Troha's Chicken & Shrimp House - Since 1917
11am to 8pm
Tuesday-Sunday
Closed Monday
ABOUT US
Troha’s Chicken & Shrimp House
Troha’s Chicken & Shrimp House is Chicago’s oldest family-run seafood restaurant — and the owners still make your food.
Founded in 1917 and located in Little Village, Troha’s has served hand-breaded shrimp, fresh fish, and classic sides for more than a century. Every order is cooked fresh. No shortcuts. No assembly lines. Just real food, made when you order it.
Today, Troha’s is operated by fourth-generation owners Robert and Steven Troha, working behind the counter every day alongside their staff. When you place an order, it’s checked twice — and cooked right.
1970's-1990's Charles & Joey prop.
1940's-1960's. Joseph "Smoky" Troha prop.
Troha’s Chicken & Shrimp
Chicago’s Original Shrimp House — Family-Run Since 1917
Troha’s Chicken & Shrimp House is Chicago’s oldest family-run seafood restaurant and the original shrimp house in Chicago.
Located in Little Village for more than 100 years, Troha’s serves hand-breaded shrimp, fried chicken, and classic sides, cooked fresh to order and delivered to every corner of the city through Trohas.com.
If you’re searching for the best shrimp house in Chicago, you’re standing on the foundation of where it started.
A Chicago Original
Chicago is one of the world’s great food cities, known for iconic restaurants in every neighborhood. Long before shrimp became a Chicago staple, Troha’s introduced it to the city.
-
1935 — Troha’s begins selling shrimp in Chicago
-
Late 1930s — First to sell fried shrimp in the city
-
1959 — First restaurant anywhere to offer carry-out fried chicken
These weren’t marketing ideas.
They were working solutions — built behind the counter.
Chicago Firsts at Troha’s
-
First shrimp house in Chicago
-
First restaurant to sell fried shrimp in Chicago
-
First carry-out fried chicken operation (1959)
Troha’s didn’t follow trends.
We built them.
The Shrimp
Troha’s remains the premier shrimp house in Chicago by doing things the same way we always have:
-
Original recipes
-
Fresh ingredients
-
Hand-breaded shrimp cooked only after you order
Our Louisiana-style French Fried Shrimp is known citywide for its crunch, seasoning, and consistency — we still stand behind the food the same way we always have.
The Chicken — Then and Now
When Troha’s introduced carry-out fried chicken in 1959, bone-in chicken was the standard. Families lined up for it, and for decades it was a neighborhood favorite.
Over time, Chicago’s tastes changed.
Today, customers reach for crispy tenders and classic wings — the same fresh chicken, the same careful frying, adapted to how people eat now. The recipes evolved. The standards didn’t.
Troha’s still cooks chicken the old-fashioned way: fresh, seasoned, and fried only when ordered — just shaped for the present.
Sides, Catering, and More
Complete your meal with classic sides like hush puppies, crab cakes, and more. We also offer large catering orders and seasonal specialties, all prepared with the same attention as a single dinner.
Whether you’re feeding yourself, your family, or a crowd — Troha’s delivers.
Same Place. Same Taste. Since 1917.
Troha’s isn’t just one of the best fried shrimp restaurants in Chicago —
it’s the one that’s been here the longest, still run by the family, still cooking the food the right way.
Troha’s Chicken & Shrimp House
Chicago’s original shrimp house.
Business Today
Family-run. Owner-operated.
Since 2000, Troha’s Chicken & Shrimp House has been operated by fourth-generation owners Robert and Steven Troha — and you’ll still find them working behind the counter every day.
Orders are double-checked. Food is cooked fresh. The standards don’t change.
It’s an old-fashioned way of doing business — not because it’s nostalgic, but because it works.
Free sauce. Free salad samples. Curbside pickup when parking is tight.
Simple things, done right.
1917-1930's Great Grampa George - Founder