Love it and local! They are raved about with all the neighbors. Some nights are busier so once you learn the wait times with sushi orders it makes it easier. But that's with all places. They have fantastic bulgogi! We order a few rolls and either ramen or bulgogi bowl each time. read more

Delicious! The spicy ramen was a hearty portion and definitely spicy!! The soft shell crab salad was lovely in presentation and the batter was airy and yummy. Loved it! The sushi rolls were fresh and interesting. It was fairly crowded and the food came out in a timely manner. Looking forward to coming back! read more

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The food is good, but their hours are not very convenient for lunch. Dinner time is okay. A little pricey however.

Love this place! I'm not a sushi fan but the rest of the family is. They love how fresh the rolls are and they have awesome portions. I really like their chicken teriyaki bowl with fried rice, it's delicious! read more

It's alright for a quick bite but food doesn't have much flavor the rolls taste very plain. I love sushi always trying new places.

I love this spot!! My go-to sushi place! It has always come out correctly and I've liked everything I've tried on the menu ( though honestly I haven't tried too much, but a few different rolls.) ordered online and it was ready right when they said it would be! read more

The rumors were true, I think. Who would have guessed that you could find tasty, fresh and affordable Asian food in Hainesville? If you're in the area- just go and give them a try. Only downside I could see was that some of their decor looks like it came from Gurneez Pancake House. If you can get over that, you're golden. read more

Drive by every day. Decided to try this place. Food was just OK. Portion size was OK. Service was "iffy". But was floored by the high price, cost $40 for one person meal. Way overpriced. Will never go here again. read more

Fried rice 10/10. Especially the beef one. Also the sushi is good. But yeah fried rice is amazing

Horrible. Complete wreck of a place. Came for sushi, my partner got his meal first and I waited 30 minutes for sushi until I asked the very inattentive waitress and she said they were waiting for rice. She didn't think notifying her table was the considerate thing to do instead she ignored us. I asked for my check, removal of sushi from my bill and left. Although this is a sushi place I didn't get sushi that night! Most horrible sushi experience ever. Save your money and go to Kawa. The waitress was awful and she should get a new job. read more

This restaurant is located in Hainesville with not many other sushi options available around. But it is overpriced and rolls with mostly rice and they just keep falling apart. Spicy tuna is tastes salty, not spicy, terrible. Giant Godzilla is just twice the amount of rice to make the roll look bigger, for $18.99, this is crazy. And spicy mayo on the side is a $1 up charge. This place used to be pretty decent, but something must've changed in the ownership or I don't know. They must've lost a lot business and short cutting on everything. I don't even want to know what grade fish they're using. Definitely won't be back, rather drive to Libertyville or Vernon Hills for much better options. read more

I have been going here for about 5 years - awesome sushi - staff is so friendly and always fresh fish!

Was pretty good. Rolls and sashimi was fresh and tasty. Kids said the bento boxes were good and the service was friendly. Rolls that were good: Yummy Yummy, Super Crunch and the Kyle. Especially liked the Kyle as you could get better taste of the tuna. Yummy Yummy was a bit too wide a roll to say the least. I'll be back.given limited good quality choices in this area for sushi. Only large table seating was at the entry so was a bit cold and breezy. read more

Bento Cafe - Japanese Near Me - Hainesville, Illinois

Bulgogi Spicy Beef Ramen was excellent. Right amount of spice, I love spicy, and a huge portion. I'll have that again. Yum.

Great food and service. Love the bulgogi. My daughter loves this place. If it wasn't for the price, this would be a regular place. For now, it's a special occasion place. read more

I believe that the lady in the front is the owner. She's very sweet and welcoming everytime I've been there. I have yet to dine in. I've only done pick up orders. The rolls are tight and the rice in the nigiri is smaller than the fish. The flavors are also very delicious. Everything I have ordered is very fresh. Only reason for the 4 stars is the this place is quite overpriced. The food is good, but not good enough for the price that they set. Dinner for two on a take out order before tip has been on average $100. read more

Best sushi around, staff is really nice. They remember us and even what we e like to drink. The only negatives are it's small, they are always busy so service can be slow, but worth the wait. Do wish their sashimi pieces were a little bigger. read more

I love supporting this business! The food is always fresh and they are the nicest people. What I love the most is they remember you. A small thing that most businesses do not do anymore. read more

Best sushi and noodles in the area. Only place we go to in lake county. We are patrons weekly and don't suspect we will stop!

Great place for carry out always good, consistent and very friendly. Love their sushi Tempura and Bento boxes!

