Smack Shack Brings Lobster Rolls and More to the West Loop

Smack Shack, the Minneapolis-based seafood concept opened in Chicago’s West Loop neighborhood on Thursday, April 21. Located at 1KFulton, home of Google’s Midwest headquarters, the restaurant will be open for lunch and dinner Monday through Friday, as well as weekend brunch on Saturday and Sunday. Smack Shack’s owners Josh Thoma and Kevin Fitzgerald aim to bring a new experience to the neighborhood with their casual approach to coastal dining, including a menu full of fresh and sustainable options taking influence from all coasts.

Embracing Chicago and its culinary offerings, Culinary Director Nick O’Leary has also created a few city-inspired dishes, including Leon’s of Chicago Andouille Sausage Po’ Boy with tomato, onion, lettuce, lemon aioli on D’amato’s Bread, Baked Oysters featuring six oysters, Pernod butter and garlic breadcrumbs and Ramp Mussels with ramp butter, lemon, chili flake and toasted baguette. A drink menu inspired by the coasts features a signature Hurricane, seasonally changing cocktails, plus many local and craft beers.

Anchored in the center of the Chicago location is one of its most unique features, a custom metal 100-gallon boil. The boil is a simmering broth of Old Bay Seasoning and onions, where lobster, shrimp and Alaskan King Crab are placed in mesh bags with Andouille sausage, red potatoes, and corn on the cob, and then served with griddled milk bread, coastal slaw and drawn butter.