Affordable and fresh sushi! Had heard of the location from others in Evanston and am glad to have stopped by!

I came here on a rainy afternoon for lunch and the tempura udon set really hit the spot! On top of the extensive menu, there is also a grocery store within the restaurant with an array of (pretty authentic!) Japanese snacks and fare. When you step inside, the decor is simple yet comforting. The best, yet underrated, part is the unlimited hot barley tea--it pairs perfectly with your meal. There is also a lot of options for sushi rolls which seemed popular--I'll have to try it in my next visit. The tempura udon set comes with a side of a California roll. The udon had a very rich broth and the tempura was crispy, sitting gracefully on the soup. The set all together is only about $10 which is a great deal for the hefty proportions. I also ordered a side of takoyaki which is served cold, but if you order in, you can ask them to have them heat it up for you. It's a bit of a walk from Northwestern, but there is a CTA 201 bus stop that is only a ~5 min walk away! read more

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I was at a party last night that used Sea Ranch's party trays, and I was impressed. I hadn't been here before, but after trying some varieties last night and browsing the menu, I can't wait to order a full meal (and maybe the vegetarian party tray, because that looks epic). The prices seem super reasonable, and the kappa (cucumber) maki and the California rolls were very tasty, even an hour or two into the event. It tasted fresh, the presentation was lovely, and the people throwing the party said they use Sea Ranch often and have always had a great experience. I look forward to grabbing lunch here sometime soon! read more

We had a good dinner here! This is definitely a hole in the wall, I loved how it was also a mini grocery store! The service is a little slow but the food was pretty flavorful and the portions are large. The menu is pretty simple but it works. My husband really liked his tuna bento box and I loved my tuna and California rolls! read more

Sea Ranch - Seafood Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

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Not enough stars for this gem! Absolutely amazing. Hubs has come for years since their old location and I've never had a change to try it, until today. Now I see what he's been talking about! Easily #1 sushi I've ever had. read more

Sea Ranch - Left to right: Futomaki roll (OMFG, YUM) , Spicy Veggie Ranch Roll , Rainbow Roll, Spicy Tuna Roll - Seafood Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

Oh Sea Ranch, I love you so much. I've been a patron for several years now, and after eating yet again this weekend I have confirmed: this is still one of my favorite places to eat in Chicago(land). One thing I have noticed about Japanese food in Chicago is that it is overwhelmingly just sushi or ramen. Maybe the occasional bento. What I appreciate about Sea Ranch is that it offers more than the standard fare. Not only does the different noodle/broth selection open up, but it's actually delicious, not just an afterthought from the main thing on the menu. What Sea Ranch delivers without fail is quality in relationship to price. Sure, there are other places I could get sushi at. But none would be as well priced and tasty as the Ranch. The fatty tuna. The salmon. The yellowtail. It's always spot on. By far, my favorite menu item is the shrimp tempura udon, it's so tasty and filling. The dark broth smells like comfort to me for any winter day off the lake. Together with the complimentary hot barley tea, it wards off any freeze. The ultimate underdog is the takoyaki. Despite being chilled and microwaved to eat in store, there's seldom a place you can get flavors of this quality for the same price of $5. Nowhere else would I rave about takoyaki that you have to reheat! The ginger, seaweed, and bonito are layered perfectly. The atmosphere is simple, clean, and wholesome. The benches and chair mats remind me of some old school sushi spots I went to as a kid. I love a dessert option in the form of a small matcha ice cream, or a packet of Chocoshrooms. I love that I have brought so many friends here to share, who inevitably love it too. I thank you, Sea Ranch, for being there for me when I lived on the Far North side of Chicago, and as a place to return whenever I am visiting Evanston. read more

Sea Ranch - Takoyaki that can be found in the cooler. - Seafood Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

