Madison Crab House

Seafood restaurant · Near West Side

Madison Crab House

Seafood restaurant · Near West Side

1

1045 W Madison St, Chicago, IL 60607

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Madison Crab House by null
Madison Crab House by null
Madison Crab House by null
Madison Crab House by null
Madison Crab House by null
Madison Crab House by null
Madison Crab House by null
Madison Crab House by null
Madison Crab House by null
Madison Crab House by null
Madison Crab House by null
Madison Crab House by null
Madison Crab House by null
Madison Crab House by null
Madison Crab House by null
Madison Crab House by null
Madison Crab House by null
Madison Crab House by null
Madison Crab House by null
Madison Crab House by null
Madison Crab House by null
Madison Crab House by null
Madison Crab House by null
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Madison Crab House by null
Madison Crab House by null
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Madison Crab House by null
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Madison Crab House by null
Madison Crab House by null
Madison Crab House by null
Madison Crab House by null
Madison Crab House by null
Madison Crab House by null
Madison Crab House by null

Highlights

Spicy Cajun seafood boils, po' boys, crab legs, and more  

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1045 W Madison St, Chicago, IL 60607 Get directions

madisoncrabhouserestaurant.com

$$ · Menu

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1045 W Madison St, Chicago, IL 60607 Get directions

+1 312 600 9996
madisoncrabhouserestaurant.com

$$ · Menu

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Aug 23, 2025

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12 Spots for Fresh Seafood Boils in Chicago, 2018 Edition - Eater Chicago

"Located just a few blocks away from the Madhouse on Madison is a similarly frenzied operation. Head to Mad Boiler before or after an event at the United Center to recharge on seafood-y treasures. King crab legs, whole lobsters, and Dungeness crabs can be doused in coconut curry or Cajun dry rub, making for an exquisite oceanic spread. They’re accompanied by items such as shrimp po’ boys, fried scallops, and crab fried rice. Save some room at the end, though, as the chocolate chip cookie dough eggroll provides a satisfyingly sweet sendoff." - Jeffy Mai, Eater Staff

https://chicago.eater.com/maps/seafood-boils-in-chicago
View Postcard for Madison Crab House

Mila A

Google
Got the combo A with the shrimp, crawfish, and snow crab. On the pricy side in my opinion $167 for 2 people (automatically added 15% tip) Food was cooked perfectly. However the mad sauce lacked in flavor, it was a bit bland compared to other seafood boil restaurants. Service was nice and fast but we were the only people on a Monday night.

Vince R

Google
I couldn’t tell you how the food was, I never got it. How does a Cajun place run out of shrimp? I got a call after 30mins of waiting outside from Grubhub support letting me know it’s not available. Could’ve just called me directly or they could’ve updated their online platform that it’s out of stock. No wonder there’s only 2 tables on a Thursday night

J L

Google
Got the $60 special with snow crab legs, crawfish, and shrimp. Sauce was good in the seafood boil. Claimed it came with potatoes and corn, pretty sure they took one small potato and one small piece of corn, broke it into 1/8s and put it into the bag. Like, be serious...I can't with stingy seafood places.

That Guy

Google
I am from a coastal town. I have had tons of crab boils. This was the first with crispy delicious non mushy corn. The corn was Michael and the crab, shrimp and crawfish were Marlon, Randy and Jermaine.

Helena

Google
M’y server was very nice today. The food here is so good and very reasonably priced for seafood boil. 10/10 recommend

Yumi Taguchi

Google
Really delicious seafood boil! The french fries and mad wings were crisp, fresh, and hit the spot!

denis martinez

Google
Mussels were good, crab was average crarfish was average. The Cajun style wings were really good the fried shrimp basket was really good. Tried there gunbo was average. Really cute place to go out on a casule date for. Service was amazing, fast and easy.

