I decided I wanted to try a new sushi place instead of going to one of my usual standbys so we went and tried this place instead, hoping to find a new joint to add to the sushi repertoire. I have to say that it was just...meh. The ambiance was nice and perfect for a romantic date if you were so inclined so it gets props for that and the full bar as well. The service was decent (there seems to be a few complaints about that on this Yelp page). The Dragon Maki was tasty and the Volcano Maki was good too but other than that, they didn't have a particularly large selection and was overpriced for the most part. All in all, the two of us was just kind of shrugged our shoulders after we left and said "meh." Kind of a downer but then not really when you consider the area. Don't plan on going back. There are much better in the sea. read more

This place is very no nonsense. I had a seaweed salad, my SO had a house salad. These were good, but it's tough to do anything special with the sushi house standards. The rolls aren't some sort of fusion taste explosion - they are well balanced with the natural flavor of each type of fish without the addition of gallons of mayo sauces. We thought the fish was very fresh. Single pieces were a bit pricey. Actually, the whole thing was a bit pricey, but what else do you expect. The menu is small - we had hoped for some noodles as well but we were unimpressed by the selection. I had some good plum wine and the server was good at keeping my date's drink replenished. Overall, a pretty good place! read more

Pros: Holy Cow! I got SO much more food than I thought I was going to get! The tuna roll was PACKED, the spicy white tuna crunch roll was cruncy and yummy (but not so spicy), and the salmon and tuna sushi pieces I got were HUGE! The seaweed salad is sitting in my fridge because I was TOO stuffed to even touch it. P.S. the crazy roll is seriously crazy HUGE. The only way to eat it is to dissect it. Also, qUICk delivery! They said about an hour, and luckily I got out of the shower in time to catch the delivery guy because he was 20 minutes early. Cons: The prices on their website are old. Needless to say, I was kind of surprised when they told me how much it was. There was about a $10 difference. Overall, good! But not as modestly priced as everyone else makes it out to be. Update 4/23/07: Went to dinner there last Friday. No one talked about how NICE it is inside! It seriously look like a hole in the wall from the outside..but once you walk in, from the second you step in the door to the second you step out, everything is just amazing! Service is impeccable, food is fresh, and it's just great! I have definitely found my new favorite sushi spot. read more

had a good dinner, went ok. the price seems on the high side. The sea bass from the kitchen was really good. sashimi just ok. seems that they utilize lots of the frozen tuna in their sushi dishes. decor in the restaurant is nice. sushi roll need more seasoning in the rice, too plain. you have to literally use soy sauce to get the taste :( otherwise it doesn't taste anything. overall food, just Ok. I would come back to try a bunch of more different dishes. read more

We have eaten here twice for dinner. Service: it is somewhat annoying when a waitress comes to you AS SOON AS you are seated and given a menu. And then she does not come back with food for good 30-40 minutes. The restaurant was not so crowded and we are ordering sushi, simple roll as we do not eat those crazy rolls. It's not deep dish pizza- yet it took a long time for us to get a cold appetizer and sushi. Food: We liked Hamachi Jalapeno - hamachi sashimi was thick and fatty, and very tasty. We also had some salmon rolls and tuna rolls. Well, rolls should not be made with minced fish. But they did use minced tuna & salmon, which is not like one for "negi toro" because it was not fatty part either. It's as if they collected some small pieces of left over fish and minced it altogether. And it didn't taste good. We hoped for regular rolls with non minced fish. Drinks: It appears that they haven't made dirty martini. Their "dirty" is extremely dirty. It's not clear at all- martini looked very white due to the olive juice. We asked them to make a new one. Second was no better than the first one, and we eventually ordered a different drink. read more

Really enjoy this cozy cafe in Lincoln Park, the sushi quality is very good. I usually order an assortment of sushi and sashimi, including Tuna, Salmon, Hamachi, and Toro when available. Prices are pretty reasonable. All in all one of my favorite sushi places in Lincoln Park. Suggest you go here if you are nearby or live in the neighborhood. If you want to venture a bit further out, and don't mind paying a bit more then Mirai, Macku and (my favorite) Katsu are better options. read more

Double rice? The roll are so fluffy and the declaration of the plate was no good, a bit over price read more