Bento Cafe is amazing! My family and I get take out from there often. We usually get chicken katsu/tonkatsu and assorted sushi. We've never been disappointed, the staff is always friendly and the food is always ready when they say it will be. read more

Went there based on Yelp reviews and we were not disappointed. Not very large and the hours are a little hard to go spare of the moment without checking to see if they are open. That said, we definitely will return. We ate the Knockout roll, Jalapeño Bomb, Red Dragon, edamame, salads and Shumai. Would order it all again but we are probably going to venture out and try new items next time. One last thing, it's not the easiest parking lot to exit making a right turn. If you don't catch the light you may be sitting a bit. read more

Great place, very welcoming. The only thing is their hours are a bit odd. They are closed from 2-5 I believe. But other than that great place would definitely go back again read more

Bento Cafe - Awesome shrimp teriyaki bento box - Japanese Near Me - Hainesville, Illinois

This bento/sushi joint was formerly Atrium Cafe until mid-July, 2008, when it became Bento Cafe. This is a surprisingly good addition to the area's somewhat meager selection of restaurants. While many trappings of its former incarnation, a sandwich shop, remain, they've done a good job of converting the place to a sit-down Japanese restaurant. A sushi bar has been added, and they make a small selection of bento meals from the tiny kitchen, including bul kogi (Korean BBQ beef), chicken and pork katsu, ramen, and udon. This evening, I had a nice selection of sushi while my partner had the pork katsu curry ($10.95). The miso soup to start was average - not good, not bad - followed by the standard iceberg lettuce salad with a slightly sweet sesame dressing. My partner's curry, served over white rice, was quite tasty. I ordered three sushi rolls: the spider roll (made with tempura fried crab leg, $10.95 for six pieces), the Boston roll (similar to a California roll but with tempura fried shrimp, $5.95 for six pieces), and the green turtle roll (a roll with eel and avocado, topped with shrimp, $8.50 for four pieces). Of the three, only the Boston roll was so-so - a little bland. The green turtle was very tasty, even if the avocados were underripe. And the spider roll was excellent. I do adore some sake with my sushi, but they don't (yet?) have a liquor license, so we made do with a Pepsi and some slightly-weak green tea. They also serve various espresso drinks and smoothies. All in all this was a pleasant experience and we'll definitely be going back. And I have to admit, I'm tickled to have a decent sushi joint three minutes away! read more

I've been to a LOT of sushi places around the country, and really do know my sushi pretty well. I have a couple of faves in the chi area, but I was up north meeting a friend so I Yelped this place and thought I'd give it a try. I gotta say, this place was just OK. No liquor license; first strike. Sushi was not the freshest, and Nigiri slices were a bit on the slim size. I had Tako, Maguro, Toro, and Shiro-Maguro. The Maguro, although it seemed to be the best cut was kind of bland tasting. They have quite a wide selection of Maki rolls. The Godzilla roll was pretty good, and the Rainbow roll was also ok. Generally, the food just didn't have a lot of flavor, it was OK, just not awesome. Considering the scarcity of sushi restaurants in that area, I suppose it's not a bad place to go. If I lived up there, I'd definitely drive the extra few minutes down to Tsukasa in Vernon Hills. read more

Great atmosphere and even better food! I definitely didn't expect to get such a great experience with this place, but I was pleasantly surprised! The space is very comfortable and relaxing, while the staff is personable and friendly. My party and I (3 people total) ordered about 4 rolls that were all made with fresh ingredients with tons of flavor. The service was quick from being seated, to getting our food and then receiving the check (which was reasonable). I will definitely be coming back and will recommend this place to all our neighbors and friends! read more

The Spicy Ramen soup is absolutely one if the best things I ever ate in my life. Bento has a nice variety spicy sushi rolls which I like. Friendly and warm place located in an area that does not have too many places to go to eat out. So it very much a go to place for me. read more

Bento Cafe - Spicy Ramen with Beef - Japanese Near Me - Hainesville, Illinois

To be fair, it's the best in the area - and by area I mean Round Lake, Grayslake. But that's not saying much - there aren't many options in said area. I used to go a lot, because it's close and not too shabby. But I've become more of a sushi snob - hey it's not a cheap meal, so I might as well buy quality, right? and haven't been in a while. They have an exquisite and simple soup - Spicy Ramen bulgogi. Other recommendations on the menu: - Spicy Shrimp Roll: tasty, with a good (not overpowering) amount of heat - Spicy kyle: Spicy and sweet - more heat than a traditional spicy tuna thanks to some spicy mayo drizzled. - Cucumber Salad: raspberry vinegar and toasted sesame seeds And things I'd avoid... - Unagi nigiri - sauce is just off. Ok for a roll but not for simple nigiri because it becomes a distraction. - Spicy Tuna w/Avocado: meh, not spicy, needed wasabi/soy . read more

Stopped by this past weekend on my way home and picked up a bunch of rolls. Boy did it hit the spot. Services is friendly and polite. Prices are what you'd expect for Sushi and I can live with that. Two Thumbs Up!!!!!!! read more

Of the four sushi places I have been to in the area, this is my favorite sushi joint. We enjoyed the Super Crunch roll, the King roll, and the Kyle roll. The crowd favorite was the spicey Ramen, hands down. Pricing is pretty average and the customer service is fantastic. We'll definitely be back many more times. It would be nice if they had a website for online orders. read more

Delicious sushi! We love calling ahead and picking up sushi at Bento. Today, when we went in to pick up, we noticed the beautiful remodeling they've done! The inside looks great & next time, we will eat there instead of picking up. The lady behind the counter is always so nice and smiley! Great service & delicious sushi, fried rice, & miso soup in Hainesville! read more

Best sushi in the area! Always fresh, staff is kind, restaurant very clean. Lots of sushi choices.