Thomas Staudenmeier

Google
This place is a solid 4. The lobster roll was incredibly tasty but small and overpriced. My family literally lives in Maine so I have had the best of the best when it comes to lobster rolls, but what made this one special was how different and yet well delivered it was. It had no mayonnaise, just a perfectly toasted roll with butter and claw and tail lobster meat. It was simple but each component was perfectly executed.. the roll was perfect, the amount of butter was perfect, etc. My only complaint would have to be the price and portion size. It should also be noted that I came at an odd time so I was the only one in the place, but I still had to ask for a refill on my soda and had to ask for my check. Still, the waitress was friendly and polite. In that way the service was similar to the food: good (better than most) but not stellar.
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Stephen N.

Yelp
I came here with a friend a while back during the afternoon and we both didn't realize there was a happy hour menu. The wings are so crispy the fried rice was delicious. Their fries are awesome I've also tried their seafood boil another time and it was pretty decent (maybe I'm being harsh bc I grew up in the South) I'm surprised this place doesn't attract more traffic and attention because their food is great
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Ashley S.

Yelp
If I could this would be 3.5 stars. We walk by this place frequently and decided to give it a try. Overall, prices are great. You get an option on what kind of sauce you get your boil in. We decided on garlic butter, there was SO much garlic. Not exaggerating, we both burped up garlic for 24 hours. Since the sauce was on the outside of the shell, the crab/lobster had no flavor. My hands were an absolute mess too, which I didn't love. The server was attentive and there's nothing special about the decor. That have a somewhat limited drink menu. Would not likely return or recommend unfortunately.
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Isabelle C.

Yelp
RATING: 6/10 We stopped in here because we were all desperate to try a seafood boil where we got bibs and gloves! And Madison Crab House definitely delivered on the bib and glove aspect at least. The actual food was a bit mediocre. We ordered a seafood boil and garlic noodles to share. The garlic noodles were a bit flavorless and we definitely could have skipped on the dish. The seafood boil was pretty good--we all particularly enjoyed the shrimp, crab, and sausage. The crawfish was okay. I wish there was more corn or potatoes that came with the boil in order to pair with the salty meat, but you can always add on more for an extra charge. The restaurant itself is pretty spacious but be warned that it doesn't seem to have air conditioning. The one stand out quality of this restaurant was the service--our waitress was super attentive and very sweet which made our visit! I think if you're looking desperately to eat a seafood boil, this restaurant will do--but I'd probably look somewhere else first.
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Min K.

Yelp
I usually do not review my fav restaurants because I want to avoid making reservations as the places get popular. For Madison Crab House, I would like to make sure my fellow west loop residents had a chance to appreciate this flavorful seafood boil experience. IMO, the keys for great seafood boil experience are: fresh ingredient & addictive sauce. This place got both. Lucky to have this place near home. The freshest ingredients and great flavors! Combo C is my and my wife's go to option. Their mad fries to die for.
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Vicky L.

Yelp
The seafood here is extremely fresh. It have been here 10 times now and it is always consistently fresh. In addition, the sauce is extremely flavorful. It's the best seafood boil I've had in Chicago. In fact, it's better than a lot of other seafood boils that I've found in DC and New York. The service is also great. They are extremely nice and attentive here. It is a casual place.
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Johnfavour N.

Yelp
My go-to order for 2 is a pound of the head-on shrimp medium with mad sauce, a side of rice and corn, and fried shrimp (comes with fries). Since this was a special occasion we also got garlic bread and Mad wings. We got this for takeout and the food was delicious eaten 20 mins after picking up. The star of the show is of course, the shrimp. I grew up eating shrimp so I prefer it with the head-on for extra flavor. The corn comes in small slices and is thrown in the bag of shrimp so it soaks up the delicious sauce. If you don't know what sauce to get, try the Mad Sauce. The Mad wings comes with 6 pieces and were surprisingly super juicy and had great seasoning. They were larger, juicier and more tender than the equivalent from Wingstop, and includes Ranch dipping sauce. For lack of better phrasing, the garlic bread was perfectly garlicky and buttery. Rice is perfect to soak up all the extra sauce from the shrimp. I usually like to spoon sauce from the bag directly over my rice. The food goes well with a squeeze of lemon to cut through all the butter. When you order the shrimp, they give you a bib and gloves so you don't have to get your hands or shirt dirty, even for takeout orders (how considerate!) You'll have to peel the shells off the shrimp, but this bit of work is so worth it because it allows the shrimp to soak up all the seasoning. Fun fact: I learned recently from Netflix's Ugly Delicious that this style of food is actually Vietnamese/Cajun fusion. Apparently the traditional Cajun seasoning doesn't include garlic or butter. This reminds me of the Boiling Crab and Kicking Crab chains from California. Do yourself a favor and pick up some shrimp from Mad Boiler, and set aside some extra time for a food coma nap afterwards!
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Tracy L.

