Shaw's Crab House

"Lettuce Entertain You’s venerable crab house is still a standard bearer for pristine seafood more than three decades after opening. The space is split into a formal dining room and a lively oyster bar, where diners can crack into crab legs, lobster, and seasonal specials like fried soft shell crab and stone crab claws. Make a reservation through OpenTable." - Samantha Nelson, Eater Staff

"Another place to come for crab. Sure, they have some Thanksgiving specials like turkey and stuffing. But you should really be focusing your attention on the regular menu: crab legs, salmon, crab cakes, and a full-on raw bar. It’s what Shaw’s does best—resist the temptation to sneak at least a dozen oysters home in your purse.  The meal: Regular menu with a la carte Thanksgiving specials for $100 a person" - adrian kane, veda kilaru

"Shaw’s is one of those places that you probably know about but don’t often choose for dinner. The longstanding River North restaurant is basically the seafood equivalent of a steakhouse, and you’re most likely not planning on dropping that kind of money regularly. But it’s still really good, and it’s always a reliable place to take the family. Load up on oysters and crab legs, or really anything involving fish. Also consider sitting in their oyster bar for a more casual setting." - veda kilaru

"Shaw’s has all things seafood in a refined (slightly stuffy) dining room. It’s a great place to come with the family and have a comfortable, upscale meal. You can’t go wrong with any of the fish or crab dishes, but the more casual oyster bar is also a great option—go heavy enough on the oysters and appetizers, and you can skip entrees altogether." - adrian kane, john ringor, veda kilaru

"Your New Year’s Eve dreams include eating enough seafood to put you on some sort of sustainability watchlist, and you don’t want to commit to a prix fixe menu. Go to Shaw’s in River North. This place is only serving their regular menu, so you can focus all your attention on the crab legs, salmon, lobster, crab cakes, and raw bar." - adrian kane, veda kilaru