Chicago's 5 Best Places To Get Sushi, According To Customers

As the third-largest city in America, Chicago is a fantastic melting pot of different cultures and cuisines. However, because it's in the Midwest, most people associate the Windy City with American food, such as deep-dish pizza, which could be an instant ticket to a tourist trap, or as the place to get the best hot dogs. But while dogs and slices are certainly tasty, we're after something a bit more elegant: sushi.

These days, sushi is a dish that can be found in every corner of the country. It's also a cuisine that can elicit a range of reactions from diners, from disgust to obsession. In fact, sushi tastes and types vary so widely that if you asked 100 people to list their favorite spot for rolls and sashimi, you'd likely get 100 unique answers.

Despite this challenge, we've managed to come up with Chicago's five best places to get sushi, according to customers. For this list, we looked at opinions from online reviews, social media posts, and professional food critics. This way, anyone can find something they'd enjoy from our selection of sushi restaurants. So, next time you're in Chicago and looking for this classic Japanese food, try one of these places — you won't be disappointed.

When looking through Chicago sushi recommendations on social media, one sushi place came up more than any other: 312 Fish Market. According to reviewers and customers, this restaurant offers some of the freshest and tastiest sushi in town, all while sticking to a relatively modest budget. One Google reviewer wrote, "Top 10 sushi in Chicago! You cannot get better quality fish than what they serve here." High-end sushi can sometimes require a small loan, but 312 Fish Market allows most travelers and Chicagoans to get incredible seafood without breaking the bank.

Besides the price, another reason 312 Fish Market is such a top-notch sushi spot is that it's located inside the 88 Marketplace, which is full of Asian restaurants, grocery stores, and other shops. This means that while it is located in a food court, if you're not in the mood for sushi, you can still come down and enjoy an excellent meal. In fact, the marketplace is part of Chicago's Chinatown district, one of the best in America.

Also, 312 Fish Market has its products delivered fresh from Japan, adding an extra layer of flavor, authenticity, and class to each dish. You can even order the 17-course omakase experience, where the sushi chef prepares fresh items based on what's in season, as long as you make a reservation at least 48 hours in advance. Alternatively, order the party platters of sashimi and sushi rolls for sharing.

One thing you'll notice when looking for sushi recommendations in Chicago on Reddit is that many residents will sort their preferences based on omakase and non-omakase. If you haven't tried an omakase tasting menu before, it's a unique and memorable experience. "Omakase" translates to "I leave it up to you." Instead of ordering from the menu, guests leave their choices to the chef, who selects the freshest, seasonal ingredients to prepare the meal. 

To that end, Kai Zan has an incredible omakase tasting, and many locals recommend it. As one Google reviewer noted: "Always a great time here. They have one of the best omakase I've experienced in Chicago." It's located west of downtown, off of Chicago Avenue, and relatively close to Humboldt (Alexander Von) Park. However, reviewers say the à la carte choices are just as delectable as the omakase, although the menu options are relatively limited. 

Travel blogger JaimeSays writes that the secret to dining at Kai Zan is to ask about the specials, adding that the uni toro tartare is a must-try for anyone who likes sea urchin (or is interested in trying it). Another thing to note about Kai Zan is that the dining area is relatively small, so it's best to make a reservation before visiting. The restaurant has a 1.5-hour dining window to minimize wait times for guests, so you'll want to avoid lingering too long at the table, especially during peak hours.

While reading customer reviews of a restaurant can give you insight into the overall vibe of a place, sometimes it helps to see what the professionals are saying. And it doesn't get much more professional than the Michelin Guide, which ranks the best of the best restaurants with a three-star system. In this case, Mako is the only sushi restaurant in Chicago with a Michelin star in 2025, illustrating just how much it stands above the rest. The Michelin star also makes it a hot commodity, so if you're planning on experiencing Mako for yourself, make sure to reserve a seat as soon as possible. Considering that there are only 22 seats inside, they fill up quickly.

