Most Popular Japanese Restaurants and Sushi Bars in Chicago

The most popular Japanese restaurants/Sushi bars in Chicago are cited below with the addresses, time of opening and the menu served.

1. Coast Sushi Bar
4 star rating
Neighborhood: Bucktown
2045 N Damen Avenue
(between Dickens Ave & Mclean Ave)
Chicago, IL 60647
(773) 235-5775
www.coastsushibar.com/
Review: I went to Coast for a friend’s birthday recently and LOVED it! And it’s nice to go to a more upscale restaurant that is BYOB.
They get five stars for the Dragon roll alone. Not super traditional, but it is fantastic! My mouth waters just thinking about it. I also enjoyed the Sunrise roll. I wish they delivered to my neighborhood…
Can’t wait to go back!

There are few things in life I enjoy more than raw fish.
white dragon roll + rainbow roll + BYO + machi + decent service = a totally amazing sushi experience. Unimpressed by the chocolate fruit plate though….for $7 you get six slices of fruit (strawberries, kiwi, and eww eww mango….which tastes like Tanqueray to me) and some gross Hershey’s-syrup-like sauce.
This dimly-lit gem will be seeing me again soon.

2. Republic Pan-Asian Restaurant & Lounge
3 star rating
Categories: Japanese, Thai, Asian Fusion
Neighborhood: Near North Side
58 East Ontario
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 440-1818 Reserve Online
www.republicrestaurant.us/
Reviews: If you are familiar with Wagamama in Europe, then you will love this place. It’s like Wagamama on a more upscale level.
At 7pm on a Saturday evening it was fairly quiet, the service was fine, nothing amazing but nothing to complain about either.
The menu is pretty good, a lot of small plate appetizers to choose from, and a very large sushi menu. They also do pretty good noodle dishes. We ordered two appetizers, a salad and two noodle dishes. It was a little too much food for us! But it was all very delicious.
We’d definitely go there again, I guess the 1 missing star is because it doesn’t have a cocktail menu but this is a restaurant rather than a bar.
Oh and the asian movies are awesome, we watched ‘Farewell My Concubine’. Interesting!
Jennifer L.

Best tuna tartar I have ever eaten. They also have good sushi and warm appetizers. I haven’t eaten off their full menu, though I have heard good things. They make great sakitinis for those seeking a strong martini.

Highly recommended. I enjoy the food more than Japonais, the environment isn’t quite as appealing but the downstairs bar is somewhat sexy.
Matthew K.

3. Itto Sushi Restaurant
4 star rating
Categories: Sushi Bars, Japanese
Neighborhoods: Lincoln Park, DePaul
2616 N. Halsted Street
(between Schubert Ave & Wrightwood Ave)
Chicago, IL 60614
(773) 871-1800
www.ittosushi.com/
Reviews: I would rate this as an authentic as you can get mom and pop place in Chicago… but the style is more izakaya, which is popular in Japan.

The menu is pretty solid, and priced reasonably. Dishes and food are as close as authentic as you can get… great for a laid back sushi night and its Japanese owned, and run… you cant go wrong
Ben H.

the hip fancy sushi places may be good (and expensive), but this is the kind of moderately-priced, unassuming japanese restaurant you’d find on the west coast. some of the freshest fish I’ve had in Chicago.
jason t.

4. Kaze Sushi
4.5 star rating
Category: Sushi Bars
Neighborhood: Roscoe Village
2032 W Roscoe
Chicago, IL 60686
(773) 327-4860
www.kazesushi.com
Reviews: The best sushi restaurant I have ever been to. If you love sushi and have not been here I recommend making this your next stop. The scallop salad is amazing and the large selections of maki make it hard to choose. When I was there I also tried the Chef’s special sashimi which that day was Red Snapper with a balsamic reduction, which was so good I should have ordered two. This place gets very busy so reservations are highly recommended.
Nick R.

This is what sushi is supposed to taste like. I’ve been going here since they opened and have never once found sushi even comparable. I live in San Francisco now, where the sushi is quite good, but still doesn’t compare to Kaze.

Be adventurous. Eat what is on the seasonal menu and get whatever soup the chef recommends for the day.

I always love the nigiri selections. Each piece of fish is matched perfectly with some sort of sauce/veggie/seasoning. My favorite to this day is the maguro with shitake mushrooms. It is unbelievable and melts in your mouth.

