Last week I was craving for Lawrence Fisheries oysters, the one with I think cornmeal breading. It's been awhile since the last time I came here. Â I come here at least once or twice a year since it is a drive from where I live. Today I am very disappointed with the fried oysters, by the way that's the only thing I get because they used to be big and juicy and the the breading was perfect and it was really good. Today I bought 3 full orders and they are nasty. I tried two or three pieces and if I probably would have pushed for the 4th piece. I would have thrown up. The breading is awful and it is oily. The oysters tasted like old overused oil with fishy taste. The breading is oily and saggy. The sauce used to be in a little containers where I can dip my oysters and now they are in little packets.
I'm so sad about this because I loved their oysters but now they are nasty. What a waste of time and money. It sucks because I bought my oysters to go and didn't look at them until halfway home. I can't return them so their goes the wasted money. They are going straight to the trash. We bought shrimp as well and it just ok.
I can see where this establishment has its place... late night eats (open 24 hours). Â Was the first place we stopped after getting into the hotel after a long flight and it being right around midnight. Bright and sparse in a operating room type of way. A menu of fried oceanic creatures that was quite impressive. Â The food was piping hot and fresh.
Would I go back? Sure, if I am famished and it is after midnight. Â
Did I feel guilty about eating an entire meal that came from a deep fryer? Absolutely.
Would I recommend it to a friend? Yes, with the same type of caveats you would with the bacon wrapped hotdogs that you get in the Mission at 2am in SF.
Great for a late night snack or when you want the moda-effing best breaded-fried shrimp in the Chi. Staff if super friendly although it's located in a sketchy part of town (you will see pimps with their...ahem...female friends at times).
I think it's funny that they are open every day of the year except for MLK Day.
This place was a good 4-4 1/2 stars before, but some of their stuff isn't the same anymore. Their fried oysters use to be my favorite, but the breading sucks now and it has a fishy taste to it. It simply isn't the same anymore. I still order it once in a while, but they really need to get their old recipe back. The half chicken dinner here is pretty good. My favorite now is probably the wing zings. Their hot sauce makes everything better, but please go back to your old roots!
Review Source:I used to come here often after nights of fun or when I craved fried goodness. It used to be much better until recently. The Half Chicken dinner was always cooked perfect, the oysters were always juicy and breaded just right.
 A couple of months ago, they went under renovation with their decor, and i guess their food did too. I came here several times after that, and everything was disappointing.
 The half chicken I used to always get was cooked really poorly. The breast meat was dried to the point where it was rubbery and hard to chew. They changed the breading and the oysters, and its not so juicy anymore. Terrible.
At 10PM on a Saturday night, the selection in the suburbs for good eats was limited. So my girlfriend and I decided to head to the south side to hit up this late night joint, mostly because she couldn't stop raving about how great the food was there.
We got a half order each of the scallops, oysters, clam strips and crab cakes. The biggest problem was that they all tasted the same. They all had so much batter on it, they were almost indistinguishable. The oysters were definitely fishier than the other items, but they had pretty much the same taste. The good thing was that their batter was delicious. I couldn't get enough of the fresh fried outside, no matter what the fried goodness was covering.
In the end, I had to rate it down from 3.5 stars because the point of going to a place like this is to taste the quality of the seafood, not the batter. And as great as the batter is, all it did was mask the quality of the seafood that lay hidden underneath it. Not that the seafood was inedible, it was just not spectacular.
Also, the hot sauce was good in it's own way, but disappointing. It was WAY too sweet to be called hot sauce and tasted more like a variation of ketchup/French dressing. And you have to pay for sauce?!!?! No words to describe my horror upon discovering this fact...
Personal Recommendation: Scallops and crab cakes
As much as I hate to say it (being a true Chicagoan), Lawrence's has lost it's pizzazz. I have memories of coming here with my grandparents and it was the best shrimp I had ever had. It remained that way for many years as I grew older. I hadn't been there for a very long time and I had a craving for those giant mouthwatering shrimp and juicy oysters. So I decided to pay them a visit just to find that " things had really changed"
It wasn't the same Lawrence's I remembered. The shrimp and oysters were significantly smaller, but the price didn't change with the size. I was very disappointed because I looked at Lawrence's as a true Chicago staple. You need to go back to the old days.
