SHELLFISH BEHAVIOR The world is your oyster-on-the-half-shell at this above-average cajun/creole/seafood spot. Seeking a new restaurant in the Oak Park area to try out, I came here with the girlfriend last Saturday night to indulge her raw oyster cravings. We'd previously been to Phil's once for drinks with a friend of hers who got #whitegirlwasted (sorry Steph!) but never before had we eaten a meal here. So it was on the evening of 1/27/18 that we found ourselves seated in a booth, anxiously awaiting to dine on fishy dishes. One thing I like about Poor Phil's is they provide baskets of popcorn, in lieu of bread & butter or chips & dip. Salty popcorn means people drink more.......just like college! We started with a 'six mix' of oysters (a half dozen for $14) and they came with fresh horseradish, cocktail sauce, and lemon. A few drops of Tabasco, a dash of salt, and voila! They were tasty enough, but not really my scene. After a few pints of Three Floyd's Gumballhead, we eagerly put in orders for entrées. I started with a cup of New England clam chowder ($6), which had plenty of potatoes and flavor amidst the creamy white soup. Though we wound up trading halfway thru the meal, Nichole C's shrimp & lobster creole ($17) was very tasty, if perhaps a bit heavy on the red pepper sauce. It was served over a bed of white rice with garlic bread and reminded me a LOT of one of my favorite German specialties, "Gefüllte Paprika" (green peppers stuffed with meat & rice in a tomato sauce). We both LOVED the chilled lobster roll ($22). It had nice, big chunks of Maine lobster meat in a seafood salad mixture that included celery, onions, and fresh dill inside a soft-butter toasted roll. My choice of side was the mac 'n' cheese, which turned out to be AWESOME. Mister LobstahRoll was the big winner here, folks. Bread = 4.5 Circuses = 3 Service was a bit weak. There were lengthy delays throughout dinner and on more than one occasion we found ourselves asking "where did our dude go?!?" He wasn't all that friendly, and not terribly attentive. The bathroom is super cramped; with three guys in there at one time, we practically stood/peed on each other's toes! Phil's atmosphere reminds me a lot of college bars, somewhere between divey and legit. When we walked in, a bunch of tables still hadn't been bussed, so a lot of dirty glassware was just lying around. This gave me the idea to jokingly call them "Philthy Phil's". * TL;DR * Despite some blips with service and minuscule restrooms, Phil's is like a solid college bar that also happens to serve a wicked tasty lobster roll, plus good clam chowdaahhhh. The popcorn is a delightful snacking item, even if you're just slammin' back strong fruity cocktails. Poor Phil's features $1 oysters at select times on certain days, so give them a looksee if you're in a seafood mood! With tons of beers on tap and plenty of TV's -- not to mention a menu that's dotted with humor-- I'd definitely recommend these guys for dinner and/or drinks! read more

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Meh. Used to be our go place - went today and understand now why the place was basically empty for a weekend lunch service. I get things are expensive but $21 for a fish sandwich and cold side of broccoli? The sandwich was "mid" at best. no flavor/kinda small for the price - For $21 it should be fantastic and at that price im in the territory of going to a finer dining experience. bummer. read more

This is a great local fish joint! I visited while I was staying at the Carleton Hotel and really enjoyed the atmosphere where friends were all coming in as though they had just walked around the corner. I ordered the fish and chips and received two large pieces of flaky fish and tatertots. I also enjoyed a root beer and whiskey cocktail and a turtle sundae which was outstanding. The bartender, Casper, was very helpful and gave me some great advice about relocating to the area. I look forward to returning here many times once I relocate in a couple weeks! read more

Poor Phil's Shell Bar - Fish and chips (tatertots) - American Near Me - Oak Park, Illinois

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Great neighborhood bar with good food. The super tater tots alone are worth the trip! read more

Absolutely nothing to like about this restaurant. Ordered wings, and chicken strips for the kids; lobster bites and gumbo for myself. Wings were really small, and strips taste like they were cooked frozen. Lobster bites were "lobsterless," and the gumbo... the gumbo... I barely got a spoonful in before I was spitting it out. Should've known it was no good from the way it looked when I stirred it. I have a feeling that if that spoonful would've went down, I would be curled up in pain. Suffering from food poisoning. Service was no good. Waited 10 minutes for my server to come back for my check. Ended up giving it to another server to cash me out. Not sure what the hold up was because the place was empty. read more