The special rolls are always unique and are prepared with the freshest catch of the day.

Kaze is one of those restaurants that I have to visit every time I visit Chicago.
zoe h.

5. Toro Sushi
4.5 star rating
Category: Sushi Bars
Neighborhood: Lincoln Park
2546 N Clark Street
Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 348-4877
www.ToroSushi.biz
Reviews; Amazing sushi, some of the best I’ve ever had in Chicago. Very fresh, the chefs have interesting specials which I recommend you try at least one roll of when you’re there. Sometimes the wait can be long but it’s worth it.
Steve T.

Mannnnnn, Toro is the best sushi bar in the world!!!!!!!! G.O.O.D JOB MITCH!! Imma see if i can get Kanye to come by next time he’s in town!!!! Thanx for introducing me to Mitch Beena!!! LOVE!!
KEEZO KANE
G.O.O.D MUSIC INC.
MYSPACE.COM/KEEZOKANE

6. Sushi Loop
4 star rating
Categories: Sushi Bars, Japanese, Korean
Neighborhoods: Near West Side, Greektown
810 W Jackson Blvd
(between Green St & Halsted St)
Chicago, IL 60607
(312) 714-1234
Reviews: A sushi place smack dab in the middle of Greektown? I had to go give this place a try.

Unfortunately, my particular experience wasn’t very good. It was a moderately busy night and our table didn’t get any food for over an hour. Though the chef did come over and personally apologize, we received very little sympathy from our waitress.

Food was above average for your standard sushi place, very nicely presented and on the pricey side.

Due to my experience, I can’t recommends this place over any of the numerous other quality sushi restaurants.
StreetPhotos A.

Interestingly, I tried out Sushi Loop based on the positive reviews from this site. From the outside, it looks very small and almost like a fast food joint. Anyway, my impression was wrong. I would compare Sushi Loop to Naniwa or a Sai Cafe. It’s a basic place w/ good competent sushi. I thought the service was extremely friendly and attentive and it’s very reasonably priced. I especially enjoyed my noodle dish.

If you’re looking for a casual Sushi place in the west loop, this is a good choice.
Nick S.

7. Sushi Wabi
4 star rating
Category: Sushi Bars
Neighborhood: Near West Side
842 W Randolph St
(between Green St & Peoria St)
Chicago, IL 60607
(312) 563-1224
www.sushiwabi.com
Reviews: The overall experience was very good. The staff is super polite and friendly. We had a variety plate of sushi which were very similar. We ordered the spicy tuna roll, fire roll, Philadelphia and a California roll. It was amazingly fresh. And to end the meal we had ice-cream balls. Yummy. Go try
andria o.

If you are going on a date or just want good sushi this place delivers. I was surprised when we arrived at how small the inside of Sushi Wabi is. I’ve heard from friends that it’s hard to get a table unless you have reservations and now I see why. The atmosphere is very comfortable and dimly lit. Of course the reason to go there is for the food which is amazing. The rolls are huge and delicious. I normally eat 2-3 rolls at a normal sushi restaurant but I only had 1 here and was full. After dinner I had the fried ice cream (ginger flavor) which was amazing. You also will love the waitstaff who where responsive and knowledgeable about everything on the menu including the wine.
Tom C.

8. Bob San Restaurant
4 star rating
Category: Sushi Bars
Neighborhood: Ukrainian Village
1805 W Division St
(between Honore St & Wood St)
Chicago, IL 60622
(773) 235-8888
www.bob-san.com/
Reviews: Bob San is one of my favorite sushi restaurants in Chicago. This Wicker Park sushi place has amazing sushi and is relatively inexpensive. The decor is simple yet trendy and the food is great. If you aren’t a sushi lover they have a full menu and the teriyaki steak is delicious. The service is good, the food is great, and I definitely recommend you try it!
elizabeth n.

Try harder people… I love sushi, if I had one food to pick on my last days on earth it would be sushi. It’s sad when a place doesn’t live up to your expectations. Maybe mine were too high. On Friday I was going to get a root canal, since that means no real food for days, I made plans to go to Bob San with a friend and have dinner. First, don’t order the tempura. It’s more like pop corn shrimp than what you would traditionally get. Second, the rice on the sushi wasn’t well made. That’s pretty important. Last, BAD SERVICE. Redeeming factors? None.
Tania D.

