Ordered takeout from Sea Ranch this afternoon. They're taking good safety precautions during the Covid-19 stay-at-home order. Food was ready quickly (within 20 minutes of order) and when I got there to pick it up, it was waiting at the front of the store for me. I didn't have to interact with anyone at all. I also got an email for $5 off a future purchase for ordering directly from their website! Sushi was fresh and tasty and also a great deal. This was my first time ordering from here, but as soon as we're finished with social distancing orders I'll definitely be returning with some of my sushi loving friends. read more

Sea Ranch - Sushi Superior combo ($15.90) and a Strawberry Ramune - Seafood Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

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Sipping the free barley tea here takes me somewhere. I don't know how to capture the feeling I get when I'm in sea ranch. It's a quaint Japanese grocery store combined with a sushi restaurant. Nothing is fancy here, but the quality of sushi is excellent for a very reasonable price compared to nearby sushi places. It feels like a shop I can step into if I were in the alleys of Tokyo. It feels like home. It's a place within a places. Familiar and unfamiliar. I like how this place has no gimmicks. It just serves consistently good quality sushi in a warm atmosphere. I've eaten here more than I've eaten in any other restaurant in Evanston. I've tried the sashimi and it's very fresh, served at the right temperature (not frozen). The fatty tuna roll is delicious and only 6 dollars. But I always end the meal with a sip of that barley tea. read more

Sea Ranch has been one of my family's favorite restaurants for a while. Now that I'm living only a couple miles from here, I get takeout and delivery frequently. The sushi is always incredibly fresh and delicious, and it's so reasonably priced too! There are so many options to choose from as well, so vegetarians and omnivores alike will be happy here. Delivery is done in house (not through a delivery app) and sometimes it can be a little slow, so I recommend ordering earlier. But it's always worth the wait! I would recommend this to anyone living in or visiting the Chicago area. read more

Sea Ranch - Miso soup, salmon roll with cucumber, tuna roll, yellowtail roll, ikura, and scallop - Seafood Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

I ordered this food at 5:23 pm. It's currently 7:04 pm. . I have been told that they aren't able to have my food ready since they are overwhelmed apparently. How about this Sea Ranch. Why don't you not take my money up front when you just can't complete the required request? I am sitting here watching your employees stare blankly ahead at the sushi counter, making endless attempts to correct the mistakes that your management has made. Regardless of how this sushi will taste, the treatment they give customers is utter nonsense. There are plenty of other words I'd like to use, but in this current culture I'd be villified for treating them the way they deserve. In short, your basically inept, your inability to run an actual business is crap. My wife and kids are both sitting in the car, waiting. Waiting since 6:24 when you said the food was ready. It's currently 7:05 and the food is invisible... Nice work, no excuses. Your business is in need of a nice eviction. read more

We ordered the 106 piece veggie party tray one night for dinner and it was pretty sad. The store, however, is convenient in a pinch if you need some quick Asian market pantry items. read more

The name 'Sea Ranch' invokes images of a western rodeo themed seafood buffet (YEEHAW), but this hole-in-the-wall could not be any more opposite of that. I came here last Saturday to pick up sushi for a lakeside picnic, and it was one of the highlights of my week! Situated around the corner from Trader Joes, Sea Ranch is half grocery store and half restaurant. They sell wares such as top-grade rice, nori, sauces, glistening fresh fish, and inviting candy. On the restaurant side, Sea Ranch peddles a number of sushi/sashimi combinations, ramen, udon, and soba! The food is extremely affordable for those on a student budget, and the staff is happy to answer any questions you may have. Sea Ranch recently did a tuna cutting demonstration of a tuna shipped in from Japan, and they sold cuts of the toro! What an absolute treat to be able to buy fresh chutoro in Evanston, Illinois. Discovering Sea Ranch was one of the most delightful moments of my week, and it has changed my Evanston dining experience. Sea Ranch has established itself as a staple on my tour de Evanston, and I will continue to be a loyal patron. read more

Grt sushi ,sashimi , good Japanese dishes prepared food ,friendly fair market pricing been going for years

Always great. Fresh sushi. Super service, very friendly. Great selection. Inventive rolls and the basics are executed well.

