Fish Bar Bar / Seafood Restaurant

Lakeview, Chicago –

The Midwest is miles from the salty ocean shores, so the hungriest sailors rely on Fish Bar, Lakeview’s interpretation of the New England crab shack.

Sky blue exterior walls with a giant fish painted over the brick lure in many inquisitive seafoodies, while the ever-rotating selection of freshly caught grub keeps regulars angling for more.

By day, laid-back patrons perch their Chucks on the edge of a rickety stool along the S-shaped bar and feast on small plates like tender octopus, as post-game Cubs fans eat away any 100-year blues with overstuffed lobster rolls at picnic benches on the patio.

Come evening’s high tide, handsome double-daters pile into the few booths built under a suspended dinghy, sampling the fresh catch or arguing with out-of-towners over whether the East or West Coast oysters on the well-worn specials board are better.

It’s definitely more of a pregame spot, but that doesn’t prevent the space from getting as crowded as the latest catch in a fisherman’s net come weekends, when groups of unpretentious friends kick off the night with house potions like a minty Mojito, ginger-drenched bourbon, or the small but crafted list of microbrews.

Folks who don’t appreciate the ocean’s bounty will obviously want to dine elsewhere, but to land a combination of brine and booze for a three-(or more)hour tour, it doesn’t get much better than Fish Bar.