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Sea Ranch is one of two Evanston-ish area establishments to make me feel like I'm back in Asia (the other is H-Mart in Niles which is a wonderful, joyous place in its own right). There are two main things that are special about Sea Ranch that the other sushi joints in Evanston just can't match: 1) It is also a delightful mini-mart full of Asian groceries. The selection is small but mighty, filled with household essentials such as: instant ramen (the quality stuff, not the Maruchans), sushi ingredients, rice, condiments, mochi, Asian snacks, and more. Serious snackers know that Asian snacks just hit differently. Sea Ranch is a great option for my fellow AAs when H-Mart feels too far and you're too worried about getting your identity stolen to use Chowbus. 2) Shockingly good quality sushi at shockingly low prices. These prices make no sense (in a good way) for overpriced Evanston. The majority of the "basic" fish sushi rolls are ~$5, with veg ones going as cheap as $2-3 (to be clear, these are smaller than your average rolls... but not *that* much smaller). On the high end, you can get Uni and Toro here for an exceptionally reasonable price. For the extra good dealz, check out the combos and mini bowl sets. I'm a fan of the Chirashizushi, which is absolutely loaded with fish. The one thing I will add to temper expectations is that the udon and ramen are kind of homestyle - the broth is a bit blander than some of the premium ramen joints that prepare their broth over multiple days. With that being said, they're still tasty and, at these prices, it has never bothered me. read more

Favorite place to go for lunch I love the Mini Unagi Udon Set. I sometimes go here weekly it's so good. read more

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Simple, clean, unassuming, affordable and convenient. Sea Ranch is a great place to get a fresh bite to eat if you have a hankering for some seafood. My sashimi platter had some great pieces of fish along with some delicious sesame oiled seaweed, and my coworker was shocked with how big her mixed veggie roll was. I am looking forward to my next visit! read more

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Sea Ranch is amazing! I ordered from them through doordash-- 2 sweet potato tempura rolls with soy paper. They used korean yam, which was so tasty! The portions were huge and the pink soy paper was pretty. I definitely recommend this place, super unique rolls and quality sushi. read more

Sea Ranch - Spicy Asian Sweet Potato Tempura Roll - Seafood Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

Best AYCE sushi in Evanston. Don't even bother with Todoroki's. Even though it's pricey ($27-28 including tax), it is definitely worth it mainly for the fresh fish and the creative but carefully made rolls. My favorite is probably the Tornado roll. Their nigiri are also pretty solid. Sea Ranch also has a lot of nice combination sets, especially the chirashi udon mini bowl set. If you dine in, they offer free barley tea (and they post a huge list of its health benefits!). I've also gotten delivery quite a few times and they're timing is pretty good. I love that they don't have a minimum order if you want to get delivery. Their grocery is extremely convenient for grabbing Japanese groceries when you don't want to make a trip out to H-mart. Sometimes they have random sale items that are super cheap, so make sure to check that shelf out! read more

Sea Ranch - all you can eat sushi - Seafood Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

A great place for takeout sushi. On top of really great quality and service, it's located in a really lovely area.

Sea Ranch is a lovely hole in the wall restaurant / Japanese grocery store. I enjoy being able to stop by the shop and pick up ingredients for cooking and get some delicious vegetarian sushi. I've enjoyed their inari sushi, kanpyo rolls, and ume shiso cucumber roll. They also have a great tan tan ramen set that comes with a tasty cucumber avocado roll. The inari was my personal favorite because it's hard to find this at many sushi bars. Their prices are super affordable for a ton of food! Would highly recommend if you're around Evanston and looking for a bit to eat. read more

Sea Ranch - Great sushi options!!! - Seafood Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

Okay restaurant in a very convenient location on Dempster opposite the Blind Faith Cafe. We ordered through the Yelp app and the app stated it would take one hour and 45 minutes for the food to be ready. We only ordered three items. I went into the restaurant and asked them and the cashier said they have been having issues with the Yelp app. Nonetheless the food was ready in about half an hour. Alright sushi, but we have had better. The tempura was soft on the exterior and tasted frozen. read more

Sea Ranch - Seafood Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

RUDE SERVICE! I used to go to sea ranch a lot, but the service from what appears to be one of the owners (older woman working the register) has made me not want to return. I asked her if I could replace one of the items (a California roll in the udon set for a tuna roll) & obviously I was willing to pay for replacements as I had done multiple times in the last 10+ years that I've been going here. Well, she yelled at me and told me " NO REPlaCEMENts!" I was shocked as I had gone many times and it had never been an issue before. Also I had never been yelled at before at a restaurant. She continued with her extremely unprofessional behavior for the next few minutes and yelled at me twice for such a simple request. She could have easily said no or that it would cost more. It honestly felt racially motivated as she then proceeded to yell at one of her hispanic employees. Then my udon soup had what appeared to be a piece of sponge in the soup... It's a shame because everyone else working there was very nice. That woman's terrible behavior alone has been enough for me to stop giving them my money after going there for 10+ years. She should not be working there if she has such a short fuse & racist... do better! read more

