Shaw's Crab House · Restaurant · Chicago
River North seafood house since 1984, with an Oyster Bar and coast-to-coast raw bar
Shaw's Crab House has anchored River North's seafood scene since 1984, a Chicago institution built around a daily coast-to-coast raw bar and serious crab. Its catches are flown in from both coasts through direct relationships with fishermen and farmers, and the kitchen keeps preparations simple so the product leads.
The setting is a 1940s-style seafood house split into two rooms under one roof: the casual, lively Oyster Bar, with cozy booths and high-tops, on one side and the white-tablecloth Main Dining Room on the other. Live music plays in the Oyster Bar on Thursdays from 5 to 8 pm, and weekday happy hour from 3 to 5 pm brings half-priced oysters on the half shell.
The raw bar is the reason to come. Start with oysters on the half shell, six varieties offered daily, then move to the Alaskan Golden King Crab legs, steamed and served with drawn butter. Shaw's Signature Chopped Seafood Salad, with crab, shrimp and lobster, is the easy middle ground for the table, and the jumbo lump crab cakes come with the house mustard mayonnaise.
The Oyster Bar runs from 11:30 am to 9 pm Sunday through Thursday and until 10 on Friday and Saturday. The Main Dining Room serves lunch daily from 11:30 to 2 and dinner from 5, until 9 Sunday through Thursday and 10 on weekends. It makes a strong opening move for a River North night, a raw bar and crab dinner before the evening turns toward a lounge or club nearby.
Address: 21 E Hubbard St, Chicago, IL 60611, Chicago
Shaw's Crab House takes reservations through OpenTable. This MyRSVP guide covers the room, what it is known for and when to go in Chicago; use the booking link on this page to reserve direct.
Hours of operation
- Monday: 11:30 - 21:00
- Tuesday: 11:30 - 21:00
- Wednesday: 11:30 - 21:00
- Thursday: 11:30 - 21:00
- Friday: 11:30 - 22:00
- Saturday: 11:30 - 22:00
- Sunday: 11:30 - 21:00
Frequently asked about Shaw's Crab House
How do I get a reservation at Shaw's Crab House in Chicago?
Tables at Shaw's Crab House are booked directly with the restaurant. If it is part of a bigger Chicago plan, our Chicago team handles the nightlife around your dinner and can point you to the venue's own reservations channel.
What should I order at Shaw's Crab House?
Shaw's Crab House is best known for its signature dishes and shareable plates. Tell MyRSVP your party size and any dietary needs and we note them with your request.
What is the dress code at Shaw's Crab House?
Shaw's Crab House keeps an upscale dining dress code: smart, dressed-up attire, no athletic wear or beachwear. MyRSVP confirms any current door specifics with your booking.
Where is Shaw's Crab House located?
Shaw's Crab House is in Chicago, at 21 E Hubbard St, Chicago, IL 60611. MyRSVP can build it into a full Chicago itinerary alongside the surrounding nightlife.
Going out after dinner?
Three Chicago rooms for the rest of the night.
- MASQ at Hubbard Inn · Nightclub · A concealed third-floor nightclub above the Hubbard Inn dining rooms.
- Galería · Nightclub · An art-themed Gold Coast club where the walls are hung like a gallery.
- ĒLA · Nightclub · A River North club built around deep, percussive sound.
Other Chicago venues
- Alinea · Grant Achatz's two-Michelin-star modernist tasting menu restaurant on North Halsted in Lincoln Park
- Asador Bastian · Basque-inspired steakhouse from chef Doug Psaltis in River North's restored 1883 Flair House
- avec · Wood-clad West Loop wine bar on Randolph Street serving Mediterranean small and large plates since 2003
- Bavette's Steakhouse · Dry-aged steaks in a speakeasy-style dining room on West Kinzie Street in River North
- Elske · One-Michelin-star modern American cooking with Danish touches on West Randolph Street
- Ever · Curtis Duffy's two-Michelin-star tasting menu restaurant on West Fulton Street
- Frontera Grill · Rick Bayless's Bib Gourmand River North regional Mexican institution since 1987
- Gino's East · Deep dish since 1966 at the graffiti-walled Gino's East flagship just off the Magnificent Mile
- Giordano's · Stuffed deep dish from a Chicago name founded in 1974, on Rush Street where the Gold Coast meets the Mag Mile
- Girl & the Goat · Stephanie Izard's Bib Gourmand kitchen of bold shared plates on West Randolph in the West Loop
- Joy District · A sports parlor, a second-floor dance club and a year-round rooftop at 112 W Hubbard St in River North.
- Kasama · The world's first Michelin-starred Filipino room, now two stars deep
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