This place is probably one of the best places in city to get fried cod.  They have halfway decent crab cakes and the catfish was coated with a slightly spicy batter which made it decent as well.  Overall not a bad place but their cocktail sauces suck and  sometimes their servers have an attitude.
Review Source:Been meeting to write this one for a while... And not because I've been keeping a great secret, but because I've been trying to think if there was anything redeeming about the experience here.
There is. It's open 24 hours. But I'd still go to Denny's (or anywhere else if I wanted a late night snack).
I don't understand the reviews. Seems it's a love-it or hate-it place, and I agree with many that the love-its must be ordering off a secret menu or have no taste buds.
In short, the shrimp batter has the taste and texture of cardboard. Seriously - no shrimp flavor! Same breading on everything - and we tried it all... chicken, clams, catfish, perch, frog legs, and so on. NOTHING tasted fresh, let alone delicious, and the price is off the wall for what you get. The chicken and clams were probably the best, but not worth a drive into the hood for (good to have security/parking, though). Packets of the cheapest tartar/hot sauce you can buy - really?
I have absolutely nothing good to say about the food. Our cashier was nice, but one person can't make up for the dismal failure this place is. The bathroom was not just dirty but, um, plugged to be polite. And the "regulars" next to us said that's typical. Why are they regulars then?? Nostalgia does not make up for what is offered.
In sum, we spent over $60 on crap. Didn't even attempt a return after watching the folks in front of us argue with the clerks over wrong orders. We ended up "donating" the uneaten food to the nice security guard.
STAY AWAY!
I have been here several times. Â My last visit impressed me. Â My food was accidentally given to another customer. Â Before I could say anything, I was offered a free drink while I waited for my new food to be cooked. Â When I received my new food, the gentleman gave me extra sides and expressed his apology again. Â Everyone makes mistakes, but it is how you make up for them that counts!
Review Source:I've eaten here for years.. Its still the cleanest restaurant of its style ! However, the quality of the food has diminished greatly, to the point  I am not sure that I was eating "real" shrimp at all. Also the shrimp and whole catfish each had a rancid smell. I know costs, recession all contribute to restaurants cutting back,  but seafood is a battle ground for intestinal issues. Suffice it to say too nervous wont return.
Review Source:Ewww, either people don't have full on taste buds or they don't know what good fried food tastes like. Or when you are drunk getting out of clubs at night and this is the only bet in town, something like this tastes delicious past the midnight hour. Kinda like how a drunk person thinks that someone is the hottest person they ever seen till they open their eyes the next morning. I don't get this place at all.
The breading was not good or flavorful on the shrimp I had. There was a hair in my friends food. The coleslaw... are you serious? I don't know why they put high fructose and sugar in coleslaw but it tasted sweet and nasty and it's not made in house. Why ruin colesaw like that? Ugh. And the same crinkled fry fare you can find in your freezer section. Sorry, but I tried and each time I came here with co-workers I was disappointed. The only thing I can say I liked was the outsourced bakery goods.
One of the best shrimp you ever eat... Being going to Lawrence ever since my dad took me. I believe i was 8 years old when i first had Lawrence. Â Still going whenever i feel the need to eat shrimp. Â
The location remained the same since it first open but the restaurant inside change over the time. Â Now it open 24 hours. Â
Go to Lawrence, you won't be disappointing.
I've lived here all my life and yet I have never been to Lawrence's Fisheries until recently. I'm embarrassed to have even pointed that out. So to correct that, I've somewhat committed a crime by dining at Lawrence's post-workout. And boy, there are no regrets with this "poorly-made" decision!
I had the small gumbo, fried oysters, and fried polluck strips. It wasn't a grand meal but fried seafood can be oh-so-pleasing especially when paired with hot sauce. The hot sauce is bright red but it does not sizzle or burn. Do not be afraid to try it! The seafood was crispy and fresh. They were not particularly oily and the portions were generous.
Service is quick and the environment is clean. I like how there isn't an oily aroma to the restaurant even though 90% of the menu items are fried. I would definitely return for a quick bite or late night. Those fried catfish strips and frog legs are too tempting to reject!
