I enjoy DiCola's food each and every time I visit, however it's pricey and the breading on the fish always comes off. Place's like this are few and far between ( fresh seafood cooked to order), so along with DiColas, I visit place's at 71 and state ( fresh seafood, no cooking) and in roseland 103 Michigan. Both great places. So to keep these places open please visit and post what you think. read more

I never even knew they exist...I DO A FOOD REVIEW SHOW ON YOUTUBE...AND being a life long westside Chicago resident...forgive me for assuming that the only good food in Chicago was out west and north side of the city...boy was I wrong...my uncle took me to a great seafood restaurant named DICOLA'S...and I have to admit...I ate the most delicious,best tasting perch fish that I ever had in my 44yrs of living...it was fresh,it was flavorful,and the batter they coated IT with is out of this world delectable...I no longer want fish from anywhere else in the city...so if u want the best tasting fish u can find in Chicago go to dicola seafood on the southside (wild hundreds)...you can catch the episode I did on dicolas and new food review episodes on my YouTube show every Friday between 12noon-7pm BIG UGLY VS FOOD read more

Great seafood, pretty good service. I love with this market you can buy your seafood fresh, get the choice to take it home already seasoned or have it cooked right there. The food is a bit pricey but you get what you pay for. read more

Fresh fish + deep fried= a happy customer! I think I may have overdosed on fried sea food! My deep fried fish and shrimp I ordered was finger licking good. I also added deep fried hush puppies. In all seriousness Dicolas has the best breaded and well seasoned fried fish I've come across in the city. If you are visiting Chicago this is a must visit! My only con is that this restaurant is take out only. read more

DiCola's Seafood - Seafood Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I think they're a little pricey especially their sides but otherwise I love their seafood!!

Do NOT patronize DiColas they serve uncooked fish and won't keep they word of returning your money. They need to close and they will with that poor customer service. I cannot wait to write several business publications regarding the owner evil demeanor and terrible attitude after I drove miles and went out of the way to call first to only find that he doesn't take his business seriously and lies that I would receive a full refund of the order of fish. This cannot be tolerated on any level, especially a nasty distasteful demeanor and food read more

Well to begin the ONLY reason this place gets 4 stars is because of the service at the register and the fact they charge you for cocktail & Tartar sauce. Now I can KINDA see having to pay for the sauces (which isn't high .49) because it's homemade and it does cost them to make it so OK. But the service at the register was quite rude! The food however made up for the rude service. My wife and I went on a sunday afternoon. The young man who took our order was very nice and helpful. We ordered 1lb. Jumbo Shrimp, 1lb. Super Jumbo Shrimp (yes their Colossal), 1lb. Alaska Whitefish, and some Tomato Bread. Everything was OFF the meter!! And it wasn't a bad price. I stopped going to Lawrence's once I started going to Trohas but DiColas is BY FAR THE BEST IN THE CITY!!!!! Don't pass on the opportunity to go here for some great fresh seafood!!!! You can take your order home and cook it or get it fried or grilled there. Awesome place!!! (I won't tarnish this place by wasting time typing about the rude NEW chic at the register Sunday @ 12:30ish 5/15/16). The gentleman who prepared our order was also very nice!! We will most definitely RETURN! #AwsomeSauce!! read more

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DiCola's is the favorite place I love to purchase fish. I've found no other place better for my taste buds. I wish they had a store in the suburbs where I live so I wouldn't have to drive into Chicago. All the side dishes are great too. read more

Second time coming and every was excellent as usual. The people they have to cook your food definitely cook it with care.

The place is pricey !!!! My husband said he heard about this place on 1390am radio station so he wanted to try it. We were suppose to have first visited on Mother Day man I glad that did'nt happen. This is a fresh seafood market with over the top seafood prices. It is not a restaurant like he thought all theseafood is raw with a option to be fried there or taken home. I had the xtra large shrimp which was 16.99 a pound! ( I know right) Luckily the hubby was treating or I would just told them no thanks and left in a hurry. The shrimp was good but not for twenty dollars for 1.18 pounds. Next ! read more

I am so glad I read the reviews before wasting my time. I do remember going years back and even then it smelled when you walked in and yes! The servers were very rude and abrupt! It's sad to think that a business can't give you fresh food and good service, yet charge you an arm and leg.. read more

I haven't been to DiCola's in about 5 years, and I won't be returning. I went last night and spent $111 on food. We got catfish fillets that taste like they came out of a frozen fish box, 2 pounds of jumbo shrimp that were good, and smelts that tasted like old grease. The potato salad was bland, but the macaroni salad was awesome. I spent too much money to throw away the catfish and smelts. Too expensive to be mediocre. Next time I'll go to Goose Island, they never disappoint. read more

