Mad Boiler

Friend and I had dinner last night at Mad Boiler, a cajun seafood restaurant.

We split an oyster po-boy for a starter. Oysters were fried perfectly, lots of flavor, way too much sauce/mayo on the po-boy, with less, this would have been a very good sandwich.

For the boil, one chooses a type of seafood: Shrimp (Head on) • Shrimp (Head off) • King Crab Legs • Snow Crab Legs • Crawfish • Mussels • Clams • Lobster (Whole) • Lobster (Tail) • Blue Crab • Dungeness Crab

Then sauce: Garlic Butter • Sweet Chill • Coco Curry • Cajun Louislana Dry Rub

Then spice level, 1-4 chilies

Finally, any additions such as: Corn • Sausage • Potato • Bread • Jasmine Rice

I chose the head on shrimp w/dry rub, 3 chilies, and added sausage & potato.
Friend chose crayfish w/garlic butter, 3 chilies, corn

We were warned that the dry rub is especially spicy & did we really want 3 chilies, we assured the waiter we did.

Seafood comes out in the bags that the items have been cooked in, one then empties the contents into a tray & digs in.

Crayfish were good but not worth the bother (IMO). The head on shrimp were so good, heads full of goodness and the tails cooked perfectly. Sausage & potato were nice add ons.

Restaurant does supply plastic bibs & gloves. We wore the bibs and skipped the gloves.

We were both quite pleased with the meal, nice heat/spice, seafood cooked perfectly.

Mad Boiler
1045 W Madison
Chicago, IL 60607
http://www.madboiler.com/

This place sounds good from your description, Willie.

I looked it up on my personal pushpins map and saw that it is the location of the former Mac & Min’s (cajun/creole/po'boy), which I pushpinned but never got around to going to. Anyone know if Mad Boiler is under new ownership or a new concept by the same ownership? Looking online, it appears that are some similarities in the menu, but Mac & Min’s had no alcohol (don't know if it was BYOB), where as Mad Boiler apparently has a full bar.

It is no longer crawfish season (January - June, typically peaking in May), so you guys probably ended up getting the frozen variety. Frozen crawfish typically have mushy, mealy, and frankly not very tasty tail meat. It is probably best to not judge their food based upon the merits of crawfish alone in the off season. With that said, I know some places, such as Low Country, take crawfish off the menu if it is not available live.

Katie wrote:This place sounds good from your description, Willie.

I looked it up on my personal pushpins map and saw that it is the location of the former Mac & Min’s (cajun/creole/po'boy), which I pushpinned but never got around to going to. Anyone know if Mad Boiler is under new ownership or a new concept by the same ownership? Looking online, it appears that are some similarities in the menu, but Mac & Min’s had no alcohol (don't know if it was BYOB), where as Mad Boiler apparently has a full bar.

This is just one of many similarly-themed places that have popped up since Angry Crab opened. Asian Cajun, Lowcountry, Rim Seafood and Boiler Room (in Skokie) are others.

Katie wrote:I looked it up on my personal pushpins map and saw that it is the location of the former Mac & Min’s (cajun/creole/po'boy), which I pushpinned but never got around to going to. Anyone know if Mad Boiler is under new ownership or a new concept by the same ownership? Looking online, it appears that are some similarities in the menu, but Mac & Min’s had no alcohol (don't know if it was BYOB), where as Mad Boiler apparently has a full bar.

Mac & Min's has been closed for 5 years. It was owned by the Jerry's Sandwiches people and was in the same location as the original Jerry's. The location was Real Comfort before it became Mad Boiler a few months ago. Mad Boiler is owned by the Miku Sushi and Sala Bua (now closed) folks.

Wow, must update my pushpins! Thanks for answering my question, Rene G.

Looks good and close to me, will try it out. Head-on shrimp, garlic butter w/corn and sausage sounds like just the ticket.

Fair warning to TWHTPFB (Those Who Hate To Pay For Bread) - looking at the online menu adding bread is an additional $2!!! You have been warned.

Edited to ask: what was the going rate for the head-on shrimp bag?

Kman wrote:Looks good and close to me, will try it out. Head-on shrimp, garlic butter w/corn and sausage sounds like just the ticket.

Fair warning to TWHTPFB (Those Who Hate To Pay For Bread) - looking at the online menu adding bread is an additional $2!!! You have been warned.

Edited to ask: what was the going rate for the head-on shrimp bag?

Yes, but their bread is crafted by artisanal cage-free virgins in a sustainable Tuscan-inspired environment that frees every slice to release its unctuous umami. It's well worth it!

Kman wrote:Edited to ask: what was the going rate for the head-on shrimp bag?

one orders by the lb for the seafood, IIRC $13.00 lb, +$2 for the sausage

12 of us dined at Mad Boiler this past Tuesday.

Crab fried rice was super crabby with flavor, very good. Even the very messed up sounding, pedestrian looking Cajun shrimp noodles were tasty.

This time I ordered an oyster po boy, easy on the sauce and it was spot on, a bit too many greens but those are easy enough to remove. If this was served on a crusty baguette, no doubt it would be a top sandwich in Chicago.

Happy Hour is from 3:30-6:30pm on weekdays, 1/2 priced beer & wine.