Kobe Revolving Sushi in Bloomington is the first kaiten sushi spot to hit the Bloomington-Normal market, opened by the same people behind Kobe Japanese Steakhouse across the street. Conveyor belt winding through the dining room, flat $3.50 a plate, robot cars ferrying tablet orders to your table. Fun concept on paper. I wanted to like it. The belt was the first problem. On my visit, a good chunk of what rolled past wasn't sushi at all, it was donuts and cookies. The actual sushi selection on the belt was sparse, and none of what was left looked worth grabbing. I ordered off the tablet instead. What came back had some of the worst rice I've had under the label "sushi." Cold, hard, packed so dense it barely functioned as rice, more like a rice puck than anything meant to sit under fish. One bite told me everything. I didn't order a second plate. I also grabbed a cucumber salad off the belt. It had clearly been out there a while, the cucumbers had gone soft and the dressing had separated at the bottom of the dish. I'd been to Kura in Chicago the week before, so the comparison was fresh and not kind to Kobe. Kura keeps the belt stocked with real sushi, cycles it before it sits too long, and the rice is actually seasoned and at temperature. Kobe isn't in the same league, and it's not close. I genuinely can't figure out how this place has the ratings it does. Novelty probably carries a lot of weight in a market that's never had a revolving sushi option before, and that's a fair explanation for the excitement. It doesn't explain rice that shouldn't be served to anyone. This could have been a solid 3 or 4 star spot on concept and location alone. The execution on the actual food undercuts all of it, and for a sushi restaurant, that's the part that matters. Two stars, and that's generous. It's edible. That's the nicest thing I can say about it. Wouldn't seek this out again. read more

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I think Kobe Revolving Sushi is the first and only revolving sushi spot in Bloomington/Normal. We're from Chicago, so we've been to similar places up by us, but our daughter goes to ISU, and we love sushi, so we've decided to give it a try. The place is very clean and contemporary. Very on brand for a place like this. It anchors the end of a strip mall, and is kind of tucked back out of the way, but it's a good sized space, and we dined on a Saturday night. It was full, but we only waited about 5 minutes for a booth. Our server did and great job of explaining how it all works, and even thought they don't bring you any food, she was right there for our drink refills, and was available if we had any questions about anything. So it's a fixed price for plates off the conveyor belt. $3.50/plate. This includes sushi, hot and cold appetizers and desserts. Just know that any plate, no matter what's on it, is $3.50. So whether you grab chucks of canned pineapple or a rainbow roll - it's $3.50. There's other items on the iPad you can order that have different price points, and if you miss something you wanted on the conveyor belt, and you don't want to wait for it to come back around, you can order it off the iPad and the cool little car will bring it right to your table. It's still $3.50 too. When you're done with your plates, you deposit them into a slot at the end of the table and it counts it and adds it to your bill on the iPad. Pretty easy. Every 12 plates your deposit allows you to play a 50/50 game on the iPad. We got to 12, but didn't win... which is fine. Sooooooo..... how about the food?!? Strip mall sushi is hit and miss. Especially in Chicago and surrounding burbs. There are some really great sushi places that are very unassuming. And there are others that are a "one and done". We've never had any other sushi in Bloomington/Normal, so we don't have much to compare this to. It was all very good. Often times at "gimmicky" places like this, you don't get the highest quality product because they are relying on the novelty to keep you coming back. Good news though, because the sushi at Kobe Revolving really does stand on its own. It's not the best sushi I've ever had, but it's very good - which is more than I expected when we walked in. read more

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Firstly, this place is CUTE! You are served at your table either by robots, a conveyor belt, or a little car that zips around a track! It is freaking adorable. They have actual human servers as well, if robots aren't your thing, but this gimmick is what got me in the door! The food is good, nothing SUPER special, but good! fresh and tasty, like you would expect at your average sushi place. BUT it is actually OUTSTANDING for the price you pay, so keep that in mind! I would definitely go back if I were in the area. read more

The food is amazing! The conveyor belt is very neat, and the employees are extremely kind. The place was also nicely decorated.