Sai Cafe - I only order 2 rolls and left, I don't think they have good sushi The quality are not worth the price - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Amazing!!!!! This is by far our favorite sushi place right now!! MUST haves are the Salmon gone wild (melt in your mouth mazing) pan seared scallops, creamy scallop maki, and the do the best unagi ive ever had. The quality of fish Is amazing. we also love the green tea creme brulee go ahead and order 2 though, you're not going to want to share. The service Is extremely prompt and they always take such great Care with us. Looking forward to our next sai night already! Yum! read more

This place has the best sushi I have had in a very long time. The food is amazing for the price and the location is key ( not even a block from the armitage brown line stop). The food, wine, and warm sake are all amazing. I would eat here every night. I ate: - Maguro (a classic) - Unagi (the sauce with this is the best I have ever had) - Volcano Maki (my fav!!!) I drank: Warm Sake read more

Consistently great sushi. Nice atmosphere. Friendly service. I have been dining at the Sai for the better part of ten years now and I have yet to find a better sushi place. The Sai has been through several renovations over the years, its latest incarnation is rather modern with clean lines. Overall I like it, though I don't know if the bar fits the rest of the place. The food is always good, whether you have traditional sushi or sashimi or try some of the Sai's specialty rolls. I would recommend the Dragon and the Halloween Makis. I have had several of the entrees as well and have never had a bad experience. The thing that stands out most about the Sai is that the fish is always fresh. I find myself comparing every other Sushi place I visit to the Sai and they generally come up wanting in the freshness of their fish. The wait staff is very attentive and courteous, often with multiple waitresses attending to your needs. The guys behind the sushi bar are also always good for a laugh and very affable. The Sai is just a great neighborhood sushi place that's a good place to go before a night out on the town or just to do takeout on a night after work. read more

Neighborhood sushi gem! Tried several dishes throughout the dinner and all were quite good. Reasonable prices for the portions. Will be back! read more

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Just moved to the neighborhood - my parents said they used to come here when they lived in the hood 30 years ago! We eat sushi at least once a week and know our sushi - but aren't snobs about it. We've been to Sai twice in the last 2 weeks. Excellent food!!! Had lots of different sushi the first time - great selection, flavors and freshness! Our waitress was a bit confused and got a couple items from our order wrong but it was OK. Last night we sat at the sushi bar and had a great time. Ordered the omakase which was superb! A great mix of cold food, hot food, sushi and desert. It's pricey but if you're considering it - go for it! Had good chat with the sushi chef and the owner James. For sure will be a new regular spot for us. read more

Yummy sushi! Fresh soft melting sushi. Been coming here for several years and I enjoyed everytime. Service is usually great, sometimes there is a wait. Nice calm envirnment. Sushi is great! There is street parking but hard to find, most of the time we valet. read more

Moved to Chicago this past summer and been to few different hip, highly recommended sushi places around town and extremely disappointed that it is so hard to find a GOOD japanese restaurant with simply great, fresh fish without a thick layer of cover up sauce to balance the tasteless fish. I think I have finally found the one that is really worth going for the second time. My husband and I ordered the following for dinner: Soft shell crab - good, but nothing special($10) Toro tartar - NOT available except weekends!! disappointed :( will try next time Chirashi - very average compared to what I am used to and expecting, but the best out of 3 other places that serve this rice bowl which I have been to so far. It has one or two pieces of the following: white tuna, salmon, tuna, yellowtail, cooked shrimp, and i think something else...fish is fresh but not the greatest cut, wouldn't ordered again. ($21) Hamachi-Don - Excellent!!! most likely will be my must-have from now on. Much better cut than the chirashi, but than this is also more expensive. I think it has about 7 or 8 big pieces of hamachi ($26) Uni - i have had better, but it is still nice and tasty and best in chicago so far, good when I have a craving for it ($5 a la carte) Ama abi - Excellent!!! The shrimp is very very fresh and most definitely sweet. The fried shrimp head in the vingear sauce is declicious. One small beer. Total with 20% tip is about $100. Service is very attentive, but waitress needs to be careful of almost touching my food with her finger when she puts the plates down. Portion is a bit small, so it is a bit pricey for the price we paid. BUT at least they serve you FRESH stuff. We sat in the dinning room with the sushi bar, it is nicely decorated, very comfortable atmosphere. But I would still come back again even if it was just a hole in the wall ;) So I think I normally would give this place a three star for the good, above average food and everything else, but since it is in Chicago, I think it deserves a 4-star if others have such low standards. Good sushi is so hard to find in Chicago!!!! Keep it up Sai Cafe! Dont let me down when I come back to try the omakase ($70) next time :) read more

