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    Sai Cafe

    4.1 (405 reviews)
    Closed Closed
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Order Sai Cafe Takeout or Delivery

    Sai Cafe Photos

    SAI CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Sai Cafe

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    Soft Shell Crab, Tempura Udon Noodles, Sukiyaki
    Tracy L.

    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.

    Salmon Gone Wild
    Claire L.

    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!

    Choir
    Dorothy S.

    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.

    The claw!
    Mancow M.

    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.

    Volcano Maki
    Minh P.

    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

    Halloween Maki And Spicy White Tuna Crunch
    Nick B.

    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.

    Gyoza!
    Rebecca C.

    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!

    Dragon Maki, Unagi Maki
    Mariya S.

    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.

    Courtney R.

    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 :)

    Crystal N.

    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.

    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!
    Angeline V.

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

    Sashimi Entree

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    8 years ago

    Ordered omakase and was truly amazed! Wonderful experience. Our go-to place for sushi downtown.

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    Page 3 of 11

    Ask the Community - Sai Cafe

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    Gaijin

    Gaijin

    4.3
    (797 reviews)
    2.3 mi
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    Gaijin may be a small restaurant, but it makes a big impression the second you walk in. The dining…read moreroom isn't huge, but it has this lively energy that makes it feel exciting instead of crowded. I even was able to watch the chefs cooking just a few feet away. I could hear the sizzling from the grill, smell the food cooking, and by that point I was more than ready to eat. Our server was really nice and gave us a bunch of recommendations. Everything sounded good, but I ended up going with the Pork Belly Yakisoba. This dish was packed with flavor. The noodles had that smoky, slightly charred taste, and they were coated in just enough sauce to make every bite rich. The sauce brought a nice balance of savory, a little sweetness, and plenty of umami that soaked into the noodles. The pork belly was easily the best part. It was incredibly tender and juicy, with just enough fat that it practically melted in your mouth. Every piece had those caramelized edges that added even more flavor. Then you get the crunch from the cabbage and bean sprouts, the freshness from the scallions, and the little nutty flavor from the sesame that tied everything together. Hahaha I'd definitely come back. This is one of those dishes that sticked with me long after I left.

    There are few places in general across the US that serve up okonomiyaki, so I was thrilled to find…read morethis spot near my office. Ultimately, the food was just ok. I got the pork okonomiyaki lunch set and added a fried egg to it. I like that the table has a built in grill to keep it warm (I'm a slow eater, so this is extra beneficial for me). The bacon was quite salty, compounded by the okonomi sauce. Hoping the kombu vegetables would offset this, I mixed them into each bite to no avail. The pandan coconut mochi donut holes I chose were probably the highlight. They were crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside, and there was ample sauce for dipping. I think some people would find the service top notch here--constantly checking in on me and keeping water refilled. I guess that came with a cost: 3% service charge automatically applied, and the server proactively brought over a digital payment system, so the 18% tip I selected calculated off the total leading to what was essentially a tip of 23%.

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    High Five Ramen

    High Five Ramen

    4.0
    (1.1k reviews)
    2.4 mi
    $$

    First time here we were seated immediately! It was Thursday night around 10ish I'll say. The staff…read morewas super friendly and helpful! Very welcoming and attentive, but then again it's a hidden little ramen spot where everyone's huddled up at a bar pretty much lol The food was absolutely delicious! I got their signature ramen and the pork just melted in your mouth. Noodles were 10/10, broth even better.! Will be coming back for sure. Hopefully we have a similar experience with waiting and dining

    I never leave negative reviews, but this experience was unacceptable. On 7/18/2026 at approximately…read more9:30pm-9-45pm My friend and I were waiting for our ramen, we watched one of the kitchen staff check the noodles by reaching into the bowl with his bare fingers, pulling out some noodles, and putting them directly into his mouth to taste them. Then wiped his fingers on a dirty rag and proceeded to finish making the bowls. A short time later, we were served that same bowl of ramen. Watching an employee use their bare hands and mouth on food that was then served to a customer was extremely concerning and completely unacceptable from a food safety and hygiene standpoint. It ruined the experience and made us lose confidence in the restaurant's food handling practices. I hope management takes this seriously, retrains their staff on proper food safety procedures, and ensures this doesn't happen to anyone else.