Their Sushi is quite good and they have cool Japanese snacks and goodies there. What really bugs me about this place is that they use styrofoam for pretty much all to go orders. Most restaurants in Evanston have switched to environmentally friendly packaging, but they refuse to follow suit. Styrofoam is the worst packaging from an environmental standpoint, given their prices I'm sure they could afford something better. read more

Sea Ranch is a weirdly wonderful place. It's a tiny Japanese convenience store with a sushi counter and a few tables for eating. It's kind of like a 7-Eleven but smaller. Also, forget any notions of Sea Ranch being cool, cute or kitchy. I can't recall any decorations; no anime figurines and no pictures of Hello Kitty. There are about two isles of wares and a counter with seafood (presumably sushi-grade). There is pre-packaged sushi too. Anyway, forget all that. I actually only have voyeuristic experience with the store part of Sea Ranch. I've gone there to BYOB and eat sushi with friends. That's a super dope and chill thing to do. It feels kinda hipster. There's a piece of paper with all of the menu-items (and prices) in two columns. You check off which ones you want, hand it to the cashier at the register and pay. Then they bring you your food to whichever small table you selected. There is a stand with hot and cold water and cups. We use those cups for our BYOB. I've greatly enjoyed the miso soup and maki rolls at Sea Ranch. There's a huge variety of rolls so I'm certain that everyone can find something they like - even vegetarians! They don't take reservations but I've never had an issue getting a table. Speaking of that sort of logistic, parking IS an issue. I've always parked in the public garage around the corner. I have to pay a few dollars for it, but it's better than vying for scarce street parking (and the street parking is also not free). INSIDER TIP: Any of their maki rolls can be made crunchy with tempura! TIP NUMBER 2: There is a tip jar on the sushi counter so bring cash. There isn't a way to tip with card. read more

Sea Ranch is my GO TO take out sushi place. I often take out on the way home from work when I crave for sushi/maki. I ALWAYS pick up maki whenever I go to Ravinia or millennium park picnic. Price is reasonable for the quality food and staff are friendly and courteous. read more

Portions are great and everything tasted very fresh. We got seaweed salad, a few rolls, salmon teriyaki, and chicken teriyaki. Everything was great! read more

The food is good but when you order an hour and 15 minutes before your preferred pick up time, and they accept the order, and you show up 10 minutes early and call in case it was ready early and they say no... all is fine. You are early after all. You then call 5 minutes after your pick up time... giving them an extra 5 and they say it's going to be 30 more minutes... I just can't as a mom who has kids home alone. read more

My husband came here today at exactly 12:00 to buy me some sushi for lunch. I had never been here before and he wanted me to try it. I didnt know what i wanted so he called me and he put me on speaker so i can ask someone that works there if they had for exactly what i wanted. A asian lady rudely raises her voice at him and says im busy right now. We understand lunch time can be busy but there was no need to raise your voice at him. I WILL be calling or going in to talk to a manager tomorrow as manager was not there today. And we WILL not be customers at this location again. read more

I don't know why this place has 4 stars. Been here twice. First time I had the shoyu ramen, which tastes like it came out of a package. Second time was today, and I just had an overall negative experience. 1. Came with 6 friends for all you can eat. Everyone in my group got a 5% wildcard discount, and when I went up to order, the staff realized they had made a mistake - the WC discount does not apply to AYCE. No apologies, and refused to budge. If I were the owner and made a mistake on my end for the 5 people in front of a customer, I wouldn't freak out about the $1.50 I would have "lost", especially since we were all together. Either that, or I would've been more polite about telling my customer about the mistake. 2. First time doing AYCE, and after I fill out the form I leave it on the sushi counter. The sushi chef starts lecturing me about how I should give it to the cashier and not give it directly to him. Okay... I'm sorry there were absolutely no signs or a bin showing me where to put the form once I was done. 3. Order takes forever to come out. Ugh. 4. Quality is okay. People seriously, if you think this is fresh sushi, please come visit the west coast. I will take you on a sushi adventure. Like actually. 5. My friend was greeted with a "you guys are ordering a lot" when he put in his second order. If you're not going to have the proper attitude to run an AYCE then don't do it. Don't be like that to your customers. Not coming back. Only plus was the asian dude running the cash register. He was a nice relief to an overall bad experience. read more

