Big shrimp, crispy cornmeal breading & that mild sauce... Cooked fresh to order. We also got the catfish strips- so light, crispy and flaky! read more

I do not usually leave reviews like this, but people need to be careful. I ordered the fried oysters and they tasted extremely fishy, far beyond what should be expected. Something seemed wrong immediately after taking a bite. Within about 2 minutes of eating them, my body rejected it and I threw up almost right away. I was not the only one affected either. Everyone who ate them with me ended up getting sick as well. This was not just a case of food not tasting good. In my experience, this felt like a serious food safety issue. The oysters tasted off, and the reaction happened so quickly that it was obvious something was not right. Getting sick from food you paid for is bad enough, but it becomes even more upsetting when multiple people have the same reaction. What made this worse is that I reported the situation through Uber, explained what happened, and expected the issue to be taken seriously from a customer resolution standpoint. Instead, Uber acknowledged the complaint, said they would investigate, but still refused to provide a refund or meaningful resolution. That is extremely disappointing when the complaint involves people getting sick after eating food that appeared unsafe. I am posting this so others can be aware before ordering from here, especially the oysters. Based on my experience, I would strongly recommend avoiding them entirely. No one should have to worry about getting sick immediately after eating their food, and no customer should be left dealing with this without proper accountability. read more

Lawrence's Fish & Shrimp - Fried Oysters - Seafood Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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When you're craving something besides White Castle and it's after midnight where do you go? Well, if you're like me you think shrimp. And when you think shrimp after midnight you think of Lawrence's. To be fair I eat here about once every 10 years. Not because the food is bad or because in Chicago there are literally 100's of places open after midnight where you can get just about any kind of food. It's because I've been living in Phoenix for the last 30 years. That being said when I did live in Chicago for the previous 30 years I've eaten here often. Very often. I probably started eating here before I could drive with my father. And I'm happy to say that other than the building and its surroundings the recipes haven't changed. I've also never had anything other than the shrimp and fries. And the shrimp are still large, freshly fried with a cornmeal breading that is exactly what I'm craving when I come here. The staff is extremely friendly and very helpful. And the customers are probably some of the most loyal customers around. Why 4 stars. The breaded French fries. I prefer the fresh cut fries you get from our hot dog and beef stands to breaded fries. Second maybe crinkle cut but breaded takes it down a notch. Hey, Northsiders, you're all welcome here. I even wore my Cubs shirt. read more

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Delicious food. Nice portions. Friendly staff and nice vibes. Make it a combo! Looking forward to trying more items in the future. read more

Lawrence's Fish & Shrimp - Seafood Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I did a Grubhub. The wings were the best thing on my plate. I got wings fries shrimp and whole catfish. I wish the catfish was fried harder and the shrimp was over cooked. Fries were good you can tell they were pre cooked. The caramel cake was good but all the caramel was on the top of the container. All in all decent probably won't order again unless I was super hungry. read more

Lawrence's Fish & Shrimp - Seafood Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Open 24 hours. Extremely salty and over seasoned, (something I never say.) private parking lot. Handicap accessible parking spaces. Ate in the parking lot and lost my appetite once I saw rats crawling around the patio while eating in the car. Good for late nights early mornings when food options are slim. read more

Lawrence's Fish & Shrimp - bone-in catfish steaks - Seafood Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Service was 5 stars, but the fish & shrimp came with a side of ocean nostalgia I didn't order. Got the catfish strip combo and a large shrimp--both smelled like they'd been reminiscing about the ocean a little too long. Heavily breaded, barely any seasoning... my taste buds were looking for flavor like it owed them money. For $35, I could've gone to the store, grabbed some fish, and thrown my own seasoning party. On the bright side, the place was spotless, the staff greeted me like we were old friends, and my online order was hot and ready the moment I walked in. Service? A+. Flavor? Needs a little rescue mission. read more

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Nice place, great fried food and don't be in a rush because they fry everything fresh. If you like your shrimp and food fried this is the perfect place for you. Thanks Ron read more

Lawrence's Fish & Shrimp - Fried chicken wings - Seafood Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

So disappointed. Everything was blah.... I wish I had taken pictures but we had been on the ride all day and that was our first real meal! Dejon(it was spelled different) he was cool and explained as best as he could, but that was garbage. The fries were seasoned good. read more

