This is by far my favorite sushi place in Chicago! A small hole-in-the-wall local place that has amazing rolls! The rollapalooza roll is one of my favorites, but you cannot go wrong with really any roll you order there! Staff really kind as well. I always come here for my sushi fix. read more

Have ordered delivery and eaten in at Rollapalooza and I always leave happy. Took my mom here when she wanted a sushi menu with a wide selection of options and she was blown away. Lots of creative and delicious rolls, mostly reasonably priced (although the signature rolls can get a little spendy - still worth it). The actual restaurant is a cozy BYOB joint. Very friendly and quick service when we have been. read more

It is my firm belief that you must ignore the name to enjoy the experience....Rollapalooza? Seriously, yikes. However, I managed to get past it, and so can you...its what's on the inside that counts. (and yes, this is a sushi double entendre, deal with it!) This is a great "starter" sushi place for people that may want some tutoring. Cute interior, funky vibe, really cheap rolls and pieces, so that you can sample quite a bit without busting your "emergencies only" credit card out! Service was a little lacking. Slow to bus the tables, didn't ask to chill our second bottle of white (Its BYOB!), no water given, etc etc. However, they are still new and my hope is that this will improve. It's a very small place. Probably seating for 20 max, def not good for large groups, but perfect for a nice dinner with a friend and some bottles of wine from Kafka. MMMM, Kafka. Sigh, I digress.... The menu is a bit confusing, yet ambitious. Lots of options, though I didn't see any appetizers/soups listed, but they did have the standard miso soup/edamame combo that I must consume prior to sushi. It's just like...a rule. I have no idea if there are other mystery apps, but perhaps there are...hmmm. Lots of rolls. Like hundreds. Huge list of maki, smaller list of (very cheap) sushi pieces (unagi was quite good). My friend and I split the Eel avocado, California, spicy tuna, and each had a piece of nigiri. The only one we didn't really care for was the shrimp tempura, a bit too chewy. The rest were really fresh and well presented. The bill gets it the 4th star. Great value...$36 for two stuffed people. BYOB. Really, can't be beat. Good place to check out for a quiet date, though they did start getting all rave scene on us towards the end of dinner, pumping jams into the tiny space like we were at Hydrate. Hmmm. Ok. Still some kinks to work out, but the kitsch factor with the name, and kittens chasing sushi rolls on the windows makes it pretty fun and laid back place to grab a few rolls and drink a few glasses of wine before heading out. It won't break the bank, but like I said...ignore the name ;) read more

Ok...maybe overflowing porta potties and teenagers tripping on acid aren't the most appetizing thoughts to have in your head as you sit down to sushi, but this place is so much better than the name would have you think. It's BYO, they take reservations, and it's super affordable. A great option to put something light in your stomach before a night of drinking in Boystown. Oh...and if your group is good with words you can come up with a Rollapalooza lineup with the likes of the Arcitc Mochis or The Tempura Trap. The food is definitely good for the price, but don't expect the best sushi in the city. Still I think Perry Farrell would be proud. read more

The sushi rolls here: B+ all the time; predictably good and very reasonably priced with very generous portions. Tonight, it was more than enough food for several people. But more than the food, tonight was about how so many of us blindly trust machines. Philadepia roll and veggie roll: $6.00 each Let,($6 + $6) = $12. One multi-person, multi-fish, multi-spice, variety-laden special from the back of the menu: $35. Let $12 + $35 = ...........ready, bet you'll never guess: $75 plus tax = "gland total: $84," he said with a warm smile. "No, no. $12 + $35 = $47." "Machine say $75." "Ah,....But machine can't change nature." Confused look. Confounded. I took out my abacus, and asked: "You're kidding right?" (He's still fumbling with the cash register). "Just forget the cash register. Think about how silly it is to ponder whether $35 + $12 equals = $75." He looked up at me, and smiled. Apologies. All is forgiven. Great food. Watch the check. read more

I've been to Rollapalooza a few times and ordered take out (through Grubhub.com) and not yet been disappointed. The name is misleading. I expected something more like sushi fast food, not a "normal" sushi restaurant. I don't remember what exactly I've ordered or tried, but it's all been good. I didn't notice it in the restaurant, but online you can substitute black rice in the sushi rolls. The black rice adds a nutty flavor that goes well with some of the rolls. Ok, maybe I lied, I remember two things, some kinda of tuna and salmon tartar on crisp somethings, those were really good. The pink lady roll is good too. The rest I can't put my finger on, it all blends together in a whole bunch of "mmmmm"s. The restaurant is BYOB, which is nice. I do love a good BYOB sushi joint, especially one close to my place. I had no idea I could order delivery on grubhub.com, now I'm afraid I won't leave my apartment again till spring. read more

