I went here after a hard session of hot yoga and accidentally found a gem! I don't spend too much time in Lincoln Park, but this spot might have changed that. Firstly, the ambiance in here is amazing. The bar/first level dining space has such a cozy ambiance. It's the perfect date spot, and from the looks of it while I was there, many would agree. I sat on the second level which is a bit brighter but still maintains that cozy, intimate vibe. You are sitting a bit closer to people cause of the bench seating, so much so, I started talking to woman sat beside me, but I didn't mind that at all! As for the food and staff, it was good. There was a guy, who may be the owner, who asked us a few times if we were doing alright and thanked us for coming. Our waitress was nice and answered my questions (I'm still pretty new to sushi). I got the Soft Shell Crab Special Maki and it was to DIE for. I could've eaten 20 of those rolls, honestly. My friend got the Shrimp Fried Rice and she loved it. She's been here multiple times, so she already was a fan of Sai Cafe. Overall, it was an amazing experience. I'd love to come back here! read more

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I was craving sukiyaki, and this was the closest restaurant I could find. Flavor was good, but I expected more soup. The portion was small but generous with the beef. The Tempura Udon was okay, nothing special. The Soft Shell Crab was flavorful but "soggy" if that makes sense. Not sure why, but I ordered at the restaurant for takeout, and my food was lukewarm by the time I got home (less than 10 mins drive). Pricing was also higher than what was shown online. Overall, average food and quality could've been better for the price. read more

Sai Cafe - Soft Shell Crab, Tempura Udon Noodles, Sukiyaki - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Totally wish that I had known about Sai before because this place is amazing!! Situated in Lincoln Park, Sai features a wide variety of Japanese dishes, including great sushi maki rolls and seafood dishes! We ordered the hamachi jalapeno and salmon gone wild appetizers, along with the grilled miso black cod and the salmon on fire sushi roll. Everything was delicious! The fish was so fresh, and the flavor of the perfectly cooked miso black cod was so delectable!! Along with a refreshing lychee drink, the whole meal was fantastic. Cannot wait to come back! read more

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Came by for a lovely weeknight dinner on a cold night. I'd never been to their og location, they moved into where Dee's used to be and their new location is just lovely. We didn't need a reservation on a random weeknight, were sat quickly and we started w a hamachi jalapeño app and it was so good! Very fresh hamachi, really delicious. I had a fresh salmon don, my friend had a rainbow roll and chirashi. The fish was so fresh and tasty. Service was great and quick. I would definitely come back here for their quality of fish, I'd also do take away for sure. The menu isn't super creative or new, it's got a lot of pretty standard sushi restaurant items. They do standard items really well, which is dope. My only problem is how expensive it ended up being, but with what's goin on in the world and economy today, this wasn't that surprising. I'll definitely be back! We got parking on the street right out front, pay to park. read more

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Our families favorite sushi restaurant in Lincoln Park for over 20 years. The newlocation is spectacular. The staff never changes so they must be very happy. I mean it's literally the same people for 20 years. And that is saying something yo! We go quite often. Details: our personal favorites are the ginger salad and the volcano roll. read more

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$36 for two pieces of mediocre toro nigiri is a joke. I don't typically get moved to write negative reviews at all. If I'm going to leave one it's only positive, but this is robbery. Even the most elite of pieces in NYC won't run me that much. read more

Updating my review to give Sai a well-deserved 5 stars. What ultimately changed my mind was this: Sai provides excellent food for a fair price with stellar service and a lovely ambiance. I enjoy myself every time I come to Sai, and am so so glad I ever gave it a try. Every menu item I have tried ranges from good to great, and that includes sushi, hot appetizers, cold appetizers, etc. The staff is very attentive, fast, and kind. I do not think I could ask more out of a dining experience. Would recommend! If you check out the menu and this is within your price range for sushi, give it a shot! You will not be disappointed. My favorites: - Creamy Scallop Maki - Agedashi tofu - Grilled black cod - Soft shell crab read more

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Ate there last night & it was very disappointing. Got a salad to start & the ginger dressing was sour, too much vinegar maybe. Next we had gomae and the peanut sauce also tasted bad. My dinner companion felt the same. Had a couple of rolls & pieces of sushi that were fine. Owner/manager type stopped by our table to ask how we were and I started to tell him about our salad & gomae but he just walked away without listening to me. Funny but not very professional. I will spend my money elsewhere. read more

Quality fishes and efficient service combine with an understated decor and friendly staff to make this place stand out. All good. Not a budget option, as you might expect. read more

Luxury, gourmet sushi. This is fine dining with the ambiance and price tag to match. Special occasion food for sure and you will not be disappointed. It's the best sashimi you can get in this part of the city. Pan seared scallops are a must have. Miso cod is a must have. So many great dishes other than sushi. But the sashimi is like butter. It melts in your mouth. read more