Absolutely loved this little place. I made reservations here after reading reviews on yelp and wanting to try something new in the Lincoln Park area. The atmosphere is very friendly and accomodating. We made reservations for a Friday night but they probably weren't needed. If you do decide to make reservations, request one of the booths by the window (there are only two). They are cozy and it is fun to people watch from these seats. There are also available seats at the sushi bar to watch the sushi being prepared. The appetizers were great and they were followed by a few sushi rolls and the Chirashi which was EXCELLENT and would recommend this to everyone. Sai Cafe was priced great for the food that we got. Can't wait to go back again, this is definitely my favorite sushi spot in Chicago. read more

Volcano roll had very little fish and they attempted to mask this by adding an overwhelming amount of mayonnaise or other cream sauce. The Spicy Tuna lacked flavor and did not seem fresh. The Shrimp Tempura had so much rice and greens that we could barely eat it. Overall very disappointed with the food and price. We ended up making another meal at home . This was our first and last trip to Sai. read more

I live on the same street as this place just a minute walk so it was only natural that I would order food from here for takeout. I ordered their Shrimp Japanese Fried Rice and honestly did not like it much. The taste was a little burnt and the portion was small. However, I decided just because it was so close to just dine in one day and had a much better experience! They are definitely known for their sushi so I just should have stuck to that originally. I got my usual at a sushi place, a Chirashi, and it was great. The pieces of fish were like slabs of fish really, cut very thick and neat so you really got your money's worth. I felt like treating myself even more so I had a glass of red wine to go with it and going all out is perfect in a restaurant this beautiful. The outside is deceiving because the interior is gorgeous. Overall, I think if you just stick to sushi you will have a great experience. read more

Favorite sushi spot in all of Chicago! Love the scallops and the spicy white tuna crunch. I can't get enough of their food. read more

From the hostess to the servers to the chefs, everyone here is friendly and accommodating. Items I recommend: Spicy White Tuna Crunch, Bagel Maki, Rainbow roll, Green Tea Creme Brulee and Green Tea cake. The creme brulee is just superb. And popular (they often run out). Wine selection is good and each meal is finished with complimentary orange sections, cut out of and served in the peel. read more

Sai Cafe nearly ruined my love for sushi... at this point I can't even remember what roll I ordered, but I can tell you that it literally made me gag - that bad. The fish did not taste fresh, and for the price of it, the quality was absolutely absurd. The only reason I am giving this place two stars is because the chicken teriyaki was fairly decent. Although, once again, pretty expensive for the quality. To make a long story short, I will never be dining here again. read more

A place we have frequented over the years. Last week hoping for some traditional Japanese fare, we went to Sai Cafe. It was excellent. Their sushi was fresh. The gomae delicious. Over the years, we have found that Sai Cafe can be spotty but it was excellent on our recent visit. read more

I've been going to Sai Cafe with my family literally since before I was born and it never gets old. James has owned many restaurants and his experience shows. Sai runs like a well-oiled machine and the fish is always incredibly fresh and tasty. If you're not a sushi fan, try the beef udon, it is the ultimate comfort food. P.S. Sai is a great place to bring a date because you can actually hear each other talk. read more