Cut the BS
I had heard so much about this place before and even tasted their shrimp from take out. But nothing compares and prepares you for the experience at LF.
We came here around midnight after a concert at United Center, . Â The hood is kinda weird, the restaurant is even more. The service is straight to the point so cut the BS.
Really helpful if you know what you want. This time I tried the shrimp, scallops and crab cakes. Everything was good but the faves were the crab cakes. Mini cakes, I should say, they are kinda small but good in flavor. The sides are just sides.
LF good greasy good, no BS service
This place was a pure disappointment!
My husband and I ordered 2 drinks & Â 2 dinners of fried oysters and fried cod, which were accompanied by fries, cole slaw, and a dinner roll. These came out to be ~$27. I really really wanted to like the food, but there wasn't a single thing that I enjoyed. Even a simple cole slaw and french fries were bad... If you're craving some fried food, save yourself some money and time by going some place else.
If I could rate this place with Zero stars I would. My family has been going to Lawrences for years. As of tonight, we will never go back.
The food prep has changed. There is a strange aftertaste to the fish. The fish tastes as if it has been soaked in oil for days.
If you are on a diet or have dietary restrictions, go somewhere else because everything on the menu is fried. I ordered a chicken Cesar salad (I know my fault) and it should have been named egg salad. The salad was covered with diced eggs and morsels of chicken. I could not eat it since I am allergic to eggs.
After spending $40 dollars on take out, I am still hungry and have to cook dinner.
Skrimps!
Everybody loves some skrimps. If you are in the mood for deep fried everything roll on over to Lawrence's Fisheries to take a swing at some of their greasy treats. Conveniently located near Chinatown and 90/94, you'll find Lawrence's Fisheries has a massive parking lot that can hold more cars than seats inside.
What did I order while I was there? Let's see: fried shrimp, fried oyster, fried clams, fried perch! My friend ordered the same minus the perch and went for the boiled shrimp. All the same, we waited not too long and were given our MASSIVE orders of food. People of all kinds were in Lawrence's Fisheries, a testament to its magnet power. In the front they were renovating to add a new counter/expansion, always good to see a business on the up and up!
How was it? The oyster was hot and greasy and I could not stop eating the clams! I had a feast for days and the crunchy freshness can only be met by Calumet Fisheries deep in the south side. Given Lawrence Fisheries proximity to the expressway and public transit, I will much rather go here. The food is a decent value and if you're needing some deep fried sea things, head on over, it's delish!
Ok, this is the second time LF has disappointed. What is with the thick rubbery breading? Are they cutting costs by making 1/3 of your order breading?? The staff is still reservedly friendly, patient and helpful. The Jamabalaya is not good...ok it's bad.
The cool sea creatures mural still draws my eye while dining. Â SO sad, where can we go now for good, decently priced fried seafood?
All the little bags of all the fried, greasy, fishy goodness you could ever dream of. Â I love this place for what it is and am so happy that it is now in my life, although I doubt my thighs are.
Warning: Â Do not come here expecting a fancy sit down dinner. Â And do not come here and plan to eat light or anything close to healthy. This place is like one big greasy cafeteria. Â You order at the counter, wait for your number to be called and then take all your oily bags of fried food to any one of the 20 or so booths (or out to your car if you're ordering to go).
The first time I went was for dinner. Â I was sober and I was shocked. Â I'm not sure what I was expecting but it most certainly was not it. Â My first inkling that I was going to love Lawrence Fisheries was the extensive list of offerings on the board and the prices! Â Oh, the prices!!! Â Mostly everything can be ordered by the pound or half pound and with $20-$25 3-4 people can get some serious eating done here. Â On the first occasion I'm sure we ordered WAY too much food because that's what we do and of course we wanted to try everything. Â We got our food about 10 minutes later and brought it back to the booth by the window, AKA the best seat in the house. Â (This seat has a lovely view of a shady branch of the Chicago River.) Everything we tried was great but the big standouts are definitely the fish cakes and the fried scallops.