We are so lucky to have this in Bloomington! This was our first visit to Kobe Revolving and it did not disappoint! It was such a fun experience and the food was good. Our favorite pieces of sushi were the salmon with Japanese mayo, angry dragon roll I believe, and super crab I believe it was called. We stuck to waters to drink but they had lots of other great options too. The decor and ambiance is so well done too. You are charged by the plate, so you can pick up items off the revolving conveyor or you can special order items off a tablet that are delivered in a special car right to your table. read more

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I love the conveyor belt concept since you get options as soon as your seated plus there is always the option of ordering of the tablet. Some places are better at this than others and I would say this location is pretty solid. I believe most plates were $3.50 for 2-3 pieces. The miso soup was a standout, I had 2. The issue is if you are seated at the end of the conveyor then you will be getting much less of a selection since many others will have the opportunity to grab the goods before reaching you. Our bill was approximately $60 for two. Pics included... read more

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Great food that's fun to catch and eat! This is a dining experience with the conveyor belt bringing you a wide variety of tasty treats. First of all, don't think that because of the gimmick, the sushi is of lower quality -- it's not. This is good stuff. And it's a wonderful dining experience because you find yourself trying things you might not order. Fill yourself up with a wide variety of options, and it doesn't break the bank. I was fascinated by the number of families in the place. I talked to some friends who say their young children love the place -- great way to introduce them to sushi! Also popular with couples. read more

First time coming here and my first time ever trying sushi. I loved it! Service was very helpful about explaining how everything worked. It is a very fun concept. My favorite sushi was the Red Bird. Everything I tried seemed fresh! The ambiance was super fun, it was a little loud but we still had a great time. Cannot wait to come back! read more

Kobe Revolving - My son loved watching the plates and cars go by! - Conveyor Belt Sushi Near Me - Bloomington, Illinois

My son and his partner brought me here for dinner. What an experience. The place is a true Japanese style restaurant. Revolving food you can just take of the convyer. What you don't see you put in on the tablet at your table and it comes to you by a little car. The food is fresh. The drinks are amazing. I'm so in love with this place. I wish I could give it 10 STARS. I'm definitely coming back and bring people with me!! read more

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4.25 stars Great speed and convenience since as soon as you sit down, you can start eating off the revolving conveyor belt. The ambience here is better than most revolving sushi bars. It gives the vibe of hiding in nooks and crannies, behind asian lamps. Each plate is $3.50; and you drop them down the hole of doom when finished so it keeps the table clutter free. For us, sushi for 2, two sodas and dessert set us back only $40 bucks and we were happily satiated. The quality of the sushi is 3, the price 4, the ambience for a revolver is 5, and the fact that you can order off the iPad at your table, including beer and sake, is a fantastic 5! So the overall rating average is 4.25. This is how girl math works! Place was clean and waiter was overly attentive. The egg tart was bomb but sadly not home made here. read more

Kobe Revolving - Street Fighter 2 arcade, supposedly you can play it by just switching it on. Will have to try next time! - Conveyor Belt Sushi Near Me - Bloomington, Illinois

Incredible! I had serious doubts given the distance to salt water from here, typical Midwest sushi spots are dubious in general and awfully expensive at best. I'll take a filet mignon most times the wallet gets me full on sushi. But for my friend's birthday made an exception, was very happy too to! This place has a classy aura and top notch quality all over from the silent food parade, enjoyable and intuitive staff, to large menu doing quite unusual stuff. Look at my photos! It's all here. The sublime, silly, and uncertain. Not sure I want to try it but since I'm here I got to! That's the pork gunkan thing, not sure what it is. Bland and boring brown basket despite the curious Star Wars appearance, that was the only miss. Everything else was a hit. We three guys went all over, kimchi, boba, bao, sushimi, and rolls aplenty. The green yuzu one was especially unique and tasty. Yes the price is still pricy but hey way cheaper than going to Tokyo. This is that special spot rising above all the glum sodium heavy overpriced and overprocesseed Asian cuisine options. Can easily recommend, they just need some Sapporo and Kirin on tap! read more