Having experienced the best sushi breakfast at Tsukiji Fish Market, I have sadly become a sushi / sashimi snob. So, me giving 5 stars to a Japanese restaurant is extremely rare. Food: For two people, we ordered the following: - Seaweed salad - $7: your regular seaweed salad with pickled cucumbers. Nothing was wrong with it. - Toro Tartar - $19: we wanted to order 2 slices of toro sashimi ($12 each) but was upsold the tartar instead. It came with what I believe were thinly sliced, fried lotus chips as well as black tobiko. The flavor was amazing, melts in your mouth amazing. We tossed everything together with a little bit of soy sauce. The toro did seem slightly cold for my liking, but overall the bites were really delicious. - Sashimi entree combo - $38: the entree came with tuna, white tuna, escolar, salmon, and hamachi. I prefer buttery fatty raw fish, so really loved the escolar and salmon. Tuna was really fresh compared to other Japanese restaurants I've been to in Chicago. Hamachi was okay, I've had fresher. White tuna was also just okay. I didn't get any "almost frozen" fish, or anything that was super fishy. - Scallop handroll x 2 - $10 each - really amazing. I don't have really good pictures of all the hand rolls because the sushi chef handed them to us one by one. The handrolls were definitely my favorite part of the meal. The scallop handroll had some kind of sweet mayo sauce and avocado in it, so rich and creamy, and great after taste. I'm not even really sure if this is on the menu, but I have seen photos on Yelp and really wanted to try. $10 each is slightly pricey, but worth every single bite. - Uni handroll x 2 - $14 each - My favorite, and just simply delicious. There was sooooo much uni in every bite and I couldn't get over how good it was. Again, $14 isn't cheap, but really yummy and worth it! - Dragon roll - $14: your regular dragon roll. Eel tasted fresh and cooked with a good bbq flavor. No complaints. Service: - Service was amazing. I loved the hot towel at the beginning of the meal, and I think every other minute someone came over to ask us how our meal went. It was just one of those restaurants where everyone made us feel like we were the center of attention. We went on a Friday night and the place was not extremely busy, but there were also a couple of tables there, yet we still felt like the head sushi chef, the host, and the waitresses were really attentive. - We sat at the sushi bar and I swear that every time we were taking a bite, the head sushi chef was staring at us to make sure we liked it, and if we had a slight complaint, it was immediately addressed. For example, during one moment I said, "Oh I want more ginger". Next thing I know, some ginger dropped magically onto our plates...kind of creepy but also amazing. Overall, good experienced. For two of us, our bill came out to $140 plus tip. We really enjoyed it, and if I ever feel like splurging on toro and uni, I will know where to go in Chicago. read more

Great food, nice employees. Have been coming for years and will come for a long time into the future

I have been eating at Sai Cafe for the past 15 years (possibly more) and I am pleased to say it is still one of the best sushi restaurants in the city. They don't play hip music, and the decor hasn't changed much, but the fish is fresh and the rolls are excellent without getting too crazy. I like several of the new sushi restaurants in Chicago like Sushi Wabi, Mirai and Coast, but sometimes i think they are selling th3e scene as much as the food. There is nothing wrong with that, but if you just want good sushi and a place you don't have to make reservation a week in advance to get a table, go to Sai Cafe. You won't be disappointed. read more

In the mid '90s, Sai Cafe was 1 of 3 Sushi restaurants you could go to. Back then, sushi was still a novelty. I think they're definitely in the bottom half of sushi joints, now. If you live around there, I could see going every once in a while; but wouldn't drive across town to get there. read more

I came here with a sorority sister a few weeks ago and I was pretty impressed. I love how the location is still very close to campus, and if we don't feel like walking, we could always jump on the brown line. The menu is pretty standard for a sushi restaurant and I thought the sushi roll prices were decent. If you want a cheap drink with your sushi, I know there's a sake served warm that you'll probably enjoy. I ordered the Volcano Roll and some kind of Tuna Roll and I was pretty pleased. The server was very kind and was always checking up on us even when she started getting really busy. The place is actually pretty big. I thought the restaurant was tiny when you first walk into it, but the hostesses usually lead you over to a separate room with a fireplace and mirrors on the walls. Overall, a very cute place to have a sushi dinner. read more

Ordered sushi for pick up. The service was fast and everything was packaged separately which was nice. Dining in looks nice - it's not your hole in the wall sushi joint. There is a full bar and a fun booth right in the front that fits either one huge group or 2 medium groups. The sushi itself though was just OK. We ordered 3 specialy maki and 1 spicy tuna roll and they were all just OK. The one roll (Dragon) was not good at all. There were sharp pieces of fish skin or bones or something inside that made it kind of gross to eat. The spicy tuna does not have a full piece of tuna - it's more of a puree which I wasn't a huge fan of since it wasn't mixed with anything. Overall, I will probably end up going again just because I live so close, but it won't be because I am craving a special roll there yet. Maybe we will have to order different rolls to find a better option. read more

