What an amazing experience. We love our time with sushi Mike! We had friends who drove in from the burbs and they weren't very excited about sushi, we said, if you don't like it we will pay for dinner. We had the Ome sake experience and that is the way to go! Everything was fresh and delicious,needless to say, we split the bill! Well done and we will be back!! read more

Always a great way to celebrate Sushi Mike never makes sure no matter how Many times you have been there each meal is a new dining experience read more

Look, this place is utterly fantastic. The rolls are unique, with quality ingredients and amazing fish. I honestly believe this to be a top sushi restaurant in Chicago. As you read more reviews below, I will just say that Sushi Mike is absolutely hilarious but has a very dry sense of humor. That's not for everyone, but don't take it too serious and lighten up a bit - you'll laugh a lot. Also, this place is no frills. The ingredients and fish are top notch, but you're not entering into somewhere with a prestige ambience or pretentious setup. Don't complain about the price when you can see prices before you enter the door. Do the omakase, trust the process, and lighten the f up and you'll absolutely love Tanoshii. read more

Been coming here for years and before coming this last weekend I decided to check on the reviews. 1st of all Fish and Chips is one off their signature dishes and it is unique to this restaurant and delicious- not to be missed. 2nd the product is as fresh as it gets and they spend hours preparing it before opening. NOT grocery store Sushi and I'm not sure about a palate that can make that assessment. I think there may be a menu but I've never seen it. Just tell them what you like and let the magic happen. There is a soy sauce reservoir on the table set up. Never used that either; each roll is uniquely sauced by the chefs. They need nothing more. This is a neighborhood spot and relatively easy to just walk into but if you want to sit at the bar I'd recommend a reservation. I do agree that at times dishes may come out on the slow side. I've never been bothered by it or found the time to be excessive. Being a bottle of Saki relax have a conversation and enjoy the chef show. This ain't McDonalds. I've brought out of town guests many times and invariably when they come back to town they ask if we can go back. Don't hesitate and enjoy. read more

Did the Omakase, leave it to the pros!!! Some stuff was great (fish & chips) problem here is all the rolls kind of tasted the same. For that kind of money I wanted to be wowed. Went with my daughter who absolutely loves sushi and she couldn't even eat our last roll (Italian). Have never seen her leave sushi on the table. FYI Mike was in the house and apparently not in the greatest of moods. Kind of fun watching the regulars come in and yell across the bar at him with zero acknowledgement on his end. Obnoxious couple next to us having an orgasmic experience eating something. Oh my god Oh my god. I asked them what it was because why wouldn't I. They refused saying it was a secret that they developed with Mike. No seriously they wouldn't tell us. Hey just one mans opinion Pro tip: Mike really likes his Miller lites read more

5 star Sushi! Delicious!!! Very Fresh, unique flavor profiles, care & passion put into the rolls & sashimi. My heart & tummy are happy. Thank You Mike! Stellar! read more

I hate to be only giving this restaurant 2 stars but I honestly had less than mediocre experience here for my Birthday. The food tasted absolutely amazing, but the service was insanely poor. Ordered Omakase, 20+ minutes between courses. Decided to order 2 pieces of shashimi to end the meal and ended up waiting over 30 minutes just for 2 pieces of cut fish. I will say the food was amazing quality and great tasting, but not worth the extraneous wait between each plate :( Definitely felt like other customers were valued and catered to more over our table.... I was so excited but unfortunately very disappointed. read more

Tanoshi - Chili Roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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We did chef's choice and was great. Highly recommend doing omakase. We got fish and chips, seared tuna, Wasabi roll, truffle honey roll, chili roll read more

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This place is so delicious!!! My friend and I did a take out order and we got the Italian roll, chili roll, dragon, avocado roll, and the sweet potato and asparagus roll. Every bite was sensational!! It left me daydreaming about the sushi for the remainder of my weekend. I can't wait to try everything else they have. Definitely one of my favorite sushi spots in Chicago. The rolls are unique and you can tell the chef knows how to finesse special and subtle flavors from his creations. read more

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Love this place for a sushi night splurge. When we go, we always get Sushi Mike's Omakase and ask to add the fish and chips. read more

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Used to be a regular here and live Sushi Mike, but after watching Seaspiracy I no longer eat fish. Returns with my daughter for her birthday and very disappointed. Though it could get a filling meal as a vegetarian but no such luck. The veggie rolls are anemic, tasteless, small. Tried to get veggie dumplings and was told they had pork in them today... what? No real desserts available to celebrate with my daughter. Overall a disappointing experience will not be back Unless they revive their veggie options. read more

great food, great atmosphere highly recommend to anyone looking for a relaxing night out.