I was about to give Lawrence shrimp on Cermak Rd 5 stars but for battered southside shrimp and the Crab salad this was the best. The shrimp which I ordered was jumbo size and batter was not overwhelming. Crab salad tasted fresh too. Wish they had a sit down to eat like Lawrence. read more

I always underestimate DiColas. It's been there forever and I just don't go enough. I popped in today out of curiosity and I had time to kill. Totally hit the spot! I ordered the broasted chicken wings and they were meaty and outstanding. My hubs and I also split the Jumbalaya. It was good if not a bit spicy. We also got carrot cake slices. Delish! Seriously, I don't know why I always forget how good they are. Last time I was there I had a pound of fried shrimp. It was enough to split and they were also really good. I've read other reviews complaining about their prices. I'm not sure what my opinion is on that. I've paid the same prices for seafood elsewhere but the quality was not there. I think DiColas is right were they should be. They also have a huge team that pumps out the food quickly for your convenience and people do need to be paid. I was in and out with my food in 8 minutes without preordering. I'm a fan. Tip: Try Tiger sauce on your wings. Its a combo of sweet, hot, and vinegary. I'll go back for that for sure. Wish I had photos but we were starving and I'll save you disgusting empty plate shots. I don't know why people do that on here. read more

Hey Bob! This place is a shit hole. The memory of what it used to be no longer a reality. Hire someone above the age of 15 for starters. Purchase fresh seafood that's in season instead of the stuff that's been frozen for ages you've got on display. Teach your employees service etiquette. When someone returns food that they're not satisfied with, apologize for the inconvenience. You couldn't pay me to eat dark, slimy ass catfish. The girl at the register inspected the return as if she was going to resell it. Perhaps you do. All the best, Fog of War read more

Wow it surprises me that DiCola's only has 3 stars. This place is fantastic! Not only is their seafood(which is what their known for) great but so is their hot food. The grilled salmon is excellent, so is the red beans& rice and the shrimp fried rice is the best I've ever had anywhere! The clam strips are great so is the smelt and the stuffed shrimp. Their tuna salad is some of the best I've ever had. It's great on crackers or for a sandwich. I really don't have anything negative to say about this place other than it's a little pricy. However, I'm willing to pay a little more for great food! read more

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A good fish market in an area without anything else. It's particularly good if you know what you want as the workers aren't as helpful as you might like them to be. I think they're all high school students. We bought some mussels there and a high percentage of them were dead. Despite that everything still seems fresh, though... They will also bread and fry just about anything you want right there, if that's what you're into. read more

Today I had a bad experience at DiCola's. I ordered jumbo shrimp but they were overcooked with hard breading. This is the third time I've experienced dry overcooked shrimp from DiCola's but I've also experienced wonderful mouth watering and satisfying shrimp meals. The first time my shrimp was overcooked, I brought it back. I live minutes away, so no problem. The cook prepared a new order, voila--good times!! The second time, I was disappointed; however, I didn't phone DiCola's. Now today, here we go again. If I've been to DiCola's 100 times and only 3 were disappointing, then from a marketing standpoint that's not bad. I agree, that's not bad, its certainly not a deal breaker. I phoned in to express my disappointment. The problem came in the form of a manager named Jimmy. Jimmy repeated to me several times that no one else has complained, that I'm the ONLY person that has voiced a complaint and he should know, he's 'answered the phone now for over a month with no complaints'--what does that even mean?? He lectured me and said that I should ask for my shrimp to be fried "softly". When I asked why I had to make that apart of my order, he again assured me that 'since I have a history of dry shrimp orders I should make sure I say " fry softly". I finally asked for the owners name and Jimmy left me with a little advice. He said, there's a book called, "Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus". To his credit, I think he was trying to make a comparison about how men respond to a problem versus women. The analogy was lost on me. All I really wanted was an apology without a chiding. read more

I have been a long term customer for over 30 yrs - since before my 30 yr old child was born. I live downtown and would Gladly drive out the way to go there but after yesterday, Nov 1, 2021, I most likely will Never go back. The young 'new' lady who waited on me seemed annoyed and as if she truly didn't want to be bothered. I typically spend upwards of $100 or more in order to freeze. I could NOT honestly believe how irritated the young woman came across as I was added more to my order. I asked if she could put more clam chowder at the bottom of my cup before adding more juice and it was as if I slapped her mother. I was so offended and made it clear how displeased with her attitude. She told me to lower my voice and U snapped. They had already started crying my shrimp and lobster tails but the thought of giving $1.00 was too much and I walked out. I've tried multiple times to reach Bob Dicola to no avail. A wasted 30-minute drive. I just called the owner again twice and was put on hold both times for more than 5 mins. Fyi - Two customers came to me outside as I was getting in my to say how they witnessed how poorly the young woman behaved and Encouraged me to write this review. This Was one of my favorite places on the planet but if this is now their New Norm of POOR and DISMISSIVE behavior after having spent Thousands of dollars over 30 yrs - I will not be back. Karma has a LOCK on the young woman who probably should not even come to work with such an attitude. read more