The first time that I stopped here was Friday November 17, 2006. (Don't ask.) I may recall the date due to reasons unrelated to the restaurant, but my only memory of the food is that the sushi was warm. Not warm, but room temperature, which just did not feel right in my mouth. The stuff tasted all right but was warm and a little mushy. No thank you. But, a few weeks ago I decided to give them another shot, and was very pleasantly surprised. The maki were not warm, and not icebox-cold, but just in that Goldilocks spot in between. They weren't mushy at all either; the fish was all top-notch. They knocked it out of the park with the yellowtail and scallion, a favorite standby, and the spicy sea scallop, something new to me. I also liked the shitake, which I use as my sushi dessert. They fell a little short on the oshinko, which I treat as sort of a side-dish roll. The pickles were nice and crisp but had barely any tang. But other than that one, the other three tasted better without any soy-sauce embellishment, which is always preferable. $14 for all that seemed like a good price. They also have numerous specials with various combinations of rolls, rolls and noodles, rolls and sashimi, etc etc. They also have an all-you-can-eat noodles and rolls for $19. Based on the photos, I want to come back to try a few of the noodle dishes. With warm weather approaching, I may have missed my chance for a little while, but when I'm feeling like a light, cool dinner this summer, I will be sure to hit up Sea Ranch. read more

Eh this place is a huge disappointment. I paid $16.50 for 5 of the slimmest pieces of sashimi in the chirashi bowl. People in Japan would be embarrassed by the quality and quantity of this sashimi. The roe tasted bland, BLAND!! Is that even possible?? Sadly it's probably thriving here because there's nothing even close to authentic Japanese food in the Northshore area. I feel bad for people who live here.... K I mean the place is cute and all but it's paltry compared to any Asian grocery store of sushi place I've been to. Avoid the sashimi here, it's not fresh and overpriced. I can see coming here if you're desperate but if you need your Asian groceries or sashimi, make your way to Joong boo or H mart, this place ain't worth your time or money!! read more

Sea Ranch - Count it, only 5 slivers of sashimi for $16?? Ridiculous - Seafood Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

Gross. You're probably better off staying away. My experience included Flys and not very fresh food. I feel I should have turned away after the initial smell when I walked in. The only thing that saved this place was the fact that it serves as a market too. read more

I do not know what kind of person I would be without Sea Ranch. Not only is the Evanston location ridiculously close to my apartment (meaning there's no reason not to go), but the variety of Japanese cuisine you can get here is amazing. Whether it's sushi rolls, udon, ramen, miso soup or sashimi you're craving, Sea Ranch has it all. I'm a salmon kinda girl, so I highly recommend both the Spicy Salmon roll (salmon + avocado) and the salmon sashimi, which I usually get in the sashimi combo ($7.95 for 6-7 pieces of your favorite sashimi). The udon here is also very tasty and great for cold days. Personally, I have a lot of trouble deciding what to get, so I usually end up going for one of their many combination sets, such as the unagi/udon or chirashi/udon mini bowl sets. They also have an all you can eat option, which is ~$26, I believe - slightly on the pricey side for me, but I'd be willing to try it out on a very hungry day. Green and barley tea is also free for customers who dine-in, which is a huge plus! They also have a nice section for Japanese groceries, which is very convenient as it's quite difficult to find Asian groceries in Evanston. As someone who constantly craves sushi, this place is a serious lifesaver for me, so definitely be sure to drop by Sea Ranch if you're in the area! read more

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Been here a few times for groceries, and for lunch and dinner as well. Really simple easy Japanese food, satisfies the craving when it comes and I can't get downtown for an extravagant, authentic meal. Sea Ranch is not the most fancy, but the combo sets are really worth the price and will fill you up! Would recommend for students in Evanston who want to be efficient with time and money, and you know what you'll be getting when you go. read more