9. Coast Sushi Bar
4 star rating
Category: Sushi Bars
Neighborhood: Bucktown
2045 N Damen Avenue
(between Dickens Ave & Mclean Ave)
Chicago, IL 60647
(773) 235-5775
www.coastsushibar.com/
Reviews: ‘m a sushi newbie, and this is my new favorite sushi place- it has a huge variety of different kinds of sushi on the menu, including the amazing white dragon role. Definitely not cheap, but not that bad considering it’s sushi, which is usually pretty expensive. This is the perfect restaurant for a date or with a big group, and it is BYOB. Try to make a reservation if you want to go on the weekend, because it can be hard to get a table as a walk-in later in the evening.
Rose E.

So amazing and so happy I found Coast! The decor is fabulous and the food is to-die-for! The waitstaff was very nice and cordial. To the people who say that they don’t care for the snootiness, well then head out to the million other dives in Chicago and maybe you will fit in and be happier. Food and Service are great. I just wish they were not BYOB!
jenny d.

10. Mirai
4 star rating
Categories: Sushi Bars, Japanese
Neighborhood: Wicker Park
2020 W. Division Street
(between Damen Ave & Hoyne Ave)
Chicago, IL 60622
(773) 862-8500
www.miraisushi.com
Reviews: By far my favorite place for a romantic night out with gorgeous atmosphere.

Make sure you can get a table upstairs where it’s a more loungy atmosphere. My favorite is any of the sashimi plates, as well as the ceviche appetizers. Also, make sure to try some of the real tuna sashimi or nigiri, as this is one of the few places in town where you can get the real thing, and it’s by far the freshest and best tasting. Go ahead and splurge on the tuna sampler…it’s well worth it.
This is a great place for a date or a girlz nite out over some yummy drinks. ENJOY!
Julia F.

a good alternative if you want trendy atmosphere for a date or something. The quality is superb, and dishes have an interesting japanese twist.
Japanese sushi chefs, cant go wrong…
I would recommend the amai ebi, with the fried heads… they are delicious
Ben H.

11. Oysy Sushi
4 star rating
Categories: Sushi Bars, Japanese
Neighborhood: Near North Side
50 E Grand Ave.
Chicago, IL 60613
(312) 670-6750
Reviews: Great sushi, though the waitress got my order wrong on my second visit.

The Godzilla roll was unusual but good, and the eel roll excellent. The hot tea is yum yum for your tum tum.
chicagobiker -.

I love the atmosphere and I love the food. They have this one appetizer that consists of a lot of chopped up seafood on half of a big oyster shell and it’s cooked to perfection with a tangy sauce, then lit on fire when they bring it to the table, and you blow out the fire before digging in. It’s amazing. The rolls are pretty awesome too. I love the Miami roll. I’m originally from Miami, so I couldn’t resist, and it’s got cilantro. Mmmmm! If you’re not so keen on seafood, they also have a chicken roll. I think it’s called the Oregon Roll. I was never willing to order chicken at a sushi place, but my roommate who hates seafood did it and she loved it, as did I! Not bad.
Gloria E.

12. Kamehachi
4 star rating
Categories: Sushi Bars, Japanese
Neighborhoods: Near North Side, Old Town
1400 N Wells St
(between Burton Pl & Schiller St)
Chicago, IL 60610
(312) 664-3663
www.kamehachi.com
Reviews: If I came directly from the sushi mecca of San Francisco, then this place is about average. But coming from sushi-starved DC…this place was awesome. They say they are the place that introduced sushi to Chicago (and probably all of the Midwest for that matter). Sushi was well done, I ordered the kamahachi sushi platter #2 which came with a variety of sushi, and if you eat it in order you finish off with a nice sweet taste. Service was fantastic.
Mark D.

I’ve been here at least 30 times in the past two years of being in Chicago and it has NEVER disappointed. I love the variety of seating options (downstairs, downstairs sushi bar, heated garden, upstairs, upstairs booths, upstairs sushi bar, upstairs liquor bar . . .). I just found out recently that it’s the oldest sushi restaurant in Chicago too (open since 1967).
Mae W.