I haven't eaten at Lawrence's since the 80's and that was only once. I now remember why it has been that long. Pros: Large parking area, spacious seating inside and out, customer service is excellent, able to see food being made, stroll to the river. The location and size is beautiful and makes a great date night. Cons: The Food. I ordered whiting, perch, corn fritters, fried okra and chicken wings. The only thing I could tolerate were the wings and my kids ate the fritters. My husband didn't like any of it. The batter on everything tastes the same. It has a sweet taste to it as if they used the corn fritter batter on the okra and fish. I couldn't finish any of it but the wings. Waste of money. I won't be returning. The 2 stars is for the location and the size. It really is cool to look at and offers a great ambiance. read more

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Lawrence's has been over priced and over rated for a very long time and it seems nothing has really changer. Although their shrimp are well seasoned there is way too much breading which is used to increase the weight to over charge customers AND. if you opt for less breading you're charged even more. I prefer NOT to be ripped off so I'll take me business elsewhere. read more

Food was hot and fresh tasting. Should have brought more to share. But then I would have to get more or everything that I like.

Greatest and enjoyable breaded shrimps spot in chicago and Don't forget a side on pickle fries the best.

I have been eating from Lawrence's Fisheries on South Canal since about 1960. Introduced to it by my father, a Chicago southside native who always knew the best and most unique food in Chicago. Through the 60's and early 70's when I was in college at DePaul, a late night run to Lawrence's wqs always a likely destination. And despite an undercurrent of racial difficulties which have always plagued Chicago, Lawrence's was neutral territory. And over the years, other ethnic groups have broken breaded shrimp together here. Between 1974 and 2008, I lived in many different places. Los Angeles. Australia. Hawai'i. When in Chicago on family visits my first demand would be take away from Lawrence's. I noted with dread when ownership changed. . . . When I moved back to Chicago in about 2009, and now living downtown, I noted the changes being made to the place. I was, quite frankly, scared. I've seen all too many successful businesses destroyed by new owners unwilling to hold on to the things that really work. Change for change's sake. The original location has obviously had massive upgrades to it. But I've been impressed that you've done it while respecting the past, respecting the history - respecting WHAT WORKS. I came in for an order today - 1 lb of fish chips, 1 lb of shrimp - now with the "light" breading - a worthwhile addition. "Do you want some crackers?" You bet, they're important. Still served in little paper bags, all in a bigger paper bag. Reasons. You don't put fried fish in plastic. I went in one Saturday night (after midnight) when the place was rockin'. Sat in booth with a friend, and some young people were in the next booth - clearly "date night". One of the mid-20's men kept looking over his shoulder at me. . . .and finally turned around and said "hey man, how do you know about this place?" I told him about my father and I visiting when I was in grammar school. He smiled and said "yea, me too". i want to salute whoever has been responsible for dragging this food into the 2020's without messing it up. You've done a terrific job. read more

Since Jim's is closed this place is even more lively! The catfish tenders and fries were great!

The shrimp is outstanding. The clam strips are just ok. Very casual with easy parking. #iraeats #iraeats1 read more

Lawrence's Fish & Shrimp - Shrimp and clam strips - Seafood Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Terrell stood at the counter and ate his food while I waited in the call in line and then proceeded to ask me why I would wait there while he ate and I said why would you stand at the counter while I was waiting in line eating your food and went back-and-forth with me for a good two minutes on why I should've said something instead of him, not eating at the counter while waiting in line gave me my food very abruptly and rudely poor Customer Service is a way of life now I guess read more

That have a nice parking lot! Great food and customer service. Clean restoration in a great location. Today was my first time here and I'll definitely come back. read more

Lawrence's Fish & Shrimp - Seafood Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The fish is the freshest. Service is friendlily and helpful. Good specials. There is plenty of parking too.

Staff was very informative as this was my first time ordering here! Food didn't take long either! I will be back!