Yelp
Was on the hunt for a decent lobster roll that wasn't $30+ I ordered delivery, and although $22 was still expensive for the size... To make up for the price a bit, they should've at least given a bigger coleslaw. Otherwise, the Lobster Roll was delicious on garlicky bread; I wanted just another couple more bites. One thing to note, there were a few tiny shards of shell, so be careful not to chew aggressively! The Mad Wings were very flavorful, but I would've liked more crisp. I hope to try their seafood boil soon!
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Kylie A.

Yelp
So glad we found this place! I've been looking for a cajun 'seafood in a bag' place and was so happy to find one in my neighborhood. They have $5 beers and we got an app of the Cajun fries which were great. We debated a few options but each got a lobster tail and potatoes, corn, and sausage. The lobster tail was also only $17.99 and amazing (price may vary). Debated going that same day for dinner as well but will definitely be back soon!
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Jeannie L.

Yelp
It's pricey. Dinner for two, king crab, shrimp, clams, 2 lobster tail, corn, potatoes and garlic bread $ 240. We did get 2 beers and a martini ...flavor was decent just pricey. I also thought the side cuts in the crab legs was odd. We've been to these places before but usually we spend 150...175. $240 is alot!
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Brea S.

Yelp
This review is strictly for flavour since I did not eat in. I got a seafood boil with Snow Crab Legs and corn in the Mad Sauce/ Medium. I would definitely order from here again the crab was very flavorful and the legs were easy to crack at home. I will say that $38 for a pound of crab legs are a bit expensive but I enjoyed the meal nonetheless.
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Alanna W.

Yelp
Food was trash. Grilled cheese sandwich wasn't a grilled cheese sandwich(see video). The food was unseasoned.
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Mag T.

Yelp
Amazing seafood boils! Attentive service and food comes out quick. Ordered Combo A with mad sauce and substituted mussels for the crawfish for $1. Food came out piping hot and delicious! Enough for 2 people to share. If you're craving seafood this is the place to go!
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Nolan F.

Yelp
I don't normally get Cajun food because that cuisine is always made with a lot of garlic but every now I'll treat myself. This is one of my favorite places to get Cajun food because the Cajun seasoning and sauce in my opinion are solid and delicious. You must start with Cajun fries and wings. The wings may not be fall of the bone but are so juicy in addition to the good Cajun seasoning. Fries come hot and are balanced between crispy and soft. Shrimp were fresh. My friends liked their mussels. Service was good. Clean interior with good amount of seats and space in between. There's plenty of street parking but still may be difficult to find depending on when you go. https://www.yelp.com/collection/8mCXaaKQAQ7hn-PPUG9iXQ?utm_content=Collections&utm_source=ashare
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Christina T.

Yelp
I've passed by this place quite a bit but just never got the chance to stop in to try it. Well I finally got the chance and got dinner with a friend here. Arrived around 7 and it was not that busy when I walked in. It definitely did get busier though as time went on. My friend and I ordered 1 lb shrimp head on and 1 lb mussels with sausage and the garlic butter & cajun Louisiana dry rub sauce. It was definitely a good combination for the sauce and was not salty at all. I definitely loved the flavor!! Garlic noodles was okay. Didn't have too much of a garlic taste but I tasted more of the red & green bell pepper taste to it. It was definitely messy but it was good.
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Britney H.

Yelp
Had to come back to show my babes some Love! This place has been MY hidden Gem since it OPENED! Before it was Madison Crab House. You might even find a review from me YEARS AGO! I'm so happy tik too still hasn't got a hold on this special gem. It's a lowkey spot with amazing food. Honestly the BEST crab boil flavor in Chicago! Now the price has went up DRAMATICALLY since I started coming here which I understand but also saddens me since my family and I are one of the "Good Tippers". But nevertheless the food is always worth the try if you looking for a boil that will never disappoint. I'll be going in today to indulge. Did I mention, I love every staff member in the joint.
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Jenny P.

