Top tier experience. It's more than just pictures, it's the real deal. It's better in real life. Walked in on a Tuesday, early hour with my date and we both have nothing but good things to say. The first impression was booming. It's a beautiful space. So beautifully decorated and thoughtfully put together. Kaylie our server and the bartender was great. Service was prompt and professional. Everyone had a smile and friendly attitude. The food was Lots of gluten-free options, which for me a huge plus. They have a whole gluten-free menu, that's nice to take out the guess work. Protip: Get the Seven Spicy Tuna of toasted rice or whatever it's technically called. (I'm close enough) lol. So good Great experience. 10/10 recommend read more

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We had a nice dining experience at Shakou on Main Street in St. Charles, Illinois. The dining area is beautifully, decorated, very glamorous with crystal chandeliers and blue velvet chairs. The service was excellent. Our server answered all of our questions, and was very attentive. We enjoyed the Seafood Miso Soup which was very flavorful and delicious. We ordered the Marine Salad with Marinated Tuna, Shrimp Fried Rice with a side of Sautéed Vegetables, and two orders of Yaki Udon. The portion sizes were very generous. The Marine Salad, Shrimp Fried Rice and Vegetables were very good. The Yaki Udon dishes were good, but we agreed that the dish overall was a little bland, something seemed to be missing. Next time we will try something different. Overall, a very nice dining experience. read more

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Parking was a-little difficult but we were able to find something a few blocks away. We were seated right away. This place is clean and well decorated. Service was good. We started with a Moscow Mule and it looked good and had lots of flavor but unfortunately not much alcohol. Pretty watered down. The Sushi also looked good but portions were very small and to be honest not very fresh. Just because it looks good it has to be fresh. Melt in your mouth. If you check my reviews I've been to many sushi places all over and I'm very fair with my reviews. The Sushi is fair but extremely over priced. read more

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I have eaten here a few times with friends and we have enjoyed it each time! So far we have enjoyed the various cocktails, appetizers, sushi rolls, and other entrees that we have ordered. The service is also, staff is very friendly. We also love the decor of the restaurant, the first time we were there we got some pictures because we loved it so much. read more

This place closed early April. No signs, no explanation. Big Disappointment. Owner should be smart enough to update Yelp with current situation. read more

This was a blast the service was quick and everyone is kind and nice. I personally don't eat much but when I went here I ate 3 entrees, 2 sides and a desert. This restaurant gives it's customers a experience. Me personally is coming back. --Stone Meyers read more

Shakou - St. Charles - Sushi Bars Near Me - St Charles, Illinois

I wanna start by saying I don't usually post reviews, however, this to-go order definitely deserved some attention (and not in a good way)! Snowy, cold Friday, Husband and I decided to order shakou take-out instead of going out. (Definitely not our first time). Normal-ish order, 2 signature rolls, 1 reg maki and app to split: ($75). We couldn't see any fish in the Flaming Hibachi- (21 starred signature rolls). It looked like soy paper w rice , lots of rice w a hint of something pink! I have never seen a roll look like this wo distinct piece of fish inside. Now, the kicker was the spicy tuna roll. That looked like a bed of poo on rice (and that is being nice)! I didn't get a pic of the 7spicy tuna app but it basically looked the like roll below in a rectangle. We have gotten take-out from here several times- clearly something has gone WAY WAY downhill!! read more

Shakou - St. Charles - Signature roll -can you find the fish? - Sushi Bars Near Me - St Charles, Illinois

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The bar tender Devin is awesome! I had a great experience! Really lucky to have her. We will come back, because of the service and great drinks. read more

Always a good time Shakou is more like a nightclub that specializes in sushi. I like going to Shakou with a group of friends because of the atmosphere. Everything feels new and upscale inside, almost like something you would expect in downtown Chicago, not the burbs. They play a variety of music but I'd say it's mostly club music or EDM. As for the sushi, it's good but expensive. I guess because the restaurant is more upscale they have more bills to pay. This is definitely not my favorite sushi place, but they have a large variety of sushi. They do have basic rolls like spicy tuna and Philadelphia roll, as well as having a signature roll menu. The signature roll menu is where they get really creative, but they are a lot more expensive than many other places I've been. So, if you're looking for a fun night out with a group of people I'd recommend coming here. If you are looking for really good sushi but don't care about the club like atmosphere I'd suggest going to another sushi place. read more

Delicious food, great drinks and wonderful Servers. Lots of parking space in the back. I highly recommend.