I have never had a bad item from this establishment and I've been coming here for over 20 years plus. Fresh fish and I like that they hire the neighborhood young adults. read more

If you are ever on the Southside around 107th and Western you definitely want to check this place out for your Seafood. This place is been around for years it's a neighborhood spot you go in you pick your fish or frog legs whatever you're into they cook it for you. Me personally I like the breading that they use on the fish. Good prices too, really not that expensive especially on one of those days you don't feel like cooking. I would recommend this to anyone. Its one of my top five neighborhood fish spots for sure! read more

I go for the cooked shrimp & an order of tomato bread, and have not been disappointed. It's not "cheap" seafood, it's actually more expensive than you will find in your local grocery store, but it will also not break the bank. Service is usually pretty quick (i.e., the line goes fast). read more

I have not eaten here since they stopped serving Oysters Rockefeller, which was probably a million years ago. I ordered the tilapia and the jumbo shrimp, I had them cook the food for me, the food was fried to perfection. I also had the oven roasted potatoes with red peppers and onions, delicious. They were out of red beans and rice, but hopefully they will have it next time. read more

It's expensive, boy is it. That's why it's just a treat for me, maybe once or twice a year. I love the fresh catfish and shrimp. I've figured out the times to go to avoid a very long wait since my family's been going there all my life. read more

Great shrimp. Love the lobster. Love the cod for my fish & chips. Great side like fries, onion rings and tomato bread. Been enjoying this place for years. The quality is constantly great. read more

The catfish is really good, the shrimp And scallops are good, the coleslaw is not so great , to much mayonnaise added in to it!!!besides that everything is cooked and ready in no longer than 7mins, went to eat at a local park!! Also great variety of drinks to choose from read more

The food was very salty.. and very dry.. don't eat here. I forgot to say I took my food back for a refund of 78.00 and instead of crediting my account the charge me an additional 66.00. Wow.. such bad business.. now I have to fight with my bank to reverse these charges.. good luck .. read more

DiCola's has some of the best shrimp & seafood on the south side of Chicago. My mother has been taking me there since I was young. Now as an adult it still one of my favorite places to get fried shrimp. DiCola's shrimp easily surpasses the overrated and overly breaded shrimp at Lawrence's. Trust me you'll love DiCola's. read more

Way overpriced for questionable quality fish. Selection was very poor on a Thursday afternoon for fresh fish. Jumbo shrimp weren't very jumbo. Went to Mariano's for better quality, selection, and price. read more

Place is amazing. First timer , walking in I immediately thought I was somewhere by an ocean or lake. The variety of seafood is crazy. From lobster and crap to ocean perch. Fried food instantly, as fresh as it gets. Definitely going back again!! The ocean perch was spot on ! read more

When I was a youngin', DiCola's was the place to go for your Friday fish! However, lately, the quality of the food has gone down. The fried shrimp are pretty good, and the potato salad is great! But, that's about it! The sides are definitely not homemade, and the fish, doesn't have a lot of seasoning. The fried oysters are a true disappointment. It's still a nice place to go it you're buying fish to prepare at home, but you can find much better places to fry the fish for you! read more

Ordered at around 8:00pm they close at 9:00 on Saturday. Ugh! Took my order home the ocean perch and steak catfish was horrible. The fish was really dry. I didn't even eat the catfish steak it looked horrible and super dry. I eat from DiCola's often but never around closing time I guess I will never go within the last hour of closing. I threw the fish away wasted my money. read more

I don't consider myself to have unrealistic expectations, but when I walk into a fresh fish market, I expect at least one item that's fresh enough to eat without cooking, which is what I did last weekend endeavoring upon my first sushi party. I thought DiCola's would be filled with sweet-smelling snapper, tender tuna and sublime salmon -- all we found was the unthawed version of what's sold at the mega-grocery store just down the block. Yes they have mussels and yes they have cleaned squid and yes they have shrimp, but if you're looking for something more exotic, this Southside establishment will let you down. Granted, the smells coming from the kitchen got my mouth a-watering, but I'd rather sit with a nice glass of wine waiting for my dinner than shuffle my feet attempting to converse with the fish-ignorant teenagers staffing the place. read more