Sea Ranch - Tonkotsu Ramen Set, Chirashi Udon Set - Seafood Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

I did see the sea ranch. Not by the sea shore, or with sea shells, but it was still interesting. I note that the dragon rolls and caterpillar rolls in particular have avocado on the rolls - if you're a fan of that (as I am), I think you will enjoy their rolls. Overall the quality is good and I did want to say I do agree with other reviews commenting on how it's not 80% rice 20% substance like some places tend to do. At $23 or so, I would expect that it'd be of decent quality, and it is. If you've ever seen sea ranch, the first thing that comes to mind is a grocery store - because it has one inside, essentially. Not necessarily sushi, but that is indeed how they shine. I did the all you can eat (AYCE) and we tried a soup that was....odd, if not a very unique flavor. I think my wife hated it, to be honest. I think the phrase was something like "Dead hobo soup". Meanwhile, the options for the sushi menu are pretty good and include decent appetizer options along with noticeably fresh edamame as well. Green tea included is also nice. I think I will come back here some time to check it out again. There wasn't much too it, so simply put: decent sushi, a little expensive, decent service. read more

Best sushi in Chicago. I live in Schaumburg IL and I drive an hour so I can get this delicious sushi so worth it

Although the prices aren't the best ever (c'mon, it's sushi... if you're getting a "bargain" it's probably not fresh), this is definitely as good as it gets for Evanston. I love that they don't dress this place up - it's literally eating in a little grocery shop - nice and casual. The fish here is some of the freshest I've ever had. I highly recommend the spicy scallop roll and their specialty rolls. I also would suggest that you try their ramen - it's so filling and perfect for cold days. Recently I just saw a sign there that their AYCE is going to be $25/person, which to me is a bit too much- not sure if it's worth it anymore (unless you're crazy hungry). read more

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One of my favorite Japanese places in town! A very authentic place! The sushi is great! Udon and ramen are okay! The soup is tasty, but there's no much meat/veggie in the soup. Unagi set is great! Moreover, there are lots of Japanese snacks and Japanese cooking things/ sauces. Great place to grab some Japanese groceries! read more

Sea Ranch - Unagidon set. - Seafood Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

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Visited again today and got the tonkotsu ramen set, which comes with a California roll that I substituted with a sashimi roll. I'm not a ramen connoisseur by any means, but the noodles were chewy and the broth was creamy and had a slight mushroom flavor, which I loved. The salmon roll had great flavor, and I could tell the fish was fresh. Friendly and relatively quick service, with pretty affordable prices and good portions (most sets cost about $9.99) means that this tops Todoroki any day in my book. I want to try the AYCE sometime! read more

Sea Ranch - Seafood Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

My favorite sushi place in the Chicago area, hands-down. I haven't seen so many roll options at the same place anywhere else, and there are tons of options that aren't "here's eight different variations on a tempura shrimp roll drowned in mayo." Also love how much they let you make changes to the available rolls, on top of all that. Lastly, big shout-out to their uni nigiri; hard to find anywhere else around here, and definitely not for that price. read more

I've been passing by Sea Ranch on the way to Jewel for a long time and I would look past it every time. But my friend said it was actually pretty good fish! I went on Friday for dinner with a couple friends because I heard that the sushi is always the freshest then. We got the supreme combo, the tempura udon (which came with a california roll) and a sashimi platter. The quality of the fish was good, but definitely too much rice so the fish to rice ratio was off. As for the sashimi platter, it was REALLY small. When my friend ordered, the cashier said that it was small, but for 8+ dollars we werent prepared for 6 small slices of sashimi (see photo). The plate was the size of a 4x6 photo. The cashier DID warn us though! But I definitely wouldnt pay 8$ for that. As for the Udon, it was fairly standard. Probably just the instant udon that I make at home :) All in all, I would say its not close to the best sushi I've ever had, but definitely the best sushi in evanston (I've tried todoroki and koi so far). I definitely will be back when I want sushi next! TL;DR Not FANTASTIC, but best sushi in evanston. read more