Hands down the best sushi in Chicago. The Andersonville location is BYOB and Chef Mike is the absolute best. Sitting at the bar and just letting him create dishes for you is the best way to experience this place. read more

My wife is a huge fan of sushi, and because of that, we are constantly trying different sushi spots around the city. We came across Tanoshii when searching to top sushi in Chicago, and decided to stop by for a Saturday dinner. We were greeted by a friendly waitress/host upon entering, and were attended to pretty quickly. A standout of the meal was the service provided, as the waitress never allowed my glass of water to be empty prior to refilling it, and was consistently pouring more when I finished about half, so kudos there! The place was neatly and purposely decorated, providing a very authentic Japanese feel to the restaurant. After a few minutes reviewing the digital menu, we decided to start with the cheekily named Fish and Chips (an original creation from the Executive Chef, Sushi Mike), and I had the Spicy Roll (another Sushi Mike special) as my main entrée along with a scallop nigiri and chutoro nigiri, while my wife decided to go with an Andersonville Roll and Spider Roll. I didn't really know what to expect from the Fish and Chips, and was even more bewildered when the dish itself was brought out. The waitress asked us if we had the dish before, and we said no. She took the reigns and began mixing the ingredients of the plate together, creating wonderful mishmash of tuna, avocado, red tobiko, and pico de gallo, which was then split and placed on top of two formidable tortilla chips. The appetizer tasted delicious, and in particular, I appreciated the additional texture the tobiko provided to each bite. After we cleaned up our appetizers, the Maki was brought out. I was excited to taste the Spicy Roll as I was a fan of the Fish and Chips, and wanted to see what else Sushi Mike's mind came up with. The roll tasted fantastic and had a perfect heat to it; no additional Wasabi or soy sauce needed. The fish tasted fresh, the roll held well together, and all together made for a great bite! I tried the Andersonville and Spider rolls my wife had, and they were fairly typical of what you would expect, with an added freshness to it. The same can also be said about the nigiri, where the chutoro was my preferred of the two. While good, the rolls and nigiri did not have the "wow" factor Sushi Mike's concoctions had, though, you will pay a premium for that creativity compared to the other rolls on the menu. Overall, our meal was delicious and left satisfied. I would love to come back again to try more of Sushi Mike's specialties, as the two we had were unique and flavorful. A second visit might be in the near future! read more

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It was my first time here but my date recommended this location. He explained how this is the originally spot the second location now is in the west loop. It is BYOB, so we took full advantage of that and brought bottle of wineZ our waitress immediately chilled it for us at the table! We ordered the amazing delicious tuna tartare with chips. Wow is it do die for. Just enough heat and favor. After that we just let the chef make us some rolls of his choice. I liked the first one more then the second but both delicious. I definitely recommend! read more

Tanoshi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Great to finally discover this neighborhood gem. The sushi preparations for their "Sushi Mike's Appetizers" and "Sushi MIke's Omakase Rolls" were exceptional. A little pricey - but well worth it in our opinion. With that said - the rest of selections were good - not great. While we actually appreciate that they are BYOB - I was a little surprised to have been offered beer glasses for the wine we brought. All in all - we will very likely be back to sample more from Sushi Mike's portion of the menu. read more

I've been here a few times and each time got "Mike's" sushis he makes freestyle. Sorry I can't remember what it's called, but I enjoy it every time. The appetizer with caviar and guacamole and chips is really good too! Everyone and every time I've been here we all enjoyed it. Best sushi read more

Walked in on a whim to try and get a bar seat and by luck a group was just leaving. A fantastic omakase experience with rolls, nigiri and an "app." BYOB with a $2 fee, but well worth to bring the libation of choice. Lots of interesting options on the menu, so I let the chef (Magic Mike) decide for me. Can't wait to be back. read more

