Decent sushi, albeit American style which translates into way too much sauce and rolled with a lot of rice so it can only be fit in the typical American's mouth. Over priced, which is again standard for the clientele in the city. Friendly staff and clean establishment. I am still in search of a nice reasonally priced place in area. read more

My friend had talked about Sushi Mike for weeks, maybe months. I thought, "Seriously, how good can this place be? Sheesh." Well, it is that good. Indeed it is. Went there last night as kind of a spur of the moment thing (Him: Want sushi? Me: Yup.) It was, as some say, amazeballs. Started off with the fish and chips, which is really a nice mix of fish with spices on a tortilla-like chip. It was kind of impossible to not eat without slopping, but whatever. As others said before, it is not on the menu, but ask for it. Then we had several pieces of nigiri before moving on to three of Sushi Mike's specialty rolls. All I can say is that these rolls put other sushi joints to shame. SHAME! The mix of flavors just melt in your mouth - refreshing, then a kick of spice, then just delish. Mmmmmm. Towards the end my stomach started saying no more, and I finally had to give in, lest I felt sick and regret eating there. I couldn't let that happen. Without a doubt I plan on coming back, with or without my friend (sorry dude). The quality of the fish, the creativity in the rolls, the friendliness of Sushi Mike, and the overall atmosphere was outstanding. Oh yeah, and they play AWESOME music. Lots of great 80s tunes. I was in heaven. read more

We love sushi places, and ate here last night. It was incredible food. Both my wife and I agreed the best we've had in Chicagoland. We like BYOB places, so this was perfect. We looked at the menu, but ended up getting what our waitress suggested - Sushi Mike specials and the "fish and chips" appetizer. These are both must haves! Loved the food and service and HIGHLY recommend this place! read more

This place is AMAZING! The fish and chips and Omakase rolls are better than anything I've had in the city and rival - if not surpass - the sushi I've had on the West Coast. The atmosphere is relaxed and friendly and the food is prepared to perfection. It's one of those Yelp posts I hesitate to make, because it might get crowded. However, when sushi nirvana is possible, it's too good to keep to yourself! read more

Love,love, love this place. Am willing to drive 40 minutes away for it. The vegetable gyoza are delicious. You have to have Sushi mike make you the jalapeño strawberry sushi. It's a vegetarian persons dream sushi read more

Tanoshi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Some of the best sushi in the neighborhood. The Andersonville roll is a must--delicious! And for those who can't decide what to order, the teriyaki bento boxes (served with chicken/beef/or salmon teriyaki AND sashimi AND gyoza AND shrimp tempura are just perfect. Good stuff. All the sushi on the menu is divine. That being said, be prepared for mediocre service if you're not sitting at the sushi bar. All in all, a good place to go if you have some time on your hands and a hankering for top-notch sushi. read more

Best darn kitty food (see, I am a puppy) I have had in a very long time. Simple, quaint and the perfect spot not to be seen, but gotta love the food. Freshest fish i have had this far from the water. Service is always impeccable, fast and courteous.place is clean and a great atmosphere. It is BYOB so come prepared. FOUR PAWS read more

The best sushi hands down!! Very unique tastes you won't find anywhere else. Highly recommend coming here. Sushi Mike is awesome

The food was great! Went on a Tuesday night and it was really empty, so we got to sit at the counter with Sushi Mike. When we mentioned we saw them on Chicago's Best, he seemed soured on us, so we didn't bring it up again. When he was there, the food was good, but he also left to drive home a drunk friend in the middle of our meal so we waited a little while for him to come back. I've heard such amazing reviews about Mike but was really disappointed with his lack of excitement. We were the only ones at the counter and it was an hour before they closed and Mike went into the back while the others saran-wrapped all the food in front of us... hint taken... I'll finish up and go. A bit overpriced, but really tasty food. I think I'll try it again on a night when there are more people and Mike is in a better mood. read more

Best sushi experience in Chicago. Order the Mike's special - you tell them what ingredients you like and don't like, and they will make something special for you that is delicious and unique. Altogether a great experience. read more

