A quick guide to Chicago's best sushi spots
*Sorted by our top spots
*Fish sourcing (scored from 1-7 judging freshness, source, and selection)
*List excludes omakase-only restaurants
JINSEI MOTTO
West Loop | $$$$
Our favorite non-omakase spot in all of Chicago. Run, don't walk!
Fish Sourcing : 7
Best For : Any time. Great upbeat, bar vibes
Must Order : Any of the settos and HANDROLLS
JUNO
Lincoln Park | $$$$$
As one of our favorite restaurants, Juno is one of our top recommended spots. With amazing nigiri and small bites, it is perfect for any occasion (as long as everyone is willing to try raw treats).
Fish Sourcing : 7
Best For : Every occasion
Must Order : 9-piece nigiri chef selection, smoked Hamachi, and the Juno King and Queen
West Loop | $$$$$
Chicago’s gold standard for sushi. Momotaro has acquired a reputation for being overrated, but we strongly disagree. If you can find the cash, it is money well spent on gourmet nigiri.
Fish Sourcing : 6
Best For : Special occasions
Must Order : Smoked Aji and chef selection nigiri pieces a la cart (we love the Scallop Uni)
NOBU
Wet Loop| $$$$$
A true classic. While there are many great sushi places unique to Chicago, Nobu is as tried and true as they come.
Fish Sourcing : 6
Best For : Looking and feeling bougie.
Must Order : Any of their tiraditos, miso black cod, hearts of palm salad.
River North | $$$$$
While Roka Akor is one of our all-time favorites in Scottsdale, AZ, compared to other Chicago spots, Roka seems to fall behind. However, their food is still delicious, and if you have the money, we still recommend it.
Fish Sourcing : 4.5
Best For : Lunch
Must Order : Lunch bento box specials and Butterfish Tataki apetizer
YELLOWTAIL
Lakeview | $$
A wonderful Lakeview spot for a casual sushi dinner or date night.
Fish Sourcing : 4
Best For : Weeknight dinner, BYOB
Must Order : Ichiban Maki roll
SUSHI SAN
River North | $$$$
As a Lettuce Entertain You affiliated restaurant, Sushi San is a great pick. Be aware that fish selection and quality can differ depending on the night, so in our opinion, it can be a gamble. We have had some AMAZING nights as well as one or two off-nights. When dining omakase, amazing cuts and quality are offered. Ask to be seated with Chef Brandon for some amazing noms.
Fish Sourcing : 4-5
Best For : After work dinner
Must Order : A-la cart nigiri (we love the salmon, kanpachi, and shima aji here)
River North | $$$$$
Sunda is another luxury Chicago sushi staple, and for good reason. It has something for everyone. Come with a large group so you can get a bunch of things to share and enjoy.
Fish Sourcing : 5
Best For : Large group dinners
Must Order : Crunchy garlic hamachi
KAI SUSHI LAKEVIEW
Lakeview West | $$$
We love finding great hole-in-the wall sushi joints, and Kai certainly fit the bill. Loved by locals, Kai offers an AMAZING selection of creatively topped nigiri (our favorite), as well as a pretty unbeatable sushi lunch special.
Fish Sourcing : 4
Best For : Weekend lunch, weeknight dinner, BYOB
Must Order : Chef Choice Nigiri (ask for special toppings)
NORI AND WASABI
Lakeview | $
One of our favorite Chicago sushi finds. The fish is so fresh for such amazing low prices. The owner moved from California and opened the restaurant as a testament to the family’s love of food and sushi. Make sure to say hi and start up a conversation; all employees are super friendly.
Fish Sourcing : 4
Best For : Quick and casual bite to eat
Must Order : Anything you order will be great
UKAI
Lakeview | $$
Ukai is another great spot for a quick neighborhood bite to eat. The freshness of the fish blew us away fro how affordable the prices were.
Fish Sourcing : 4
Best For : Quick and casual, cheap date night or lunch
Must Order : Scallop handroll
SUSHI DOKKU
West Loop | $$$$
Sushi Dokku has an amazing atmosphere and some pretty good sushi. It is a safe choice for many types of occasions.
Fish Sourcing : 4
Best For : Date night or pre-night out
Must Order : Tuna Truffle and Salmon nigiri
KAMEHACHI
Old Town | $$$$
Great atmosphere and good if you are going out around the area.
Fish Sourcing : 2
Best For : Pre-night out
Must Order : Rolls
MACKU
Lincoln Park | $$$$
Macku is great for an intimate, quite date night. The fish is good and the creations are unique.
Fish Sourcing : 5
Best For : Date night
Must Order : The enoki and truffle topped salmon nigiri
HUB 51
River North | $$$$
Our favorite happy hour spot. Half-priced sushi from 4-6. What’s not to love? The rolls are great and refreshing and their drinks are pretty good as well.
Fish Sourcing : 2
Best For : Happy hour
Must Order : Tuna and Thai Basil Roll
SAI CAFE
Lincoln Park | $$$$
Located steps from the Armitage stop, Sai is a great neighborhood spot for a quick bite. We highly suggest trying it out if you are in the neighborhood.
Fish Sourcing : 3
Best For : After-work snack
Must Order : Salmon on fire roll
ARA ON
Loop | $$$
It is hard to find sushi in the loop. It is even harder to find good sushi in the loop. Ara On is the closest we have gotten. We love to stop in after work, on the way to the train, for a quick bite at the sushi counter. Ambiance is dark and fancy, but prices are reasonable.
Fish Sourcing : 3
Best For : After-work snack
Must Order : A-la-cart nigiri
HOT WOKS COOK SUSHI
Loop | $$
Our go-to for a quick work-lunch sushi craving. Don’t let the crowd scare you, they will have you in and out before your lunch break is over.
Fish Sourcing : 2
Best For : Quick sit-down work lunch
Must Order : Spicy Shrimp roll
HOT WOKS COOK SUSHI
Loop | $$
Our go-to for a quick work-lunch sushi craving. Don’t let the crowd scare you, they will have you in and out before your lunch break is over.
Fish Sourcing : 2
Best For : Quick sit-down work lunch
Must Order : Spicy Shrimp roll
UNION SUSHI AND BARBEQUE
River North | $$$
A great fun spot for a small group diner during happy hour.
Fish Sourcing : 3
Best For : Happy hour, dinner with friends, casual date night
Must Order : Tuna tower during happy hour
SUSHI MON
Lincoln Park | $$
A great BYOB spot. Sushi mon has a lot of fun rolls for a great price.
Fish Sourcing : 2
Best For : BYOB, cheap date night
Must Order : Any of their rolls
NORI
Lincoln Park/Lakeview | $$
We love Nori for a quick neighborhood bite to eat. The food is great but we wouldn’t recommend going out of your way for Nori either.
Fish Sourcing : 3
Best For : Quick and casual, cheap date night
Must Order : Mexican roll and the benitoro nigiri
Have suggestions for us? DM us at @Chitown_sushi
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