It's all about the spicy tuna crunch - for $7! Awhile ago my friend and I each ordered 2 rolls of the spicy white tuna crunch - psycho I know. (Spicy White Tuna Crunch - white tuna mixed with flying fish egg, scallion, avocado, spicy sesame oil & tempura crunch) This is honestly one of my favorite "go to" sushi spots. The sushi is fresh, tastes great, and is so reasonably priced! The service is fast and friendly. The ambiance is contemporary Asian - not old and dingy. For the record, yes, I have had other rolls; Dragon and Rainbow Makis are also delicious. Love this place. read more

I really thought this place was quite excellent. It's tucked away on Sheffield near Armitage and I had lived nearby before I found out there was a restaurant there, to my pleasant surprise. Pros: Generous service, with a knowledgeable staff. They have a lot of selection and really good menu for those who don't like sushi (Like myself) and have a nice Sake selection, I just went with the house Sake which I enjoyed thoroughly. Cons: There aren't too many, but it's kind of dark in the restaurant which is such a minor detail, but I like to see things and not just go by candlelight. Overall, I enjoyed the experience and thought positively of the restaurant and all that comes with it, and recommend it to those looking for some good japanese restaurant. read more

This is a very solid Japanese restaurant serving good quality fish. If you are into fancy rolls, you have plenty to choose from. Personally, I think their nigiris are not always so consistent: we had quite a few instances of "fallen fish" when the plates arrived. They do have a fantastic selection of sashimi; top notch. I noticed they do not have as many variety of raw fish selection as Mirai, but they certainly suffice. Get to know your sushi chef and sit at the sushi bar. order some sake and send it back to the kitchen to make some friends. read more

What a great little spot tucked away on the side! Went in and were immediately greeted and seated at the table we were eying. Even though the menu was not what I would call elaborate, what they did have was all very tasty looking on the menu and also imaginative rolls (for the price). I had the rainbow and fashion rolls which were both melt-in-your-mouth delicious. Avacado was so fresh and ripe that the it literally was hard to tell from the texture of the tuna. Started off with the Unagi tempura, which was something I had never seen before. Very tasty! I liked the ambiance and walking in you can definitely tell that the fish is fresh from the smell (fresh sushi smell, not "sitting in a fridge for 2 days smell) and the interior both funky and inviting. If you have a small group, I would recommend trying to get the front booths - they looked super fun! read more

One word: YUMMMMMMMMM!!! By far my favorite Chicago sushi stop, Sai always offered fresh sushi, friendly service and a comfortable decor. By far my favorite was the spicy tuna which was the closest I'd ever had to my all-time favorite sushi place in the world (yes, literally of all the places I've been in the world)-- Sushi Aki (now Yagumo Sushi, which, if you are in Van Nuys, CA, you MUST go to because its amazing, strip mall sushi at it's absolute BEST). Worth a stop, especially after an afternoon of shopping on Armitage. read more

I have to start out by saying I LOVE sushi and have been to many, many sushi restaurants in Chicago. I went to Sai Cafe years ago and didn't really care for it. Every time since, whenever people have mentioned it, my response has been, "Eh, I've had better." Well, I went to a friend's house the other night and he lives just a few doors away from Sai. When we decided to order dinner, he suggested Sai. I figured it was close, so why not. After eating dinner that night, I must take back any bad things I've said about Sai in the past. It was absolutely wonderful! We ordered a bunch of different dishes - tempura, a rice dish, maki, edamame, etc. It was ALL amazing. Especially the maki. I ordered the Spicy White Tuna Crunch roll. It was DELICIOUS. And, it was a pick-up order, so you know it sat for a little bit. NOT a problem whatsoever...it was PERFECTION. So, Sai Cafe, my apologies. I will never doubt you again. read more

Awesome sushi. Love the hot towels they bring you when you sit down. Not sure what all the service complaints are in other reviews, but ours was great- very attentive from multiple people. Highlight: Fashion Roll - tuna, avacado, mayo, crab, other goodness Lowlight: Spicy White Tuna Crunch - I don't like when tuna is prepared this way in a roll (the consistency is mushy- yick!) read more