I always get Mike's special. I love it. He asks what we like and don't like and everything he makes is awesome. People need to not be such brats. Try something different. Obviously the guy who makes the rolls knows what's good. You gotta try the fish and chips. It's my favorite thing!! The only thing is it's pricey, but most good sushi places are. When you get the sashimi you can taste how fresh the fish is! Yummm I want that in my mouth now! read more

Fantastic service and even better food. This place has all your favorite sushi favorites as well as some original creations by the chef. I always enjoy the chef's specials--perfectly balanced flavors with no need for additional soy sauce or wasabi! read more

I had been hearing rave reviews about Tanoshii for months, and finally decided to give it a try. GO THERE IMMEDIATELY. Every single other Yelp review mentions Sushi Mike's Special, but at the risk of redundancy, I'll echo everyone else: it's fantastic! We started with the "Fish and Chips" (for some reason it's not on the menu so ask your server): fresh diced tuna, avocado, onions and spices on a house-made chip. Delicious. For the maki, there were 4 in our group, and we ordered 4 rolls from Mike's Special, plus a few other simpler rolls and a couple pieces of nigiri. Everything was delicious, but Mike's concoctions were especially creative and flavorful. I don't even know what was in most of the rolls (except exceptionally fresh fish) but I loved them all, especially the one with Mike's homemade wasabi sauce and avocado. For atmosphere: it's BYOB and totally casual. Don't go here expecting a swank/trendy place like South Coast - go here for the food. I actually thought it was fun being sort of crammed into a corner, chatting with other patrons about the awesome sushi and the choice of music (we heard Michael Jackson, Madonna, Journey, and lots of 80's music... which I loved!). But if you're thinking of Tanoshii for a romantic date, you might be disappointed. Lots of other reviewers mention the prices, which yes, are slightly higher than your typical corner sushi spots - but totally worth it. Actually I don't think the price was any higher than Mirai or even Coast, depending on what you order there. Sushi Mike's Special rolls are $16-22, but are also way bigger with way more ingredients than your traditional spicy tuna. Bottom line: I can't wait to go back to Tanoshii! read more

Sushi Mike isn't cheap, but it is unique and absolutely delicious! That is with a capital exclamation mark. A BYOB place (and do if you plan to order the Sushi Mike creation as these are truly works of art and take time so you'll enjoy sipping), the place is not fancy. But the food outstanding. read more

One of the best, if not THE BEST sushi restaurant experiences I've ever had. I agree with many of the reviews here - sit at the sushi bar, order sushi Mike's special, talk to him about what you like and don't like, and enjoy the experience. He "guarantees" you will be happy, and if you don't like something he makes for you then you don't have to pay for it. Everything he made for me was beautiful in execution (seriously - each a work of art), creative simplicity in it's combination of flavors, and everything was unique - you won't find it on a menu with some funny "rainbow-fire-thunderclap-caterpillar-hundred-flavor roll" name. He explained that his sauces are vegetable based unlike most sushi restaurants which might use some sort of thickened chicken stock or beef stock (which complicates the flavor and detracts from the fish), and I had to laugh when he explained that soy sauce is not allowed. (if you need soy sauce on your sushi or maki roll, then something is wrong) The quality is high and the prices may reflect that, but it depends on what you consider a fair price for the best of the best. Dining here will be a treat for me, much like going to a high-end steak house downtown. Compared to that, Tanoshii is a great deal. read more

This is absolutely one of my favorite sushi restaurants. Please let Mike make you his creative rolls as this is where he shines. Nothing fancy, but absolutely fun and delicious. Few restaurants are this entertaining with a dining experience to match. Mike is definitely one of the best sushi chefs, not to be matched. read more

Fantastic! Had Mike's Special and enjoyed every plate. Be forewarned that the plates add up quick and you could be in for a bit of sticker shock when the bill arrives! :-) New favorite place as I love great sushi just as much as I love the 80s. read more

Had the Omakase menu for four. Food good and flavorful. Dishes came out too slow for a Tuesday night. 25 minutes between rolls. Staff unapologetic. Left hungry. read more

