Bob Chinn's Crabhouse Rstrnt   

the title says it all

For several years in the late 80s and early 90s I lived in Deerfield, IL and at least once per week my husband and I ate at Bob Chins. When we first started going there it was quite small with one dining room, I don't remember how many could be seated but my guess would be around 60 to 100. We suffered through their first expansion where it would become big enough to seat about 350 people. The restaurant never closed during this "dusty" expansion - we continued to go but admittedly I worried that the quality of the food would suffer when the "big" numbers materialized. My positive thought was that perhaps we wouldn't have to "wait so long" to be seated. Well I was WRONG on both counts. The quality of the food didn't suffer and alas the wait got no better. Soooo as I understood it, they decided there was not enough parking and they could also benefit with places to sit while waiting for dinner around the exterior or perhaps it was enclosed, I really can't remember. At any rate another rehab was under way. Well guess what that sitting space never materialized and that rehab merely became more periphial (porch) seating for diners. I believe there was then space for some 750 folks to dine at Bob Chins. Guess what - if we weren't inside by 5:30 p.m. on Friday or Saturday evening it was still a 2 hour wait. You kinow they certainly were doing something right!!!!! In 1994 we retired from the FAA and moved to Phoenix where we remained until late 2005. During that period we made several trips back to the Chicagoland area to "go to Cubs games" and to eat at Bob Chins. Neither ever disappointed us. Now that we are really retired in Lake Kiowa Texas, we are still planning to take the family for a sojurn to Bob Chin's Crabhouse. The best seafood I have ever eaten and I have traveled and tried many from Maine to California, to Hawaii, to Europe, Japan, HongKong, Beijing, Australia and New Zealand.l BOB CHIN'S IS THE ABSOLUTE BEST!!!!!! Willa Hawke Lake Kiowa, TX

If you are looking for a Restaurant with great ambience then DO NOT GO to Chinn’s. If you are looking for a Restaurant who servers some of the Best Sea Food and Steaks anywhere THEN GO TO Chinn’s. I grew up in Northbrook and before Bob opened up in Wheeling I use to go to his Restaurant in Northbrook called Kahala Terrace. I then started go to Chinn’s Crab House in Wheeling when he first opened. I have recommended Chinn’s to countless number of people. I also tell them to be prepared to have dinner with around 600 of your closest fiends. I do not go there for the ambience I go there for the FOOD! Best advise I can give someone is to go there for lunch because if you try to go there for dinner on a Friday or Saturday night on a nice summer night around 5-6:00 be prepared to wait at least an 1 ½ hours to get a table. Why do over 3,000 people come to the Restaurant daily. For the wooden upside down lite fixture baskets? The plastic cups? The salad buffet? The crowds? The waiting in lines? NO - THEY COME FOR THE FOOD!!!!!! If you are looking for formal dining DO NOT GO TO CHINN’S. If you want a Very Good to Excellent seafood dinner or steak THEN CHINN’S IS THE PLACE. P.S. The Mai Tais are GREAT and yes they come in a plastic cups but your welcome to take the cup home.