Poor Phil's is essentially part of the Charlton Hotel - you can even charge orders to your room. It's divided in half by the hotel entrance with a bar on one side and a sit down restaurant on the other. It can be a bit loud inside, so on a nice day the patio is a good choice. I usually go to breakfast here, so I'll limit my review to the early fare which starts at not so early 8am. The breakfast food is very good (with large portions) and the service is prompt and attentive. The Eggs Benedict is good, although I wish it was served with something other than spinach and a tomato slice. They have a variety of omelets, egg skillets, pancakes and other goodies to stuff your belly. The coffee is ok too. read more

Poor Phil's Shell Bar - Breakfast - American Near Me - Oak Park, Illinois

I have been frequenting Poor Phil's regularly since 1999. We were there the last night prior to shutting down for the pandemic, and since we've moved have come back every time we are I. Town. On October 20, 2021, we met friends for drinks and dinner. There were 6 of us, and we sat outside. Everything was great until we got the bill. Drinks and sandwiches/fish and chips. Imagine my surprise when the bill was $390.00! Now I was not going to make a scene in front of my friends, but if you look at the bill (photo), note that there is a $59.14 'Service' amount. What is that? The server did not mention that there would be a charge for six people, which is customary in most restaurants, and not knowing what this charge was, I tipped (well, I might add) the server on top of that. Granted, the food at Phil's has always been a bit pricey, but good - so that isn't the issue. It's the fact that a service charge was added without any explanation - and with the tip, this came to over $70.00 a person. To say I'm disappointed is an understatement, as we have enjoyed Phil's for the last 22 years- but I will NEVER go there again after this experience. I understand COVID wreaked havoc on the restaurant industry, but if you want clients to come back don't gouge them. read more

Poor Phil's Shell Bar - Our bill - American Near Me - Oak Park, Illinois

Great bar, love the relaxed environment, the staff and service is excellent too. Great place to have a drink and eat and just relax. No one rushes you and even the patrons seem to be courteous. Loved all the food, really should have taken pictures. Tots are crunchy and hot always. Club sammich is great and so are the chicken tenders. Love this place read more

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Very nice old fashioned restaurant at the oak Park neighborhood. They have a large variety of drafts and beers. We ordered crab cakes and lobster roll. Both are surprisingly good. Portion is reasonable. I like the draft beer tap handles hanging all over the ceiling. According to our waitress, these tap handles are the collection from the owner for the past 30 years, most of them are discontinused items. Will come back again to try their crabby lobster salad. read more

I appreciated the excellent and thorough beer list, fried pickles on my fried pickle burger and great service. Me is heavy on seafood (not my thing), but NBD. Great OP hang on the patio! read more

Been here twice now, I have tried the blackened catfish po'boy which is 5 stars, and the shrimp po'boy which is 4 stars. Food and service is really good and the place gets packed. I'm only giving 3 stars bcuz my ONE Kettle Soda with limes cost $12.50!!!!!!!!!! POOR Phil, how poor are you STILL that you charge one vodka drink with soda more than an entire bottle of vodka?!! How is this reasonable? With this game you should be rich by now with that kind of gross upcharge. Especially since considering the wait staff does acrobatics around the plethora of patrons to tables, due to lack of space. (Hands in the air) thanks but no thanks, I'll make my own po'boys or look elsewhere. I had to pay to park too. Just stupid! read more

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A little pricey, but food is above average. I've returned for carry out, but dining in felt a little dingy and smelled of old mop water.

The food is great, the service was wonderful and the workers are friendly and accommodating. I felt comfortable and relaxed the whole time.

