Meet us where New Orleans and Ireland say “cheers”
“Let’s go to Shanahan’s!” That’s a phrase you’ll often hear from Forest Park locals who know this pub to be a welcoming place for good beer and delicious southern seafood.
In fact, there is a plaque right on the wall of Shanahan’s Louisiana Creole Kitchen, memorializing the catchphrase that the late regular Loretta O’Mara Walsh used to say before her thrice-weekly meal at the pub. (Make sure to check out “Loretta’s table” and memorial plaque when you visit!)
Owner and Chef Tim Shanahan first opened his restaurant in 1977 in New Orleans,
hence the Cajun and Creole influence. But this chef’s last name brings with it everything you might expect. Shanahan’s Louisiana Creole Kitchen has all the makings of a classic Irish pub.
What can be better than a cozy, neighborhood pub where you can also order Chicken and Andouille Sausage Jambayala or Crawfish Etouffee?
The brunch menu at Shanahan’s is a particular delight with Voodoo Crab and Grits (blackened crab, red and green peppers, and Creole seasonings topped with jalapeño hollandaise) or Eggs la Louisianne (Grilled Andouille on an English muffin with poached eggs, Tabasco fried onions, and cheddar cheese).
Shanahan’s in Forest Park is open Tuesday through Thursday from noon to 9pm, Friday and Saturday from noon to 10pm, and Sunday from noon to 8pm. Shanahan’s is closed on Monday.
Don’t miss the Shanahan’s brunch!
Saturday and Sunday brunch entrees run from $10-$15. Dinner entrees are $15-$24. Burgers and sandwiches (did someone say Shrimp Po Boy?) are $11-$14.
Tim Shanahan opened Shanahan’s Louisiana Creole Kitchen in New Orleans more than 40 years ago. He moved the restaurant to Florida for a while, delighting in being close to the ocean, but then this Illinois native got homesick.
He brought Shanahan’s home to Forest Park in 1990. Today Tim and his wife, Radana, run the Creole Kitchen on Madison Street.
Shanahan’s is located a half-mile walk from the Harlem Stop on the CTA Blue Line Train and a 0.8-mile walk from the Harlem/Lake Stop on the Green Line. The address is 7353 Madison Street in Forest Park.