Yelp
Tell me why I was so confused with the name Madison Boiler on the sign. Ugh. Tourist problems or not? This place had pretty unique flavor options for the boil which is why we came here BUT we stayed basic and got the classic Cajun garlic butter what not flavor. I wish they did fresh crawfish! In Michigan, it's not legal to have fresh crawfish shipped in and such. So I've been really wanting fresh crawfish but it's okay. The flavor was delicious! The fried oysters is a must get! Super big and juicy and fried perfectly! Ughhhh! I miss it so much and it comes with fries! Dip your fried in the seafood boil sauce guys. Don't miss out! Their garlic bread is super good too. Just smeared with minced garlic on butter bread. Did that in the sauce too. Don't miss out! Service wasn't bad. It was decent. Could've checked on us more because we were thirsty! Especially that all the salty stuff we ordered!
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Christina E.

Yelp
This place is amazing. I always get the blue crabs with sausage potatoes and corn in the mad sauce in medium level heat. I've had the lobster roll and it was so butter and soft full of flavor. The raw oysters are so fresh and refreshing. I definitely recommend.Blue CrabLobster RollOyster

Shay F.

Yelp
I ordered pickup from here. The sauce was bland and was watered down. We were beyond disappointed. The food is too pricey not to be good. The seafood was cooked well, but couldn't enjoy eating season-less shrimp and crab legs. As this was my first time ordering from here, I was really hoping to like it since it was in the neighborhood. There are so many crab boil restaurants that have popped up over the last few years, this doesn't even compare to the competition.
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Jack N.

Yelp
I great place! The food is fresh and very tasty. The staff is friendly and helpful. I highly recommend Mad Boiler.
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Sarah V.

Yelp
It was good! For two people we spent $77, but we both got full! They have great customer service. We are traveling and was a great stop!
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Jasmine R.

Yelp
I'm giving this a 3 star. 1) slow slow slow service. Took a few to get seated when there's barely anyone here. Took forever to give our order and even long get to get drinks and 2) I got crab legs but the crackers were too large to crack most of them and they didn't have smaller ones and I paid 30.99 for them. Food was average more greasy than seasoning and little food for the prices.
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Myia S.

Yelp
This place is really good. Way better than Angry Crab. The service was good staff were nice. At the time it was BYOB while they were awaiting their license to sell alcohol. My bf ordered the lobster roll with the mad fries there were no complaints. I ordered a pound of snow crab in the garlic butter with potatoes sausage and corn. It was delicious. Snow crab is always a pain to eat but when you crack the sells it's worth it. Overall, I recommend and I will return.
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Ryan T.

Yelp
Shrimp po boy and mad fries were great! quick service. Prices were reasonable. I don't really like seafood but the place was very busy with take out and a few sit downs. I imagine for sea food lovers it would be very good. Recommend checking it out!
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Lina W.

Yelp
My friend and I came here on a Saturday around 5:30pm for early dinner. We were quite hungry and we ordered 1 lb of shrimp with head on in sweet chili sauce and 1 lb of mussels, 1 order of sausage, and 1 order of broccoli in mad sauce. We ordered mild because my friend doesn't like too spicy. I appreciated the plastic gloves provided to keep our hands clean while we peel the seafood. The food arrived PIPING hot -- too hot to the touch. The shrimp with head on were small sized shrimps and a little over cooked and dry. But the sweet chili sauce on it was pretty good, and not sugary sweet. The mussels in the mad sauce were definitely overcooked so much that the meat shrank to tiny dry pieces of meat. The sausages were polish sausages that had shards of bone it in. Normally, the sausages used in seafood boils are andouille sausages, not polish sausages. Broccoli was good though. The sauces are quite salty, so I recommend ordering rice or bread to absorb some of that salt. Price point-wise, it's reasonable and service was appropriately attentive (my water got refilled without asking!). After trying so many different seafood boil restaurants in the city, I still think Angry Crab or Asian Cajun's seafood quality, cook, and sauces are better -- but they are also more expensive than Mad Boiler.
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Nichole X.

