My wife and I absolutely love New Orleans, and we are so glad to have a wonderful taste of their cuisine right here in our hometown! Their atmosphere is an awesome old school/ family feel. They have many local sport teams pictures on the walls. It is not uncommon to find local faces in frames on their walls. It's a great place to bring the family for dinner or go out for late night drinks. I asked the owner why it has an Irish name, and I should have known (and felt a little stupid after finding out) It is his last name. But he grew up in NOLA and definately knows how to cook their style! Their food is absolutely amazing! I have tried a lot on their menu but it's so hard for me not to at least order some dish with their jambalaya in it, because it is amazing! Definately recommend their Cajun Combination, it is a delectible combination of their wonderful Jambalaya and red beans and rice. You definately have to be able to eat a lot to order this one, but it's so good. My wife and I also went a few months back during their Crawfish fest and O...M...G!!! The menu during Crawfish weekend is so incredible!! I couldn't believe their Etouffee was so close to how they make it in NOLA! and only $10. mmmmm I can't talk enough about this dish. We frequent NOLA and by far my favorite Jambalaya is from a place called "Coops place", but this place takes a close second to my favorite. We just found out they also have Oyster fest coming up next weekend and can't wait to see what's on the menu for that weekend. I love oysters and am very excited. If you're not into creole they also offer a variety of american style food as well! Their burgers are great and their soups are even better! If you like spicy order their extremely hot wings and see if you can keep up. The only reason I am posting now after being so many times is because it saddens me that some people have a begative view on this place. It leads me to believe they just don't know and appreciate true New Orleans style and food, which is so hard for me to understand because the food is so flavorful, spicy (if you want), and flat out a party in your mouth. Seriously, don't write a review of a creole place on their american style foods. This just doesn't make sense to me and hurts an excellent creole place's rep. This is a TRUE GEM!! read more

I like this place. It's strange mixing Irish/ American/ and Cajun into one, but I do like they have the diversity on the menu and drinks. It seems to be a New Orleans bar which is nice because sometimes you just need to get away and have a hurricane! Food was good too. Nothing to complain about. Oh, and in summer they had outdoor seating so BONUS!!! read more

This is a place you'd never expect - an Irish bar serving cajun food. Personally, I've eaten there several times and their food is just OK. If there's a sports game you want to watch while you eat, they've got TVs, so a lot of the guys here at work do that sometimes. read more

5 stars for their desserts! Their homemade key lime pie is the best I've ever had. Perfectly creamy with the jazzy, snazzy taste of key limes. Crumbly graham cracker crust. I specially ordered a whole one to bring on a PLANE to San Francisco to my family for Thanksgiving. (The airport screeners tried to steal a piece from me. :)) Their pecan pie is also made in house with finely chopped pecans and crumbly crust as well. Doesn't have that gloppy sugary stuff found in subpar pecan pies. read more

Extremely disappointed. The lobster ponchotrain sauce was good but the shrimp, lobster, scallops, and crawfish were scarce. The dinner salad was on a dessert plate and the dressing was so watery I thought it was ranch and not bleu cheese. $100. for three people and a special birthday dinner it was really not worth it. The waitress didn't come out of the back for about ten minutes actually no one but the people at the bar even knew we existed. The waitress was not attentive and was more interested in the people at the bar and the game. Definitely won't go back. read more

Not bad for what it is. It is on the Madison Bar Strip, and with the name, you'd think it's just a bar. It's more of a sit-down sandwich and cajun food place. It's a little high priced for that, I think on average you'll pay $10 for a sandwich and fries and it might come with soup, but the sandwiches are pretty good and worth a try if you want a good sandwich. read more

I love cajun food and I really like Shanahans. I've been to New Orleans many times and I cannot get enough of the food there, the funny thing is I've never eaten at Shanahans in New Orleans, but I was lucky enough to find this location thanks to yelp. I have eaten here several times, their gumbo is delicious and I really enjoy their breakfast. Especially the voodoo skillet and the eggs sardou. They have lots of seating inside and in the summer they have a nice area sectioned off for outdoor dining. They also make an excellent bloody mary. read more