Part of Mako's exclusivity is that it only offers an omakase-style menu, so you don't pick the items you are served; the chef does. The menu features nigiri, sashimi, and temaki selections that change with the season and what's in stock. You may get to enjoy decadent items like razor clams, braised abalone, monkfish liver, soy-marinated saltwater eel, and more. At the time of this writing, the omakase costs $215 per person, making it an elegant meal worthy of celebrations and special occasions.

One thing to point out, though, is that some Reddit users have remarked that the dining experience has gone downhill in recent years, notably because the main chef, B.K. Park is not always on-site to prepare the meals. That said, Mako retains its Michelin-star status, and, according to many online reviews, the preparation and presentation are top-notch, and the service is just as exceptional as the food. 

Sticking with a pure omakase sushi experience, our next restaurant is actually just half a mile from Mako, next to the neighborhood that makes Chicago the best place to celebrate Oktoberfest outside of Germany, the Fulton Market District. Omakase Yume is on the other side of Interstate 90, and it's much smaller than its Michelin-starred counterpart. While Mako seats 22 guests per tasting, Yume only seats six spots at three tastings per day, making it even more exclusive and intimate. Again, reserve your seats in advance, especially if you're planning on dining with more than one other person. You can also email or call the restaurant for a "buy-out" with groups of four or more, if you want to create an even more memorable experience.

Here, Chef Sangtae Park creates a unique, 16-course meal from scratch, which changes daily based on what's available. According to the Michelin Guide, the chef is diligent and focused, making the omakase move relatively briskly. Speaking of Michelin, it's worth noting that Omakase Yume earned a Michelin star in 2020, but does not have one as of this writing in 2025. However, the guide still ranks the restaurant among the best Japanese options in Chicago.

According to reviews, the fish is fresh and delicious, and the service is impeccable. One reviewer on Reddit even raved that though they're "not a 'sushi person,'" they loved every dish the chef made. Others remark that the flavors are relatively intense, but as one customer put it simply on Google, "Best food experience of my life."

While omakase tasting menus and high-end sushi rolls are great for most occasions, many sushi lovers want to sample as many dishes as possible without spending a fortune. Enter the all-you-can-eat (AYCE) sushi restaurant. These days, AYCE sushi is becoming much more widespread, such as in the thrilling Nevada city of Reno, which is the unexpected capital of this trend. Chicago has a few options within the city, but one that kept coming up in user recommendations was Sushi Taku. In fact, there are two locations in Chicago, so no matter where you find yourself, chances are you're relatively close to one of them.

Because sushi is best served freshly prepared, Taku doesn't pre-make its rolls and sashimi for guests to pick off a conveyor belt or offered buffet-style. Instead, diners order from the menu, and each dish is made to order. This also means that the restaurant charges for uneaten food, so make sure your eyes aren't bigger than your stomach. Reviewers also note that Sushi Taku gets busy pretty regularly, so you may have to wait a little while to get seated during peak hours.

The menu has a diverse selection of "signature" and "regular" rolls. On the regular side, there are classic favorites like the Philly or California roll. On the signature side, options include Volcano, Godzilla, Fire Phoenix, Fire Dragon, and Mango Tango rolls, among others. Best of all, in addition to rolls, nigiri, and sashimi, you can order hot dishes such as chicken katsu, salmon teriyaki, and shrimp tempura.

The options we chose for this list frequently appeared in local social media recommendations (such as this Reddit thread) and are highly rated. We cross-referenced the restaurants on review platforms such as Yelp and Google, as well as professional guides, notably Michelin. We also wanted to offer multiple types of sushi experiences. Omakase-style restaurants abound in Chicago, but some people prefer to order à la carte, which is why we featured establishments that do both, or forgo omakase altogether. Finally, having a high-ranking sushi AYCE-style buffet allows you to indulge in a wide variety of options without breaking the bank.