When the window slid open to begin my initial visit to Shrimp Lips — a South Side all-star occupying a former dairy bar — owner Dorothea Carter nodded at an orange-and-black Slingshot as the three-wheeled vehicle zoomed past. By all appearances delighted to see me, a complete stranger, Carter grinned and said, “That was my daughter, the seafood lady. My son is the crab boss. This is Desiree to my left, she’ll take your order. Everyone’s family here.”
As greetings go, that’s about as good as it gets. As subsequent visits for more delicious food would later prove, I should’ve expected nothing less from Shrimp Lips.
A fried-seafood-centric, soul-food-leaning eatery whose fare is even more impressive than its name, Shrimp Lips cooks up overachieving dishes that belie an unassuming, to-go-oriented setting. That said, the repurposed dairy bar does feature some outdoor seating and a wonderful logo: a cartoon-style shrimp wearing lipstick, yellow gloves on four tiny appendages and a self-possessed, “I’ve got this” expression.
Other eatery adornments include handwritten cardboard signs advertising specials such as cornmeal-crusted, perfectly tart fried green tomatoes served with on-point remoulade sauce ($6); juicy, tender and peppery collard greens enhanced by smoked turkey, onions and a side of good cornbread ($8); plus something called “Holla crunchy chicken” I’ll be sampling on my next visit.
That is if I can remember not to completely fill up on the place’s addictive shrimp.
Whether grilled or fried — both versions rock, but I was told most customers pick fried because of its crispy, irresistible breading — the tail-on crustaceans were plump, sweet and notably fresh-tasting. A garnishing one-two punch that boosts nearly every item here added to their deliciousness: sprinkles of zesty house Creole seasoning and lashes of garlic butter.
The eatery’s eponymous seafood is sold in multiple groupings. These include a five-piece a la carte order ($8.99); the half shrimp combo — nine shrimp served with two of the uniformly tasty sides ($18.99); and the aptly named full shrimp combo — 18 jumbo shrimp presented with shrimp-boil-appropriate accompaniments ($29.50).