Great service! Spoke with a lovely servicewoman over the phone who accommodated my requests and many questions. Went in for a bite and left satisfied! read more

Keep walking. I know I wish I did. The pros. *Quick service *Friendly enough waiter *Nice atmosphere The cons. *The prices. Most meals are around 20 dollars. The soup was ten. The quesadillas were 16. Their main entrees were 20-26. *Free popcorn is only for inside patrons?! I asked why? He just said that free popcorn is only inside. Because that makes zero sense. The kitchen and the food is inside too, but you bring the food out here, why is the popcorn immobile? Not cool. No bread. No extra napkins on the tables, no sauces, no nothing. Bare bones. They seem like they are budgeting and at the expense of their patrons experiences at their restaurant. I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't even have salt and pepper on the tables. *Their shrimp po boy. Just guess how many shrimp were included?! Five. Five lousy shrimp. They added tons of fillers like lettuce and onions that cost nothing and placed it on top of this sad looking sandwich. If I had ordered that entree and was expected to pay 22 dollars you best believe I would just walk next door to the Onion Tied House which has huge portions. I told the waiter that the po boy was missing some shrimp and he took it back to the kitchen, and then came back to tell us that five was the amount that is the portion for the po boy. Five?! Not even an even number to have the same amount of shrimp on both halves of the sandwich?! This has to be a mistake. I was absolutely shocked that the waiter took the dish back and the chef thought it was in his best interest to not satisfy his new customers. Giving us a few more shrimp would have gone a long way and would have cost him close to nothing. BAD MOVE MY FRIEND. BAD MOVE. The lobster quesadillas were meh. And the clam chowder was pretty good. It's pretty thick but alright. I asked the waiter for a cracker for my soup and then felt the need to specify more than one cracker because I could see them bringing me one cracker and calling it a day. Needless to say the food was meh and the Chef needs to remember how crucial it is to hear and listen to his customer. They should update the menu and say "all menu items may be priced as full sized entrees but are a serving size for a mouse and closer to an appetizer than an entree". Then no one would be upset. NO disclaimer?! Once again, not cool. I joked that I needed to pick up a second job just to afford this place and the waiter goes..."That's downtown Oak Park for ya." No that's just over priced POOR PHILS FOR YA. read more

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Great neighborhood spot. Food is fine, but service and neighborhood ambiance is fantastic!

Great food and comfortable seating inside and out. Knowledgeable staff that made you feel right at home. Reunion weekend in Chicago and rather than leaving the hotel to find someplace to eat had friends meet me at Phil's! Variety of food available and substitutions no problem! read more

If your unsure what specific oysters you like or just can't remember try the six-mix for oysters. You get two blue point, 2 east coasts, and 2 west coasts oysters. I like to go for Buck-a-shuck time which is $1 oysters from 11-6. It's worth taking advantage of and I like the east coast oysters while my boyfriend prefers the creamy but more salty west coast oysters. This place is for seafood lovers of if you want a nice outside place to get a beer. The garlic mussels are not very flavorful. The Bloody Mary was very spicy! read more

Poor Phil's Shell Bar - Oysters-blue point, east coast, and west coast - American Near Me - Oak Park, Illinois

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Ok ... it says something when people from San Francisco think a place is over-priced. $12 for a side of sweet potato fries... $12 for 1 crab cake ... $12 for a cheese quesadilla. 'Nuff said. read more

I went to Poor Phil's during Valentine Week. Order the main lobster with mashed sweet potatoes. Everything was a la cart but well worth it. It was a nice size fresh lobster making it meaty and still very tender. The mashed sweet potatoes were buttery and seasoned well. They just melted in my mouth. I did not have to add anything. I was so satisfied I went back again several days later and was not disappointed. I was happy the servers were very attentive. I originally thought it was because it wasn't too busy. But even after the room filled with customers, we were not neglected. Poor Phil's definitely gets 2 thumbs up. If I had to give any constructive feedback is that the dining area is on the smaller side so you either need to get there early, eat in the bar area or wait a little while. read more

Poor Phil's Shell Bar - Maine Lobster with mashed sweet potatoes during Valentine's Week. - American Near Me - Oak Park, Illinois

Neat little joint. Lots of friendly faces. Pleanty of TVs playing sports. Good beer on tap. I didn't try any of the food. Only the beer and I was I think I'll be coming back soon. There's an outdoor section that will be perfect when the weather is warmer and dry. Not much to say other than a friendly neighborhood bar. Check them out. It's a little tight, but that's how you make friends. read more

Poor Phil's Shell Bar - American Near Me - Oak Park, Illinois

I've never been do we decided to try it out. I had they oysters and the gumbo. The oysters were fine but the gumbo needs to be taken off the menu. I had never tasted anything that bad. It did not have a gumbo consistency. It was like thick gravy. Super disappointed. The red wine I had was great though read more