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    Entrance into the restaurant, located in the basement
    Entrance into the restaurant, located in the basement
    Ramen
    Ramen
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    Orange slush
    TenGoku Aburiya

    TenGoku Aburiya

    4.1
    (154 reviews)
    2.5 mi

    I love this spot! I will say ive only been for brunch, but I went back to back weekends I had such…read morea great time! High quality sushi and great service. Its a cute spot and very nice and clean!

    The staff are nice, the interior is clean but uninteresting, and the food is disappointing. The…read moremenu is also formatted badly, the udon lunch set comes with a standard "plain udon" that isn't even on the menu as far as I can tell. The way it's written implies that you can choose an udon from the udon section, not the case. Minor gripe, but annoying nonetheless. The maki is fine, spicy tuna was bland but decent quality and the shrimp tempura maki was good but also lacking. Personally I prefer a spicy tuna with more tuna texture and this is basically puree, personal preference I guess. The udon is where my meal fell apart. For a lunch menu focusing on udon I expected a more flavorful broth and noodles that weren't overcooked. It's not like the underlying flavor is bad or anything, it's just barely there at all. The dashi is very weak and one dimensional, and the noodles taste like plain flour with a spongy overly soft bite. The toppings are extremely basic, I can't even comment on them because I'm not sure if I hallucinated them having any flavor or not. They might as well not exist. The shredded cabbage side salad is also mediocre. Dressing was weak and the cabbage could've been cut thinner. People I went with told me "maybe you just got the wrong things" but I don't think a chef should have losing items on their menu to begin with. Overall quite disappointed considering the name attached to this place.

    Photos
    Interior
    Interior
    Green Tea Sesame Pudding
 OR
 Ice Cream w/ Senbei
    Green Tea Sesame Pudding OR Ice Cream w/ Senbei
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    Mako

    Mako

    4.4
    (196 reviews)
    2.3 mi
    $$$$

    We went for my birthday dinner this year and wow did it ever over impress! The restaurant is TINY…read moreand we were seating at the counter with 3 other couples. The ambiance is reserved but comfortable and people were dressed from casual nice to more formal. The chef in front of us chatted a bit and was very friendly, happy to answer questions while he was prepping our next course. We had the matched wine courses as well and every one of them was a perfect hit for the course served. The service and the food were simple amazing. I would suggest this to anybody looking for the best Omakase experience in Chicago!

    Masterclass in sushi, but the hospitality falls flat…read more I booked Mako for a special occasion, landing a rare 6:00 PM spot. The 23-course Omakase ($890 total for two, including two drinks) was culinary perfection,exquisitely crafted, beautifully presented, and fascinating to watch from the bar seating. The restaurant's interior is clean, moody, and Zen-like with dramatic lighting on the prep area. It starts off pin-drop silent, but as the night progresses, the room warms up into a pleasant communal energy. Unfortunately, the service did not match the quality of the food. The atmosphere among the staff was cold and stiff. Roles were confusing (asking for a oaper napkin resulted in odd glares), and when my guest unrolled their wet towel (oshibori), a staff member scolded them for not "pinching" it correctly. Furthermore, after calling ahead regarding a birthday, I was told they couldn't accommodate a candle or small dessert. Handing out a signed paper menu at the end of the night feels like a cheap substitute for real celebratory effort at a Michelin-level price tag. The chefs are brilliantly trained, but the awkward hospitality and rigid micro-aggressions meant we left without that warm, satisfied feeling you expect from fine dining. Great food, but the overall guest experience needs work.

    Photos
    Wall behind the chef area
    Wall behind the chef area
    The very first appetizer, not on the final food list
    The very first appetizer, not on the final food list
    Sakuramasu (cherry salmon)

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    Sakuramasu (cherry salmon)

    Sai Cafe - sushi - Updated August 2026

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