We have a 50 year old tradition of ordering the deep fried shrimp and Tomato Bread for lunch and sitting in the parking lot to gobble it down! Then taking home some fresh fish to cook for dinner. Can't get any fresher seafood anywhere in the South area of Chicago. We drive from Joliet just for Di Colas cravings!!! Awesome customer service too!! read more

Lately this place is horrible. The potato salad mush, tartar sauce is mostly mayo condiments for purchase and half full containers, fish loaded with tasteless breading, salads not fresh. I have previously enjoyed jack salmon and shrimp however the owners condescending attitude which I have witnessed on several occasions and experienced today has made this the last time at decolas. Decolas fish is over priced I'm not completely sure all fish is fresh some fish (ocean perch) taste previously frozen. Today I purchased 5 whole Jack Salmon they were small so I asked not to cook them hard. Which would mean to a thinking person shorten cooking time because of the small size. Got my order and fish was burnt. I returned to store and the Owner was called to assist. He grabbed the bag and walked away. Owner returned and was more concerned about being wasteful then offering a solution. I agreed with wastefulness and stated "not my problem". He had the nerve to leave again in the middle of our conversation. On his third disappearance he returned with a large piece of Jack Salmon stating it was cooked properly. Had he bought the whole order it would've proven my point. I asked for a refund. He again mentioned being wasteful and tried to process a refund unsuccessfully. The Owner walked away in the middle of transaction. The cashier stepped up in his disappearance. Upon owners return He had the nerve to ask me for name and address to mail a check. He seemed annoyed when I refused and insisted he return my money. He had no intentions of refunding my money. How does a business owner not know a debit sale is a credit refund back to card??? read more

I'm sure its the same aa 30 (even 80) years ago but I am not as impressed as I was as a kid with the fried shrimp. Its good just not worth a long trip. I came in took a number with ten minutes on a Friday around dinner time they called me and ten minutes later I left with a pound and a half of shrimp with a large cocktail sauce and bottle of raspberry iced team. Take number, order, pay, take out - 4 step procrss. read more

The jumbo shrimp where good. The macaroni salad was okay. That macaroni and cheese lacked flavor, save your money on it. I was disappointed in the chicken it was stated as being broasted it was fried. The legs are abnormally huge, that kinda turned me off. Tried the rice it was okay. To me the shrimp was the best thing going. read more

There's something fishy about DiCola's. That, of course, is by design at a seafood market that specializes in providing a traditional South Side (Catholic) fish fry not just during Lent, but yearlong. It's also the problem. For years, my family picked up a catfish & shrimp dinner on Fridays at DiCola's right before heading home to watch "Dallas" and "Falcon Crest". Sometimes the meal included cold slaw and spaghetti. It was usually a treat to me. I was president of "The Clean Plate Club" since was called "brain food". Growing up I kept coming to DiCola's despite the lack of ways the fish was prepared. Always breaded, always deep fried. My trips became less frequent unless I had a jones for jumbo shrimp & occasionally lobster. During one trip heard someone order their fish grilled. Grilled? I didn't even know they did that. Why didn't anyone mention that before? Partly because the people employed here are kind of lousy & disinterested in what they're doing. Their goal seems to move you in and out like an assembly line. Which would be OK if the food were better. But it's not. The trick about grilled is you have to get it before the chef leaves, which is around 6 p.m., just when people are getting home from work. Only the historic lack of food choices along Far South Western I continued to make this a destination. read more

Great seafood and no minimums so you can easily make your own seafood platter with all of the fish and seafood you enjoy! Don't feel like cooking? - Have them cook it for you. Bon appétit! read more

This is one of the few seafood markets left on the sw side, Unless you're planning on going to a local grocery store, a place like this is the best place to go for fresh seafood. When I lived closer, I was here all the time during Lent to get fresh fish and shrimp! I've never tried any of their fried or grilled items, so I can't account for the quality. However, I'd be more likely to try it next time I'm in the area if they had a "sit down" section in the building or outside. I don't live close enough to go all the way out there, get food, and take it all the way back. Personally, I don't think it's worth it to eat it in my car. As for the service, it's just okay. Most of the people who work there are high school students, so you'll get shrugs, "ums", and "I dunnos" when you ask a question a little more specific than, "How much is your ocean perch?" They won't be able to suggest decent alternatives if they don't have what you need, which is frustrating. It's best to know exactly what you need/want when you go in there. The prices are a little high, but they usually run sales in local circulars and you can buy in bulk when they've got a sale on something good. Overall, it's not a bad place, but because they're the only one the service and prices are just okay. If there was another place around like this, they'd probably be a lot better. read more