Rollapalooza? More like RollapaBOOOOza. Or Crapapalooza. I guess Rollapalooza does kinda describe our dinner... a meal which quickly rolled down hill. This was far and away the worst sushi I have ever had. Now, you can't beat the $3 spicy tuna roll. It was a little sloppy, but quite delicious, and more than serviceable for three bucks. However, the maki quickly "rolled" down hill from there. The rainbow maki we had was okay. The fish on top was good, but the crab salad (???) in the middle was sweet and kind of off-putting. That was followed by a tempura roll that was covered in tempura crisps that must have been fried several days prior. They were soggy, stale and disgusting, and the roll was borderline inedible. At that point, somewhat inexplicably, our seaweed salad came out. I could have forgiven them for delivering this in the middle of our sushi progression if it wasn't the worst seaweed salad I have ever had. It was swimming in dressing, and said dressing was far too sweet. With our last roll, we hoped for redemption. After all, the standard spicy tuna maki had been good; how could they screw up a Philly roll? I'll tell you how to screw up a Philly roll - use overcooked salmon instead of the smoked variety. As we sat at the bar and watched as the sushi chef made the roll, we discussed that it could not possibly be our Philly. No way would anyone mistakenly replace cooked salmon for the standard smoked in a Philadelphia roll. Well, we were incredibly wrong. We tried it, and for the record, it's a terrible substitution. The consistency and taste make it basically disgusting. We walked out of this establishment, pockets $40 lighter, with our worst dinning experience in at least the last year. If I ever return, it will be for 3-4 orders of the spicy tuna roll. But I'll always call it Crapapalooza. read more

A friend brought me here and I didn't expect such an extravagant culinary creations from a neighborhood sushi restaurant... from plating to flavor WOW!!! Chef Eric puts his heart and soul into every roll. There are rolls for people of all taste preferences, we picked 4 items from "Advanced Rolls" page and dish was absolutely outstanding. The explosion of flavors surrounding incredibly fresh fish were presented with creativity and elegance. We ate until we just couldn't eat anymore... I recommend the White Tuna Tartar (mango paradise) , Martini Q (cucumber wrapped goodness dressed in mind blowing sauce and last but in my opinion also the best the warm roll Baked Roulade where the chef bakes heavenly prepared crab meat in paper-thin sliced salmon .. Yum!!!! It's a BYOB without any extra fees and the bill was so small, I thought they made a mistake! Our waiter Henry was extremely quick, attentive and accurate. We were so impressed with the food - we asked to meet the chef, to our surprise the most humble young man came to our table! What a great experience. Can't wait to bring my husband!!! read more

Being half Japanese, I expect a lot from sushi places these days. I'm going to give Rollapalooza a 3-star "A-OK" because while I did enjoy my delivery order for the first time, I did feel that there was too much cucumber in my rolls. That's a good indicator of how authentic a sushi place is usually, becuase real sushi should NOT have cucumber in them. Many Americanized sushi restaurants use cucumber and other "bells and whistles" as a filler so as not to go overboard with the rice etc. Basically there should not have been any cucumber in any of my rolls but there were. Although I will give them credit because my delivery order was timely, the delivery guy was nice and prompt, and at the end of the day my sushi was satisfying without breaking the bank. I will say the sashimi was very tasty and fresh! Definitely almost made me foeget ab the cucumber haha. Ordered unagi nigiri, salmon sashimi, spicy tuna roll, and one of their signature specialties the Spicy Tatazaki. Would give Rollapalooza another go at the actual location next time! read more

Rollapalooza is one of the better sushi restaurants I've been to. Prices are reasonable, the staff is friendly, and my fiance and I really enjoyed the Rollapalooza roll. The Rollapalooza roll is made up shrimp, crab mix, scallop, white fish, mayo, tobiko, cream cheese, and avocado baked together into one massive roll. This combination is simply excellent! Any time we visit Chicago, Rollapalooza will be on the short-list for quicker places to visit. read more