Every time I've been back to Lawrence Fisheries I have been extremely drunk and also quite prepared. Â Forget about White Castle seriously! Â This place is open 24 hours and it's really the only place you should ever consider after 2a.m. from now on. Â The crowd in the middle of the night/early morning can be interesting but it's not far off of what you'd expect when you're ordering 5lbs. of food for two people at 4:30 in the morning. Â I think last time I was there I was threatening to roundhouse a couple people if they didn't make way for me to get my food. Â Good times.
Whether it's for lunch, dinner, second dinner or nursing your hangover this is definitely the place to go for fried seafood. Â It's also the perfect place to go for people on a budget. Â You really can't beat it!
I Googled words like Cheap Chicago Hidden Gems Restaurant for a place to each and a list of ten places of came up. Â Lawrence's Fisheries was one that came up on the list. Â Never heard of, but it looked good and cheap. Â Google hit the spot with this one.
The place is located on a part of S. Canal that doesn't get much traffic. Â Actually, if you weren't going to this place, there really isn't much of a reason to be there. Â Point is, it's hidden. Â It wasn't very crowded when I went it, but by the amount of tables inside it looks as if they pack a crowd often.
Here's what I got:
* Â 1/2 pound of fried cod
* Â 1/2 pound of fried clam strips
* Â 1/2 pound of crab cakes
* Soda
Indeed, the amount of food was a bit more than I needed, but all this for $14?!? Â Three people could have eaten off this amount. Â It gets even better. Â It was actually good...real good if you like fried fish. Â Since we all know they didn't get this fish out of the Chicago River or Lake Michigan, it was about as fresh as you could get. Â The people that work there are also as nice as could be. Â I see a big menu and get stuck on decisions and will change my mind several times. Â She was very patient with me. Â
So, if you are seeking a great place for cheap eats and is apparently a hidden secret of Chicago, here you go.
Want killer fried shrimp, amongst various other seafood items then you def need to check out lawrences! Lines and orders move fast here so don't think lunch or late night you will be waiting a while for your food.
Large shrimp are delicious, tender, with a killer crunchy breading! Â The macaroni salad was just average but the homemade hot sauce was really good. Wish they had a spicy version as an option but it's ok its works well. They also do get a thumbs up for the packaging of the hot sauce too. Once you see it you will appreciate what I'm talking about. :-) Â For sure this is a must do off of the checklist!!!
Oysters & fried clams... 24 hours a day? Yes please!
Oh don't worry, I'll be back for the scallops... but only after I spend the next week burning off last night's dinner with vigorous workouts at my gym.
Visited Lawrence's yesterday with 2 people (one out-of-towner...) & I am very happy that we decided to stop in.
For 3 people, the bill came to a lovely $21 & some odd change...
We had:
2 fried catfish strips dinner (one with potato salad)
Clam strip dinner (with macaroni salad)
Oysters
Although I felt I could have had a massive coronary post-meal, I loved every bite.
Everything was hot & fresh when we returned home with our take-out. They did forget an item in our order but I called & they were happy to have it waiting for us when we ran back over to pick it up (I am lucky to live close-by; I suggest checking your order before you leave to make sure everything is as you ordered... I noticed a lot of other customers doing so while I was waiting for my order to come up, but did I check the bag before jumping in the car & heading home? No. Lesson learned.)
P.S. Mix together Lawrence's signature hot sauce with their cocktail sauce to add to your fish-dipping pleasure.
Wow! I have never been to the actual location, but I'm thinking I should trek the 2 hours by bus sometime in the near future.
I've been seeing some guy off and on for some time and he introduced me to this place at 3am one morning. I had had a rough night and decided to go to the bar. When the bar got out at 2am, I headed home to Lincoln Park. When I got there this guy called me, looking for only one thing, and I hopped in a cab to his place.
When I got there, he was drunk as a skunk eating gumbo. As I sat on his couch playing a game on my phone, he told me to get up and try what he was eating. I said no but he insisted. He didn't give me the gumbo, but gave me NEW ENGLAND FRIED SCALLOPS! Oh my God, I could have married him right then and there.
I am from Boston, and we have some of the best seafood in the world and to even rant and rave about Midwest seafood is straight blasphemy. But damn, these things were delicious. I think I ended up eating the whole pound he bought.