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Great sushi and a fun unique dining experience in Blo-No. I cannot recommend this place highly enough. If you love sushi, you have to try this. read more

This was my first experience at a sushi revolving restaurant ever. The staff and atmosphere were so welcoming. The staff walked me through the process of using the revolver and how to order additional menu items. The Tonkotsu ramen I ordered was creamy and flavorful. It's definitely a must-have for these winter months. I only got to eat two different kinds of sushi, but usually, two or three sushi pieces come on a plate. The dynamite and crab roll were so filling and yummy. This spot is definitely good for group dates and even solo dates. It's also really affordable. I was worried that I might go over budget but the sushi and extra items on the menu were affordable. The tablet on your assigned table helps keep track of the bill. The two plates of sushi and ramen with a beverage came out to about $21. I was happy overall with the price and quality. read more

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TERRIBLE Service and dishes other than the sushi were of low quality, even for a revolving sushi place. Waited 20 minutes just to get water.

Kobe Revolving Sushi Bar, located at 1500 East Empire St. Suite A1 in Bloomington, Illinois, offers a unique and technologically advanced dining experience that's sure to delight sushi lovers and adventurous eaters alike. Atmosphere and Technology The restaurant features a modern, innovative setup with a two level conveyor belt system that intertwines throughout the entire restaurant. * A 240-foot (73-meter) lower rotating belt showcasing a bounty of sushi rolls, vegetarian options, and sweet treats. * An upper rotating belt will deliver individual kitchen orders directly to your table. Each table is equipped with a touchscreen tablet for ordering drinks and main dishes. A convenient plate deposit slot keeps the dining area tidy. Menu Highlights * Sushi: A wide variety of fresh sushi rolls available on the conveyor belt. * Ramen: The Spicy Miso Ramen bowl with sliced pork belly, soft boiled egg, and wavy noodles in a spicy miso broth. * Other dishes: Spring rolls, kimchi, crab stick sushi rolls, pork belly bao, and dynamite rolls. * "Sweet Treats and Decadent Desserts": Egg Taruto (a custard-like treat in flaky pastry), a trio of cheesecake truffles, and chocolate mousse cake. Drinks * Alcoholic options: Asian beers, sake (warmed, if you prefer). * Non-alcoholic choices: Pepsi products, boba tea, and fruit drinks. Unique Features * Robot cart named "WALL-E" or "Eva" assists with drink delivery during peak hours. * Visible kitchen can be observed from a dining room window. * Automated plate return system. * Gaming opportunity: Chance to win a prize with every ten plates ordered. Win twice and exchange your prizes for a fluffy stuffed animal. Pricing and Value Most sushi plates are priced at a flat rate, making it an affordable option for trying various dishes. Overall Experience Kobe Revolving Sushi Bar offers a fun, interactive dining experience that combines traditional Japanese cuisine with modern technology. The variety of dishes, from sushi to ramen and desserts, caters to diverse tastes, making it an excellent choice for groups and even picky eaters. With its unique concept and delightful food offerings, Kobe Revolving Sushi Bar is a welcome addition to Bloomington's dining scene, providing a fresh and exciting culinary adventure for locals and visitors alike. Please remember to like our page and tag a friend for your chance to win a gift card to Kobe Revolving Sushi Bar. We truly thank you for following our page. read more

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Okay definitely not a family dinner everyone is fed type of place! But for the experience and to sit down and talk with a friend or date night. Food was decent, you definitely can get better quality sushi at other places in Bloomington normal. But again just a cool place to have a chat and unwind to work day away. read more

Love this new sushi place in our town! Made fresh and delicious ! The staff are so nice! We are impressed with the amazing store decorations as well. read more