Went here for the first time this past weekend and it was quite tasty. A few of us did the Mike's Special and it was good. Basically you let them know what you like and they make rolls for you based on that. For example, there was a request for truffle oil, avocado and fruit (yes, berries!) at our table. I did the veggie udon and the kamikaze roll of the menu and was really good. All of did the 'fish and chip' appetizer which was really fresh and tasty. For those who prefer cooked food, the menu had plenty of the regular bento box dinner entree options too, so no excuses!! Also, it's BYOB but there was a $2 charge per person for it. It's not that big a place so reservations on a weekend might be a good idea. Our server was really nice and they play 80s music on Pandora all the time, so that's a big win for me! read more

First time here and I absolutely loved it! We did the Omakase option and were delighted with everything the chef prepared for us. The appetizer - finished at the table - was one of my favorites. Will come back (and bring others)! read more

This has become our favorite sushi place. It's a little old school but the food cant be beat. From the fish & chips to the rolls they are all incredible. We never actually ordered from the menu. We just have have them prepare rolls and it always works out. read more

'Scuse me Govna, Id like some of your fancy "Fish 'N Chips". That Mike sounds like one chap that can make a good plate of "Fish 'N Chips" like I got over seas. Waiting........... Excuse me, this isnt "Fish 'N Chips", this is various articles of foody goodness on an actually crispy delicious.... Oh who cares, it was awesome! Mind blowingly awesome.. mouthwateringly awesome, tastebudsfallingoutofyourmouthcausetherewasaflavorexplosion awesome... I'm not even going to describe it. I will just say, if you like sushi, there is NO reason why you would even THINK about passing on this dish, get it, eat it, die happy. Next, we ordered a MIKES SPECIAL - which consisted of my girlfriend and I rambling to the waitress about what we like and dont like.. then about 10 minutes later... like a karate kick to the face, more flavorful explosions were destroying my mouth - and I couldnt even tell you exactly what was in it! 'Cept some avocado, and I think Shrimp Tempura... Anyway, the pricing isnt bad on their standard rolls, really decent actually - and none of the ones we tried were anything less then excellent. The "Mikes Special" runs a little higher in price, but is also a much larger roll then a standard roll and is well worth the money you will pay for it. Sushi here is a treat, so treat it as such... ..and the BYOB doesnt hurt either. read more

This is a great place! Sushi Mike rules the world......East of Harlem that is! Throw the menu away and have him make some custom rolls based on what YOU like! BYOB last time I was there!!! read more

I made a reservation here for my 23rd Birthday dinner, mainly because it was sushi...which I love, BYOB...which I also love, and they were able to accomodate 12 people easily. They gave us a private room with a big table. I'm sure ordering for so many people was kind of annoying, but the staff didn't seem to mind. In addition to the numerous bottles of wine and champagne we had, my friend walked in and plunked down a mini-keg on the table. They didn't seem to mind that either! Great sushi, great atmosphere, great staff. I highly recommend! read more

This places gets 5 Stars if you do the following: 1) Order the Fish and Chips (Stunning explosion of taste on first bite) 2) Order the Soft Shell Crab Chef's special (perhaps one of the best rolls in the city) 3) Leave and go to another Sushi joint or another restaurant. If you veer off these steps and stay for other food here, expect an overall 3.5. The rolls are pretty good but they are quite expensive and you can get comparable food at other places. read more

The food is very good, but a little overpriced for the portions. Service is great! I would come back.

I came here for a friend's birthday dinner, and we had a group of 6 on a Friday night at 7:30. We did a series of surprise plates, and not one left us disappointed! I was a little surprised to see strawberry on sushi, but it worked. We took advantage of BYOB and had 3 bottles of wine, and for the birthday boy they brought out some Mochi ice cream. It was my first time trying and it wasn't bad! I gave this place 5 stars for the following reasons: 1) Great ambiance - nothing fancy, but it was a hole in the wall spot for locals - and we could have a conversation with a well lit room. 2) Fish was FRESH. In terms of freshness, this was some of the freshest sushi I've had in Chicago. Spice was spot on without overpowering the rolls. 3) Price is worth it. I can't afford to go here every time I want sushi, but if you want a memorable sushi night this is the place to go. We weren't sitting at the sushi bar but watching the folks who were, they were having a blast and a great time with Mike dishing up rolls and Sake. The experience should be about more than just the food - it should come from somewhere you know that it means something to the establishment to be serving you! For a table of 4 our bill was about $150 for approximately 6 rolls and edamame. read more

