    Great, high-quality food. Great service. Bacon wrapped shrimp are always perfect. Red snapper was…read morecrispy on the outside, tender and moist on inside. (I usually avoid times of day when the loud musicians are there, usually late evenings and weekends, because I prefer it more quiet.) I highly recommend Langosta Nayarita!

    Photos
    Fixed water
    Fixed water
    Chapuzon
    Chapuzon
    Langosta Nayarita

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    Bavette's Bar & Boeuf

    Bavette's Bar & Boeuf

    4.5
    (3.5k reviews)
    6.5 mi
    $$$$

    I know that this is a steakhouse, but I came for a burger! A Wagyu beef burger at that! After…read moreadding an egg and some bacon on, this had to be one of the best burgers I've had, EVER! If the French dip has your attention, you should try that as well to go with the delicious au jus! The fries came with a garlic aioli that has a STRONG garlic, so if you don't like that, sub for ketchup. This place gets busy so make reservations ahead of time, if not your wait time can be hours, unless you choose to sit at the bar which is a first come, first serve basis. The bartenders are on point with the drinks too. If I were to be back in town, I'd return for this butger!

    $400+ dinner for two, including drinks. Nothing special,…read morelike we hoped. Pretty much standard steakhouse fare ... maybe a little less tasty than some of the other top-ranked steakhouses I've been to. I'd put it on par with Smith & Wollensky or Capital Grille, which is to say better than average and overpriced. To start off, the wicked stepsister hosts, who look about 20 years old, at the front seem to take joy in making you wait, even if you have a reservation and laugh in your face when you ask to sit in a certain area. There is nothing cool about dealing with a 20 year old on a power trip when paying almost half a grand for dinner for two. The real hero of this establishment should be their lighting designer ... I would venture to say that the dimly-lit yet perfect feeling vibe of the restaurant is what sets it apart. If not for the design of the restaurant, it would be just another steakhouse. The waiters are as pretentious as the hostesses. You know you you walk into a Restoration Hardware store and someone making minimum wage gives you, 'mansion attitude'? That's everyone we encountered at Bacette's ... insufferable snobs. We started out with cocktails, which were well made. Nowhere were the prices but expect a cocktail to set you back $25. The steaks are around $80 - $120. We both had the bone-in filet mignon, which was $89 at the time of the review. I guess it's supposedly a rare cut of meat ... although when I asked our butcher about it being rare, he chuckled and said, 'whatever sells steaks, I guess'. The filet was good ... again, nothing amazing ... on par with a chain like Capital Grille. I ordered mine medium rare and it came medium and a bit under seasoned. Each steak comes with a side of Bearnaise sauce, which honestly was the best part of the meal. Rarely would I consider ruining a $89 steak by dipping it in sauce ... but it kind of needed the extra kick. We got asparagus and the truffle Mac and cheese. The Mac and cheese was better than the steak, however, we were expecting the normal overflowing sides, which are usually too much for two people to finish. The Mac and cheese was pretty small and we felt like it was more like a single side ... especially given that the filet (minus the bone) was probably around 8 ounces. Asparagus was just your average asparagus. We had the chocolate pie and ice cream for dessert. The chocolate cake was almost like an entire slice of cake frosting with a scoop of dense whipped cream on top. Way too sweet and we barely ate half amongst the both of us. The ice cream was nothing special. We didn't realize you could not have a reservation and sit at the bar. Honestly, we were placed downstairs at a table ... and felt like we were sitting in a basement. It was not as nice as the upper restaurant and they refused to move us when we asked them if we could sit upstairs in the better part. She gleefully said it would be a two hour wait to change tables. If we knew we could have just snagged an empty bar seat upstairs, we'd have done that because it's better than the basement. Although, we saw some near arguments as people rushed in to get a bar stool in front of people who were waiting a long time. And, it's a little awkward to eat with vultures standing behind you waiting to jump into your seat, I'd imagine. So maybe make sure that you request to be seated upstairs and see if the mean girls hostess will accommodate the request. Overall, Chicago has so many good steakhouses, the fact that this one ranked so highly mystifies me. I've been to several better than this which were not even ranked. The atmosphere is cool ... everything else is average ... except for the attitudes which are below average.

    Photos
    Inside Upstairs
    Inside Upstairs
    Bone Marrow
    Bone Marrow
    Waiting area and first floor dining

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    Waiting area and first floor dining

    El Cangrejo - seafood - Updated July 2026

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