We love this place. We moved here from California where we had a lot of great sushi options. This is the only restaurant that we have found so far that has the quality & variety that we are seeking. They have a good selection of raw & cooked sushi. The service is great. The waitress is always very friendly & carries on just the right amount of conversation with you. They do a great job accommodating our toddler with special kiddie plates. Our toddler LOVES their teriyaki salmon bento box... and there is always enough leftover for her to have some more for lunch the next day. It is a small place, but I love the ambiance. It feels cozy, not cramped. Oh & in case you are on your own, "the" game is on OR your date is excruciatingly boring, just face the back of the restaurant & watch some TV. ;) read more

I love this place. I lived in Chicago and the area my whole life so I've been to a lot of sushi places and I can honestly say that this one is one of the best I've ever visited. I found the sushi at Bento Café to be very fresh and prepared very carefully. The owners and/or management are always so nice. Whenever I come in to get a 'to-go', they always bring me tea and let me have a seat in the dining room while I wait. Last time they brought me a free hot appetizer as it was rainy and cold outside. Service, awesome prices (great bargain for what you get - my usual 'to-go' bill (example: 1 California roll, 1 Philly roll, 2 tomago, miso soup and chicken teriyaki = about $20). I go out of my way to come here. read more

I've been coming here fairly often for lunch over the last couple years because its close to work. So far I've been very impressed. As others have mentioned, it's in a mini-strip mall and you could easily drive right by. And they always have the most "interesting" music playing... But the staff is super friendly, the prices are pretty affordable for sushi and, personally, I think the quality is excellent. Puts most of the sushi places I have been to in the city to shame, actually. They recently expanded their selection of lunch specials to include some bigger specials, designed for multiple people to share (6 rolls for around $30, plus everyone gets a miso soup). Perfect for 3 people - and if you have more than 3, order it anyway and add a couple rolls a la carte. They also have a selection of non-sushi Japanese dishes (Teriyaki chicken, etc.) which is a nice option for the times when you're not quite in the mood for sushi or if someone in your group is not a fan. read more

Ordered the Una Don. Food was great except one problem. Last piece of eel has bone. Be careful ordering this dish.

Hard to believe you can get sushi this good in a strip mall in a "don't blink or you will miss it' sized town. I drove by here at least a half-dozen times before I finally stopped and I was glad that I did. Very friendly staff and fast service. I recommend the Crunchy Shrimp Roll, but in all honesty, I have never had anything I have not liked here. read more

I'll start by saying that I LOVE sushi. I have been to some *very* exclusive sushi restaurants, including Japonais in Chicago. Check it out here: http://www.japonaischicago.com/main.html Anyway, Bento is NOT Japonais. It is, however, *delicious* sushi. If you *have* to have a drink with your lunch or dinner, you have a problem. I don't need a drink with every meal, so the fact that they don't have a liquor license doesn't bother me at all. The sushi is always very fresh. Seaweed salad is very good. We love the spicy tuna and Godzilla Rolls. Everything has always been very good. I've been eating here since they opened, both for lunch and dinner/carry-out. If you're looking for a super-fancy, exclusive dining experience, you will not like Bento. If you are looking for excellent food for an excellent price, in an area that doesn't have a lot of sushi joints, this is the restaurant for you. It's not snobby, and doesn't put on airs, but it's a darn fine place to eat. read more

My friend and her husband frequent this place for lunch all the time since they live in the neighborhood, so when she suggested sushi as an option when she picked me up from Metra, I gave two thumbs up, because you just can't go wrong. This place is so cute. It is located in a strip mall with 3 businesses (can that really be considered a strip mall)? They have seating inside, but we chose to get our food to go. There were so many choices. My brain was pondering and my mouth was watering. We decided to get the Philly roll, California roll, Spicy Dragon and a Bento box of Teriyaki Chicken and Teriyaki Shrimp. What can I say, we were hungry and there were 4 of us! Here, you don't have to worry about if the fish is fresh or not for they make it right there in front of you. Not literally, of course, but you can stare at them as they roll your roll...but don't slow their roll.... I can not wait to go back!!! read more

This place is in the corner of a small strip mall and can easily be overlooked. I am glad however that I did notice this place and marked it as a place to try for the results were positive. Upon entry and as expected, the place is small and nicely decorated where the decor alone welcomes you. The sushi bar is adequately sized with comfortable chairs. There are approximately 10 or so tables so I'm thinking this place probably fills up quickly during the typical meal times. (I'm wondering if this place is full, will the limited parking lot accommodate well enough?) For today, I kept the order to just sushi roles and got the Tempura Shrimp, Philly and Godzilla. The fish was fresh, and the rice cooked well. The Godzilla role was not packed good enough and several pieces did fall apart. The service was quick, pleasant and was able to address a few questions raised with confidence. Definitely a place I'll be checking back into. read more