I'm looking at the bad reviews and it's kinda blowing my mind. In each case it's bad service aaaaaand bad sushi. Someone said that they emerge made that they were hearing impaired and couldn't hear... That sounds like a horrible plight but that isn't the restaurant's fault right? Someone said there was only 10 pieces to a roll... 10 is a lot! I can believe that service can be rough sometimes...possibly.... but ladies and gentlemen if you want a sushi that is new and different to your taste buds this is the ONLY place to do it! Do NOT order from the menu. Mike's rolls are the way to go and make sure one of those rolls has FRESH WASABI on it! Don't get scared...it's not crazy hot. It's LIFE CHANGING. Sushi is very expensive in general... and this is a cut above. So you'll have to pay to make your mouth this happy:) read more

There's one thing to remember. Sushi Mike = The Man Now, here's the deal for you guys. I've followed Sushi Mike for a few years through a few different restaurants (I'm something of a groupie) and I've watched his sushi get better and better. . . He is a true artist. . .If Sushi making had a Jackson Pollack complete with bursts of creativity and mania. . .his name is Sushi Mike. Gassho. read more

Love Love Love this place! Sushi Mike Rocks! I've been going here for years and have never ordered off the menu. We just tell the waiter/waitress that we'll take whatever Sushi Mike wants to make and he always comes up with such delicious creations. The Sushi creations are so unique that you can't get them at any other Sushi place. That is what makes Tanoshii such a fun, unique place. I've also had several parties here with 10-15 people in the back room and they are always so accommodating with great service! It's BYOB so we always take full advantage and we never feel like they are rushing us out. The service is great and if you stay late enough, Sushi Mike might even come out and do a Saki Bomb with you. And order the Fish and Chips as an appetizer. It's so yummy!! read more

Omg, get the chef special They gave us this roll with shitake and super white escolar. Holy effin crap. My favorite all time roll now. Then this octopus roll comes out. Ridiculous. I don't know, I may have brought too much sake (byob) But these rols came out before I got wasted. So Thumbs up. Oh, the staff. .. Hilarious. read more

I have been here 5 times and have never seen a menu. The key to this place is to sit at the bar and just ask Mike or Chris to fill you up. He never disappoints!! If you ask what's in it...He'll say fish! LOVE IT!! He will change his rolls with the seasons for the freshest ingredients. He is truly an artist. Every time I have gone here I leave full and satisfied for around 50 bucks a head! It is well worth it!! I will be going back regularly. read more

Phenomenal sushi restaurant... Visited while in Chicago in May 2015. Mike was an absolute pleasure to watch and speak with. I would strongly suggest against ordering from the menu. Let him know what you're in the mood for and let him take the wheel from there. If you manage to get on his good side, he may even pour you a complementary shot of Knob Creek! Cheers! read more

Small Place, standard sushi bar and maybe 15 tables.. Very fresh different roll creations. You kinda just tell the chef Spicy and get the job done... He brought out like 10 different rolls and 9/10 were great!! Fairly priced as the bill was like $150 for 5 people. It's BYOB and tends to get crowded on the weekends like everything else.. read more

Came here on a man-date and had a good time. Ambiance: Standard nice japanese restaurant. Staff were conversational and friendly, service was responsive even though the place quickly filled up quickly. Food: Started out with the fish and chips which was very interesting. It was a tuna-based mixture freshly prepared by a waitress and served on a large pita chip, very light and enjoyable. We went with 4 of Mike's rolls for the night and they were all very tasty and unique, varying from sweet to savory to mildly spicy. My complaint with the rolls were that they all revolved around a sauce almost like a crutch. Sauces are nice and they add variety but sometimes it's nice to let a roll stand out on its fish alone. To his credit, the sauces were not excessive and drowning the rolls. This place also didn't use tempura in everything like cheaper americanized restaurants. I guess if I had wanted that I should have just ordered some simple nigiri or something. The fish quality WAS really good being a good mixture of soft and buttery but not mushy. The last roll we requested a dessert roll and it was a fish mixture served on a asian pear. If the pear had been ripe it would have been amazing because the mixture was super savory and I can see how it would've worked well. Overall this place was pretty good. The quality of fish was great and the chef's creativity was applaudable. I'd be interested in coming back and trying some of the more regular rolls although having what i had tonight again wouldn't be bad either. My biggest complaint with this place is the pretty high price, fish and chips + 4 rolls came out to be ~$122. read more