My friends and I came here simply because they have BYOB with no corkage fee and good ratings on Yelp. The food turned out to be really good and at a decent price for sushi. The service was great - when we came in it was quite busy, but the waitresses was still pretty accommodating. My recommendations: Tequila roll - Tuna, yellowtail, avocado, cilantro, jalapeno & house mayo wrapped in green soybean sheet. Then squeezed fresh lime & chilli oil The Rollapolooza - Oven baked mixture of shrimp, crab mix, scallop, avocado, & tobiko over cream cheese, avocado roll Spicy Tataki - Spicy tuna topped on shrimp tempura, avocado, cucumber crab stick. Then lightly seared spicy tuna & drizzle with crunchy read more

Another Asian restaurant in Boystown. I really don't think we needed it but that being said Rollapalooza is still a welcome addition. I like the atmosphere and the menu is really nifty looking. On to the food: I sampled a few different tasty things and some that was, well, just ok. The texture of the caterpillar roll was off but the flavor was good. The miso soup was a bit bland as well. Now that the bad has been covered... I am a huge fan of their "Ninja Turtle" roll. It's the perfect combination of eel, cucumber, shrimp, and avocado. They cover the outside of the roll in something (probably tempura) to make it crunchy. This is one of my favorite rolls (in this price range) anywhere. Something else that makes me excited about Rollapalooza - free edamame before your meal. This was almost a standard for all the sushi houses that I would frequent when I lived in Las Vegas (either edamame or miso) and I was quite pleased when it showed up at our table just moments after arriving. Also nice: they finish your meal off with some green tea with sesame. I actually don't love sesame but if you do then it would be a wonderful little touch to end your stay. The service was amazing. Everyone was so friendly. They checked up on us just enough to make sure we had what we needed without being annoying about it. It is always nice to drop in to a new restaurant and see that they have the service down. I will definitely be returning to Rollapalooza because of the Ninja Turtle, edamame, and close proximity to my home. read more

My go to spot for fresh and cheap sushi. Always satisfied and never dissapointed. My favorite spicy tuna in the city. BYOB as well. read more

Rollapalooza - Spicy tuna, wasabi tobiko and the Atlantic. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Fresh fish Nice sized servings at low prices. Plenty of extras that show their focus is on you. They just need some experience and it will all come together. I agree with Stevie B. but you have to excuse the low amount of customers.. they've only been open a month. They are very pleasant but need to remember it's their restaurant. I love sushi but am new to eating it in restaurants. I didn't know what to do with the edamame.... so I sat there munching on whole pods. They should have explained the what and how of the experience. I was a bit confused by the menu... as Stevie B says... it's the same stuff over and over. I just wanted a plate of different types of sushi... and it turns out it was on a crudely written specials list. It was an odd contrast to their slick yet confusing menus. They do need to realize what neighborhood they are in and cater to that. The funky windows make me think they can pull it off. Go with an open mind and help them out. read more

Ever find a one inch-long worm wrapped around an edamame bean? No? Weill I did at this restaurant. Yeckkk!!! Thank god I was feeding my son with them so I actually saw the thing before popping it into my mouth. I suppose there is no way to check for stowaways since the beans are served in-pod but that it definitely a first for me and definitely set me on edge for the rest of the food. The rolls were tasty but there seemed to be a great deal less fish in there than I am used to. Also, when you order a side of white rice, they just serve sushi rice complete with rice vinegar and sugar. Feeding my baby with that became an adventure with sticky sweet rice getting everywhere. Not my favorite sushi place. read more

I love sushi and luckily for me there are plenty of picks in the neighborhood for some great sushi places. After one takeout meal from here I am crowning Rollapalooza my new go-to takeout sushi place. The place is pretty small and the atmosphere is lacking compared to some of the other places around but the food is worth the takeout. The menu is pretty extensive but the categories make it easy to decide where to go with your meal. I ended up getting the a 3 roll combo and it was way more than expected. The rolls were beautifully put together, stayed together while I was eating them and they were HUGE. Also they give the best carryout bags ever, almost like gift bags. Love it!! read more

Came here on a date night and was was so happy we took a chance and came in. I'm always wary of sushi places that I haven't heard about, but I am telling you now - GO. Space is pretty small - can maybe seat 30 people max. We were there on a Wednesday evening and was about half full. Server was very nice and service was quick. Food is AWESOME - we started with a spicy tuna roll for an app and it was just enough kick to make a presence, but not stay with you. For entree I had the Black Monster and the hubby had the Rollapalooza. Black Monster was great - I've never tried black rice before but it was delicious. The shrimp tempura inside was also good and portions are great for the price. The Rollapalooza may throw you off with the hot topping on the sushi, but it actually works! Seafood is really fresh and it comes out smelling fantastic. Overall atmosphere is nice - I can imagine that it can get pretty loud if it is packed. But overall great service and will definitely come back or order to go - so many more rolls to try! read more