I've passed by this place before but never had a chance to eat here until last night. I thought the food was really delicious and the waitstaff very attentive. I had the jambalaya and the portion size was huge with lots of flavor. By the time dessert came around, I was stuffed and only managed a few bites of pecan pie and bread pudding but both were delightful. I will definitely be back...good food and good atmosphere...who can beat it! read more

They know how to pour a decent drink, but brought disappointment with their food. The menu sounded amazing yet a simple appetizer could not be executed. Watered down dressing and over priced portions. read more

Great drinks. And good food if you want the blandest meal you've ever had! I've been here twice and I haven't had any flavor in my food. Which is really disappointing for a cajon place. Don't waste your time at this place especially with axcan across the street. What a dive! Should be shut down! read more

We love Shanahan's, it's always a winner! This weekend was Lobster Fest, though the menu changes up with specials regularly. Drinks have specials also, my husband had an Oktoberfest beer imported from Germany that neither of us had heard of that was really good. Their Key lime pie is made on premise, it's very good, garnished with fresh whipped cream. From Cajun creole to burgers it's a fit for any crave!! read more

Wonderful !!!! Service was the best ! Food was Great ..... ( in my Tony the Tiger voice ) A+ ! Best Valentine Special ever !!!!

Both kinds of Gumbo were delicious. Got a dual plate to share and was plenty with 2 small bowls of Gumbo for a lunch for 2. Very tasty.

I tried the Blue Cheese Burger (the Black and Blue Cheese burger as I remember,) there yesterday and it caused me to kick up the rating a notch. Service is always good, and the times I am there about mid day always has had a nice, relatively quiet and dark ambiance. Not a fan of their Creole fair, but found the American style food and beverages good. If you are in the area, definitely check them out as well as the semi attached chocolate store just next door. Cheers! read more

The food here is excellent, even better than at Seven on Heaven. The service however is terrible. It goes beyond relaxed dining - it borders on lazy and neglectful. Go for the meal, and expect high quality, but DO NOT go unless you're planning to spend 2+ hours. read more

I can't believe I've never been here before!!Great food friendly staff and chill environment....I went for NYE dinner and went back today for lunch....my new favorite place!! read more

Shanahan's - Voodoo Pork Chops!!! - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Forest Park, Illinois

I ordered a jambalaya and the dish wasn't tasty and neither was it presented well. From the looks of the plate, it looked like ketchup rice with a few morsels of chicken and sausage. There was no depth of flavor in its food and neither was the dish spicy. This Cajun dish tasted bland. The food was topped with roughly cut weathered green onions which looked like they have been left out in the fridge overnight. Maybe I ordered the wrong dish but this is pretty standard southern dish. Wouldn't be going back anytime soon. read more

We went to Shanahan's for lunch. Everyone in my group seemed to like it okay but me. My parents had po' boy sandwiches which they said were really good. I had a burger which was just okay. Kind of mushy. The fries were good, though. I would like to go back and try some of their Creole offerings. Maybe when it gets colder out, though. Or maybe for dinner. Creole food always seems so much more heavy and winter-y to me. The atmosphere of the place could have been better. I guess, though, it's really more of a bar with an extensive menu. Also, towards the end of our meal the bartender turned the volume up on one of the tvs so loud that we could barely hear each other talk. Granted, there were only two other tables in the place but I thought it was really rude. read more

It was a cold night in the low teens. A friend and I wanted some hot spicy food. We went to Shanahans Cajun/Creole bar and grill. Shanahans is a nice and comfrontable restaurant in downtown Forest Park,IL. As we sat down we were greeted by a lovely waitress named Kate. It was Happy Hour so all appetizers were only $6.00. We ordered a Chesse Popper appetizer. I ordered a cocktail called the Moscow Mule which is a Vodka based drink. We had the Crab & Crawish Gumbo. It was outstanding. A spicy soup with just enough kick. My friend ordered the bacon cheese burger and I ordered the Shrimp Remoulade salad. The salad had gulf shrimp over fresh greens, bell peppers, shredded carrots. tomatos with a spicy creole mustard dressing. The dressing was very good. The service was excellent and the food was awesome. Shanahans was established on Nov 7, 1977 in New Orleans, Louisana. It exemplifies the style and Ambience which is what Southern Hospitaility is about. This place is a must try. MJM read more

