Half Shell
Seafood restaurant · Lakeview East
676 W Diversey Pkwy, Chicago, IL 60614
Highlights
Seafood dive bar with great crab legs, oysters & friendly service
Seafood dive bar with great crab legs, oysters & friendly service
"Half Shell has all the characteristics we love about a dark, depressing bar—except, we promise, it’s not actually depressing. The garden unit space on the border of Lincoln Park and Lakeview feels like an old dive, with its Christmas lights and other goofy sh*t on the wall. But it’s an old dive that serves awesome crab legs. And a dinner of crab legs and melted butter would only be ruined by someone watching you messily crack open the shells." - adrian kane, john ringor, veda kilaru, nick allen
"Half Shell looks like Bad Santa meets Christmas Vacation, all year round. It’s a tiny little basement bar with a few plastic tables and Christmas lights that never seem to come down. So you might be surprised to know that this joint has some of the best crab legs in town. Sit at the bar, order beers, and get a plate full of king crab legs, which you need to dip in the clarified butter. Just note that it’s cash only." - sam faye, adrian kane, john ringor, veda kilaru
"Half Shell is a tiny little basement bar with a few plastic tables and Christmas lights that never seem to come down. Despite this (and the fact that they’re in the Midwest), they have excellent seafood. Sit at the bar, order some beers, and get oysters, shrimp, or fried frog legs. Just note that it’s cash only, which actually makes it fairly easy to stay on budget - open your wallet, hand the cash to your server, and say, “Give me this much.” (Don’t actually do that.)" - josh barnett, adrian kane
"It has the ambiance of a dive bar, but the food at Half Shell makes up for the environment. The Lakeview oyster bar has operated since 1968, providing diners with bivalves, king crab legs, soft shell crabs, and fish for less than what comparable places charge. During summertime, the front patio is a busy attraction. Bring some bills because it’s cash only." - Sam Nelson
"Skip the fancy seafood restaurants with the white tablecloths and the overpriced lobster tails. Instead, hit up Half Shell, a garden-unit place that looks more like a dive bar than a restaurant. But this dive bar happens to have some of the best crab legs around. Post up at the bar, have a couple beers, and keep both the cold and steamed crab legs coming until you’re full." - sam faye, adrian kane, john ringor, veda kilaru