This place was recommended by friends so we were excited to try their omakase dinner. Upon being seated at the bar, we were immediately thrown off by the ambiance and presentation - the playlist was akin to the rock music you hear at a supermarket, the fish was pre-sliced in plastic bowls within the sushi bar, and the restrooms were lackluster with paper towel rolls on top of the toilet to dry your hands. Our waitress explained to us that omakase starts with their signature spicy tuna salsa chip, which was essentially flavorless tuna, lemon juice, tomatoes and avocado that she put on plastic gloves to mash and mush together before packing this concoction into an unappealing pink mound on top of a tortilla chip. We then received sliced peppercorn ahi tuna on top of a bed of lettuce which was nice, but pretty small. After that, we shared two rolls, which were pretty bland and similar to each other. Both had imitation crab and fish that tasted pretty similar to what I would get at a supermarket sushi bar. My husband and I decided to cut our losses and tap out before we ended up spending too much money on what had thus far been a pretty disappointing meal. Our waitress was disappointed and said that we would have received sashimi and nigiri next- I would've loved to have had that first, since the initial dishes they gave us made a pretty awful impression. To top it all off, we were shocked to see our final bill was nearly $120 - apparently the rolls we hated so much were $30 each! Will not be returning here again and would not recommend. read more

Our favorite sushi spot in the area. Absolutely love the specialty rolls here. When we used to dine in (pre-covid days), we would just ask for the chef omakase rolls. Now when we get delivery, we can choose the specialty rolls themselves! Highly HIGHLY recommend the salmon truffle roll and the shitake roll. PHENOMENAL. I literally used the radish garnish to sop up the leftover sauce and ate that too. We also got the spicy tuna, Quinn, and soft shell crab rolls (plus an Alaska and salmon avocado) and ate EVERYTHING. Definitely get delivery from here and help support local businesses. We can all make cereal at home, but no one is making sushi. So treat yourself and order!! read more

Tanoshi - Got too hungry and pounced on the food before taking a picture :( - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Nothing was as expected. The fish was not fresh or flavorful. This is NOT omakase - they have 4 rolls that they call chef special. You'll get a full roll - and it's a big mix of low quality fillings. Crab stick, cucumber, flavorless fish, and something that just takes way way too long to make. This is not worth the money, and not a good experience. Now the staff, they work hard but don't listen. The server offered me half rolls, she didn't put this is - and nothing came of it - I got full rolls of 8+ pieces, and it was a shit experience trying to eat all that and still be hungry for more. (When I came to try a variety). Mike... he's not what you think. For some reason he is praised, but truly he's a drunk, cocky, and sour. We sat right in front of him, he had 3 Miller lights out of a bowl in the hour we were there. He barely spoke a word to us. Only focused on the couple next to me, whom he was exclusively making rolls for. And he was just unhappy and unapproachable. The bill and pricing - F-ing unacceptable!!! So for these frou-frou 7-filling maki rolls... maybe $15 max... but 25-27 is unacceptable. The fish is not even fresh or good quality. This is beyond unfair - it's inappropriate. I could have paid half the price of my tab at a high-end shop + plus booze. Overall - not worth it, not enjoyable, not tasty, not a place you need to visit. Go to sushi San, go to momotaro for these dumb prices. read more

This place has the best sushi in Chicago. I've heard people say it's the best sushi they've had outside of Japan. Getting the omakase is the play; they have four different sauces, and the chef will usually give you rolls that allow you to try each. My favorite roll was a salmon roll with a truffle oil sauce. I honestly wanted to lick the sauce off of the plate after we ate the roll. They also make a wasabi sauce in house, which was also quite good. You can't get a sauce like that at most other places around Chicago. They're known for the fish and chips, which is served kind of like a bruschetta pizza. The server mixes the fish/salsa combo table side, and it's served on a crispy pita chip type thing. For two of us (one is a big eater), we got four rolls. Each roll is $20-25, which is on the pricey side for specialty rolls at a casual-ish sushi spot. read more

Tanoshi - Fish and chips - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Nothing comes close to the original Tanoshi! Sushi Mike's creations are the most brilliant and innovative...simply amazing! Highly recommend putting yourself in his expert hands to select the uniquely flavorful creations in courses that he envisions, ensuring you maximize this truly wonderful dining experience. (Fish & chips are my absolute fav.) read more

Tanoshi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I honestly believe I have found the best sushi bar in Chicago. Instead of ordering from the menu, I opted for whatever the chef would prepare. The server asked if I had any favourite seafood and if I had any allergies. I responded to his inquiry and he said that he would have the chef prepare three rolls. Food bliss. Let me just say that I could not understand what the server said, other than "spicy" and "I recommend that you do not use soy sauce." My eyes were rolling around in my head, the rolls were so delicious. Fresh without a fishy taste or smell, I gobbled the rolls to completion and then had thoughts of ordering more. Instead I convinced myself that I shall have to return at a future day. And return again and again I shall. read more

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Terrible service . Waited an hour to receive one plate of sushi roll from Sushi Mike.