My husband and I got takeout sushi from shakou this weekend. It definitely hit the spot. So happy to find this spot so close to home. We have a shrimp tempura, spicy tuna, salmon avocado, and the volcano roll. All were delicious with plenty leftover for lunch tomorrow. We will definitely be back. The only comment for improvement would be the ordering online. We didn't receive a text or call when our order was ready for pickup. We placed the order for 815 pm pickup (because that was the only option) but showed up almost 30 mins early at 745 pm and the order was already ready. Would've been nice to get a text saying so! Otherwise everything was great. read more

Went for dinner with the family after a long event. We tried many different things as we over ordered. The food was absolutely amazing. I've been here several times and this place is always consistent. Our server was extremely helpful and polite. I suggest you try the lamb chops appetizer as they were cooked to perfection and very tender. The volcano roll is my favorite roll and even on a full stomach would have eaten more if there was any in front of me. 10 out of 10 read more

Great food, great service, ask for Justin as your server, he's wonderful! Can't recommend it enough!

One of several Shakous. On a Saturday night the cavernous St Charles interior felt impersonal. Very corporate,could have been a PF Chang's. Sat by a huge TV showing football is not my idea of upscale Asian dining. That was a mixed message in style, and not helped by the underdressed diners staring at the screen. Felt like a sports bar. Goyza potstickers were good. Beef spring rolls bland, tuna dip was OK. Music Ramen was fine as was a beer fried rice ( just need the half portion). Wine list is pretty dull with the usual lazy Kim Crawford and 13c Sauvignons and equv reds. Service was punctal yet impersonable by 830 place was empty... $140 in service for two left me underwhelmed. read more

Alway have amazing service. Sitting outside is lovely weather permitting. One of the only one places I've had escolar locally with shiso leaves. Delicious read more

My husband and I love Shakou! We go here pretty regularly on our dates, and although I usually get the same entree (chicken or steak teriyaki) we try new appetizers on a regular basis, and are never disappointed. A couple of our favorites are the pork dumplings and the egg rolls. The service is always super friendly, and the ambiance is amazing. We choose to sit out back during the summer season, but otherwise we prefer to sit upstairs when it is cooler outside. As for drinks, I always get the house blackberry mojito. They are to die for! If you want something different to change up your date, get together, or just to go somewhere new, Shakou is a really great place! They have a rewards program, so don't forget to sign up. :) read more

The food was spectacular. My wife got the Filet and I Tokyo Strip steak. Both excellent, service was nice. Ambiance was great. But we sat upstairs. In short blue living room chairs that were too short for the table. There are 2 sets of these chairs that don't pair well with the tables. Very uncomfortable. Arms up high to eat.. The odd thing was when it came time for desert. She ordered the Gelato, I the 2 scoops of ice cream. ($5) But when delivered I had 1 scoop? Not even on the menu. But even odder was on the bill it had 2 scoops ice cream $5 Then below that ice cream $2 So I got 1 scoop for $7. Now maybe they consider 1 scoop to be 2. But where did the extra $2 come in? Oh well read more

Everyone was very nice (hostess, waitress). The edamame was cooked perfectly, got my usual Midori roll which was yum, and just learned they made their Ponzu sauce in house which was addictive (came with the gyoza but I enjoy mixing things up.) I love the modern "club lounge" interior as well. Priced a little high so that's why I don't make the trip too often here, but when I do it's a treat :) read more

Was excited to finally try this place. Dining room was pretty. The service was slow to begin with. Drinks were watered down. The sushi was ok but not as good as I expected. A little fishy tasting and very overpriced. 23$ for one roll was a little too much for the quality that we got. read more