Kudos to this place for being open 24/7, especially by a concert venue (Radius). We had the pleasure of being run up by one of the supervisors, Val. She was really nice and took care of us. I ordered a honey chicken sandwich, breaded shrimp, and fries. The fries were the best out of everything. The sandwich was good, but only because I was pretty tipsy, but if I was sober it would be very basic. We ended up bringing the breaded shrimp home and it was not tasty at all. I would need to try other things on the menu here to know if it's good or not, but for now... not super impressed. Just thankful we had good service that late in the night. read more

My grandma and I had a delightful visit to Lawrence Fish and Shrimp. We opted for the Tuesday special, a pound of fried shrimp, and decided to give the fried oysters a shot. I have to say, the oysters stole the show; they were incredibly delicious. We also ordered some rolls, but they left something to be desired - they were cold and seemed a bit aged. On the bright side, the French fries were piping hot and utterly scrumptious. The service was top-notch, fast and friendly. The restaurant is a fast casual experience and there are many tables as well as a large outdoor space. A tasty experience overall! read more

Lawrence's Fish & Shrimp - Seafood Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I decided to come here after a concert in Chicago as it was one of the few places open later into the night near me. The inside is decently spacious, with some tables to sit at in the back. Here, you essentially order at the front and they'll give you a number to get your food with. I decided to try out the coconut shrimp with their fries, as many reviewers online suggested getting that with the sweet chili sauce. The shrimp here is definitely solid, as it has a pretty interesting outer breading that I haven't really encountered before with coconut shrimp. The portion sizes are sizable here, so if I came again I'd probably get a smaller portion of the shrimp and then also an order of a different type of seafood. Would recommend checking out as this place seems like a local spot! read more

Lawrence's Fish & Shrimp - Seafood Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Personally think this is one of, if not the best thing I've discovered in Chicago for late night options. The service is always pleasant and the inside is clean. I love their coconut shrimp! I'd also recommend their Friday whole fish and sides are very good. read more

Listen, this review is about to spell out everything you need to know about this place! The absolute BEST food you can get when you are drunk at 3am OMG. Lawrence's saved my life after a night on the town good LORD!!! Everything is made fresh so you'll have to wait a little bit, but it is ABSOLUTELY worth the wait! The catfish was amazing and the jumbo shrimp? Maaaannn that's some big @$$ shrimp!!! I was going to eat the food there but my hotel wasn't far so I traveled with it and it stayed HOT!!! Those brown bags really kept the food steaming! I wish I had something THIS good growing up. I would be here ALL THE TIME, 3am 5am 7am you name it!!! If you grew up in the area consider yourself lucky, I'm jealous!!! read more

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All their standard shrimp and fish are very good, but Coconut shrimp with the sweet chili sauce is memorable. Friendly and fairly quick service too. read more

Lawrence's Fish & Shrimp - Almost 75 years! - Seafood Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Good food, but a bit on the expensive side for what you're getting. Service was great, very clean establishment so those are definitely a plus. But like most things in today's society, the bang for the buck isn't there in my opinion read more

While i am not a Chicago native, i have spent a lot of time in this city. This restaurant is a staple of the city and i wanted to love it. Our visit was marred by poor food quality, lackluster service, and health issues afterward. I hope management takes these concerns seriously and makes improvements, because Chicago deserves better from its iconic eateries. read more

Not the most friendliest greeting, but I guess we all can't get what we want. This place is packed, and rightfully so. A lot of takeout customers waiting for their number to be called, while we waited to sit down. The inside looked a little dirty, and I didn't even realize they had an outdoor patio until a little after waiting a bit. The outdoor patio is nice. Although it's hard to walk on because it's all rocks, it's still pretty cool. We weren't that hungry and only ordered a pound of their fish chips. These were good. They tasted a fresh and a pound is all we needed. What's great about this place is their prices. Very affordable food that will definitely make me want to come back for more. read more

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I've been going to Lawrence's for YEARS. I remember it most during my clubbing days and those stairs! Lol! It was the perfect pit stop after being out to grab food! Open 24 hours and the food is always fresh! Since that time, they now have a ramp and a new set of stairs but the food hasn't changed! Still fresh and delicious! My go to is a pound of lightly battered shrimp and a side of okra. Yet I'm tried MOST of the menu. Their prices are fair and the portions are great! They offer meal deals too to add fries and a drink. If you go and it's busy... don't let it scare you. They move the line pretty quickly and the food is worth the wait. There are now other locations in Chicago, yet this is the only one I go to! read more

Lawrence's Fish & Shrimp - Yummmm - Seafood Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I'm not a fried food guy, BUT this place has such good food that I absolutely must have the fried clam strips and shrimp now and then!!!!

