From Mexican restaurants to Indian restaurants, Chicago is sprawled with delicious cuisine. However, it doesn’t stop there—have we mentioned Chicago also has amazing sushi?
it’s a misconception that the best sushi can only be found in states boarding the ocean. Even hundreds of miles from the coasts, Chicago offers some of the most delectable and freshest sushi bites in restaurants around the city. Whether you are longing for an inexpensive nigiri roll or planning an elegant, memorable omakase fine-dining meal (in a hotel room, we might add), there are numerous options crafted by talented chefs to wow your taste buds. Whatever style you want to indulge in, this is a complete guide to the best sushi in Chicago.
1. Lawrence Fish Market, Albany Park
Lawrence Fish Market is a takeout-only spot in Albany Park but has terrific sushi at incredibly reasonable prices. The market has been around for over 40 years and offers a wide range of sushi options from $1 and up. With many of the recommendations on this list being somewhat extravagant, we will start with the most affordable.
Single sushi and sashimi options here cost anywhere from $1-$3 apiece. While the cheapest maki tray costs $23 and includes five rolls and 31 pieces, the $300 86-piece sushi tray for 7-12 people is the most expensive option on the menu. A sushi and maki tray is one of the best bets, with 16 pieces of nigiri, a California roll, and a spicy tuna roll costing just $25.
📍Address: 3920 W Lawrence Ave, Chicago, IL 60625
🍽️ Service options: Dine-in · Takeout · No delivery
📲Reservation: Secure a spot at Lawrence Fish Market here
2. Tanoshii, Andersonville
Many of you may already be familiar with Sushi Mike. If you’re not, the message on Tanoshii’s website, “the official site of legendary Chicago sushi chef Mike Ham, better known as Sushi Mike,” will quickly give you something of an idea.
The Andersonville restaurant is large but relaxed, with a wide-ranging menu, fantastic service, and first-class sushi. Single pieces of nigiri and sashimi are $3-$8 here, while various sushi combo selections cost $35 for ten pieces. You’ll want to name your price, describe your likes and dislikes, and allow Sushi Mike to work magic.
📍Address: 5547 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60640
🍽️ Service options: Dine-in · Takeout · Delivery
📲Reservation: Secure a spot at Tanoshii here
3. Juno Sushi, Lincoln Park
Lincoln Park’s Juno has been accoladed as one of the best Chicago sushi spots on more than one occasion. Renowned sushi chef B.K. Park is one of the most prolific sushi chefs, providing expertly-created sushi at primarily reasonable prices at Juno. The food is creatively plated and beautifully put together—sleek, scrumptious, and stunning. Perfect for a date night, the nigiri and sashimi options here are predominantly $5 or $6, while Chef’s selection of sashimi is 16 pieces for $56, and the nigiri is nine pieces for $42.
📍Address: 2638 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago, IL 60614
🍽️ Service options: Dine-in · Curbside pickup · No delivery
📲Reservation: Secure a spot at Juno Sushi Chicago here
4. Mako, West Loop
Of course, we don’t like to repeat restaurants with the same owner, but we now must mention Chef B.K. Park’s latest Chicago-based passion project—Mako Here, B.K. Park’s sushi magic earned him Michelin Star status just six months after opening.
The extensive omakase menu here is $175 ahead for 15 courses and an optional beverage pairing for a further $95, but if you’re serious about sushi, you certainly won’t be disappointed. The tiny West Loop restaurant seats 22 in total, with bar space for 12 and a dining room that can fit 10. You’ll spend three hours sampling some of the finest sushi you’ll ever experience in a nature-driven interior setup.
📍Address: 731 W Lake St, Chicago, IL 60661
🍽️ Service options: Dine-in · Curbside pickup · No delivery
📲Reservation: Secure a spot at Mako here
5. Momotaro, West Loop
Momotaro prides itself on “tightly executed cuisine and highly personal service” to provide one of Chicago’s best mixes of traditional and contemporary Japanese dining experiences.
Chef Gene Kato is the mastermind behind this upscale Japanese restaurant in the vibrant Fulton Market District. Though there is far more than just sushi at Momotaro, an entire menu page is devoted to various exquisite nigiri, sashimi, and makimono options. Most of the nigiri and sashimi options cost $6 or $7, while more extensive options like the Chef’s Seasonal Nigiri Selection and the Chef’s Seasonal Sashimi Selection cost $70 and $80, respectively.