First went here about a month ago on a Sunday evening for a friend's birthday. I have had sushi before, but nothing like this. I honestly cannot recall the names of what all I ordered, but it was all great. The ingredients were fresh and visually pleasing. Good, eat, enjoy! read more

Even though the majority of reviews are positive, I thought the sushi was just mediocre. The ginger salad dressing was good, thick like I like it, but none of the rolls are very memorable. Also, it smelled like a nail salon when we walked in - not a great start. Not too cheap, not too expensive, and the service was fine. It's nice that there's no corkage fee, but I think there are better BYOB sushi places in the city. I'd give it one more try. read more

A friend and I came in and sat right at the bar to watch the magic. The chef was super cool and had us try 3 different rolls (free) and explained where he had learned his skills. Since then, I have made it a point to eat here once every 2 weeks (at least). I may be biased...since i love and adore mango, but the Meguan roll is soooo amazing. Also , be sure to try the Mafia roll (i substitute the eel sauce for spicy mayo)! that's out of weird jewish guilt, but tastes amazing regardless. The name? ehhh ...yeah The decor reminds me of what a sushi restaurant would look like in a saved by the bell episode. I don't really care because the food is delicious...and at any moment screech or Mr. Belding could walk right in. Service was/has been very good every time. I actually prefer the black rice over traditional white rice. Kill whitey! Indulge! Enjoy! read more

I really wish I could give 5 stars, but I am frustrated, so I can not. I eat here frequently, and have some very nice, and some not-so-nice things to say. Full disclosure: I do not eat fish and I have never liked sushi. I came here with my girlfriend because she loves sushi, and I begrudgingly went along. I got a few vegetarian rolls and LOVED them (I'm not a vegetarian). I go to Rollapalooza often and get the avocado roll and avocado/ asparagus/ cream cheese roll. I am hooked. I go every other day. My girlfriend loves their sushi, and as other people have complained about size, we do not think that is an issue. the rolls are smaller, but priced accordingly. That is the good. Here is the frustrating part. More than twice, they have screwed up a seamless delivery order. You might say its not a big deal for them to forget the avocado in a roll (which they've done twice), they also used the wrong kind of tuna on something my gf ordered. They did this once in the restaurant and once for a seamless delivery. Is it a HUGE deal? No. Does it piss me off that it keeps happening? Yes. Bottom line: I will not stop going, I love their vegetarian rolls. I t just seems like they are half-assing their work and its frustrating. If you know someone that doesn't like sushi, bring them here and get them an avocado roll. My complaint with other sushi places is that they taste "fishy" even if there is no fish. Not here. No fishy taste in the vege rolls. UPDATE: my recent experiences have been awesome so I udated the review from 3 to 4 stars. read more

This is pretty solid sushi and it's super convenient if you are a frequenter of Boystown. It is by no means, blow-my-mind-sushi, but it is always fresh. Honestly, it's more like 3.75 stars. They have a good choice of creative rolls. Although, a few too many with cream cheese in them for my tastes (cream cheese does not belong in sushi). The spicy ones are appropriately spicy. They have classic rolls, think California roll or spicy tuna, they have vegetarian rolls, they have specialty rolls like Smoky, Acapulco, and the Mafia, plus signature rolls like baby lobster, tequila, and the red dragon. All tasty. They always seem to be open and it's in the center of the action in Boystown. Nice for a pre-cocktail evening, or a post bar hopping snack. It's definitely on my list of consistently good sushi joints. And it's one of the more reasonably priced sushi spots. It's a keeper. read more

Hands down my favorite sushi spot anywhere! I'm from New York originally, but went to school in Chicago for a few years and lived nearby to this place. I would eat here with my friends at least once a week in the restaurant and we would get takeout another day of the week. The sushi is amazing! Not only is it fresh, but the rolls are so tasty and creative. The prices are also good for sushi. Our favorites were the r and j roll with black rice, the Acapulco, the jermaine special roll and the monster roll, but you can't go wrong with any of them. It's also BYOB so we'd often go before a night out on the town. The service is also excellent. Whenever I come back to Chicago, I always make sure to stop in! read more

