Soul Crab

Restaurant · Logan Square

Soul Crab

Restaurant · Logan Square

1904 N Western Ave, Chicago, IL 60647

Highlights

Soul Crab serves up vibrant American comfort classics and indulgent desserts in a funky Bucktown vibe, with must-try dishes like fried lobster and heavenly mac and cheese.

1904 N Western Ave, Chicago, IL 60647 Get directions

@eater

"Soul Crab’s Chicago location, situated in Bucktown, was among the three restaurants closed by Darius Williams. Known for its seafood offerings, this location was part of Williams' expansion from Atlanta to Chicago. The closure was sudden, as announced on social media." - Beth McKibben

Chef Darius Williams Closes Soul Crab and Greens and Gravy in College Park and Westview, Atlanta - Eater Atlanta

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@eater

"Friday is opening day for Soul Crab in Bucktown, as chef Darius Williams debuts his first restaurant in his hometown. Williams, known to his internet followers as “Darius Cooks,” has a pair of restaurants in Atlanta where he opened the first location of Soul Crab in December 2018. Williams’s interpretation of soul food has been well received in the ATL and he’s replicating the formula in Chicago. Williams’s grandmother, a Louisville native, influenced his cooking. He’s self taught and said there’s nothing quite like Soul Crab in Chicago. Diners will find deep-fried lobster, egg rolls stuffed with crab and collards, and mac and cheese. They’re not doing fried chicken as a regular menu item (though Williams said it could pop up as a special), but they will serve lemon-pepper chicken wings. The restaurant also has a full bar. In a city where restaurant groups are gaining even more market share, Soul Crab is a refreshing story. Williams is funding this endeavor by himself, fueled by his popularity as a cookbook author and as an internet personality. Check out some of the food below. Soul Crab officially opens on Friday at the former Langhe Market, 1904 N. Western Avenue." - Ashok Selvam

What to eat at Soul Crab Chicago in Bucktown - Eater Chicago

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@eater

"Darius Williams, the chef/owner behind Soul Crab — the upcoming restaurant coming to Bucktown — has a simple reason why he created the eatery. He wanted a place where he could serve both quality crab and gooey macaroni and cheese. Soul Crab is a casual spot that will amp those recipes up. But it’s also meant to be a place where the food reminds Williams of his roots and how far he’s made it since. He and his team will serve Bahamas-style deep-fried lobster, buttermilk-battered catfish fingers, and a special egg roll. Williams stuffs a Chinese wonton wrapper with collard greens and crab meat. It’s served with a Thai dipping sauce. Other items include corn brushed with jerk butter and lemon-pepper wings. There’s also butter-pecan cornbread. Then there’s the macaroni and cheese, which Williams says 'tastes like heaven.' Soul Crab’s got a full liquor license for cocktails like a frozen peach margarita with Hennessy whisky. It will also serve Kool-Aid, and customers will be able to order those drinks spiked. Desserts include salted-caramel banana pudding and red velvet skillet cake." - Ashok Selvam

Chef Darius Williams’ Soul Crab Chicago to open next week in Bucktown - Eater Chicago

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@eater

"Soul Crab Chicago is a new restaurant opening near the Bucktown/Logan Square border at 1904 N. Western Avenue. It's an expansion of the popular Atlanta-area restaurant Soul Crab, owned by celebrity chef and cookbook author Darius Williams. The Chicago location will serve dishes like jerk lobster, catfish filet dinner, and Cajun-buttered lobster tails. Williams is working on securing a liquor license for the restaurant." - Ashok Selvam

Atlanta chef Darius Williams to open Soul Crab in Chicago’s Bucktown - Eater Chicago

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Querida Ellis

Google

GO FOR LUNCH! We were immediately seated, our waitress Jaelyn was super helpful and pleasant, and the food was delicious. We had the fried green tomatoes, the guacamole, the fried lobster, the bacon and brown sugar salmon, the fried catfish, the grits, fried okra, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts. The grits were smooth and creamy and perfect. The lobster was juicy and crispy. I'll be back to try everything.

Elaine K

Google

DELICIOUS! The food is filling. Portions are generous. The staff is attentive and friendly. I will absolutely be back! We had the crab stuffed salmon with grits and buttermilk fried brussel sprouts, buttermilk fried catfish with greens and mac and cheese, fried green tomatoes and crab fries

Astin Hayes

Google

The food here is delicious, and worth the 1 hour wait. However, the service is just ok. It took a long time for servers/bartenders to take our order. We sat at the bar and had sips & apps, but the counter at the bar was too high. They need higher stools. There is a live DJ on Friday and Saturday, so the music was on point. Also, they don't cash.