Sai cafe is just fantastic. Our whole family loves to come here. Everything is just absolutely amazing. The sushi is phenomenal. Gorgeous ambience inside and Sai is just the nicest, almost always in the house walking around and making sure everything is fantastic. read more

Sai Cafe - Halloween Maki And Spicy White Tuna Crunch - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

My friends and I were craving sushi so we naturally took to Tik Tok to see what places we could try. Sai Cafe came up a few times and to our surprise, there was a table at 6:30 on a Saturday night! We booked it. We started with the miso soup and the gyoza. Both were very good! I will say- the online menu has the miso soup listed for $2, when the in person menu has it listed for $3 so that was interesting. The gyoza was crispy and well flavored with a wonderful dipping sauce. We shared an order of the veggie yakisoba, which was great. We all ordered some modified rolls and our waiter made sure the rolls were made perfectly. The salmon avocado was delicious, as well as the shrimp tempura roll. I noticed they had an Omikase experience which I would be interested to try next time. Overall- we ordered 6 rolls, 2 miso soups, 1 gyoza and 1 yakisoba and our total was $100 for 3 of us. I felt this place was reasonably priced and offered wonderfully fresh fish and delicious food! read more

Sai Cafe - Gyoza! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

A very solid 3 star in my humble opinion. I've decided to give my personal rating to places based on a few criteria's: Location: not a busy street, we were able to find paid street parking easily, not far from downtown. 4/5 Menu: food variety vas great, variety of appetizers was nice, though my friend was unable to find non-alcoholic beverages. I'm 3/5 Flavors: it was good, but nothing special, I was expecting more, the maki rolls were too big with a thick layer of rice. 3/5 Interior: very cute place, not overwhelmed with furniture and other decorations, felt cozy. 4/5 Price: I would say, that comparing price and quality, this place is slightly overpriced, though I didn't mind paying this much if I liked the food. 2/5 Service: the servants were good, no special treatment, but we didn't expect any. I also wanted to say thank you for being open on Christmas Eve, overall I think it was a nice experience, maybe I will come back again if I will be in the area. read more

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After living so close to this spot for the past year, my partner and I decided to stop by and give it a shot! Atmosphere: 5/5 - upon walking in, you're welcomed right away by not only the server staff, but also the chefs and owner! They were all so amazing, gave great recommendations, and overall fantastic Food: 5/5 - we tried a few different things while we were here. To name some of my favorites is the Nigiri (very fresh), the Gyoza (even my boyfriend liked it and he's picky), the Udon (had plenty of meat and the flavor was amazing) and the Flaming Salmon was to DIE FOR! Those are some of the best things to get in my opinion, plus having it paired with some warm Sake is even better! Overall, this place will now be my go to Sushi spot close to home. Since it's literally a crossed the street from me, I'm sure they will see me quite a bit :) read more

Sai Cafe - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

My first time here was 10 plus years ago, the food was delicious back then, it is still delicious. We had tempura appetizer, it was done just right. Nabe Yaki Udon Noodles, flavorful broth and good chew on the noodles. My husband had the sashimi entree, he liked everything on the plate and said it tasted really good. I had the Nama sake-don, fresh salmon over sushi rice. It was delicious, the fish had the right amount of fat and the pieces were large. It came with miso soup, which was yummy. My son had the tekka-don, fresh sliced raw tuna over sushi rice. I had a piece and it was really good. Large pieces with great chew texture. All the raw fish tasted very fresh. The decor was new and elegant, since they just recently moved to this location. The servers came by often to check if we needed anything. This is a must try place. read more

Even though I have moved away from Chicago, I come back often and this place is #1 on my list of restaurants. Good quality fish. Nice selection of cooked dishes, as well. The Black Cod is delicious. Great wine list. Good service and the new location is really beautiful. read more

We love this restaurant so much! It is super kid friendly.It is the freshest fish you can get.

Jim and the staff are impeccable. Had our 1st date here in 2007. Today we celebrate 12 years married. read more

Sai Cafe - We had our first date here in 2007 and today is our 12 year anniversary. Great cocktails, great service, great food. You guys are amazing! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The staff and chefs are super friendly, but I got two sushi rolls and both were ok, not great, not offensive. My rolls were falling apart and disintegrating in the soy sauce. The spicy tuna was not at all spicy. The hospitality is A+, but the food leaves a lot to be desired for. read more

Sai Cafe - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

All of the sushi and rolls featured high quality seafood, and were expertly assembled and beautifully presented to the table. I used to eat here a lot when I lived in Chicago but it had been a number of years since I visited, but I am happy to report, they are still serving great high-quality food. read more

Yes! It's delicious and Yes! It's also fun. Meandered through the sushi and sashimi offers, following the suggestions of the chefs at the bar where we landed. And Yes! Would go here again in a heartbeat. Good value for money and the atmosphere and neighborhood are terrific. read more