He wouldn't tell me the name of the place, just that it was located on Canal. Lucky for me I scoured his house for the receipt when he was sleeping...
Let's just say I passed out a happy girl that night.
Canal is my secret route to by pass the Circle interchange during rush hours so I have passed by this place a lot over the years.
You don't need the fries, rolls, or slaw. As others have suggested, skip the dinners and just get orders of the fried goodies. The only other things you need is a drink and some of the hot sauce.
The place is famous for the shrimp but I encourage you to explore the menu. We tried the frog legs (uh, just like chicken), fish cakes (they're not crab cakes but tasty nonetheless) and fish chips.
And, on a final note, being open around the clock, this is a great place for people watching, especially into the wee hours of the morning.
I normally feel pretty confidant in my ability to handle intimidation tactics. Â I walked into Lawrence's Fisheries for the first time and was asked for my order while I looked at the menu. Â I asked for a moment to look at the menu, and was offered the ever popular angry glaring squinty eyed stare down.
*Never* begin a staring contest with me. Â You will lose. The lady at the counter was a trooper, though. Â She looked me straight in the eye and glared and I remained neutral and stared back. Â Neither of us blinked.
3, 4, 5, . . . aha! Â She averted her eyes. I win. Â Time to look at the menu. And no, I was not discouraged, for my experience with fried food is the meaner the staff, the better the food.
(Be aware that this does not hold true for barbecue. The best barbecue places I've been to have warmest and friendliest service ever)
After I ordered and signed the credit card slip, I was asked for my id. Â I gave it to her. Â After a couple of eye rolls (what? Â was it a bad pic of me?) Â she asked me to resign my credit card slip.
Cashier: Â You're going to have to give me a little more. Â That signature will fuck up my register.
Sam: I can't change it. Â That's the same signature that's on the back of the card and on my bank account. Â That's my signature.
Cashier: Â Well, you can't use that signature. Â It's my register. Â It will fuck up my register.
Sam: I can't change my signature. Â Sorry.
Cashier: Â Fine! Â Just go!
I moved away silently.
Cashier: *mumbling* Â This is fucking ridiculous. Â Fucking bitch fucking up my register. Â Fucking bitch ass ho."
Okay, I have not met staff like this. Â Never ever.
At this point, I was ready to give them 1 star.
I opened the box, and was ready to bump it up to a 4. Maybe I was just really hungry. Â But it looked like a meal that would have cost twice or more at Calumet Fisheries,and was equally dry and crispy. I ordered fried oysters, which I've never ordered before. Â The serving size was huge and it appeared, at least for the first couple bites,that everything was perfect.
Then I saw a huge lump of. . . what appeared to be oyster poop. Â Okay, I don't know what it was, but it was dark and gritty and tasted horrible. Â I put it aside, and broke open a few more. Â About 80% of them had it. Â I took one back up to the counter and asked the girl there if she knew what it was. Â She and the rest of the staff, unlike the cashier, were very sweet and friendly. Â But she didn't know,and another staff member said it's just muscle. Â
I know nothing about fried oysters. Â I've eaten them raw, as well as steamed. Â As far as I know, nothing has to be removed. Â But I do know that whatever it was, I didn't like it. Â I couldn't finish it. Â It's probably not their fault.
That said, the quality overall seemed high and the prices cheap. I'm giving them a "meh," for now. Â I'd probably come back and try something else.
This place is NOT a Long John Silver's. Can't believe it is open 24 x 7, fried seafood all day and night. What impressed me was the row of fryers lined up next to each other. The cool thing is that when you place your order, you can actually see your order put in the oil.
We ordered the wing zings (awesome! seasoned crispy wings) and catfish in the bag (9 oz fried whole catfish without the head). It was the perfect snack before heading home.
What I liked about the place is: location, 24 x7.
What I disliked about this place is: nothing.
Oh HOLY HELL!
You know- I have NEVER liked fried shrimp. Nope- just not my thing. I was actually dragged here, and told that I was going to eat fried shrimp and love it--- so trust me I was far from excited to go.