I have eaten here a couple times. The food is ok, service is a little bit mixed but certainly suffices. Beer selection is better than expected. I enjoyed the Octoberfest the last two years. I don't recommend getting a burger here, better places in town just for burgers. read more

OK, maybe not the best service ever...but they've got the best wings around! For all of you Buffalo Wild Wing and Hooters fans...check'em out! No disappointment! Also, their French Salad is to DIE for! It's LOADED with rich swiss cheese and is just truly unique. I've never had anything but the wings and the French salad...and, of course, the beer. My friends and I started going here in high school, and well, we're still in there enough to know the bar tenders on a first-name basis, so just go! read more

I love the burgers. The bacon cheeseburger is one of my favorites, and they are big and juicy. The owners are great people and very hospitable. And they have amazing grill cheese with fried green tomatoes in it. I would recommend it and they have a big bar. read more

I love their Thursday specials and their food is just amazing! I can't wait to go back!

I've been here several times and have always liked it, mostly cuz I really love cajun food. But last night I was ready to walk out of there. After we were seated (a lone table next to the kitchen), we waited for 10 minutes for our waitress to come by. We ordered drinks and then she never came back, ever!!! After waiting another 15 minutes, we flagged down a waiter named Ryan who got our drinks, dinner orders and generally made this dining experienced less than horrid. I had their gumbo and for some reason, they put in a tremendously large amount of garlic. There was no taste but garlic. There was no smell but garlic. I still smell garlic on my breath 24 hours later and 3 toothbrushings after. It was an awful cup of soup. My entree was Louisana Beans and Rice, which was decent. The service was mixed. The one blonde waitress really, really needs to get fired but everyone else was great. I'll probably stop going here as I've been soured by hate. read more

Wow, just wow. great ambience. Wonderful bartender. Food was fantastic. TV's to watch the game. Loved it and everything was perfect. Definitely recommend this place to you. read more

My husband and I like Shanahans, it reminds us of meeting in college in New Orleans. Kids are old enough now, we need to bring them with us to eat here too! Mardi Gras season is great fun, but we enjoy the food and laid back atmosphere any time of year. read more

Voodoo Pork Chops are amazing! A must eat. Great service and Good Music. Will be back soon. read more

Shanahan's - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Forest Park, Illinois

All I can say, Lovely! I took my mother and daughter here for an impromtu lunch while we waited for our spa appointments and the staff was fantastic and well attentive. The price for the food was great. and coming from a louisiana family, My mother approves their red beans and rice dish. I will certainly return for an alfresco dining experience here. read more

I should have known when we were the only ones eating there that i had made a mistake. While the decor's not bad-lots of old timey photos on the walls. The service was AWFUL. Seeing as we were the only people she waited on, that's a little ridiculous. Our waitress was more interested in the game on the tv than us. She was literally faced away from us the entire time, so when she got my order wrong my boyfriend had to actually WALK UP to her to tell her. Very aggravating. The bacon cheeseburger I ordered was eh. I've had much better burgers at other places on Madison, like Duckfat. The bacon wasn't crispy and was kinda undercooked, which is definitely not the way I like my bacon. The fries were decent, though. Definitely wasn't a burger worth $8.50. Probably won't return. read more

I agree with other posters that the soup is good. Other than that, their food appears to be bland. Also, if you sit in the dining section of the place, be prepared to wait quite some time for the wait staff to take your order and to have to practically tackle the staff to get anything further once your order's brought out. This isn't necessarily the wait staff's fault, they just need more servers back there. read more

The cajun food was disappointing. My husband's shrimp po' boy wasn't very good, and I can make better red beans and rice that what I was served. I'm still giving the place 3 stars (1) in the hopes that their burgers will be good; (2) they had some good beers on tap that were quite cheap; and (3) it had a good atmosphere and several TVs for watching sports. read more

Well, I have never had Cajun before coming to Shanahan's so I have nothing to compare it to, but I am a fan!! The patio was packed so we decided to sit in the back to the restaurant. There was only one server, so the bartender waited on us. I thought that was a bit odd. She was really nice though, and helpful since I had never had Cajun/Creole before. The sausage gumbo was sooo good! I'll be back for more! read more

