The sushi was great here. I got the king roll and Mexican roll. The king roll is just wow. They put so many toppings like fried garlic pieces and crunchy tempura batter. The Mexican roll was fine. Probably didn't need as much lime as I put on it, but it was still good. The hand roll tasted fresh. I came during happy hour so drinks were $5/each. It was empty when we went inside but it's a nice spot. There's TVs and music playing. Service was pretty fast. I'd probably come back to try the other menu items. read more

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We stumbled upon this place on cinco de mayo for their $5 marg specials. The margaritas were tiny and tasted like orange juice though. I got the house salad to start, which was fresh and a good size. I also got the salmon on fire roll and red lake roll, which were both big and tasty. Not the freshest sushi in my opinion but got the job done! My brother also got the chicken teriyaki, which was tasty too and a big portion. The spicy salmon maki was also big and a good bang for your buck. Overall there were some kinks (service was quick but had to be flagged down, they didn't know which table the orders were going to, no low sodium soy sauce). However the portions were big. The specialty rolls were a bit expensive, but everything was tasty for a non-Asian owned sushi restaurant. read more

Golden Gai - RED LAKE ROLL and SALMON ON FIRE - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Ya'll do NOT come for me. I've been on the struggle bus and have been slacking so hard. I know . I'm sorry. TMI but who cares because we're all adults, I ended my 5 year relationship and things have just been very mid for me. However, I'm back with my game face on lol! If you follow me you know this place is about a 5 minute walk from my front door (lucky me) It was almost 7:00 pm and the place was fairly empty. I was greeted by Gabriela who is only the sweetest, prettiest and kind person I've met this year! I opted to sit at the bar because it was just a party of one . I ordered the Hino Hibiscus which is reposado tequila, hibiscus tea,honey lemon and elderflower. The color of this drink is absolutely beautiful and it was tasty as well. You guys know how I feel about my beverages lol. Not overly sweet and not too alcohol forward. For my appetizer I ordered the edamame for my appetizer because they're my favorite . You have a salted or spicy option and I chose spicy (like me) for my entree I had the Red Lake Roll, yes again because it's delicious and the Crispy Munchie Roll. The Red Lake Roll is hamachi, salmon, red tuna, avocado,cucumber, green onion, red masago,siracha,habanero with a thin slice of lemon. Let me tell you, that lemon sets it off to another level omgaaaah! The texture of the fish with the crunchiness of the veg is absolutely incredible. The Crispy Munchie Roll consists of deep fried crab meat, spicy tuna, avocado, crispy tempura flakes, sweet& sour sauce, garlic mayo sauce and unagi sauce. I feel like I've had this before as well but it's honestly so so good! I really enjoyed my meal and it was so nice to just sit and eat in peace. Gabriela was a doll and continued to check on me throughout and provided wonderful and welcome conversation. I sat for maybe and hour as a half and took it all in. The music selection was also a solid 10/10. I ended my meal with another drink (the Harajuku Buzz) its gin, sake, Japanese melon, lemon with a Prosecco float. It was my first time having this and even though the flavors were delicate, they came through very strong! So so good! I feel especially blessed to live in a place that has such wonderful food options within walking distance and Golden Gai never disappoints! My total came to 75.25 and 105.25 after tip. Thanks for a wonderful and BEAUTIFUL meal! I'll see you guys real soon! Oh, I did not take pic of my second drink but it was also just as pretty lol read more

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Okay so I'm no sushi snob but how do you mess up a California roll...it's like the cucumber wasn't the right kind, like it was extra crunchy and it overpowered the crab and avocado completely. Our waitress, who was also the bartender, didn't follow up when we wanted to order more rolls, thank goodness we didn't do the all you can eat with multiple rounds. But I understand as she was also the hostess and there was no one else helping. Then I've never been to a place that doesn't give wasabi & ginger with every sushi order - why??? I mean the ginger is to clear the palette so is kinda necessary...but what do I know ‍ read more

My boyfriend and I were looking for an all you can eat Sushi place and I can honestly say I love it. The server was super attentive and friendly, even when it got busy she never forgot about us. I love the vibe there, it's super chill. The food was on point and fresh, the drinks are a bit expensive so I'd advise to drink before going if you would. The all you can eat for $32 but you pay for left overs which isn't so bad. 10/10 We have came back twice now! This is our new Sushi spot in Chicago read more

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I'm with the most recent reviewer, NBT E.. This restaurant is fantastic! I don't understand their complaints. The food was fresh, tasty, and beautifully presented. I wish I had thought to take a picture as the rolls were colorful and bright! Brandon (Brendan?) was our server. He was super cool, knowledgeable about the menu, and provided excellent recommendations. The entire space, especially the rest rooms, was spotlessly clean. The space itself had awesome urban pictures, flowed nicely, and choices of seating, eg high-tops, low tops, bar, chef-side. Each low side table had a "stand" you could hang your purse, jacket etc on. Thoughtful decorations like these told me how welcome I was. I have nothing but the highest recommendations for Golden Gai. Already looking forward to our next trip back! :-) Ignore the naysayers & try it yourself! read more

Each roll was about $18 starting. They were both quality and tasty! The Star Boy, with seaweed salad, fried shrimp, fresh salmon, and tempura chips, was a perfect, and unexpected combination. It was the best sushi delivery I've had! And just look at the picture of the roll on the left, it's STACKED!! read more

Golden Gai - STAR BOY ROLL, MARY'S ROLL, HAMACHI HAND ROLL - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This place is amazing. I ordered teriyaki chicken, tempura , dragon roll and Miso soup. Everything was exquisitely made and delicious. I would definitely recommend this place. read more

Way too much rice in the sushi! It was also really dry! They have a fee for any rice leftover so that's how they get you! I got a tummy ache afterwards until the next day. Although, I would say the chicken karaage was good. Service was good and ambiance inside was pretty (they played good music 2000's r&b/hip hop). Overall it was a one and done! read more

When everyplace else had a line out the door we were able to get a quick bite to eat before a show. Decent food. Inexpensive. Very nice staff. read more

Looooved the atmosphere, $5 margs were great and we had a few apps which were delicious. Service was great, Gaby was super friendly and helpful! read more

Not a place to go for drinks. We walked in and the vibe seemed great but immediately upon entering that went south really quick. We did not come to eat but rather walked in for some drinks as they had a sign outside advertising margaritas. We went sit at the bar and the bartender asked if we were going to have drinks to which we said we were. She then annoyingly told us we could go sit at a table but we turned it down because we just wanted drinks. She seemed irritated and very inexperienced. She had to keep reading the menu to make drinks, which is fine, but they all tasted lackluster and off. My mother in laws martini was only filled half way and when we asked about it she said it was a full drink! We had one drink each and left. I can't comment for the food as we didn't eat and the vibe seemed cool but I can't recommend anyone to walk in and just have drinks. read more

Went to support a local business, was a bit disappointed. They were originally AYCE, but noticed on their social media that they were only going A La Carte for dine-in. Server told us they were restructuring, so still decided to give it a try. Overall, really pricey for what you're getting. Appetizers were probably the best part (edamame + takoyaki). Rice for rolls tasted dry and not seasoned with enough vinegar. Also for $18-$20 rolls, the portion of fish is very small. I was super surprised, but still finished anyway because we were one of 3 tables for two hours. During that time, 2 tables came in and left. Hopefully this place does better, but don't think I'll be returning based on food quality alone. read more

I was honestly a little hesitant to try the place given some of the poor reviews from when they first opened, but we live in the neighborhood and try to support local businesses as much as we can, so we decided to give it a try. I think it's safe to say that they've worked the kinks out because we had a really great meal here and will definitely be making a return trip. First, the interior is really nice. Clean and modern with plenty of seating and some cool artwork on the walls. Overall it felt very comfortable and welcoming. We got a seat right by the window and service was friendly and quick. We drank our fair share of their $5 margs (such a good deal) which were tasty, well made and not what you'd expect from such an inexpensive drink. I hope they keep this special going as it's one of the best drink specials I've seen at a restaurant in recent memory. We ordered the spicy edamame to start and it was delicious and very spicy. We then did 4 different specialty rolls - we had the Golden Fuji, Tuna on Fire, Kiss of a Rose, and the Crispy Munchie - and while it was more food than 2 people needed, we ate every last bit of it. Each one was flavorful, fresh and topped with some really tasty sauces. I hope this place sticks around as it seems like they've turned things around and are a really nice addition to 18th street. We'll be back for sure! read more

Great meal. You get a choice of traditional sushi or sushi with a fresh veggies (Mexican) twist. Everything was super fresh. I noticed some people complaining about the margaritas. Personally I like the small $5 margaritas. It allows me to switch to something else without committing to a $15 highball glass all at once. Makes the meal more enjoyable. read more

First time to try this AYCE Sushi Resto in Pilsen neighborhood. It's not too far from where we live so we'll definitely keep on coming back. The rolls were fresh and had so many flavors and textures complimenting each other. We also loved that our tempura appetizer was authentic and did not have panko breading which we hate in other sushi places. Our signature drink which was Hibiscus Daisy is a fruitful and bubbly libation. Did not know that the name of the restaurant is a real place in Shinjuku, Japan. So nice to know a little bit about it from the manager himself. Thank you also to Marcus (our server) who graciously accommodated my spicy food allergies. Customer service at Golden Gai is truly exemplary! read more

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Great rolls. Staff is very chill and accommodating. One of my go to places for sushi.

I have no idea who the folks are who have left low reviews. This place is awesome and the prices are reasonable. The food is excellent. Way better than Trader Joe's (as someone mentioned). I am utterly disappointed of my fellow Pilsenians for being so unnecessarily harsh on a local business. I have been here at least three times and each time the services has been excellent and the food has been excellent. What else is there to want? Give this place a try. I have zero affiliation with the owner. read more

This sushi is really bad and overpriced. I'm by no means a sushi snob, but I've had better sushi from Trader Joe's. It was $50 for three rolls that were very small. Pretty disappointing read more

Nice to have this gem in Pilsen!! Sushi was unique and we love the atmosphere! Very nice date night spot. Service was great, the server was very friendly and made sure we were doing okay. read more

Why did they start out as All You Can Eat then change to A la Carte? Did they try and cater to the Pilsen neighborhood by bringing in a crowd then completely changing the dynamic on them? Overpriced, don't think this place will last. read more

I'm normally not the type to leave reviews but I have to warn others of this place. Too many things on the menu are covered with mayonnaise. The maki rolls are small with a bad rice to fish ratio. The yuzu salad was good and the calamari was cooked well. Overall though, a less than stellar sushi dining experience. In my opinion, the menu in general came off a bit whitewashed. read more

Decided to give this place a try as we live not too far. My friend and I decided to do AYCE. It was a good deal for the amount of food we got and the fish to rice ratio was decent unlike other AYCE places. Unfortunately things weren't up to our standards. My friend found a fish bone in her sushi and quickly notified our server to warn the chefs. A couple of the rolls were pretty good but nothing special. Now the appetizers were complete trash. The gyoza was soggy and had cheese??? The flavor combination was not it. Agedashi tofu was mediocre and was on the sweeter side. Takoyaki was also soggy and not authentic tasting. Don't think we'll be returning. :/ read more