Then, as we pulled up to Lawrence's I couldn't believe the traffic of people in and out, so I started thinking that something had to be great (you just don't see that kinda nonstop traffic at places that aren't amazing).
I didn't get to order, my date instead said-- "Just trust me" which in my opinion is almost NEVER good. :) But in this case.....
He topped off the order with 10 extra "Lawrence's Hot Sauces" knowing that we both share a weakness for spicy fare. You should have seen the knowing look on the cashier's face! I then overheard him politely say "you do know that four are included" and then there was a nod and a smile....
Side note: (what I noticed during our insanely brief wait for our food...) Seafood places tend to have a fishy or slightly "off" odor. This place smelled only of incredible deliciousness!
So out comes TWO pounds of fried shrimp! I COULD NOT believe that he had ordered two entire pounds of shrimp for just the two of us (especially considering that he knew ahead of time that I was no fan of fried shrimp)... but let me tell you! I don't know what they put in the breading, but what ever it is is highly addictive! And, the hot sauce (although at first seemed a bit sweet for my palate) was like crack, I just couldn't get enough of it! Every single gigantic shrimp was perfectly de-veined and cooked to golden brown perfection! Although I know they were fried obviously, they lacked that common "greasy taste and texture" that had previously turned me off from fried shrimp.
I wound up devouring nearly an entire pound of the shrimp (which my companion quickly finished up) and I must say that I am now a fan for life! Also, we went through nearly all of the extra hot sauce we had ordered.... I'm including a photo of the delicious remnants of our meal.
Oh, and we dined around 7pm after a full day at the Shedd Aquarium (which I suppose is slightly morbid) hehehe- but I did find out that they are open 24 hours which is completely awesome as well!
Get your fried food! Fried food here! All fried all the time! The headline for Lawrence's Fisheries is, if you like your seafood fried- you will love this place for there is not one thing on the menu that doesn't come out of the fryer.
I had relatives in from out of town who love fried shrimp. It's almost an obsession with them, Even when I lived in Florida where you can get some of the freshest fish around- we still had to go and find the fried shrimp stands as these people eat it up (literally)
So when I heard Lawrence's had some of the biggest, "bestest" fried shrimp around, well, you just know I had to go and check it out. Plus- the group needed sustenance before heading out on a marathon of sightseeing. So just like the "Griswold's"- we all piled in the car and headed south to try out this palace of deep frying- the mecca for cholesterol.
We arrived around noon on a Saturday, and this joint was hopping. It's a simple place. Just walk up to the cashiers after perusing the menu posted on the wall and order up. 1 lb and 1/2 lb, dinners or snacks of fried shrimp, fried oysters, fried clams, fried fish bites, fried catfish, fried cod, fried mushrooms, fried onion rings fried this and fried that. In fact- the only non fried things I could find were the roll and coleslaw that came with my fried shrimp dinner.
And this dinner was huge! Trust me- you don't need the dinner if you are by yourself. There were easily 12 of of the hugest deep fried shrimp I had ever seen on a bed of french fries served with a roll and a coleslaw all for only $13.80!! Two people could easily split it.
You are given a number which is promptly called and you can eat it in or take it to go. All orders are packaged up the same- dinners in Styrofoam containers and separates in waxed paper bags. If I had a wish it would be that the orders eaten in house would be served on a plate on a tray but I realize the additional expense and hassle to get the order right (here or to go) that would entail.
The cool thing about this place is that it has been in the same location at Canal and Cermak since 1950. I also liked the big windows overlooking the southern branch of the Chicago River where there was even an organized canoe trip finishing up and having lunch at Lawrence's. Lawrence's has a dock in the back that you can pull up to- and a picnic area located by the docks.
They even serve beer and wine now AND they take credit cards. Be still my heart (if it's still beating after all the fried foods at this place!) If you drive- there is a huge FREE parking lot located just south of the building as well.
The other thing that struck me? This place was clean. Our table had been bleached before we sat down (you could smell it) and the women's restroom was equally as clean. Much better than I expected.
I can't eat this food every day, I can't even eat it every month. But for those occasions when I throw caution to the wind and eat whatever I want- Lawrence's Fisheries is the place to go for those big, fried shrimp that you can only dream about most of the time.