Yelp
Love the FOOD and LOCATION! I love Cajun food and have been to four cajun food places, including Mad Boiler, in Chicago. Angry Crab has been my favorite and I would say this place is as good as Angry Crab. However, the price for Mad Boiler is a little more expensive, which is understandable due to its location. We ordered King crab legs, shrimp, clams, and crawfish with all sauces except the curry sauce mixed together. Sadly, crawfish wasn't in season, so it wasn't very fresh. But everything else was very delicious! Will go back again!
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Erica N.

Yelp
I stopped in last month during the $7lb shrimp promo. My first visit and it was a delight. Street parking was easy and there was no wait (arrived b/w 5:30-6). Ordered two lbs of the head off shrimp. One with garlic butter and the other with Cajun rub. Added sausage (please note this was a traditional andouille style and delicious) with potatoes and corn. My friend ordered the head on with coconut and garlic. We both enjoyed but she noted that the next time she would go the head off route. The service was good and real chill environment. I definitely will be back.
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Mike V.

Yelp
Honest review: low country was so much better but this was still better then angry crab. Ambiance: i like it good music is playing good hangout space its nice inside here and its a byob so thats a plus. Service: it needs to be improved. Food: i love how they have different boils and different things like a lot of fried options asian food and a lobster roll. The issue is I don't think the actual boils weren't that flavorful and the portion was supper small like smaller then angry crab i was like hmmm is it really a pound?. Spice level: i dont think its spicy tried medium then spicy and both werent spicy if u love heat go for fire if u like so so heat then spicy if u just want a kiss of heat go for medium. Best things: mad fries/ lobster roll. Mad fries$5: i love fries and these were great, they were crispy and flavorful. My only complaint some were a lil greasy and i wish it came with a sauce or an aioli fries needs mayonnaise $12 fried oysters: i loved the cornmeal batter it was flavorful and crunchy my issue was the oyster was fishy and overcooked and the only sauce they had was cocktail sauce n it didnt have no horseradish in it $18 lobster roll: this second greatest lobster roll i ever had (acadia still number 1) the lobster was seasoned and hot which i liked just wish it had more butter on it. The coleslaw was amazing mayonnaise and lobster go hand and hand just put more slaw. My issue was the bun it was soggy and gross plz use a lobster roll $10.99 curried mussel boil: first thing I noticed a lot of mussels didnt open or barely opened not a good sign. The curry wasnt that flavorful honestly can tell they just used can red curry (someone asked how u can tell if its from a can because it tastes like that neighborhood thai curry fresh curry has more depth and wont taste the same like if every curry u taste is the same then it was from a can) Mad shrimp on $13.99: this was better then angry crab but it was a lil on the saltier side and had way to much garlic like for an Italian to say thats to much garlic is saying something. N shrimp poop vein was not re
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Julie T.

Yelp
Yet another boiler popping up in the Midwest. Location in west loop was a smart move because it's always so populated in that area so a lot of foot traffic that would be coming in and out so smart move on their part. Service A+ always made sure we got wait we needed and very attentive as well. However.... The fell short in the food aspect of it. Garlic noodles: The noodles were ultra ultra thin! Not even enough flavoring it tasted so plain like it wasn't even garlic so not trying that ever again. Seafood actually a bit pricer from the usual places I go to but I get it, you need to bargain up to the rent as well since it is west loop. But the corn was so expensive, forget about it. I didn't even want to bother paying that price for half a corn. The food itself really lack flavoring and it was just all dried up, no sauce that you can really dip into... I really wanted to like this place but it just didn't taste the same like other boilers I've been too. Even my friends were upset that they weren't able to mix different flavors together either. Overall, no one was really satisfy with what we ate. It was just okay... But this would not be the worst boiler I've been to. I would leave to The Boiler in Skokie...
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Shelby B.

Yelp
Favorites stop hidden gem in the area rarely packed like other seafood spots and food is always on point
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Patty C.