Very good on a Thursday night especially back patio. There is mounted TV on patio. Why? Ambience would be so relaxing without it. Turn it off? Service was excellent. Server on top of his game. Replaced corn chips on tuna tartar with his suggested cucumber slices. Nice! So fresh. 4 stars because its likely to be noisy inside and patio space could be more relaxing. Choose wisely and enjoy! read more

Great food and good martinis! Very cool vibe and ambiance. Good options for those who aren't fish or sushi lovers, so options for everyone. Within walking distance to other spots in downtown St. Charles so easy to make a whole night out if you want dinner followed by drinks or shopping! read more

This is a great fancy date night place. I actually picked up for take out and when I walked in I wished I was dressed nicer because I would have loved to stay. I just moved here from downtown Chicago and this reminded me of that type of restaurant. The sushi I ordered was very good. I tried spicy tuna, spicy tuna in a deep fried jalapeño (I dream about this one) and some Sake sushi. All very good. I've been told they have amazing martinis. I'll be trying one soon! read more

Shakou - St. Charles - Stuffed Jalapeo - OTG - Sushi Bars Near Me - St Charles, Illinois

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They were out of oysters at 6pm on a Saturday. The shumai soup was okay. The stuffed jalapeños were drowned in sauce; mushy and flavorless. The shrimp and veggie tempura wasn't seasoned at all - it was so bad we had to send it back. We opted out of getting an entree after our appetizer experience. Server was really nice and the ambiance is elevated, but that's about it. read more

First time coming to the one in St. Charles. It was a good experience, the service was great and the food was amazing!! The Pink Panther roll was outstanding, will come back! read more

Shakou - St. Charles - Ocean Drive Roll - OTG, Rainbow Roll - OTG, Pink Panther Roll - OTG - Sushi Bars Near Me - St Charles, Illinois

Great Ambiance! Order the 7 spicy app & the midori maki roll. So good! Plus they have Meomi Pinot Noir!

The calamari is AMAZING. My Golden lobster roll was good. My husband order the fried rice with extra beef and I am fairly sure that he had no extra beef. We came her many years ago and the thing that drove us away was the music. We came back tonight hoping for different music. It was still really bad house music. The food and Manhattans are good enough to bring us back but please please change the music. It is like accidentally showing up in a club in the 90s. read more

My husband surprised me for our anniversary but making reservations here. We walked in and like a few other reviews had mentioned the music was slightly too loud to hear the hostess and we were not sure if we were supposed to follower her or what she said once we got to our table but other than that the place is very nice and the music you did get used to quickly. The decor and colors they used we found very pleasing. It did kind of feel like they were trying to be a trendy, hip place more than a chill and eat place but that did not stop us or the few other tables that were filled from doing exactly that. The staff did not mind that we took our time and we never felt rushed. There were QR codes on the tables for all the different menus and shortly after we sat down our server came by to welcome usand see if we knew how to use the QR codes and if we had ever been there before. For drinks My husband had a beer, and I was planning on getting a blueberry lemon martini, but our waiter has said the cocktails were liked more than the martinis and recommended a drink with Dragon in the name. It was good but very very very sweet it was like drinking a sucker. I ended up wishing I had stuck with the drink I had originally wanted but oh well. For dinner, after much debating (because there were so many items we wanted to try) we decided to stick with just sushi. We ordered 5 rolls. The spicy scallop maki, the flaming hamachi (spicy), the dragon fire (spicy), urban heat (spicy), and the green dragon. Everything was just ok. The best roll was the spicy scallop the worst by far was the flaming hamachi, it had good fish flavor, but texture was mush, there was nothing but a lot of raw fish and rice. We thought it could have used something to mix up the texture. The other three rolls were forgettable. I marked next to the roll names if they were supposed to be spicy but none of them were, they all tasted fine but completely lacking any heat. It was nice that when we placed the order our server asked if we wanted him to bring things out as they were ready or wait for everything all at once. We opted for the take things when they were ready which was a nice change from other places we have been. We relaxed for a little over an hour while talking and eating. The price was a little high but my husband knew that before we even set foot in the door, so the bill was what we expected. It was nice that there was a QR code on the bill, so we paid using that. This place is about 40 minutes from us so to be honest unless we are back in St. Charles, I cannot see us making the trip back, the food really was not worth it. It was however a very nice time out and we had fun. read more