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I would say they have middle of the road, unpretentious sushi for a reasonable price. The fish selection is broad, all things considered, and the service is fast. The fish is acceptable- nothing amazing, but it is satisfying, especially for the price. I would say it is a level up from packaged store bought sushi, but definitely not at the level of gourmet. I am giving 4 stars because I think the price is reasonable for the quality. In the grand scheme of things, the sushi itself I think is 2-3 stars (with 1 or no star sushi being that packaged stuff in grocery stores). On a side note, I liked the very miniature "grocery store" of snacks and things inside the shop. They actually have somewhat hard to find things like organic natto and miso paste! If you're looking for Japanese condiments, noodles, curry, or high quality Japanese rice, they sell that too (in addition to pocky and similar treats). Could be a nice place to stop by for some of these non-perishables if you cant make it to one of the bigger asian markets in Chicagoland. read more

Sea Ranch - Chirashi box with miso soup 15$ - Seafood Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

Solid little sushi store. It is a little restuarant/mini mart. A good neighborhood place to stop by if you're ever craving sushi. It is very clean and simple inside. The selection of sushi is also simple but solid. There are some seating options there, but I noticed quite a few people coming for take out. The mini mart is my favorite part. They have a small good selection of products. Especially, they have some of the products that might be more difficult to find in typical grocery stores. In addition to sushi, they have noodles and udon. So fairly nice basic selection. The sushi as I said earlier is simple and decent. Nothing stand out, but you can get your simple maki rolls and it would be sufficient to satisfy a craving. n read more

Sea Ranch - Spicy roll set (#5) - Seafood Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

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Looking for great sushi? Sea Ranch on Dempster in Evanston is fantastic!! I recommend the Rainbow Roll. Fresh and so good!! read more

Sea Ranch - Seafood Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

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I'm not a fan. If you compare the selection/options available at House of Sushi or Sushi Para to this place, it don't compare. There just aren't as many options for the AYCE as those other places (and no included appetizer options either) and yet they charge the same price, plus the service is pretty slow. I came here with a group of friends and we were here for almost 2 hours, but were able to get in maybe two rounds before they were closed. I guess another thing is that I should stop getting AYCE options when I go out, although this time I didn't have a choice because you can only order that option for the entire table and everyone else wanted it. The sushi itself here is decent. But really, I don't have the urge to eat until I'm bursting inside and until each piece tastes the same as the last. read more

Sea Ranch - Seafood Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

High quality sushi, maki, sashimi, udon sets. Good and friendly service. Easy to order online and swoop by for pickup. Never disappointed.

If you're looking for sushi that's affordable and decent quality, I would highly recommend Sea Ranch. I've only ordered from Sea Ranch for delivery, which is a very convenient option when I'm craving sushi. I can't quite write about my experience at the restaurant since I've never been inside there, but I've driven by the spot several times and noticed that it's a small location with open glass and plenty of seating. What I like about this place the most are the sushi combos and various items I can choose from. I'm a big fan of their udon as well and really appreciate the size of the portions they serve as well. Sushi is usually fresh and delicious as well. Don't be fooled by the appearance of Sea Ranch from the outside. It really is worth a try if you are on a budget! read more

Excellent spot. Sushi is affordable and always on point, good temperature, evenly filled, rolls aren't too big. Perfect texture, amount, and flavor of rice in the sushi rolls. Staff are friendly and attentive, for takeout orders they ask how much ginger and wasabi and soy sauce you want, and they sell a variety of delicious snacks and kitchen ingredients, some of which are difficult to locate elsewhere. Sea Ranch is not only my go-to for sushi, it's also where I get my rice crackers and Japanese curry blocks, and where I get my miso soup fix when my stomach is on the fritz. It's also just a really bright, calm, joyful space to eat at. The worst thing I can say about them is that they're so popular sometimes there are no available tables-- which is fine, because it's just a quick walk to the lake, and the sushi tastes just as good on a park bench by the waves as it does in the restaurant. Love you guys! read more