Yelp
This is probably my favorite place for seafood in Chicago now. The only thing that can make this place better is if they had oysters. This place gives Angry, Happy, Crazy, Sad, and whatever a run for their money. Just to be fair, Angry Crab has a good garlic sauce, but the seafood just isn't good quality. However, Mad Boiler serves up some kickass sauce with the freshest seafood you can get in Chicago. The shrimps are crisp and not mushy like Angry Crabs. The crab legs here are huge. I've tried all four of their sauces, ad they are all delicious. My husband likes their Cajun Louisiana the most, and my favorite is the Coco sauce. The creaminess really meshes well with the heat. I can only handle level two hotness, but you can go up to five if you really dig the heat. The servers are friendly, and the place is clean and contemporary. I've already been here four times, and I plan to keep going.
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Kelley B.

Yelp
NOTE: new name is Madison Crab House My family and I came for a delicious casual seafood boil this past Sunday. A few other tables were occupied but it definitely wasn't busy and we didn't need a reservation to be seated right away. We started with calamari and fried oysters. The calamari was pretty standard and tasty, and the fried oysters were huge! I'm not much of a fried oyster person myself, but my mom thought they were great. We then shared the shrimp "head off" (vs head on, which we didn't want to bother with the extra work) boil with "Mad sauce" -- garlic butter with Cajun seasoning. We added sausage (a few thin slices) and potatoes, with a side of garlic bread and rice. This was all SO good that it's hard to find a complaint, but I guess I'd only wish that the sauce clung to the shrimp/potatoes/sausage more because a lot of it dropped off and I wish I could've enjoyed it more! All in all this is a great casual seafood boil place in west loop that I'll definitely return to next time I'm in the mood for some laid back southern style seafood.
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Sade J.

Yelp
So so so so flavorful! Fiancé and I came here after I had a craving for crab legs. It was a Sunday and their weren't plenty of crab places open. We found this spot on yelp, and said, let's. I ordered the 1/2crab leg, 1/2 mussels, and shrimp boil and he ordered the lobster poboy and fries. Lawdy the crab boil bag was was delicious, finger licking, shell sucking good. I ate and ate and ate and ate! The poboy was good also, it was too cold for my liking, which is why I never get crab or lobster poboys. It's BYOB! Served quickly! Nice casual spot for yummy seafood.
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Josalyn M.

Yelp
This is great location with resemble priced seafood. I noticed when I entered this establishment it states Madison Crab House although the Yelp page states otherwise. I love they offer BYOB which can save you a ton of money. I order 2lbs or head-on shrimp with corn and potatoes. For my seasoning I ordered everything except curry. It was pretty filling but I had better from NOLA.
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Rhonda W.

Yelp
only in town 4 night and cane here twice so gave it fair try. bottomline is we didnt love it. first visit fried oyster appetizer and it came with crispy Fry's that were battered and had seasoning. fried oysters looked great.. large .. batter light and good. I don't like a heavy thick batter... But the oysters inside were or not good. not tough more disolved and ick. there were 5 oysters I didn't even eat the last. i wasnt thrilled with my meal. The place came recommended so we gave it another try. he got the snow crab w/corn. i got the lobsters with corn garlic butter. coco curry on the side. we also shared crab fried rice .. it was ok. crab not much meat. super messy and not very good

Kelly M.

Yelp
Excellent food (ordered the first Combo with mad sauce & Mussels with coco curry sauce). Staff was wonderful - attentive and helpful! We'll definitely be back.
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l h.

Yelp
Food was ok. I feel the crab broil had a bit too much garlic and the sauce was watery than I have experienced elsewhere. Service is subpar. The fried shrimp and fries were good. Chicken fried rice was bland. Parking is street metered parking and competitive.

Holden S.

Yelp
Tasted great! Get the mad house sauce on your boil bag. Super great cajun and garlic flavor!

Kainat K.