Mitchiko Jackson

Google

@dariuscooks Soul Crab Chicago Restaurant on Sunday! Warning: Long post. I’m so upset with myself! I failed to ask for the young lady’s name who assisted us with our order. But anywho, she had such a beautiful smile and her service was perfection. Ok now let’s get into this piece of heaven on earth that was served up at this good soulful eatery. So I did my due diligence and heard that you had to get there early because seating was an issue. Bet! No problem. I along with my trusty sidekick were the first there but it was snowing...like wet drizzle snow so we went back to the restaurant next door which was perfect because my sidekick is vegetarian and they had options for him. COOL! We returned at exactly 11:59 and guess what...a party of 12 had just walked up. The manager looks at my husband says, “I know that it’s just the two of you (we had spoken to her earlier when we arrived) but they walked up before you returned”! Ok whatever! They proceed to tell the forming crowd that they need a few more minutes to set up for this large party and they will be right with us. Anyway, we finally get inside and we are seated. Despite all of the initial drama, it was such a beautiful site to see how things were being handled. The staff was warm and attentive and executed things with precision. I know I know...how was the food???? It was sooooooooooo good! I would go back just to experience it again and again!!! The crab French fries...ok so you know how crab can be extremely fishy??? Nope! It was just exquisite! Y’all!! (I have no idea who I’m talking to but omg!!!!)Just Go! The shrimp and grits were creamy with the right amount of sear on each shrimp! Listen! They killed it! This experience was one of the best! #yum #soulcrabchicago #proudofyall #foodie

Deon

Google

Service started a little shaky at the beginning. It took a while for someone to ask how many in the party and to sit us down. The other servers could use a little training. Jaelyn was our server and she was awesome! All of the food was really good! I couldn’t be happier with the food. My friend and I are in a food coma. Thank you Jaelyn and thank you Darius for coming to Chicago!

Ceola Page

Google

First timer! I went for my birthday on Oct 2nd around 5pm for dinner and there were no long lines. Yay! I ordered garlic butter lobster tails, mac n cheese, braised collard greens & sweet tea. The foods presentation was excellent but a bit too salty. I didn’t enjoy it 100% due to the overkill of salt even on the lobster tails which was very shocking. The waitress Jaylin was pleasant and attentive but I felt a bit rushed while placing my order. I had an issue with my debit card being charged twice. I found out about it 2 days later and I was LIVID! I understand that it could’ve been a simple error. I tried to contact the restaurant several times by phone to notify someone of authority. However; no one answered the to assist me with the issue. So, I had to contact my bank to resolve the issue. WHAT A DRAG! Overall, I’ll give them another shot since they’re just getting started. I hope that my second experience will be a lot better than my first one.

Mark Donaldson

Google

Location has little parking, but easy to spot. The food was good. Catfish was tender grits was just right. Collards need help, the staff was really nice. The bar is rather tall, especially if its offered as an eating space. I'm 6'1 and it was above my shoulders. The 335 mile drive to check them out was ok for the place. If I'm in the area I would frequently drop in. Yes 335 from cols,ohio to Chicago just to eat there. Our Server bartender Tasha was the bomb and the guy with the man buns (Dred) was playing them dishes with skills. 5 stars if it was at better locale far as parking.

Christa “Foodie wit a Bootie” H.

Google

When I go to a Restaurant I'd like to leave they're saying oh my God I have to come back for the _______. I cannot say that I will revisit this restaurant. Though the food was good, it was overpriced. They did give nice portions. The egg rolls looked nothing like other pictures I have seen on Yelp, and they were under filled. I could hardly taste what was inside and mostly tasted the wrapper. The cornbread was pretty tasty, but it was not fresh. Perhaps it's because we went late in the day. I chose to get Cajun, lemon pepper, and garlic butter on my crab legs and it was tasty but a bit salty for me. Maybe I should have stuck with just one flavor Or maybe the crab was boiled in salt water. The Rasta pasta did have a lot of flavor perhaps too much jerk seasoning because it was very spicy. The pasta was very rich and cheesy. The service was lacking. Maybe the staff was new. No one greeted me and it was unclear how to get my name on the waitlist. Once my table was ready, the host called my cell. I was standing maybe 10 feet away from her. I tried to sit at the bar but that it only for people who want to eat at the bar, not for ordering drinks as you wait. The restaurant is hidden almost. They should invest in a lit sign versus the decals in the windows. My table had a sticky finish. Everything was sticking to it, including bits of the towel they used to clean it off. THEY ONLY TAKE CARDS, NO CASH! Go figure. Overall...2 stars because the food was not disgusting.