This is our neighborhood place and we are lucky that it's excellent and reasonably priced. Casual, friendly with first rate sushi, good ramen and convenient groceries. They stayed focused during the pandemic and kept feeding everyone despite the stree that time. Our kids love the high quality fish from Sea Ranch, which is funny because they refuse to eat cooked fish! read more

I walked in for an early dinner with a couple of friends. Interesting atmosphere, as a big part of the interior is a display of different Asian snacks (including pocky, ramen snacks, green tea kitkats, etc.) that you could browse and shop at before/during/after your sushi meal. We ordered the sushi supreme, red dragon, Hokkaido, and a combo of tuna+salmon+avocado rolls. These 4 items were just enough food to feed 3 people that were not that hungry. If you come in very hungry, I recommend ordering about 2 items per person. The sushi was pretty good, nothing too special. I don't think they advertise it, but they are BYOB. We called ahead of time to make sure they were and ended up bringing in a bottle of wine; they do have a wine opener if you ask for it. And we had to drink it out of paper cups, but it got the job done. read more

Sea Ranch - Hokkaido - Seafood Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

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Been coming here for years. Our go to. Always quick with good service. Not the fanciest decor but it doesn't need to be. Greta for a quick bite or carryout read more

Sea ranch has one of the best sushi options in eveanton for its price. You get a lot of sushi for not much money. They offer platters which is amazing if you are doing family style. Lots of options to choose from the menu. I give it a 4 star because I didn't eat inside. So I don't know how the service is. read more

First time visiting today and I am a believer. The person who helped us was so kind and patient and gave incredible recommendations. We loved every single roll, which at least for me doesn't happen too often when I go for sushi. Yellowtail with jalapeño, avocado and tobiko - our favorite. I think this is not on the menu/is a special right now? Spicy scallop roll - best I've ever had Sashimi roll - no rice, just various sashimi rolled in sheets of cucumber. So refreshing Canada roll - salmon, avocado and... other stuff? Really good :) Sweet potato tempura roll - nice veggie add to the mix Everything was so fresh and all the flavors, textures and temperatures were perfect. Great portions of fish in all the rolls too. It took us a while to decide because we were new to the menu and some of the specialty rolls don't have descriptions we could find. But that meant asking the nice person and finding out about rolls that weren't on the menu :) Pandemic notes: The person who helped us was also so on point with sanitizing tables and chairs outside each time people left. And all the patrons were super mindful too, everyone wearing a mask and allowing distance. There's also a plastic shield between you and the cashier. So happy to have found this place and hope they are doing well in this time and continue to. read more

Wow, not only do they have great sushi, but it is super affordable! Absolutely love this shop. You can go in and buy some fun groceries including ice cream! They also have some drinks and Sapparro beer. Their sushi menu is very extensive and also includes yakisoba. When I came they had some sushi pre-made and then you could order anything off the list. If you dont want to visit they also offer delivery. Their Philadelphia roll was the cheapest in town and the best in town. After our first visit we ended up ordering about 5 different rolls for two of us, and yes we did have leftovers. Great place and budget friendly! read more

Good.cool store...Japanese convenience store.David Chang made a convenience store dinner one of his shows

Came for the restaurant but had a great time browsing the mini market of Japanese snacks and seasonings. We came before lunch hour at 11:30AM and the restaurant quickly filled up around noon. The interior is clean and simple, with several seating options. My friend had recommended the sushi, but I was sick so I opted for a Plain Udon Set with the california roll replaced by the vegetarian option. I couldn't have been happier with my meal. Simple, flavorful, and fresh, not to mention affordable with generous portions. The complimentary hot barley tea was just the cherry on top of my great experience. Of our group of four, a friend ordered the ramen and two others had a sushi sets. Everyone was happy with their orders. Had no problems with service either. So glad I gave this place a go, and will definitely be recommending to others! read more