We loved this place--went for lunch. The chicken and andouille gumbo was delicious, the Voodo pork chops were awesome and the crawfish po'boy was great. Ally was our server and she was absolutely delightful read more

We've been here 5 or 6 times. Food is pretty consistent - good but not great. Service is definitely on the slower side. Last time we were there it was a Sriracha event weekend - certain foods made with the hot sauce. I tried a chicken breast with cheese and sriracha sauce on the side. It was really good. My husband had the wings, mojo style I believe. He likes the wings here, but says there are definitely better in the area, which is fine as that is not their area of expertise. One thing that was strange is we ordered a Bloody Mary, which was a drink special that day. It was $4, I believe. It was a tasty one and nice and spicy. However, when we used a Groupon we had that covered a portion of our meal, the special price reverted to the original drink price. Um, whaaaa? We checked with the waitress again to make sure we heard right. It doesn't say that anywhere on your menu or on Groupon, so not really sure that's even allowed. Probably won't be back here - time to move on to trying the other Cajun restaurants around the Chicago area. read more

Been here twice, once for dinner and once for lunch. Both times good service. Food sounded better on the menu than what I actually received (lack of flavor). Good not great. With so many more places to try, I probably won't be back unless only to drink and maybe try an appetizer. read more

If you want some good creole in the chicago suburbs this is your place! Chicken gumbo is amazing! I happened to get a tuna sandwich as well and that was also quite tastey.To top it off they own a little chocolate shop too! Soooo be sure to stop in there for some truffles and delicious goodies! read more

Creole food in an Irish pub? Sold! The inside is nice, not anything special, nor dive-like. Standard dark wood, nice. It's the food and the server's acerbic wit that are the source of your dining enjoyment. Plus, in May 2011 they have a Crawfish Fest and it should be advertised as BYOB - bring your own bib. I had a glass of white wine, pinot grigio. It was decent, worth the $7. I enjoyed a cup of soup (which came with my entree), the Louisiana Crab & Crawfish Gumbo. Yum, yum, yum. I sampled one of my friend's appetizers, the Artichoke Fritters - tasty but fried, very fried. Not doughy or soft on the outside. Be prepared for that. Good but you'll be tasting the fried part, that's for sure. For my entree I had the Shrimp Creole - very tasty but the tomato base was more pasty in texture (like tomato paste) than sauce-like. Good but I wasn't expecting that part. The other two out of the four of us had: Chicken & Andouille Sausage Gumbo (Soup) - the vote was for more! 1) Entree was the Three From the Bayou: a tasting of Shrimp Creole, Chicken & Andouille Sausage Jambalaya, and Crawfish Etoufee. Delicious! 2) House Salad - Standard Entree was the special (Pork Chops w/Crawfish Etoufee and Dirty Rice) - two giant pork chops = doggy bag or a night curled up in fetal position. Two man enter one man leaves? He said it was very good, but took one of the chops home for leftovers. A wise decision. This is a place to go to if you are in the area or close enough to drive there. Or if you are craving Creole food with whiskey. The combo is amusing. I'll be back. read more

Shanahan's knows hospitality. I've been there on multiple occasions and have always been greeted warmly and treated very well by the staff. I was there the other night, and enjoyed their whiskey flight and seafood plate. The atmosphere is very comfortable - just what you'd want in a neighborhood bar, with lots of local character. I've always had a good time, and will definitely be going back! read more

Best wings on Madison St.! Servers were fantastic, great drinks with wonderful outdoor seating available! Shrimp fest was so delicious my husband went back for lunch the next day. read more

We went during the week. We've been going for years. We even served a big pan of their jambalya for my birthday. The food ranges from good to great. What really surprised us was the service. We couldn't get refills on my daughter's drink after asking twice, we got a very bad attitude from the waitress (who, yes, was overwhelmed because there were several tables and she was the only one waiting, but it's not my fault). We sent something back--a full plate--because it wasn't fresh (we aren't picky, but this was not edible- 1st time ever). I'm pretty sure she rolled her eyes at us. Kinda spoiled the evening's meal to have a waitress who resented waiting on us. read more