40 Years of Shaw’s Crab House

It's going to be a shuckin' good celebration

Let’s be honest, Shaw’s Crab House is a shucking icon, at least in our eyes! The beloved Chicago seafood institution, known for its dedication to sourcing high-quality seafood and oysters, proudly celebrates its 40th anniversary this spring.

 

Over the past four decades, Shaw’s has served more than 10 million oysters, welcomed 8 million guests, and earned its reputation as one of the premier seafood destinations in Chicago and the U.S. The restaurant has been a pioneer in sourcing sustainable seafood and forming longstanding relationships with fishermen and purveyors from coast-to-coast. Written on the back of every menu since day-one is the restaurant’s guiding principle: “It’s the quality.” 

As one of the first oyster bars to open in Chicago, Shaw’s was the brainchild of Lettuce Founder Rich Melman, Executive Chairman Kevin Brown, Managing Partner Steve LaHaie and Executive Chef and Partner Yves Roubard. Their shared food philosophy of quality over trends and letting the product speak for itself, is what has created the restaurants’ legacy and attracted generations of loyal diners.

“When we set out to create Shaw’s, we knew the menu wouldn’t try to be trendy, but instead we wanted to focus on quality first and highlight the simplicity of the seafood and oysters. The menu has always been inspired by the best of the United States seaports, drawing inspiration from Boston, New Orleans, the Florida Keys, San Francisco, and of course, the Great Lakes,” said Executive Chairman Kevin Brown. “From very early on, it was important to us to build personal relationships with fishermen, purveyors, oyster farmers and seafood historians, and to educate our staff on the seasonality of the fish. These relationships have been the building blocks of the culinary culture that has made Shaw’s one of the most celebrated restaurants in Chicago.”

As we look toward our future, we can’t help but look back at all the milestone moments that helped define Shaw’s as one of the nation’s top seafood destinations:

December 1984: Shaw’s Crab House in Chicago opens the Oyster Bar. 

1984: T. Melvin is commissioned to create a mural capturing the CityScape of Chicago through an Art Deco lens; this iconic illustration is now the label of the Shaw’s housemade hot sauce. 

April 1985: Shaw’s Crab House in Chicago opens the Main Dining Room. 

1988: Shaw’s celebrates its very first Oyster Fest on Hubbard Street in River North.

1989: Shaw’s becomes the very first restaurant to serve Goose Island Beer on tap.

1997: The Oyster Bar launches live blues music, which becomes a mainstay every Thursday night.

2000: Shaw’s opens its second location in Schaumburg, IL.

2003: Chef Naoki Nakashima creates the original sushi menu for Shaw’s in Chicago. 

2008: Late Partner Sara Rowe introduces what became Shaw’s (former) iconic Sunday Brunch. 

2021: Shaw’s welcomes the Shedd Aquarium Penguins for a tour. 

2023: The show-stopping Tableside Whole Norwegian King Crab service becomes a daily menu offering.

The truth is, we couldn’t have made it to 40 without our loyal guests and incredible employees at Shaw’s Crab House, so thank you for all of your support over the last four decades. And cheers to 40 more years! To make a reservation or view the menus at Shaw’s Crab House visit www.shawscrabhouse.com or follow on Instagram @shawscrabhouse.