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I'm a sushi lover living in Evanston and Sea Ranch is a great no fuss quick service place with quality sushi. Been here and tried one of their set meals of ramen and california roll (not my favorite) and have also tried the All You Can Eat. The ramen soup base tasted like out of a package and ramen didn't come with any pork/meat which is a must for me. California roll was perfect. With the way I eat sushi, the All You Can Eat is the best bang for buck. For about $27 (including tax), you get generous rolls with a good amount of fresh fish and not too much rice. Their spicy mayo isn't the spiciest and their miso soup is not consistently good, but the most important - sushi - is. It's a half grocery store and some seats and table for diners so don't bring a group larger than 4ppl in here. There is one table that can seat 6 but if it gets busy, you'll have to wait. read more

Sea Ranch is a weird combination of sushi restaurant and mico Asian market. They carry a few hard to find Asian ingredients such as various noodles, seaweed, rice crackers, candies, drinks and condiments. There aren't a lot of places in Evanston to buy good seafood. I've been disappointed with the various markets and even Whole Foods. Sea Ranch has a very limited offering of fish--the day I was in it was basically tuna and salmon--but it is of very high quality, and they sell the sushi cuts separate from fish better suited to cooking. As far as a restaurant, the ambiance is a non-started for me. It's basically like eating in the aisle of a small store, because that's exactly what it is. read more

Sea Ranch - Interior - Seafood Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

Sea Ranch Sushi is in my opinion the most underrated, no-frill restaurant in Evanston. For $10 and change, you get a bowl of Udon and an avocado roll, along with access to a self-service beverage station (green tea, barley tea, and hot water). The food is simple, the staff is super courteous, and the value is unbeatable! read more

Sea Ranch - Seafood Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

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Evanston has a ton of hidden gems. This is definitely once of them! The layout of this place is something you would normally not see. It is half market to the left and half restaurant to the right. Sometimes its a little difficult to find Asian ingredients so this place maybe your spot if you are in the area. They have teas, frozen desserts to rare Japanese snacks. The food here is amazing! The sushi is high quality and is always very tasty. I love that they also have other dishes such as soba noodles and Udon! This place doesn't really stand out and I feel that its pretty hidden. Check this place out if you are ever in the area! read more

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Roll was really great. I would return. My one complaint was the rice wasn't real sushi/sticky rice Other than that it was awesome and the staff was very friendly. read more

The ramen is fantastic. Sushi was also good but the ambience is different from any sushi place I've been to. It was a store and you had to order at the counter and get served. read more

Sea Ranch - Shoyu ramen - Seafood Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

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Food is amazing. High quality. Service is garbage. It's Disgusting the way they treat customers. The blonde lady manager/hostess/server/whatever she is, was one of the most rude classless people I have ever met in my life. She seemed angry we even showed up. Will not be back. read more

An Evanston gem! Great sushi , nice people. My daughter and I love this place! Highly recommend.

Hands down favorite sushi I've had in the Chicago area. It's lowkey, straightforward, not overpriced, and good quality. If you are the type who likes "sushi" that's a bunch of random fried stuff tossed in a roll then this might not be your place, although they do have options for everyone in my opinion. This is real sushi, with good, well seasoned rice, and a great little grocery selection to boot. BEST inari I've ever had. I wasn't even really an inari fan before coming here! Now I get a few every time we order. I really appreciate the atmosphere, there are no gimmicks or fuss, you just get what you come for, which is great food. We bike up to Evanston from Rogers Park just for this place. I hope it's around for a long time. :) P.S. Most charming mascot/logo in the world, I am a very proud owner of a Sea Ranch shirt. read more

Good Vibe, Interesting Options, Average Sushi Sea Ranch sushi offers a really interesting restaurant setting, half Japanese grocery store half sushi restaurant. This gives you a experience similar to those that you'll find at H-Mart, and the impeccable cleanliness of the restaurant and its fantastic organization will actually remind of you being in similar shops in Japan. The food itself is not terribly delicious, but there are still several upsides to the restaurant. The food at Sea Ranch actually has some unique menu items that I have not seen at Koi / Todoroki. They offer a unique spicy salmon glaze that actually tastes quite good and a unique shrimp appetizer that I haven't seen before. While the sushi doesn't quite match that of Koi or Todoroki (although neither of them particularly serve great sushi), Sea Ranch has a much better sense of authenticity. Also, Sea Ranch becomes a great deal when they offer two rolls for six dollars which is a classic lunch special! Overall Sea Ranch is well kept, well organized, and well run. I would recommend a quick pop in during lunch for an interesting experience! Protip: Grab some traditionally Japanese snacks at the store. You will not be disappointed. read more