Can you say anything in moderation? I can. See you there. I'll save you a shrimp.
What's not to love about Lawrence's Fisheries?! Â I've been coming to this place since I was a kid, and not a lot has changed (well, except for the prices).
Of course I always get the fried shrimp, but there are a few non-seafood options too such as a chicken sandwich, fried chicken and salads. Â The fried shrimp is always mmmm so good, and their hot sauce is to die for!! Â Also, I should mention their melt-in-your-mouth rolls. Â So good!
Aaron S. and I ventured here for lunch this afternoon, I did not know that this was going to be our lunch destination, he frequently doesn't tell me where we are going just that we are going.
I was surprised to see that we were going to a seafood place, right across the street from a boat yard no less. The building is small and unassuming, and has a mural painted on the outside that gives the illusion that its a boat dock.
We walked in and were greeted in a fairly friendly manner by the lady behind the counter. Aaron ordered us two 1/2 pound shrimp dinners, an order of popcorn shrimp, an order of onion rings and two fountain drinks.
We waited by the register, a not too long a wait, there were a few people ahead of us. While waiting i noticed that there is also a mural painted on the inside, of sea creatures, which was slightly disturbing, but not enough so to make me not want to eat seafood.
We were handed our food in a plastic bag and foam containers. I commented that they just might do that because of high volume,, because Aaron mentioned that they get really busy.
We sat on the side by the back up register. Their was a lot of food. I opened my container and noticed that the shrimps were HUGE. They were laying on a big pile of fries, and a a dinner roll was in the container as well. We were given coleslaw and copious amounts of cocktail and hot sauces as well.
The shrimp were verry excellent. Cooked perfectly and super fresh tasting, with a nice crunchy perfectly seasoned breading. The sauces were good, the cocktail sauce was pretty standard though. The hot sauce was a tad sweet with a good amount of heat, yum. The fries meh, they reminded me a lot of white castle fries. The onion rings were crunchy slightly greasy and actually tasted like onion. The popcorn shrimp was really good. We both enjoyed them just a little more than the regular shrimp, they had less breading and were really big for popcorn shrimp, usually popcorn shrimp are so tiny that I just don't bother with them. I really like the fact that these were detailed, It just added something to the experience that I just can't quite put my finger on. The coleslaw...eh...not a fan...It just tasted bland and mushy, like most coleslaw does anyway.
I was super full and Aaron looked full as well, so all and all it was a great lunch.
I've been looking for a new fried shrimp place for when I get the craving, and after a very long year, I've found my new location for when the shrimp cravings get to me.
Living in Bridgeport, I was a regular at the Southside Shrimp House, which hit the spot when I needed a shrimp fix - but ever since they closed their doors a year ago, my cravings have gone unanswered. Â Thanks to some late nights at work and taking a cab home down Canal to avoid expressway traffic, I have been reminded time and time again that there is a shrimp place open 24 hours and close enough to make the trip someday. Â That someday was today.
My gal and I hopped on the #44 bus and took it up to what we call the "Chinatown stop" at Canal and Archer. Â Instead of veering east to Chinatown, we went a few blocks north and there it was - beckoning us in with promises of shrimp.
We each got the 1/2-pound shrimp dinner, and we got some onion rings (another craving I'd been having) and a 1/2-pound order of the popcorn shrimp. Â A good testament to a shrimp place is testing the regular shrimp as well as the popcorn variety.
Let me just start by saying that I would like to know where the hell they purchase their shrimp - because the "popcorn" shrimp are as large as (if not larger than) the regular shrimp I get served as most places. Â And the "regular" shrimp? Â Gigantic. Â I was so skeptical that there was a real shrimp inside and that they just processed some shrimp bits into this round breaded monster that I started peeling off the breading, only to discover that someone somehow catches shrimp that are really that big.
They get bonus points for removing the tails before frying the shrimp - some places hire idiots who don't remove the tails.
They get minus points for simply having too much breading, though. Â I'm not going to exaggerate like some reviewer did and say it was hard or bland. Â It was just very thick and dense to me. Â The flavor wasn't bad at all, and it in no way affected my marveling of the shrimp itself - it just felt a bit too much like they were filling me up with breading.
The popcorn shrimp had a lighter layer of breading, and I think they were close to perfect when compared to the regular shrimp I've had from other places. Â The shrimp meat wasn't stringy at all, not overly chewy - it was just done so damned right that it's a shame it was served on top of garbage.
My tip for you - if you go here, skip the "dinner" option and go straight for the fish/shrimp. Â Your stomach will thank you. Â The dinner option costs about $1.60 more and you get a roll, coleslaw and fries. Â The roll is the only nice touch - it's a sweet dinner roll in a size that I don't see very often. Â But you can get them for 25 cents each separately, so if you like rolls, go that route. Â They're certainly good for soaking up grease or leftover sauce. Â The coleslaw comes in a pre-packaged container. Â I loathe slaw, so I didn't touch mine. Â My girl was daring enough to crack hers open - I'm sure she'll mention it in her review. Â The fries? Â Crappy. Â They almost certainly came from a cheap-o brand of frozen fries and they aren't prepared very well. Â Combine shoddy cooking with low-quality potato product and you get a steaming pile of greasy disgrace that's not worth the extra cash.
What IS worth the extra cash might be the sauce. Â We went with the "one of each" option so we could try the cocktail sauce and the Lawrence's Hot Sauce. Â I was not disappointed. Â The "hot" sauce isn't all that hot and actually has a fair amount of sweetness to it. Â The cocktail sauce has a good amount of horseradish, which I loved - though it's more or less a standard cocktail sauce.
Oh yes, and the onion rings were quite good. Â A nice breading and a fair amount for only $1.30 - though they were the greasiest item we had there. Â They also have two entire soda fountains, complete with a variety of Coke products, Mr. Pibb, Barq's, and pink lemonade. Â (Perfect for my 1/2 Coke, 1/3 Sprite, 1/6 Pink Lemonade mixer!)
When we come back here (and yes, there's no "if" about it), we will remember my advice and wind up getting a pound or two of the popcorn shrimp, a bunch of sauce packages (if not a bottle), and maybe a couple of the rolls, and likely an order or two of the onion rings. Â We might be tempted to try the scallops or oysters next time, too!
I love this place! The best place in the city to get fried shrimp!
This place is open 24 hours and they move really fast with the orders. I have been going for over three years and the food is always great and service is fast. I usually get the 1lbs shrimp with Lawrences hot sauce or the 1/2lbs shrimp dinner, which includes fries and bread.
Can get crowded after work on Friday evenings, but is worth the wait. If you need a fried shrimp fix, this is the go-to place!
I went to Lawrence Fisheries about a month ago when I was super hungry. Â We ordered just about everything - for two people we ordered a cod dinner meal, then a side of oysters, scallops, shrimp. Â The damage was only $21 - not bad for seafood..and giant pieces of it!
Of all the things I tried, I LOVED the cod - so tasty, perfectly cooked. Â Next, perhaps the shrimp - so big, and plump. Â Not rubbery or anything. Â My mouth is uncontrollibly sallivating as I'm writing this.
And I suppose I enjoyed the scallops and Oysters equally.
I'm going to stop writing and head there right now. SO TASTY!
Do you only eat healthy, wholesome meals? Well than you may not appreciate this place. Â Are you a vegetarian or a vegan? They do have a salad or two that you can order. It is not their forte at all. Do like to treat yourself to a bit of euphoria from a fryer? Â You need to check this place out!
I tend to get the catfish strip dinner. Â You get 1/2 pound of strips, crinkle cut fries (my favorite) and cole slaw for $5.05! You would be hard pressed to find a deal like this anywhere.
They do an excellent job of keeping their oil in their fryers fresh. Â You can easily tell this in the taste of their fish. they are fast too. Â They serve it up quick and get you on your way.
I will be back again and again and again and again.
Am one day convinced I will die from falling down those rickety steps leading up to the restuarant but as long as I get my shrimp first, what a way to go.
My parents have been taking me to Lawrence's since I was a little girl. Their breaded shrimp is to DIE for. Nothing makes me happier than a bag o' fried shrimp, a bag o' fries and that delicious hot sauce.
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