Kobe Revolving - Conveyor Belt Sushi Near Me - Bloomington, Illinois

This is a cool sushi place. I think the sushi is pretty good. Some of the sushi rolls that were going around were clearly not very popular so I'm pretty sure they went around a lot of times before they ever got picked up. So some of the rolls could have been a little colder and I would say some of the sushi rolls are a little smaller than you would get other places, but I think considering where we are located, it's still pretty decent sushi. I like that you can order things à la carte and have them delivered to your table in that cute little car too! The service was good and the prices are very reasonable and it's a lot of fun so I think we will be going back. read more

What a great addition to the dining scene in Central Illinois (and it is worth traveling from all over Central Illinois to eat here)! The rolls are excellent: well made, fresh and delicious ingredients, and a great variety! They have had great buns made in-house, too. The staff is very friendly and helpful, too. I haven't had any of the drinks there yet but they look incredible and will be doing that next time. Also, don't forget the lantern wall: it's really cool! Great prices and great fun! read more

It's just the best. From a great variety on the revolving conveyor belt to being able to order my favorites to come via little car on the second track. It's a fun environment. Bright and Colorful, clean and a Jpop aesthetic. from It's easy to order, easy to keep track of my bill and easy to indulge in some of the best Sushi I've had in Central Illinois. They've also added bao to the menu, so if you're not a sushi person, you can get bao, ramen, tempura, or even fried chicken. There is more than enough for all appetites. Service is always friendly and quick. They'll get you set up with the iPad answer any questions and keep your spicy mayo bowl full. read more

Very cute concept, love the idea of it. The revolving food coming around is fun and creative. The food tho is super bland. No creativity in the rolls. I know that Bloomington doesn't have any good sushi spots that serve higher end/fresh sushi, but the food here is worse than other places in town. Everything tastes about the same here. It would be a winner if they found a good sushi chef to complement the concept. We spent $60 for two people at lunch. Not close to worth it. read more

Lot of fun with robot cars and robot servers for drinks. Great selection f9r anyone fish or chicken etc. Sushi itself was above avg. Price point was very good. No wait for us. But can greet crowded. Can order what you want at same time take what is coming around. Octopus and eel very good. Soft shell crab was great. Only issue was servers had very little knowledge of the sushi itself. Asked for menu and that explained all the choices coming around. Will go again. read more

It's been 2 decades since I first tried revolving sushi in Sydney and Singapore. Loved the idea so I was thrilled to see this arrive in Bloomington. Been waiting months to find an excuse to travel about an hour to check it out. I love all things sushi and sashimi so wanted to try a bit of everything, which I did on a Saturday at noon. A great way to introduce people to sushi without fear of not liking their dinner. Small plates let you experience a number of things until you find what you like. For me, the yellowtail and salmon sashimi were as fresh as possible and very reasonably priced. Perfect. My main critique would be that making sushi rice is a true art and I feel like they fell down in regards to this aspect since it was a bit dry which then can crumble when you try to pick it up with chop sticks. I.know the owners understand this, but the people preparing the rice need more training. It needs to be a bit more moist if not sticky so it will hold together. A true art to get it right. Otherwise, a great meal and fun for families and those new to the cuisine. I will for sure stop again when in town without a doubt. read more

Kobe Revolving - Yellowtail and salmon sashimi...perfect - Conveyor Belt Sushi Near Me - Bloomington, Illinois

Terrible quality sushi and the rest of the dishes are awful too. It's a shame because we like sushi train restaurants.