I was debating between a few restaurants to celebrate our wedding anniversary and my first suggested Tanoshii. We had made reservations, and I am glad we did because it's pretty small. It seemed like many locals frequently dine there. The sushi chef seemed to know everyone by name which shows a lot about the establishment. Showing care for your customers is key to repeat business (and the food, of course). The waitress came up to us and explained their culture and specialties. She said the sushi chef was known for his creative sauces and his pairings. Since it was our first time, we figured we would leave it up to him. As I watched the ladies bring the rolls to each table, there were a lot of consistencies. So no real creative thoughts. Same rolls, served to each table. Makes me wonder if the specialty rolls get changed daily. Nevertheless, everything tasted delicious. I love when you can enjoy a roll without having to use soy sauce or spicy mayo. To be able to really enjoy the fish is key. We will be back to try more! read more

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My husband and I came here for our anniversary dinner. I was in the mood for sushi so we decided to check out this place. They also have another location on Randolph. He got the Tanoshii Special and I the Chirashi. They have thick cuts of sashimi here which it nice, but I do prefer it sliced thinner. The meal came with miso soup and salad. The miso soup was good, not too salty. The Tanoshi Special came with the fried shrimp head, my husband's fav! Overall, the quality of the fish is fresh. However, the prices are a bit more steep than the other places around here. I could only imagine how expensive it would be for the specials. We have only tried Ora and Tanoshii on Clark, but between the two, I would choose Ora over Tanoshii. This place is bigger though so you might not have to wait during peak hours. read more

Tanoshi - Sushi Entrees - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

there's not a better sushi restaurant in the city. Tanoshii has one of the most unique flavors i've ever tasted. they've ruined sushi for me because when i go other places, i hate it because all i want is Tanoshii. I can't say enough good things about this place! we're loyal to Tanoshii read more

Chef Mike's special is amazing! No Soy sauce needed at Tanoshii. Fresh fish, and delicious sauces make the rolls outstanding. The Tuna and chips appetizer is so unique. This is a BYOB restaurant as well. Sitting at the Sushi bar, watching Chef Mike go, is a perfect evening out! read more

Tanoshi - Chef Mike's special Tuna. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

My husband and I have been coming here for over 10 years. We live in the neighborhood. It was our first time sitting at the bar in front of Sushi Mike. Usually we sit at a table and just enjoy our meal. This was our first date night since losing both my in-laws and we wanted to enjoy ourselves. Unfortunately we felt like we ended up being second class citizens on our evening out. It was going well until the last dish when Mike presented us with the last roll. We were about to start eating when he asked us if he could take our dish. I thought perhaps he had forgotten to add an ingredient to he dish. We handed him our dish and saw him give our sushi roll to another couple. He preceded to tell his other chef to make the dish again for us. We waited 15 minutes for the dish to be made again while we saw the other VIP couple eat our dish and laugh. Needless to say we lost our appetite. We didn't touch the dish. We paid and gave 20 % in tip because it was not the servers fault for the chefs mistreatment of his guest. On our way home we received a call to let us know our roll was reimbursed. I dont need our roll reimbursed. I was embarrassed and appalled by the chefs behavior. We may not be VIP guest but we have been loyal guest and used to to love coming here. I never write such reviews but after this treatment I felt I needed to say something. There are many other places that won't make you feel bad in the neighborhood. read more

Tanoshi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Was not impressed. It's a small restaurant that's very busy and loud, not ideal for a date night. We started with 4 different maki rolls but they all looked and tasted the same. Had to ask for some spicy Mayo on the side later as I was disappointed. Thought maybe we didn't order the right thing so we ordered a specialty roll that wasn't much diff except it had a curry type sauce on top (still not very good). We drove an hour there and it wasn't worth the hype in my opinion. I will go back to our regular sushi place Wok N Fire next date night. read more

Tanoshi - Maki rolls - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Omakase is the way to go. Great food and service. Sit at sushi bar and get to know Mike. Truly an experience.