I've been wanting to visit Tanoshii for ages now, and I finally made it this past weekend. We got there really early on a Saturday evening, and the place was nearly empty. There was a couple sitting at the sushi bar and a small group who came in and ordered several rolls to go. By the time we left, it was still empty, but several tables have "reserved" signs on them for later on in the evening. We decided to dive in and order three rolls, but let Mike decide what exactly there were going to be. We specified tuna, unagi, salmon, seasonal fruits (no mango that day), medium spicy, and no cilantro (we had a cilantro hater in the bunch). We were asked if there were any food allergies, and then off to fate. I wasn't disappointed with our first to rolls (sorry, I don't remember the names) - unagi with shrimp and avocado and the other was salmon with Asian pear. The unagi roll was really flavorful and bold, whereas the salmon roll was more delicate, letting the Asian pear flavor come through. I would order either one again. Our third roll was more like "frushi". It was made with cucumber, with fresh strawberry slices and raspberry sauce. There was probably something else going on there, but I honestly couldn't notice it. That was probably the most disappointing. While it was good, I would have rather have had something that was rice and fish/seafood based. Hence, the reason for my three stars. We also ordered the pan fried gyoza, which was pretty tasty, but then again, I've never had bad gyoza. The service was helpful and friendly. The prices are a little high. I'm not sure how much their rolls are if you build them yourself, I didn't even look at the order sheet. I'd be willing to go back, without hesitation, if I didn't mind parting with about $25 and walking out not stuffed full of sushi. read more

Small place great staff friendly and real. Rolls and more Rolls.Im a nigiri sashimi guy but their specials which are up to the chef are amazing. The freshness and different flavors and textures really impressed me.Genuine people great food great spot read more

Very small place so you probably want to make a reservation, and BYOB. Meter parking on the street. Great thing about this place is the Sushi Mike creation roll. You simply tell your server what you don't like or like and he'll accommodate to that and make a roll for you. Ranges from $16 to $22 per roll. My favorite roll he made was one with shittake mushrooms, avocado, super white tuna and a truffle/yuzu type sauce. So good. And they don't overdo the rice either. read more

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Did I really just pay $36 for two maki rolls? Yes, I didn't have much choice, I guess. Everyone raves about "Sushi Mike's" specialty rolls, but there's no description or prices on the menu. So, I told the server the types of fish I like and got back two "special creations." They were OK, and, I will have to admit, the sauces were the best part; there really was no need for soy sauce. But, after paying nearly $50 with tax and tip for two rolls and leaving hungry, I was pretty disappointed. The biggest insult was the sashimi platter, which my friend ordered. Again, nearly $40, a plate with a few tiny pieces of fish. To add to the insulting portions, one of the fishes was stringy and didn't taste fresh, and one was a tiny butterflied and flattened over-cooked shrimp. Since when are boiled shrimp considered sashimi?!? (A brief visual aid: if you've ever been unfortunate enough to have the sushi party tray from Costco, this exact shrimp is on there.) Just as an aside, I am used to very elaborate presentations in sashimi platters, with all kinds of pretty edible garnishes, like radishes, lemons, etc. This was just a few slices of fish slapped down on a plate. We had to go down the street for coffee and desert, and very large desert to make up for dinner. read more

This place is awesome if you are willing to leave the options with the chef. I do recommend bring a group as I felt we had more options. Also, leave the picky eaters at home for this one. I can't entirely remember each roll we had. But it was interesting flavor combos like a tuna roll topped w sundried tomatoes and drizzled with oil infused w Italian herbs. A definite must try place! read more