Sea Ranch - Seafood Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

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Wow, haven't been here since the college days. Not sure if SR used to have this deal, but for $23, you can do an all you can eat sushi buffet. Sushi buffet - you know you luffet! Heart. But note that if you leave food on your plate, you will be charged for it. The order forms even have this line highlighted in yellow marker. I interpret this to mean they ain't joking. I ate about $36 worth of rolls, the highlight being the rainbow roll and the only one I would reorder. The dragon roll had way too much sweet, overpowering sauce oozed over the avocado slices. It definitely could have done without that touch. Overall, the sushi isn't the best quality you'll ever have. If you're a frequenter of this place, ask for a stamp card. For every $10 spent, you get a stamp, and after 50(!) stamps, you get a $10 gift card. You have plenty of time to complete this mission though; offer expires in 2013. read more

Sea Ranch - dragon and rainbow roll - Seafood Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

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Sea Ranch is a gem of a place in Evanston. It is owned and operated by true Japanese, which is honestly hard to find for many Japanese stores. They have a small grocery which offers tons of authentic Japanese items (frozen udon, yakisoba, snacks, sauces, refrigerated items as well). The prices are the same or a tiny bit inflated from what these items would be at H-Mart, which is where I had been driving all the way to to find Asian items in this area. The sushi and sashimi that they sell are also fresh and perfect for sushi-at-home. The sushi melts in your mouth and is better quality than the sushi restaurants in this area (Koi, Kansaku, Dozika). I buy tuna, salmon, mackerel, even yellowtail collar from here and it's all been incredible! I am so happy to have found this amazing place and I will be back happily. I love supporting this local place. read more

Not a fan of this place. Sushi is made to order but they do have some you can grab and go. The rolls were tiny and for the price you could get a better deal elsewhere. Small area to sit at, street metered parking was available. Would not go again. read more

I've been coming here for a good number of years, but I think I will be taking my business elsewhere from now on. The service here is ABYSMAL, and it keeps getting WORSE. Some of the employees here have no idea what "customer service" is, it seems. The management needs to start training the employees better because the lack of training is incredibly apparent. This week, I came in to order take-out in the wake of the ban on dining in. The ladies working during this time treated me like I was diseased, only peeking their head out of the door. They told me to call to order (I was right outside!!!) and then slammed the door in my face. Unbelievable! The food here was amazing before. It's still good, but there are times when I feel like the quality of the food/presentation has gone down, especially for things such as the goma ae. If you still insist on coming here, I recommend the dragon roll. read more

Great variety of sushi and the prices are very reasonable. Also some interesting non sushi Japanese cuisine. The sushi is freshly made and portions are awesome. Stop by and enjoy forget Whole Foods or Mariano's sushi it can't compare and you don't get nearly the amount of fish to rice ratio as you do here. read more

I have been to Sea Ranch a number of times. The sushi is perfectly good, but I usually have to ask for chop sticks, because they don't provide them (or maybe forget). It is nice that the restaurant contains a Japanese grocery section. I have never eaten inside, so I can't comment on table service. The ambiance is 'brightly lit." I have a gripe that I can't get over: They package everything in #6 plastic. Using plastic, while we all know that it causes people and animals to ingest micro-plastics, is bad enough; but #6 is the most difficult to recycle. (Most communities won't even accept it.) And then they put the plastic container into a plastic bag. I just can't abide by this. There are sustainable, after all, biodegradable options for containers, as well as paper bags for carry out. read more

The. Best. Sushi. In. Evanston. Hands down. Though the looks of the store may be off putting, trust me when I say the quality of sushi and food at Sea Ranch is unbeatable. Don't waste your time and efforts at Koi or Todoroki. Sea Ranch is the only place I come to for sushi. It NEVER disappoints. The Hokkaido roll is amazing every time. The udon combo is a steal. Everything here is amazing. read more

Sea Ranch - a variety of sushi on plates - Seafood Near Me - Evanston, Illinois