Rollapalooza, really? What an unfortunate name for this restaurant. Especially one that has pretty decent sushi. Some of their rolls are huge. We are talking monsterous in size! It's a cute, cheap place in boystown and like I said the rolls are decent in size. I just left feeling like I needed something else or that I was missing something with the food. I didn't like the crab that was used in some of the rolls. It tasted more like crab salad and I wasn't there for crab salad. However, on that note everything else was stellar. There was one man working the entire place...answering the phone, taking orders, making rolls, checking people out. He was a busy man and needless to say not super attentive. But again cheap, cheap food. So umm yeah go here for cheap, huge sushi but stick the crab meat aka crab salad. read more

I really liked the location, service, quality, and deals. I opted for the three rolls for $15 deal. Everything tasted good and was presented beautifully. read more

What a find!!! Amazing and inventive rolls and BYOB...... bliss. Huge selection of interesting specialty rolls that are actually reasonably priced! If you dine in, you have to get the spicy tataki roll just for the presentation alone (i won't ruin the surprise) :-) The restaurant's signature roll, the rollapalooza, is seriously crave-worthy. My friend ordered it for takeout 2 nights after we dined in b/c she loved it so much! Shrimp/scallop/crab atop an avocado/cream cheese roll..... put that way it sounds simple, but I assure you there is a LOT going on with this roll. It's layers of awesome. The meguan roll has some serious spicy kick to the end of it --- fire eaters, you will enjoy! Space itself is cute but small. Service was acceptable.... a little on the slow side but the server was nice and made helpful recommendations. Takes reservations on opentable! read more

so, being new to Chicago, my husband and I found it essential to find a great place for Sushi. After reading many Yelp reviews we decided to give Rollapalooza a try. Boy were we happy we did. It's BYOB and that is great. The shumai were amazing a light and fluffy and filled with delicious shrimp. A FANTASTIC way to start your meal, and one of our measuring sticks as to how we're going to like the restaurant. Then on to one of the best seaweed salads I've ever had. We ordered the king crab and super white tuna nigiri and the spicy scallop, pink flower and godzilla rolls, all of which were incredibly fresh and artfully done. We will absolutely be back, there was so much on the menu that we didn't have room to try! read more

I was really impressed with Rollapalooza! We went on a rainy, dark Sunday night and didn't know what to expect from this eccentricly-named BYOB sushi joint in the heart of Boystown, but it was a wonderful dinner! The fish was incredibly fresh--we got the sushi sampler and shumai for appetizers and loved every bite of it! We then got a few basic rolls which were also delicious. The service was also fantastic! Very accommodating and attentive without hovering. read more

Fresh, reasonably priced, and such a variety! Stopped by after a show and was pleasantly surprised! The atmosphere is modern and it's BYOB! There were three of us, and we ordered 6 rolls. They were all delicious! Would definitely recommend if you're in the area. read more

BYOB! And Eric is awesome. Get to know him and come in for average price rolls and tasty goodness. Friendly, quick, and cozy. All sushi... Wish i could see a couple teriyaki and udon dishes this winter. I'm definitely a regular. read more

This place was great, small cute but trendy. The only thing is they seem in a bit of a rush to get you out! We got there about 20 minutes early for our reservation, but our booth was waiting, we were also promptly greeted and seated. We ordered gyoza, edamame, soups and salads- all great. We got dragon rolls, another roll with octopus, the rollapalooza, and the black magic rolls. Everything was amazing, especially the black magic one. The spicy mayo and wasabi tasted fresh and spicy. $135 for 5 of us, not bad. We were definitely done in under an hour. Will come back, also great neighborhood. read more

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I had driven or walked by this place dozens of times (as I live in the area); however, the cheesy name made me assume it wasn't going to be legit. I finally gave it a try one Friday night and realized I was wrong. BYOB and a typical place on the inside. Service was fine but nothing notable. The thing that makes it 4 stars in my mind is that fact that they have a vast array of sushi that seem innovative and different than other similar establishments. I love their Advance and Low Carb sections, which take some of the guilt out of ordering a bunch of sushi rolls with white rice. Overall, Rollapalooza is bound to offer you something a little bit different than you've had before for a reasonable price in a nice neighborhood setting. My favorites include the Pink Flower, R&J, Meguan, and the Salmon Mania. Notable mentions include: -You can make reservations on open table and get those points! -Order delivery through GrubHub (which I do far too frequently). They always arrive faster than they indicate they will. -Ability to customize rolls by adding crunch, avocado, using black instead of white rice, etc. This is an easy option when placing a Grub Hub order. read more

