Lowcountry

In Chicago, Food & Beverages January 7, 2017

I had always imagined Cajun/Creole seafood boil restaurants as hyper, boisterous places where you get messy. Lowcountry was relaxed, happy, bright and clean and the sound level was surprisingly quiet.

On a bitterly cold Saturday night in January, the streets of Chicago’s Wrigleyville neighborhood were barren but each seat at Lowcountry was occupied and there were people waiting for a table. We had a painless 34-minute wait thanks to an overly-assuring hostess who informed us of our place in line each time she caught our eye. If only more service industry people knew about that anxiety-reducing “nod.” Even though your drink or food order or table might not be arrive any faster, it’s calming to be acknowledged. “I see you.”

There are a handful of tables along the main wall but mostly communal picnic benches. When hungry and waiting for table, you’ll wonder why the gaping holes on the benches aren’t filled with people, but once you are seated, you’ll appreciate the ample personal bubble space.

Prices

The seafood is priced each day according to market price so prices shown are reflective of January 07, 2017. Although it’s available year round, they said they were out of crayfish because it was not in season.

Shrimp -Heads On $13/lb
Shrimp Heads Off $15/lb
Snow Crab $22/lb
King Crab $38/lb
Mussels $11/lb
Clams $12/lb
Lobster (Whole 2 lbs) $26/lb
Dungeness Crab (Whole 2 lbs) $22/lb

Ordering

Choose one or several different seafood items by the full pound. No half-pound orders available.
Select flavors. Garlic, Lemon-Pepper, Cajun or Everything.
Choose heat level. 1-Weak-Sauce AKA Lebron, 2-Hot, 3-Very Hot or 4-Ridiculously Hot.

Each order comes in its own bag according to flavor and spice level, tied in bags so each item gets thoroughly coated with sauce. The bags are cut open at the table releasing the wonderful aroma of the spices and guarantees your food will be hot. They recommended one pound of seafood per person, but with a few sides we were only able to finish half a pound each. The night we were there the staff was attentive, the crowd was friendly and relaxed, and people chatted with us while we waited for our table. Maybe the crowd adjusts with the extreme weather and sports seasons, but that’s our Chicago.