Yelp
This was my first time at a seafood boiler. We chose the headless shrimp in garlic Cajun sauce with high spice. I don't eat shrimp often but this was cooked perfectly. The sauce was delicious although the spice levels were lower than expected. The shrimp was in a large bag tied up with steam inside. They provide plastic aprons and gloves to stay clean while getting messy. We also got the calamari and fried oysters. The calamari was decent while the fried oysters were not good. It might be that we didn't have the developed taste for oysters but we wanted to try something new and just did not like. I highly recommend this spot!
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Becca S.

Yelp
Mad Boiler, y'all are extra with the way you tie and serve your seafood bags. Also, why does your sign say, "Madison Boiler?!" Way to confuse a girl and scare her into thinking she wasted a Lyft ride. Phew, lol. My two favorite styles of cuisine is Thai and Southern foods. Let me just say, they marry the two here! Yes, you can get your seafood tossed in curry. Two birds, one stone -- cravings satisfied. "Excuse me, does your curry taste like Thai curry?" "No, not really." Gets it anyways... Lady, it taste damn well like Thai curry. Score for me! Their curry sauce is magnificent, but I wish their cajun mix was a bit more garlic-y and of a thicker consistency. It's still very comparable to Lowcountry. On the plus side, the prices are less aggressive here. Hands down, I'll be back soon enough and with some friends too. The chicken wings looked good. Have to try that next time!
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Paras P.

Yelp
Great food and the prices are on par for a boil restaurant. Got the shrimp po boy which was delicious also the Cajun pasta was fire. Lunch combo was worth the $15 also included fries. Head on shrimp in medium garlic butter and Louisiana rub is a must. Will go back great find
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Janet E.

Yelp
I'm so happy that there is a cajun place in the loop since all the other cajun places are outside the loop. I've tried these types of places in California so I knew our food would come in a plastic bag covered in the delicious sauce of my choice. We arrived on a Thursday night around 5pm and there was plenty of seating. However, shortly after we were seated, five different groups came in. I'd like to take the credit by saying they all decided to copy us. =) Upon our entry we were quickly greeted. The service here was on point and we never had to wait long for the waitress to take our order. The food also came relatively quickly. We ordered the shrimp (w/o head) with garlic and cajun spice. It had great flavor. We also ordered the soft shell crab with cajun fries. The crab didnt have much flavor so I would recommend skipping that. We later added the shrimp pasta to our order. I would also skip that since it was pricey and only included 3 pieces of shrimp. I wish they had garlic bread because I did not see that on the menu but that would be a great side to dip in the sauce. There was a lot of construction on street in this area so parking was very limited. I recommend parking on Monroe and the other side streets.

B M.

Yelp
The flavors are on point. The seafood boils are on the pricey end, but I like that they are on Grubhub and my order is always packed nicely. Eating there is also nice. The cajun mad fries are on point! The staff is also very welcoming.
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Eric W.

Yelp
The oyster po boy was delicious. Well seasoned fries as well. Most people come for the crawfish so will need to come back again to try those as well. Really awesome place.
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Tran C.

Yelp
This place is ok. Long story short, ambiance is good, food could be better. We won't be making a return trip soon but worth a shot if you're craving seafood and don't want to travel far. Here are some summary thoughts. 1. I like that it is large open space and it is clean. That said there really isn't a waiting area and I can see this being a problem in the winter. 2. I like that there are combos on the menu. You can get a pound of crab, crawfish, shrimp, etc. This allows you to save some money and try some variety. 3. I like that they give you the tools you need to succeed. They provide you with a slop bucket for your scraps. You get gloves and a bib. A cracker and picking tool is given to each table. Paper towels are plentiful. 4. The food looks the part but doesn't exactly taste the part. Don't get me wrong, it isn't bad, but it isn't good either. We found the sauce overall to be extremely salty and didn't think there was enough seasoning (flavors other than salt). We also didn't like that the bag wasn't well mixed and all the sauce sat at the bottom. We had to "toss the sauce" ourselves. 5. The spice level was weak. We asked the waitress how hot the fire was and she said it was really hot. So, we tried the spicy. I am searching for a benchmark here so I would equate their spicy to Mild at Buffalo Wild Wings (I normally like the hot flavor at BW3).
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Brandon W.