I was a regular to Rolla back when they first opened. Came every week as a loyal sushi consumer. Once they closed that first for new management I hadn't been back since. I had heard too many bad things about the next batch of owners and didn't want to taint my previous notions and experiences at Rolla. I finally went back under the new owners and was pleasantly surprised. Back to the free edamame, no corkage fees, great rolls and they've added some new combinations since I had last been there. Delicious experience, although the prices have gone up some. I'd still go back. read more

I LOVE this place. I was a little leery because it never seemed really busy, had mixed reviews from past management and has a bit of a crazy name. I went my first time though and was sold right away. First it's BYOB - you can't beat that. Second the prices are actually pretty cheap. Third it's so easy to get to, especially if you're doing anything in Boystown. Fourth, and most important - the sushi and sashimi were AMAZING. I was expecting something "ok" when we ordered, but honestly this is some of the best tasting and fresh sushi I've had in the city. I just wasn't expecting it from somewhere so cheap, cozy and friendly. The food presentation was fun and clean, they have a huge variety and everything tasted fantastic. Love the seaweed salad, LOVED the sashimi. I go with my BF ever few weeks (whenever we can get the time) and we always order the large plate of sashimi and devour the entire thing. Highly recommend! The chefs and wait staff are extremely friendly and attentive as well. Don't usually give glowing reviews, but this place has a special spot in my heart. read more

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I've been here a couple of times and there's a lot to like (minus the name). I've only had their specialty rolls, but the sushi is very fresh and I like that they have a lot of interesting rolls that I've never seen before. The Meguan is terrific (tuna, mango, chili paste)-- mmm! It's very clean and bright inside, there's no wait for a table, and the service is friendly and helpful. Our waitress help narrow down our choices and we ended up with all excellent rolls. And it's BYOB! I know there's better sushi out there, but you get a lot of good options here for a really good price! read more

I've been really digging this place lately. I've eaten here ... 4 times now. Its been a bit of a different experience each time, but all have been quite good. If I could give it 4.5 stars I would. The bottom line, the sushi is always very fresh and delicious. The menu is nothing but rolls, and they have a very large number of rolls to choose from. They also have some 'sets', which are a pre arranged set of rolls, for a very inexpensive price. Good stuff. Now the thing you have to realize about this place is that the guys that run it are a little more interested in making sushi than service. In my opinion, if you go into it knowing that, you shouldn't be disappointed. If its at all busy, it can take a while for these guys to get to you to take your order and all. But I don't mind at all. Shouldn't we be spending a bit more time enjoying our meals anyway? Don't ge me wrong, the guys are VERY nice, but they are they chefs AND the service. So I cut them slack. The best situation is when they have a bit of extra help. A couple of times I've been there and they have a woman helping them out. When that happens, you'll usually get treated to complementary edemame, and green tea. I really love little freebies like that, but you can't count on it happening every time. Oh and the place is BYOB, which is always fantastic. On the whole: Great food, great atmosphere, great variety, great prices, inconsistent service. read more