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Always Delicious. Always Fresh. Service is always great and prompt. Garlic claws are a MUST TRY. Huge selection of Beer for the Beer Lovers. One of my favorite spots. read more

Poor Phil's Shell Bar - Wine & an Old Fashion - American Near Me - Oak Park, Illinois

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I stopped by Poor Phil's last Saturday 1/27/2018. This was my second time here. My first time was for my brother's birthday, back in November, but I didn't have the chance to have dinner, since we arrived around 10:30pm. I remember trying to order some oysters that night but the kitchen was already closed. Bummer. Ever since that night, I've had those babies on my mind. I heard the angels sing when Eric S. mentioned coming here for dinner after a day of doing absolutely nothing at home. I love their old-style, unassuming ambiance and I love the fact that you get popcorn while you wait for your food instead of bread or chips. Very cool! Eric and I started off with some beers and our free popcorn. I quickly ordered the 6ix mix of 6 raw oysters ($22), since they weren't on happy hour and the dozen is WAY expensive. I will be back on a Monday for $1 oysters, be warned! The mix included two of each: east coast, west coast, and some other type of oyster I can't remember. They were all delicious. For our entrees I went with the shrimp and lobster creole ($17) and Eric S. ordered the Lobster roll ($22.50) with a side of mac & cheese. We ended up switching because I didn't much care for the sauce drenched shrimp and lobster creole. I would've liked it way more if you could feel some of the white rice on the bottom. The lobser roll, on the other hand, was spectacular and the side of mac & cheese was perfect! Service was good and our server was pretty nice and attentive even though he was working the bar at the same time. I'll be back! read more

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Very unique setting in a quiet downtown area. Food is good as well. Limited selection on the menu though. Different type of Ambiance. read more

Poor Phil's Shell Bar - American Near Me - Oak Park, Illinois

This place is pretty good for seafood and po boys. Great beer selection and outdoor seating is available during the warm weather months. Lots of options for sides. While we were there we got oysters, Buffalo chicken po boy, crab salad, fish and chips, and fish sandwhich. The service was great. Sandwhich prices were kind of high $18. read more

Poor Phil's Shell Bar - American Near Me - Oak Park, Illinois

A good casual spot to meet. The staff are very accommodating and the beer list is robust. I went there for their happy hour specials - while they were affordable, they were run of the mill fried bar food. Nothing to write home about. But if you want an easy place to hang for a happy hour it's a decent spot. read more

I can't believe it has been thirty years plus since the last time I went to this restaurant. Since this is a seafood restaurant I just had to have their famous New England Clam Chowder. The ambiance and the character of the bar and restaurant has grown better with time. They are definitely an institution in Oak Park that needs to be experienced. read more

Poor Phil's Shell Bar - Poor Phil's at Carleton Hotel - American Near Me - Oak Park, Illinois

Traveling for work. Stayed at The Charlton of Oak Park Hotel. Dropped in for dinner. Jambalaya was delish. So was the draft beer.

While wandering around Oak Park and exploring, we stumbled across Poor Phil's. It is quite a unique establishment. It was as if a Baltimore seafood joint had a baby with a Chicago bar. Loved the ambiance and the bartender was very friendly. LOTS of space inside and out for groups. Definitely seemed like a local place - a local storefront owner was using the bar as her office which added character and a neighborhood feel to the place. We sat at the bar and there was lots of neat decor - especially the taps hanging around as artwork. Lots of TVs to watch and free popcorn was nice. Bathrooms were a bit dark, but artwork was neat in there too. Hubby ordered the Catty Boy sandwich with fries and loved it. I had the Lobster Roll with a side of mac n' cheese (carbo loading!) and it was delish as well. The locals seemed to come in and order things not even on the menu but they all looked delicious. I'm guessing if you can think it, they will make it! Some reviews said that the wait was long, but we did not have that problem by any means. All in all a great experience. Recommended this place to our local friends. read more

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Great vibe. Good selection of food and drink. Fresh seafood options. Enjoyed the crab claws and crab cake. Started with lobster bisque. Come for apps and a drink or a full meal. Good customer service read more

I had blue moon mussels and it wAs kinda spicy which I didn't expect It was great! Oysters were kinda small but all were fresh. I would come back. read more