I feel like the quality of the sushi varies from time to time. Most times, the sushi tastes amazing and is fresh, but other times, it's okay. As for ramen, I prefer Mitsuwa. Their ramen just doesn't compare. However, their sushi buffet is probably one of my favorites ($20?) and convenient if you want to go to a sushi buffet around the area. read more

Sea Ranch - Seafood Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

I went here per all the rants and raves on yelp. And okay the sushi was very fresh and the beef udon had an authentic flavor. Why only three stars you ask? The service! The waitress/cashier told us that it would take 45 minutes for our order (supreme sushi and beef udon set) which we were fine with since she explained that they were short staffed. The problem began when we sat down for our meal. She brought us 2 ramen and 2 california rolls. Umm.... I actually went up to her to show her the receipt so we can get what we paid for. The 2 ramen was for the table behind us and then she came back later to ask if we touched it. No, we actually know what we ordered! I swear she must be on something. I don't plan another visit anytime soon. read more

I like Sea Ranch. AYCE sushi quality is a bit better than Todoroki's imo, though it's been a while since I've gone for that and I heard they upped the prices again or something. Recently I just don't think I can get the same value I used to. I really like stopping by for a quick meal of noodle soup though. Their combos end up being almost $10 with 5% NU student discount and tax, but it's very filling and comforting. No meat in the ramen combos though :/ and they just come with a california roll. The soup is likely some sort of powder/mix flavor that I've found at the bottom of my bowl before, but the noodle isn't the dried fried kind and has a good texture. Sometimes worth the value of a comforting meal, other times... meh. The unagi rice + udon is nice too, 3ish pieces of udon and a half serving of noodles. I like coming here for a very quick, casual meal, and maybe shop around. There's a very limited selection of snacks (2 shelves) and a small freezer of ice cream at a noticeable upcharge, but if you can't travel far this is a good place to get a fix of mochi ice cream, or yanyans or koalas and shrimp crackers and whatevers. There's also a selection of fish (and other premade foods) near the fridge - looks pretty fresh though I've never bought any. What else what else. Oh! Bad for groups - learned that the hard way. Grubhub does delivery for $3.50 or something like that, and they're pretty quick and package things well separately so they keep. read more

The fish here is like any other Chicago land restaurant that uses frozen thawed out fish. The quality is very mediocre. The AYCE (all you can eat) has a very limited menu and for $26.99 (price change starting in Oct. 2014) per person, it's really not worth the deal. Every roll I had was a bit salty, must have been from the crunch. My favorite sushi is sake (salmon) but theirs was super fishy. I would like to say you get what you payed for, but in this case.. I'm sorry but I'd rather buy $27 worth of sushi someplace else & eat less, pay more but at least enjoy great quality sushi. Beware if you go for the AYCE, they make you pay for whatever wasn't eaten when you'll be pretty much full as hell after one roll. They don't over stuff the sushi with rice but for some odd reason something about the food makes you get fuller quicker than usual. I don't consider myself a sushi snob whatsoever but whenever I'm eating sushi & my brains says, "hey that smells funny you shouldn't eat it," It's legit! Your body is trying to tell you it's not good for you! read more

Sea Ranch - Mehh. Atrocious & fishy. Wanted to love it but I couldn't. - Seafood Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

I ordered takeout from here after seeing all the good reviews. The service was great for the short interaction when picking up. Unfortunately, I was rather disappointed given their rating and reviews. I felt the sushi was obscenely average, especially given the number of good sushi restaurants around Evanston. The ingredient quality did not seem very high with the tastes being on the bland side, comparable to common grocery store sushi. In addition, the tuna nigiri tasted overly fishy and slightly of blood. The tuna was off putting enough that I stopped eating and gave up on the meal. read more

Since posting my previous review I have continue to order pickup from Sea Ranch (they are by far the best sushi in Evanston) and the pickup experience has improved dramatically! Food is now consistently ready on time without issue. It is very surprising (in a good way) to see a business receive criticism and really modify their operation to address it and improve. read more