Good sushi near Wicker Park - yea! Coming from California lends you to be a bit of a sushi snob, particularly in SF where it's so abundant, fresh, and reasonably priced. This place meets those marks: Starter - vegetable tempura +/- shrimp, essentially my boyfriend and I end up fighting over each piece and always wishing it were twice as big Nigiri - I judge a sushi place by hamachi and sake nigiri. They've always been succulent, fresh, and again making me want more! Maki - usually get one of the specials, never disappoints. Only bummer is the wine. I've been under-impressed (particularly for the $9 glasses) and have had to send a glass back before. (First time I've done this ever). Oh well, no problem just drink Sapporo instead. read more

I live less than 2 minutes from this place have never ventured inside because it looks pretty shabby from the outside. After a year of neglecting Sai Cafe, I had a craving too strong to stay away. I'm sure glad I got over it because not only is the place larger and nicer than expected, the sushi is top notch. We got the sashimi platter and udon to share between the two of us. The sashimi platter was beautifully done with thick slices of bright, colorful sashimi. Each piece was melt in your mouth delicious except two that seemed to be almost frozen! The udon was also very good with chewy noodles and crispy tempura on the side. I think the broth was a tad bit on the sweet side, but it was still delicious! I'm so glad I ventured into Sai Cafe and will definitely be back. This is no bootleg AYCE low quality joint; though don't get me wrong- I'm not saying I don't love those places as well (Sushi Para II). Sai Cafe focuses on their quality and it definitely shows. Can't wait to go again! read more

Sai Cafe - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The key to this 3-star review is that I went in with a taste for a noodle-based dish, and with a friend who doesn't eat sushi. As soon as I glanced at the menu, I could see we made a poor decision on restaurants. They only have about 5 dishes that aren't sushi or fish related. We ordered the Japanese Style Fried Rice and the Yaki Soba. We shared both dishes. They were by no means disappointing, it was just a bummer that they were literally the only two things that we considered ordering on the whole menu. Also, portions weren't huge - we were full when we left, but we definitely finished everything with out a leftover scrap. On a side note, the atmosphere was fairly up-scale. Very dark and not too many tables. It would make a good date place. Bottom line, only go to Sai Cafe if everyone in your dining party likes and wants sushi. read more

Any seafood lover would love Sai Cafe. The sashimi (yellowtail, salmon, tuna, etc) are always fresh there. I tried toro (fatty tuna) there once and it was the most delicious fish I have ever tasted! It was pricey but it's so worth it! First bite of toro melted in my mouth. The texture was simply amazing. The hand rolls are magnificent, especially the scallop hand rolls. The creaminess of the scallops with a sprinkle of flying fish roe indulges your taste buds like no other. read more

In a city the size of Chicago you'd think finding somewhere decent to sit down at a sushi bar, grab some niniri and watch the master behind the counter would be easy, but you'd be wrong. Many places, chains shamefully included (but indulged upon for the simplistic and flavor coverings like spicy mayo and masago) over cook the rice and aren't sure what to do with a fresh cut of fish, or proper deicing to offer their version of "fresh." This place gets it right. Big on the actual fresh fish fare and minimal on the flare and soy indulgence so many others seem to think are necessary, the chefs here focus on cutting a prefect sashimi and pairing it with delicately prepared rice that doesn't overwhelm and mask the fish's flavor. The fish is honest, well prepared, portioned and presented as if a little gift just for you (and your guests if you are generous and share, I do not.) My new favorite here, replacing the my first love the Volcano Maki, is the Halloween Maki, it is perfection in a roll. Try it. Well worth the adventure of change. I'm a self proclaimed slut for dumplings and their gyoza does the trick for me here. It is second place to the sushi, and I don't come just for the dumpling, but when in Rome...I must indulge. Guest's I've dined over time with have tried alternative fare such as the Tempura U-Don Noodles (which were well cooked, not mushy and well seasoned,) Sukiyaki and some assorted cold appetizers. We've never been disappointed and this will continue to be a regular stop on my trekk home. read more