I know Lawrence's has a long standing reputation, but I wasn't that impressed. We ordered delivery one night via Uber Eats for catfish, chicken tenders and fries. The food was packaged well and they sent a generous portion. That's where the positives ended unfortunately. The food just wasn't good. The chicken and fish had NO flavor whatsoever which was disappointing. It was crispy and fried well, but the the lack of flavor canceled that out. The fries left something to be desired too. Needless to say, I won't be ordering from Lawrence's again anytime soon. read more

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LOVE Lawrence's!!!! Been eating here since H.S.Im 53 yo now and am still very much a regular customer.Food always hits the spot.Ordered ocean perch today.Staff is great!!!!! Open 24 hours.They also have a boat dock on the Chicago river behind the restaurant where people can dock their boats,jet skis or kayaks and just go up and order food.HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!! read more

I love that this place is open late night, it was the perfect pick me up after getting off a long delayed flight. We came in around midnight and this place surprisingly had 3 other people chowing down on friend goodies. We wanted to try a little of everything and got fried oysters, shrimp, okra, and catfish. The best IMO was the catfish! super soft fish with a crunchy coating. The shrimp was my least favorite as I found the coating a bit too thick. The portions are not huge and the shrimps are small- medium sized shrimps so it wasn't the jumbo juicy ones I was expecting, which was a bit disappointing for the price but the restaurant is clean and the service is friendly! Honestly, I would still come back given that it's open late and really scratches the itch for fried seafood read more

I've driven past this place a thousand times without stopping. I finally give it a try tonight, and when I'm almost finished with my chicken sandwhich, I hit raw meat. I'm beyond disgusted. I've had Wendys that tasted better, and at least I was never concerned about being food poisoned. The shrimp is bland, the rolls were cold, the chicken was raw. I honestly want my money back. I've included pictures of the receipt and raw food to prove read more

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#FBF This visit was on 2/27/2020 before Covid-19 Simply had to stop when I recognized #lawrencesfishandshrimp as we were driving by.  How could you not?  You really can't miss the gigantic shrimp on top of their sign.   I had not been here for many,  many years and wanted to see if their fried seafood is as good as I remembered. How amazing that they are celebrating their 70th anniversary! They have a cute outdoor eating area outside the restaurant too! We had a shrimp po' boy sandwich and a full order of coconut shrimp with a side of mushrooms. The coconut shrimp was a little overdone,  and the shrimp po' boy had a sauce on it that I wasn't thrilled with.  Glad that we stopped though, if nothing else to reminisce. read more

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I've been going to this fishery all my life, and I love it! My parents worked at the post office, which was on Van Buren and Canal, when I was growing up and on payday, my father would take us to pick up his check, at the post office. They would pass out checks after 9:30 PM on a Thursday night and when we'd leave the post office, we'd always stop by Lawrence's. This wasn't every Pay day, but quite a few. Lately, I've been ordering the large oysters. I usually don't get anything with them, but in a large order, you get about 14 to 16 oysters, depending. I love them! Their shrimp are good, also. You never really have to wait, even though the food is cooked to order. I don't know about the shrimp, but I know my oysters are cooked to order. I've been getting an order of oysters once a week, every Friday. So, I'll be looking forward to going back this weekend. Recently, they've been giving a five dollar coupon and you can get five dollars off your next purchase of $25 or more. Plus, they have a rewards program and I've already benefited from that. I got six dollars and some change Off an order. Love Lawrence's!! read more

This is a family favorite that I personally haven't had in years. Saw the restaurant on my way to the hotel and later decided to place an order. I got a whole order of the shrimp and corn fritters. Never had the corn fritters and they were delicious!!! The food was delivered very quickly and still very hot!!! Will have to get back to the area very soon!!! read more

We've been to Lawrence's several times now and it's solid. Order at the counter and they'll holler when it's ready. There's plenty of indoor and nice outdoor seating. We really enjoy the perch and the lightly breaded shrimp. The batter has good flavor and it's not overly salty or breaded. Perfect if you're looking for good fast- casual seafood! read more

This is one of the classic flavors of the south side of Chicago. Unfortunately, there are not many places like this left. They are famous for their shrimp but everything on the menu is good. $15 for a pound of large shrimp - great deal. Clean dining room, clean bathrooms. Take a photo with the fisherman statue just inside the door. Restaurant is right on the river - in fact, you used to be able to access it by boat but I'm not 100% certain if that is still possible. Highly recommended. read more