Truluck's

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

Ocean's Finest, Delivered to the Chicago Area

Truluck's has built its reputation on a single, uncompromising standard: the highest quality sustainable seafood, prepared with precision and served with the kind of attention that makes every visit feel like an occasion. The Rosemont location, just outside Des Plaines, brings that same commitment to the Chicago area, earning the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence in 2019—a recognition that reflects the seriousness with which the team approaches every glass poured alongside every plate.

The Stone Crab Story

The centerpiece of the Truluck's seafood experience is Florida stone crab—and the sourcing story behind it is worth knowing. About 98% of all stone crabs harvested in the United States come from Florida, and Truluck's works directly with crabbers along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts. The claws travel from the traps to the table in under 24 hours, never frozen. Across the season—October 15 through May 1—the group serves over 300,000 fresh claws. It is a supply chain built around one idea: that the quality of an ingredient at the moment it reaches the guest is non-negotiable.

The sustainability model is equally deliberate. Only claws meeting the minimum legal size are harvested; the crab is returned to the water alive and capable of regenerating the claw over subsequent molts. What arrives on the plate is the result of a carefully regulated, ecologically sound tradition.

The People Behind the Kitchen

Truluck's culinary structure reflects the same long-term thinking. Chef Partner Manuel "Manny" Vera has been with the group since 1998, working his way up from grill cook to one of its most respected kitchen leaders. Corporate Executive Chef Thomas Dritsas and Director of Culinary Operations Chef Samir Canaan lead the broader team, with a philosophy that balances unwavering consistency on signature dishes—seafood and prime steaks—with seasonal creativity that keeps the menu alive. As Chef Canaan puts it, "our signature seafood and steaks are non-negotiables. They must be flawless everywhere."

Beyond the Plate

The beverage program matches the food's ambition. Beverage Director Dave Mattern has curated a wine list that earned its Wine Spectator recognition and assembled a cocktail program with genuine depth—including an exclusive single-barrel Elijah Craig bourbon, aged over nine years and hand-selected from the rickhouse, served in a Single-Barrel Manhattan or Old Fashioned. The Martini Experience offers four distinct martinis, each built around rare, precisely chosen spirits, available as a full pour or a petite Tiny Tini.

Nightly Happy Hour in the bar brings half-price cocktails, wines by the glass, and freshly shucked oysters. Private and group dining spaces accommodate everything from corporate dinners to rehearsal celebrations, with dedicated event planners managing every detail on-site.