A solid sushi experience. All the items they served were fantastic. The thing holding me from 5 stars is they gave us a wrong roll and didn't volunteer to fix it. Would I go back? Absolutely. Is it as my favorite sushi place? Nope, but that's alright. read more

I was a little hesitant paying $25 for a maki roll but when I got it my taste buds exploded in my mouth! My roll had shiitake mushrooms in it and I've never tasted anything like it before! Not only that but it was ten pieces! This with my salad actually really filled me up! It's BYOB but I didn't know that. I had a tea with my meal. So for this fatty to say she was filled with one roll and a salad is impressive! Most of all the taste and service won me over! I'll be back to try more!! read more

Tanoshi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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This my first Yelp review ever. I usually skip reviewing products, or posting reviews of things, but my experience with this establishment was so uniquely terrible that I've felt compelled to write a review. First off, we got the what should have best seats in the place, right up next to the sushi bar, presumably the best because of our proximity to Chef Mike. Unfortunately, this was exactly what made the experience so awful. It was immediately apparent that "Sushi Mike" was hammered drunk on the job on a busy weekend night. He slurred his words, flipped us off as soon as we ordered, told my friend to leave because he ordered something he didn't want to make, mumbled something about masturbating immediately after hand feeding us, and made other such inappropriate comments all night. The food was honestly really good, but it was so awkward and uncomfortable that one of us ended up leaving before even eating anything and it really ruined the evening. I don't know if "Sushi Mike" is normally talking about masturbating while drinking Miller High Life out of a cereal bowl between shots and telling customers to leave because they order things he put on the menu he isn't in the mood to make, but I would not recommend this establishment to anyone. I would MUCH rather pay the same high prices to be served Panda Express by high teenagers, the food would be worse but the service would be marginally better. read more

Ok, listen, if you want super fresh fish, and a completely out of the ordinary experience, try this place. It's not glamorous, it doesn't serve booze, and isn't cheap, but it was damn good. We really enjoyed it Don't even look at the menu, sit at the bar and ask for the "sushi mike" special. We crushed it. Awesome in all regards. read more

The sushi here is great. It's fresh and well executed. The service here is AWFUL! Our waitress never came back to ask if everything was fine and if we wanted anything else (even though I kept a menu and told her I'd be ordering more food). After having her avoid eye contact for a good twenty minutes, I had to hunt her down to order more food. I didn't want to do it again, so I ended up going home and having the rest of my dinner. She totally avoided any niceties overall and was generally worthless. Need. New. Staff. This is why people hate tipping. I had to tip this girl for being awful at her job. That's ridiculous. read more

Officially my most favorite sushi place now in Chicago! Top quality ingredients and delicious combinations! The staff was so polite and Sushi Mike and the other Sushi Chef put together amazing sushi masterpieces. I shared 6 customized rolls with my friend. I believe it was called the: Sushi Chef Special. We described what kind of flavors and ingredients we liked and the Chefs put together amazing dishes. Very impressed & definitely coming back again! read more

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Their Omakase rolls were very interesting but some needs improvements. We ordered about 6 Omakase rolls (~$20 each). They were really interesting. For example, there were fresh wasabi rolls, Japanese mushroom rolls that I really like. The fish was fresh and the sauce is really interesting. The only problem I had was that the rice was a bit too hard. The portion size was a bit on the smaller size. I think I'd order 4 - 5 rolls for two people. Their normal rolls were just okay. I wouldn't order it again. You should also get their "Fish and Chips" which is like tuna tartare on a crispy bread. We really like it. Their waitress was very friendly, but their service can be slow even when we went there on Sunday evening. I recommend this place for their Omakase. read more

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This place is what's up! So good, I dedicate my 100th review to Tanoshii. I came here today on a whim and, boy, was I pleasantly surprised. The place is just off Lake Shore, has ample parking, and a warm cozy interior. Service is excellent and quick. STEVE, you are the man. I was seated promptly and offered the menu and ice water right away. I ordered the teriyaki chicken bento box and was pleasantly surprised. I had just swam and was HUNGRY, and this bento box filled me up: miso soup, salad, rice, teriyaki chicken, tempura, sushi, and dumplings. Riding off my post-workout hunger, I then ordered two specialty rolls from the chef. I don't have their names but they were delicious!! One was a mix strawberries, egg, rice, and mixed sushi with a dab of wasabi on top. The other was a spicy salmon roll made with some twists that I couldn't identify, but came out excellent! Prices are good too. Oh yeah, BYOB. Holla! Will definitely be back!! read more