Poor Phil's Shell Bar - Blue moon mussels - American Near Me - Oak Park, Illinois

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This place is attached to a hotel, The Carlton in Oak Park. I've always walked/drive pass wanting to stop in. They have a great size patio for the warmer months. I recently went with my friend and eh the inside was fairly old looking. Reminds me of some bars up North on Division. The restaurant doesn't match the hotel in my opinion. The menu wasn't all that extensive but doable. I ordered the étouffée. Initially I didn't like because I'm use to seasoning like Pappadeauxs. However, after doctoring it up with a little salt n peppa, it was good. The drinks we had were weak but hey they were only $5.00. I guess I can't complain...yes I can. We needed a little more smidget of alcohol. I love the location of this place and that's what sells me on it. Just 1 block South of Downtown Oak Park. I will definitely be going back to try the other two dishes I want to flex on. Keep y'all posted. I hate I didn't take a picture. read more

Food is decent, so are cocktails. Service is uneven, nice prompt service but with dirty plates and glasses not cleared. outdoor seating is pleasant. The bar has hundreds of tap handles hanging from the ceiling and server shirts say "100 beers" but tap beer is the last thing you should order because they do not clean their lines and the tap beer is flat, old and disgusting. Ironic and pathetic that the beer is such a big branding focus! read more

They used to have the best burger around, now the worst. Dry, flavorless, not the brioche as stated on menue...tator tots oily. Shredded lettuce, pale tomato. Resting on their laurels from years gone by, and outside patio. read more

Worse experience in a long time. Get in for the first time ever and no one bothers to tend to us. We eventually get seat and our waitress is higher than hell. She's either on weed or something else. It was embarrassing. We couldn't understand her because she kept slurring. And she got more and more messed up the longer we were there. In fact her, a bartender, and another guy snuck into a closed area and came out (more) messed up. The food well, not good. Gave us some popcorn that you can tell she over salted cause of her high. In face the bottom was a pool of salt. My husband's burger wasn't cooked. It was practically charred outside and very rare inside. I ordered the jambalaya that came to me literally seconds after the microwave went off. Super hot and wasn't eatable for a good while. The place was cleanish. Sadly we won't ever go there again. We've been by it walking so many time and thought it would have been a lovely place but boy were we mistaken. In fact, this is the first time ever that my husband (who works in the industry,) didn't leave a tip. So so sad. read more

We were there today...server not pleasant in spite of the fact that the menu online is historical...dishes & prices are history. He said it's "pre-pandemic" and just hasn't been updated. We should have left, advise you to not bother. Perhaps restaurant menus should be dated!! read more

I felt compelled to say something, because while two of the bartenders there have been awesome since going there, one dude really irked me recently. This big guy...no need to act so tough and terse, uncompromising. But what really tickled me...this is a first that I can remember: Sure, I normally say thanks for almost every interaction with a bartender, but when my card was run and he placed the billfold in front of, apparently I didn't say anything so he clearly sarcastically says, "you're welcome." Holy sh**!!! Thank you so much for letting me pay!!!! Wow, so sorry for not thanking you!. Honestly, if this wasn't one of the only bars in the area and with TV's, I'd never go here...food is so overpriced for the quality (chicken wings are laughable...add more breading!) and I know outside of the oysters, not sure how much is fresh vs frozen. But just too expensive, maybe family types like the gimmicky menu. Sorry, wouldn't have mentioned anything about the establishment but, sorry said bartender, you brought me to it. read more

I LOOOOVVVEEEEEEEE everything about this place. I came yesterday for the first time in over 20 years and damn near cried once I tasted everything I ordered. I fell in love all over again. I had flashbacks of my younger years and dinner with my friends at Poor Phil's. The garlic crab claws......OMGGGGGGG AMMMMAZINGGGGG! I HIGHLY recommend this place. Thank you for being consistent and making me fall in love all over again. read more

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My wife and I have been frequent customers over the last few years. I was just thinking last night how great the waitstaff are. I can't think of a time when we weren't greeted with smiles and kindness. Their staff always seem eager to help and recommend items, ask questions when they're not sure, and make sure we're doing okay with drinks and food. I'm sure staffing these days is very challenging for for all restaurants, but they're doing a great job. Great draught beer selection. If you like and Old Fashioned, try their Harvest Maple. read more