📍Address: 820 W Lake St, Chicago, IL 60607
🍽️ Service options: Dine-in · Curbside pickup · Delivery
📲Reservation: Secure a spot at Momotaro here
6. Kai Zan, Ukrainian Village
This hidden gem in Ukrainian Village has been consistently placed in the Chicago Michelin guide over the last decade, earning the Michelin Bib Gourmand staple for exceptional food at moderate prices. The brainchild of twin brothers Melvin & Carlo Vizconde, the Kai Zan menu offers opportunities to pick out a few different things or branch out away from sushi altogether.
For $85, Chefs Melvin and Carlo will spoil you with various flavors and innovative creations. You’ll find few places with such an exceptional and generous omakase experience at this price. There is also an assortment of five pieces of delicious and thoughtfully created vegetarian nigiri for just $15, eight pieces of flaming tuna maki for $17, or eight pieces of Green Monster Maki for $19.
📍Address: 2557 W Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL 60622
🍽️ Service options: Dine-in · Takeout · No delivery
📲Reservation: Secure a spot at Kai Zan here
7. Sushi-San, River North
River North’s Sushi-San reflects a laid-back yet elegant dining experience; however, the sushi is up there with any other you’ll find in Chicago. It’s the san-sets you’ll want to try out here—they rely on daily deliveries, making it some of the freshest fish and seafood available. San-sets range from $17 for the edomae vegetable, consisting of four nigiri, two gunkan, and eight maki, to the $105 megatron, composed of 12 nigiri, 12 sashimi, and two rolls. They also have one of the best happy hours in Chicago if you love sushi.
📍Address: 63 W Grand Ave, Chicago, IL 60654
🍽️ Service options: Dine-in · Curbside pickup · No-contact delivery
📲Reservation: Secure a spot at Sushi-San here
8. Omakase Yume, West Loop
Chef Sangtae Park is the veteran sushi artist behind the intimate Omakase Yume. Moving to Chicago from his native coastal hometown of Busan, South Korea, Chef Sangtae spent years at various highly-rated Japanese restaurants in the area before opening his dream omakase-focused sushi restaurant in the West Loop called Omakase Yume (yume translates to “dream”).
This omakase adventure offers an exceptionally Chicago sushi experience with the chef’s unique dining choices, with the contents changing regularly based on Chef Sangtae Park’s whims. And at Omakase Yume, Santae Park will never fail to impress you. A $185 16-course menu includes appetizers, daily sushi prepared by the chef, and dessert emphasizing quality and the best product. This is an omakase-only restaurant; only 16 guests are served each evening. If you want to experience it, you must reserve it in advance.
📍Address: 651 W Washington Blvd Suite #101, Chicago, IL 60661
🍽️ Service options: Dine-in · Takeout · Delivery
📲Reservation: Secure a spot at Omakase Yume here
9. Sushi Suite 202, Old Town Triangle
🍽️ Service options: Dine-in · No delivery
📲Reservation: Secure a spot at Sushi Suite 202 here
10. Kyōten, Logan Square
Logan Square’s Kyōten is a reservation-only private omakase experience. At an intimate eight-seat sushi counter, Chef Otto creates and explains over 20 dishes made from some of the world’s greatest ingredients from Japan and beyond. The total menu price is $440 per person on Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday, but $490 per person on Fridays and Saturdays.
🍽️ Service options: Dine-in · Takeout
📲Reservation: Secure a spot at Kyōten here
11. Planta Queen, River North
You might be wondering why we have a plant-based restaurant on the best sushi list in Chicago. Well, PLANTA Queen serves some of the best sushi in Chicago—and it’s all vegan. They have an expansive, vegan menu, but it’s the sushi that stands out. From the Unagi Eggplant Nigiri and Ahi Watermelon Nigiri to a Dragon Roll and Spicy Tuna Roll, you’ll forget there isn’t any fish.
🍽️ Service options: Dine-in · Takeout · Delivery
📲Reservation: Secure a spot at Planta Queen here
12. Sushi by Bou, West Loop
Located inside The Emily Hotel, Sushi By brings a 90s flair to the hotel with graffiti-decorated walls, a hip-hop-inspired playlist, and murals of Chicago’s hip-hop legends! The 10-seat counter and 10-seat lounge are ideal for enjoying craft cocktails, great music, and Sushi By Bou’s signature timed Omakase experience.
📍Address: 311 N. Morgan St, Chicago, IL 60607
🍽️ Service options: Dine-in·No takeout·No delivery
📲Reservation: Secure a spot at Sushi By Bou here