Baha Restaurant

"Diners can find fresh Mexican seafood at this Belmont Cragin restaurant. The kitchen specializes in mariscos, including a variety of ceviches, fish and shrimp dishes, and a beautiful tower of shrimp, fish, crab, and mango called “Torre Sears.” Large parties can opt for the platters full of fried red snapper, stuffed lobster tail, prawns, crab legs, and more. The beverage list leans on agave-based cocktails like margaritas and mezcalitas. Closed Tuesdays." - Eater Staff

"It is always summer at Baha Restaurant, where patrons can enjoy the flavors of the ocean in every form — From the traditional ceviche or the whole grilled fish enjoyed beachside in Mexico to fish sandwiches, tacos, empanadas, and even seafood-stuffed chiles rellenos. Do not miss the Instagram-worthy ceviche towers, a Sinaloan seafood fad that stacks ceviche, seafood, avocado, and a generous amount of condiments into tubular structures. The menu features three options: verde, with aguachile, squid, scallops, avocado and jalapeños; Baha, with shrimp, octopus, tuna, lobster, and squid; and the cleverly dubbed “the Sears Tower,” which layers up shrimp, fish, crab meat, mango, cucumber, and tomatoes which are topped off with a signature spicy red sauce. The restaurant ventures off the water with dishes like its parrillada, a small grill with enough skirt steak, chorizo, chicken breast, short ribs, shrimp, and panela cheese to feed two. Its land-inspired breakfast menu features nostalgic classics like conchas con nata — a decadent cream layer achieved by boiling milk — reimagined with sweet cream generously added to halved conchas to make a sandwich. The eatery also offers a wide assortment of chilaquiles and its take on the rich, traditional corn-based drink, champurrado." - Brenda Storch, Eater Staff

"Ceviche finds you as soon as you sit down at this beach-evoking destination, and it comes along with tostadas,  saltines, and a selection of salsas. The menu features an array of ceviches that include various ingredients- fish, shrimp, octopus, scallops, and mixes of a few of them; they can be ordered by themselves or on tostadas, with or without fruit, and even mixed with the spiciest option on the menu according to Mejía, the aguachile.  But it is maybe the Instagram-worthy towers that stand out. Coming to the U.S. from Sinaloa a few years ago, the seafood fad stacks ceviche, seafood, avocado, and a generous amount of condiments into tubular structures that are usually molded with four-inch PVC pipes. Baha’s take on this seafood craze (a stainless steel mold is used to create these) features three options: Verde, with aguachile, squid, scallops, avocado and jalapeños; Baha, featuring shrimp, octopus, tuna, lobster, and squid; and the popular and cleverly dubbed “the Sears Tower,” which layers up shrimp, fish, crab meat, mango, cucumber and tomatoes which are, according to Mejía, “topped off with a signature spicy red sauce.”" - Brenda Storch

"Baha is a new family-owned seafood restaurant in Belmont Cragin. It is inspired by a mix of seafood restaurants in Nayarit, Mexico. The restaurant's signature dish is Torre Sears, which includes shrimp, crab, fish, and mango piled around a central spire of cucumber. The name 'Baha' was chosen despite the more correct spelling being 'Baja,' a decision made by Carlos Mejia, one of the owners who passed away before the restaurant opened." - aimee.levitt