Can I subtract stars from other reviews? I used to love this place - but the last time was terrible. Absolutely my worst experience in Chicago. Rolapalooza normally serves it's purpose: cheap, decent sushi in a good BYOB atmosphere. It's nowhere on the scale of Nobu to Kamehachi, so how could it fall so short that it ends up topping my list of most regrettable evenings? Just listen. I met a friend there last Sunday for a quick bite before a busy week. For $7 a person, you can normally split a $12 combo of three good rolls (including the rainbow roll) edamame, and 2 miso soups. It's almost the Vienna Beef of sushi spots. We walked in and sat at the counter for 5 minutes or so before the waiter stopped by to drop off napkins and chopsticks. Another 5 before we asked him for menus as well. There were only 2 other small tables in the place. I opened the menu, and instead of the glorious A2 $12 combo, I found a giant picture of a shrimp taped over the "A" combos. Even if the recession hits you hard, you rise the price -not just dump a consistent combo meal. Ok, strike one. We decide on another combo, and order miso soup. I ask if edamame still comes free with the combos and learn that not only does it not, but they are out of edamame. Can't get it this evening. Alight, strike two. The waiter drops off two glasses for our BYOB wine with the miso and follow up 30 minutes later with the rolls. They aren't amazing, but almost worth the oddly long wait. We get ready to leave, and when the check arrives, I notice an $8 charge for wine. Assuming it was an error (I didn't think they had their licence, nor did I remember ordering a glass) I showed him the bill and asked if there was a mistake. Nope. The $4 per glass service charge was introduced recently he said. So recently that he wasn't even aware of it until I told him. The man making the rolls defended it as a new rule that week from his "boss" and apologized that it wasn't anywhere on the menu nor told to us when we were given glasses. Whoa. Seems like we're getting taken as I count strike three. I let them know that I probably won't be back for a long time, if ever, when we leave. It could have been worse, I think to myself as I get in bed. I realize how much worse a little after midnight when I wake up running for the bathroom. Food poisoning. Sweet. I spend my night without sleep, unable to keep anything down, wondering how I didn't see the combo we ordered on the menu: 3 rolls (Philadelphia, tempura, and spicy tuna) - $14 2 miso soup - $4 2 glasses - $8 longing for edamame food poisoning - Free I doubt I'll be seeing that deal on Groupon any time soon. Steer clear of Rollapalooza and head east to Wakamono for sushi if you're in East Lakeview. read more

Love their sushi and spicy miso, it's also byob which is great when you want to have your own preferred wine. I love their cucumber salad, as well as their seaweed and seared tuna salads. I have tried a lot of their sushi and I always come back for their tequila roll, black monster, and Godzilla. I also really like raw fish and their sashimi flight is great for those out there like me! If you want good sushi for great price definitely go here! read more

One day I googled "best value sushi Chicago" and didn't come up with much. I wanted to find a place with fresh, cheap, and filling sushi, and it seemed like you could only get two out of three. Then, when a friend from Ohio was visiting and we needed yummy but cheap food (gluttony + unpaid internship = financial misery), my coworker recommended Rollapalooza. The place is tiny (sushi bar + three tables, if not two), and when we walked in, cold beer in our bags, at around 5 pm on a Friday, there were only two other customers inside. We sat at the sushi bar and looked over the menu. It's all said in the name - Rollapalooza. A palooza of rolls. Don't expect much else. Also don't expect any crazy rolls filled with baby sea urchins and cotton candy. Their specialty maki selection may be simple, but it's thoughtful and varied enough - very much up my alley. And the prices at the end of the menu are very, very, very agreeable. My friend ordered a spicy tuna roll and salmon roll for $6.50 combined*. I got the white angel roll (salmon, avocado, cream cheese, super white tuna, and some other things with a wasabi sauce) for $10. My coworker mentioned his group got free edamame, but we didn't get any (maybe we weren't cool enough?). It didn't really matter because the sushi filled us up. The beer we brought (no corkage fee!) also helped. My roll passed the chipmunk test, aka how I look when a piece of sushi is too big for my mouth. It was amazing - all the ingredients were fresh and the right proportion to each other, and the sauce was drizzled around the plate so you could choose how much sauce you wanted in each piece. My friend's basic maki were very decently sized. I offered some to her, but once I took a bite my offers became more reluctant until I conveniently forgot to remind her I was on my last piece and just shoved it in my mouth. She kept refusing anyway, so I feel no guilt. We were stuffed when we left, and for $17 combined. For fresh and filling sushi. This place definitely gets my vote for best value sushi, that is if you want something a little more adventurous than WholeFoods sushi. (Which is actually not that bad.) But since the place is so small, if you're going during dinner hours you might want to consider carryout. The guys at the sushi bar, Sunny and Max, are very friendly. Definitely strike up a conversation with Sunny, he's a cool guy. And it never hurts to walk into a restaurant and be greeted by name like a long-lost friend, the way his regulars are greeted (although I of course haven't experienced this personally, having only been once.) * After a more careful perusing of the menu, I realized Rollapalooza has these great sushi combo specials. My friend could have had a spicy tuna roll, tuna roll, and salmon roll for just $6. Now THAT is a best value price. I could get one huge roll and 3 basic rolls all for $16. Where can you find that kind of deal in Chicago? (And don't say sushi from Jewel, damn). read more

Haven't been here in half a year because we moved away and the waitress still remembered us. After living in Chicago for 1.5 years, Rolla is still my favorite sushi place in Chicago. Donburi bowls still killing it read more

Rollapalooza - The best - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois