Best Business Lunch Seafood Restaurants in Chicago
12 hand-picked restaurants, critic-reviewed and ranked
Last Updated: February 2026
Our Top Pick
Joe's Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab
A stone-crab-focused steakhouse where shellfish towers rival the prime beef.
Notable Picks
Vibes:
Luxury Dining Elite
Business Lunch Power Players
Group Dining Gatherings
Birthday & Celebration Central
Joe's brings the Miami-born stone crab legacy to River North, pairing a deep seafood program with a serious lineup of prime steaks. Diners mix bone-in filets and ribeyes with chilled shellfish towers in a clubby, white-tablecloth room that runs packed with business diners, special-occasion groups, and out-of-towners chasing a classic Chicago meal.
Must-Try Dishes:
16 oz bone-in filet mignon, Florida stone crab claws, Hash brown potatoes
What Makes it Special: A stone-crab-focused steakhouse where shellfish towers rival the prime beef.
8.8
Vibes:
Business Lunch Power Players
Group Dining Gatherings
Comfort Food Classics
Happy Hour Hotspots
Shaw's splits the room between a white-tablecloth dining side and a livelier oyster bar, making it equally useful for business seafood dinners and casual plates. Guests come for seasonal oysters, steamed mussels, and king crab, plus an old-school dessert cart and a jazz-leaning soundtrack.
Must-Try Dishes:
Daily oyster selection on the half shell, Steamed mussels with garlic and white wine, Alaskan king crab legs
What Makes it Special: A classic Chicago seafood house pairing a serious oyster program with a split dining room for both suits and seafood fans.
8.7
Gibsons Italia is a riverfront Italian steakhouse pairing gold-extruded pastas, Prime beef and seafood with skyline views from multi-level dining rooms. Downtown diners use it for client dinners, occasion meals and polished date nights where service and execution are tightly controlled.
Must-Try Dishes:
Spicy Rigatoni, Cacio e Pepe, Roasted Mediterranean Branzino
What Makes it Special: Italian steakhouse where serious pastas meet river and skyline views.
#4
Bar Mar
8.4
Vibes:
Trendy Table Hotspots
Happy Hour Hotspots
Girls Night Out Approved
Business Lunch Power Players
Bar Mar is José Andrés’ seafood-centric restaurant on the ground floor of the Bank of America Tower, built around oysters, ceviches, and luxed-up classics like lobster rolls. Office crowds and destination diners use it for lively dinners, cocktails, and pre-theater seafood in a bright, nautical room.
Must-Try Dishes:
Lobster Roll, Hamachi Cones, Sea Scallops
What Makes it Special: High-energy José Andrés seafood bar with modern takes on classics.
Vibes:
Hidden Gems Heaven
Quick Bites Champions
Instagram Worthy Wonders
Business Lunch Power Players
A minimalist seafood market that doubles as a tight lunch counter—best when you order in the cold-water shellfish lane and keep it focused. The play is freshness-first: oysters, a lobster roll, and whatever looks pristine in the case for take-home cooking.
Must-Try Dishes:
Lobster roll, Fresh oysters, Tinned fish + accompaniments
What Makes it Special: Seafood-market sourcing with a small, high-confidence lunch menu.
8.3
Vibes:
Group Dining Gatherings
Family Friendly Favorites
Business Lunch Power Players
Birthday & Celebration Central
A Greektown classic where the best meals are built around grilled seafood, bright salads, and the kind of crowd-pleasing plates that keep big tables happy. Go for the signature starters, then pick one main lane—whole fish or a hearty baked dish—and let the room’s lively energy do the rest.
Must-Try Dishes:
Mediterranean grilled octopus, Flaming saganaki, Moussaka
What Makes it Special: Big-room Greek cooking built for classic starters and grilled mains.
8.3
A roomy West Loop sushi restaurant that works when you want flexibility—nigiri, rolls, and a reservation-only omakase option—without committing to a tiny counter format. The menu rewards a curated approach: choose either a chef’s-choice path or a tight nigiri-and-handroll lane and keep the add-ons minimal.
Must-Try Dishes:
14-course omakase (reservation-only), 10-piece dressed nigiri + handroll set, Chef’s choice nigiri (customized)
What Makes it Special: Choose between à la carte sushi or a reservation-only omakase lane.
Vibes:
Luxury Dining Elite
Birthday & Celebration Central
Business Lunch Power Players
Group Dining Gatherings
A classic steakhouse format inside the Swissotel with a menu built around prime-aged beef, big seafood swings, and steady, occasion-friendly service. It’s strongest when you order like a traditional steakhouse—one prime cut per person, a shared side strategy, and a familiar starter—rather than over-stacking categories.
Must-Try Dishes:
Gigi Salad, Prime rib, Lobster bisque
What Makes it Special: Old-school steakhouse reliability with Swissotel riverfront setting.
Vibes:
Business Lunch Power Players
Happy Hour Hotspots
Group Dining Gatherings
Comfort Food Classics
A Hyatt Regency steakhouse format with a real sushi lane, built for business dinners and hotel-bar convenience. The best experience comes from committing to either sushi-first with one hot main, or steakhouse classics with a single roll for contrast—don’t try to cover the whole menu.
Must-Try Dishes:
Sunset Roll, Dragon Roll, Black Miso Cod
What Makes it Special: A steakhouse-with-sushi setup that works well for hotel-driven dining.
Worthy Picks
7.9
Brown Bag Seafood Co. at 150 N Riverside is a fast-casual counter where sustainable fish turns into bowls, salads, tacos, and lobster rolls for office workers along the river. It’s a go-to for lighter, customizable seafood lunches that still feel substantial and reasonably priced.
Must-Try Dishes:
Salmon Power Box, Clam Chowder, Cod Lettuce Tomato (CLT) Sandwich
What Makes it Special: Counter-service seafood built for fast, customizable, healthier lunches.
7.7
Vibes:
Business Lunch Power Players
Group Dining Gatherings
Happy Hour Hotspots
Outdoor Dining Oasis
Legal Sea Foods’ first Midwest location brings a Boston-born seafood institution to Marina City, with New England clam chowder, lobster rolls, and a broad raw bar served over two levels facing the river. It functions as an upscale-casual catchall for business lunches, pre-theater dinners, and tourists wanting classic East Coast seafood in River North.
Must-Try Dishes:
New England clam chowder, Legal Lobster Roll, Fisherman’s Platter
What Makes it Special: Bi-level New England seafood house with chowder, lobster rolls, and full raw bar overlooking the Chicago River.
#12
City Social
7.5
Vibes:
Happy Hour Hotspots
Business Lunch Power Players
Group Dining Gatherings
Trendy Table Hotspots
A big, workday-friendly Loop bar where seafood shows up in sandwich form—lobster roll, shrimp po’ boy, crab cake—built for lunch runs and post-work drinks. Come for the convenience and the large-room energy, and treat the seafood as a practical order rather than a deep-dive destination.
Must-Try Dishes:
Lobster roll, Shrimp po' boy, Crab cake sandwich
What Makes it Special: A roomy Loop bar that sneaks in seafood sandwiches alongside cocktails.