Yelp
Went to the Mad Boiler and the food was very good! Had been to a few similar type of restaurants in other cities and wanted to go to one in Chicago and Mad Boiler fit the bill! Had a pound of the Shrimp Cajun/Garlic/Mild (Head Off) and Snow Crab Legs Cajun/Garlic/Medium. Also had the Cajun Fries which were great! Overall great food and set up.
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Ronnie N.

Yelp
This was my first experience at a restaurant geared toward a predominantly seafood menu. I must say I did enjoy it. The service was OK not over the top, but not bad either. We ordered the noodles w/chicken to start. This dish was very flavorful. Small chives and onions are added to the dish. The only problem I had with the dish was the chicken was not plentiful and the pieces were cut quite small. I would however order this dish again. For the lunch entrée we ordered the lobster roll and the fish po boy. The fish po boy consist of whitefish, tomatos, lettuce, and a cocktail sauce they make in house. It was quite delicious but the fish portion was very small! I ordered the lunch special and the word (half) was in parentheses next to it, but this almost seemed like a quarter. It does come with fries, so that and the fact I ate most of the noodles I ordered, satisfied my inner belly. I would order this again, but steer away from the "lunch" portion if you are hungry unless you order something additional. The lobster roll was delicious. The bread was toasted and buttery. Although the roll was a little on the small side, it was stuffed to capacity with juicy chunks of perfectly Cajun seasoned lobster meat. The roll comes with a small cup of coleslaw and a side of fries. Nothing special about the coleslaw, the fries on the other hand were flavorful. With the addition of the fries the meal is pretty filling. I would order it again.
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Dianne Sungjee R.

Yelp
This was my first time trying Cajun boiled seafood and it definitely did not disappoint. The interior of this restaurant was very clean and the service was quick (given it was a Monday around noon). For two people, we ordered combo B with dungeness crab, king crab, crawfish and head off shrimp with medium spice and Louisiana Cajun + garlic butter sauce. The seafood overall felt very fresh for a Midwest location and we were provided bibs, gloves and all the tools for a very messy lunch. The portion was solid for the price, but we thought that there was a bit more of shrimp and crawfish compared to crab, but nothing to complain much about. We did feel like we could have gotten more corn and potatoes to balance it out seeing there was so much seafood. Definitely would recommend for anyone looking to feast on seafood!
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Jiayu L.

Yelp
Nice Cajun seafood and fries. Price is bit high but acceptable. The bar is pretty good and quite a nice choice for late night party.
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Amanda S.

Yelp
Ok first, the sign outside said "Madison seafood" so I was a little confused if it was the same establishment or under new management. I stopped here for a quick bite so I ordered a pound of muscles with the sweet chilli sauce and garlic butter. The garlic butter is very salty. It pretty much ruined the experience for me, especially since the chilli sauce was pretty good. The service was also pretty slow, what I thought was a "quick bite" turned into an hour stay. The establishment itself was clean and pretty chill, but the saltiness of the sauce really messed up the experience for me.
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Windy H.

Yelp
Husband is crazy for seafood! And it's perfect because this place is practically a seafood place. With 3 kids, it's definitely not an option to dine in, so we ordered carry out instead. We ordered shrimp with head on cajun lousiana dry rub. We chose 2 spice level. Also added corn in it. I am going to be a bitch about the corn though. I don't mind paying extra for corn if only they put good amount of corn. It was literally one corn (cut into 2) for $2! For the spice level, it was perfect for husband and for me it was super hot! It was a bit strange because I am usually okay with spices and husband is usually not a big fan of it. The shrimp itself is not bad! For the side, we ordered crab fried rice and calamari. Calamari was good, it was tender. The crab fried rice was meh! Being asian, I guess you have high expectation for fried rice, but it was not bad. Also the portion is a bit tiny. For $12, you kinda expect a large portion. And there wasn't enough crab in it too. Husband finished the whole fried rice just because he was hungry! We also ordered the fried chicken grill cheese for the kids. I was the one who ended up eating the sandwich. It was actually good! It came with cajun fries too, so a win win for me! One star for the sandwich! One star for the tender calamari! One star for the shrimp cajun lousiana dry rub! Will try again next time. Hopefully it will be better experience! Will add star if they improve the fried rice!