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If sushi is your thing this is a great place to try. They have been in business for a long time and they know how to do sushi very well. The service is always friendly and they have a good sake list as well. I love the raw fish, and I've been with others who have ordered cooked meals that were also delicious. Their creamy scallop is one of the best I've had in the city. read more

Outstanding always. Great service, fish, ambience etc. can't go wrong. Sit at the bar like a man

We have been coming here for years, and Sai never disappoints. Recently went here on a Friday night date. We were able to walk in and get a table right away. I have never had a bad piece of sushi from here. Everything taste amazing. Pro tip, make sure to order the house chopped wasabi read more

Sai is our favorite sushi spot for date nights and for our family of 5 with 3 teenage boys that love to eat sushi. Tommy, the owner, and his staff are lovely. The sushi is some of the freshest you can find. We love Sai and always recommend it to our friends. Their new location on Armitage is beautiful!! read more

Super over priced for the quality of fish and dishes. We started w a cucumber salad which was ok, but have had better. We then had a few nigiri pieces which for me, the size of the fish on the rice is a make or break. These were big pieces, which were a bit dry. Better options in the city for the price. 100%. read more

Sai cafe is legendary to the Lincoln park area and is an OG sushi restaurant that is a must try. We had a buffet of options with my family.. I had the Seabass entry which was super fresh and had a great miso soy glaze. I Would definitely order again. The tuna is top notch and some of the freshest I have ever had. We had the tuna poke and sushi both are great, but you have to try the poke it's excellent. This is a family owned restaurant and Jimmy the owner really cares for his employees and neighborhood. With the food being as good as it is, you have to checkout Sai Cafe! read more

Great neighborhood sushi place. Always reliable and fresh. Owner and servers are friendly and attentive.

Been coming to this place for 16 years, in fact it's where I had my first date with my wife. thanks Jim and staff!!

Sai cafe delivered on our sushi needs on this fourth of July (I know....very un-American). The spot is in a great location by the Armitage stop and has a very clean environment. The service is also great and quick. We had the Salmon Gone Wild appetizer to start, and it was delicious. This dish consisted of very fresh, thick cuts of salmon with their house made wasabi. It was a great refreshing appetizer. We also ordered a few rolls- Unagi Maki, Halloween Maki, and Rainbow Roll. All were excellent and fresh. Very good fish quality too! Overall, our experience at Sai Cafe was very satisfying. I was very content with the fresh salmon cuts. Yum! read more

Sai Cafe - Salmon gone wild - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Service was extremely quick and kind with high quality Sushi. Servers were extremely sweet and cared about guests. Inside views felt like a 5 star restaurant but with inexpensive sushi! I highly recommend! read more

The food is excellent, the pricing not so much. I ordered online from the menu on the restaurant's website, dated February, 2024. When I questioned the difference, which I considered an overcharge, I was told that they had not updated their website, but that the paper menu in the restaurant had the real (higher) prices. At their prices, there is no excuse for not keeping their website pricing current. One expects a restaurant to honor their website pricing. Here, apparently not. read more

The service was great. The sushi was amazing. It was super fun to watch the chef's cook at the sushi bar. Very good vibes and music! MHB, Age 11 read more

I was a regular at this gorgeous spot back in the mid-2000's. I hadn't been back for years after leaving the city and was delighted to find that it is still as INCREDIBLE as it used to be. The service is top notch - chefs and more are still the same as 15 years ago! The real treat is the fish! I travel for work and have yet to find sushi this beautiful and paired with delicate but present sauces that compliment the velvety protein so well anywhere outside of Asia. The fact that the owner is able to stay in business and maintain the same staff and gorgeous product for decades (and through a pandemic) is testament to the quality of the operation. read more

Friendly service. Fresh sushi. We always manage to get in without a reservation. The whole family loves -- it's our sushi staple and we'll return. read more

We enjoyed the food was very good. I was impressed with the service. We will definitely go back.

Spicy tuna crunch no chop. That's all the needs to be said. Mr. C

Love the new location. The restaurant has a nice calm vibe and the staff is very welcoming. The sushi is excellent. And, there is a nice selection of cocktails and wine. I would definitely recommend this place. read more

We ordered Sai Cafe for take out a few weeks ago and walked over to Lincoln Park to pick it up. It's a little hidden, but I would love to come back and sit inside sometime. We initially wanted to try Sai for the sushi, but after looking at the menu, we were turned onto some non-sushi items. We definitely got some sushi, and thought it was pretty good, but what I really ended up enjoying with the Nabe Yaki. I thought the udon in this dish was perfectly cooked, and would love to come back and get it hot. read more

we have been going for twenty years top notch sushi amazing food and service! tom & renee congratulations on the new location read more