We were driving back home and Bloomington was our halfway. We always try to try some local restaurants and my kids love sushi. I saw a review and read "revolving" and I knew that was our spot to go. We did had a little challenge finding it out, but we really wanted to try it. Hidden in a corner of the plaza, with no light sign, we decided to go in. Everything is brand new, super clean, staff super friendly and the most important thing food is delicious!! I love the fact the that all plates in the conveyor are the same price and that you can dispose your plate and they'll keep track of how many you have gotten. We ordered food to our table and the little car robots delivered seamlessly. We got 3 different robots and the kids were super exited each time they arrived. Service was exceptional and each one in our family got to choose a keychain which will remind us to go back again soon. It is totally worth the drive, since we don't have a revolving sushi where we live. read more

Kobe Revolving - Thanks for our souvenirs! - Conveyor Belt Sushi Near Me - Bloomington, Illinois

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What a great concept. The sushi was ok. Would have liked to have seen less cooked items. But what did come was pretty good.

Food is great , atmosphere is pleasant. New restaurant kinks are for sure there but they will work that out I'm sure. For sure check it out !! read more

Kobe Revolving - Overview - Conveyor Belt Sushi Near Me - Bloomington, Illinois

Right when we walked in we new something was off. Right off the bat everyone was sweating. It was hotter in there than my ex girlfriend. The AC was not working. Hot weather and sushi does not go together. Who knows how long that sushi has been rotating around that restaurant, in hot temperature. The service was nice but we did end up leaving, before we ate. read more

Good service and good food. I enjoyed the variety to choose from. The atmosphere was very chill and laid back.

Super fun! Great food items that move past every table and booth at a speed that makes sense. Service for seating and to bring drinks is pleasant. We ordered items from the menu on our table's iPad, which was simple and effective. Our special order items arrived on a cute little car. We ordered taro bobas, which were incredible. We ate way too much, so it was pricey, but no more so than any other local date night spot. We had so much fun and agreed it was a great date night! read more

Kobe Revolving is great value for money. High-tech new things professional team, the boss lady is very friendly and nice. read more

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Such a fun experience - robots delivering water, sushi delivered in a car, and very friendly servers! The food was great too!

The new concept of revolving sushi is amazing. The food was very fresh and delicious. Service was very friendly and helpful. The little cars will bring you the food you order in the tablet. Very nice and warm atmosphere. Love the latern wall. read more

We loved the atmosphere and the fun conveyers of food! The sushi was very delicious along with the sides we chose. Definitely will go back!

Out experience at Kobe Revolving was such a great experience. There were choices for everyone in our 7 person party, and the kids had so much fun watching the water-serving robots and the delivery cars. The sushi was great, too! We definitely would return! read more

10/10 recommend. Very clean and very good. Staff were nice and attentive. I definitely enjoyed the wide variety of sushi, appetizers, desserts that were served. read more

My new favorite place! Not only is the ambience so fun and unique, but the food is top tier. It's the only place in the area I can get spicy tuna gunkan (my favorite), and it's they're most delicious ones I've had! The tuna is ice cold, and tastes so fresh. The servers are super on top of everything and check on you constantly. I watch a lot of Japan walking tours and pov videos, and this restaurant is exactly like the ones in Japan. So cool to be able to experience!!! read more

Kobe Revolving - Spicy tuna gunkan - Conveyor Belt Sushi Near Me - Bloomington, Illinois

The minute you walk in; Kobe Revolving Sushi bar is a wow factor, the ambience is original screaming with interest. The food is Authentic Fresh & Delicious staff are attentive. The owners are truly amazing, extremely hospitable, phenomenal venue amazing experience. David Stein read more

We had a great experience with my family. It was so fun to not only order food you knew you wanted, but also watch food come by and experiment with new things. They do have cooked sushi items and other non-sushi items on the menu for those who may be nervous about going to a sushi place. The restaurant was also decorated with beautiful lanterns and felt very fresh. The staff came by and checked on us frequently. Overall a great experience and looking forward to going back! read more

Overall a good first experience. Very friendly and helpful staff. Walked us through the ordering process, which is quite simple. Delivery system is pretty cool. Fast and accurate. The food is good. We sampled quite a variety of rolls and other apps. Godzilla roll was our favorite. The one downfall was that we were sitting at the end of the line so we saw ALOT of empty plates and repeat rolls. When we go back I'll know where to ask to sit to get first dibs. read more