Great tasting amazing sushi. Slightly on the expensive side but worth it. Amazing ambience with cool dance music that makes you feel like your warming up for a club. Service was attentive and friendly. Highly recommend and we will be coming back. read more

We tried this place out recently. Spicy edamame, Urban Heat Maki roll, Beef Fried Rice and Fire Cracker shrimp all excellent. Yaki Udon with Shrimp was good. Our server Riley made the experience pleasurable. Will be back to try new things again. read more

Usually go to Barrington location, but sis lives in Batavia...so we chose St. Charles. Walked in at 4;00 (just opening). We were a party of 4 and there was one table of 2. Was annoyed how loud the music (and bad) was, very annoyed. Felt as if I was in a nightclub, not a upscale restaurant. Hard to hear each other or the waiter. Did request if they could turn it down, thankfully the manager complied. I've been here a few times and always the music blaring. The food and drinks were delish, waiter was great. No issues with the prices at all. But in the future we most likely go to Barrington location, where we can have conversations. read more

Excellent food, superb staff, well run business with great drinks and a very relaxed vibe. Friday and Saturday evenings it gets a little more edgy, which is nice for unwinding and relaxing with friends to enjoy a nice weekend. Go there, but make sure it does not mess up my chances to get a table! read more

I first visited the locations in Park Ridge, Arlington Heights, and Barrington. Glad to find this location so close to my home. Took my family last week, and the experience was amazing. Sushi is top shelf, drinks and service great, and the atmosphere was updated and cool. Absolutely stop in and enjoy yourself! read more

Love this place and want to make a comment on how shockingly loud it is in there. The music was so loud I had to shout repeatedly at the hostess for her to hear my pick-up order. I have no idea how you'd have an actual conversation in there while dining in! read more

This restaurant is amazing! We had a birthday party upstairs. The food was top notch. The decor and seating is uber swanky. The wait staff is first class. They took such great care of our party. I would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone who is looking for a fun atmosphere and great food with amazing service. Props to Jasmine the manager for everything. She runs a great establishment. Will be coming back many times to celebrate. This is our new favorite spot read more

Best sushi experience along with the best wait staff and super fast food prep! Will be back again soon!!!

Service and atmosphere was great, sushi was also very fresh would definitely come back!

The music was terrible and really loud. Food was ok. We had calamari (over fried) and egg rolls (best part of meal). My husband got salmon teriyaki and it was over cooked. I got the Dynamite Lobster and it was covered in sauces which was really overwhelming. We won't return but mainly because we couldn't tolerate the music. read more

Made a reservation there Saturday night I walked in And was surprised to see how nice it was including a second floor. The place has a city vibe which I like because I move to the suburbs from the city after living in the city for many years. Started out with a couple of drinks very impressed. Ordered the jalapeño with tuna appetizer was excellent. The sushi rolls are very good size super fresh and super tasty. Anyone who knows sushi knows the rice is very important. Not just the fresh fish but the way they vinegar the rice. Their rice was excellent. My favorite roll was the golden lobster I believe it's called but I would imagine given the freshness of the fish and the rice any roll would be amazing. Can't comment firsthand on dessert because we ordered too many rolls and appetizers but saw a few coming out will definitely try next time they looked really good. I would definitely recommend this place to go with a family or just your significant other or just a sit at the bar and chill. My new sushi spot. read more

Went here this evening and every aspect of the restaurant and food was off the charts. Our server, I think her name was Lena was outstanding and there was a young man named Ryan helping out and he was extremely personable and had high attention to detail. I would definitely give these guys a shot. Best sushi in the area without a doubt. Shakou owner....maybe give Lena and Ryan a pat on the back :) read more

Food is awesome. But the music was inappropriately loud for a Thursday night. This is not Hubbard street in Chicago. Let's be respectful.