This place makes the best Thai food in the area, and there are a lot of Thai places around. Why would I give them 2 stars then? Well, I've been meaning to write a review for a long time but I wanted to talk to the manager first as I have had bad experience 5 of 30+ times I ordered from them. They have a great vegetarian selection or options, but be vary wary if ordering delivery or pickup. They like to sneak a little chicken in your meal. I have had this happen to me 5 times that I ordered personally and another few my wife ordered. I've talked to their manager on the phone or in person and they don't seem to care. Sure they will make your dish again, or give you a refund for that item (but do not refund tax you paid). The 5th time it happened, I went to the restaurant to talk to the manager: I was convinced they had a special note under my account/phone number that says something along the lines "Complainer customer, does not eat chicken, put chick in his dish". I explained to the manager that I love the place and that they make really good food, but I am concerned about how they prepare vegetarian vs non. I also asked to see what my account looks like when they pull up my phone number, but she would not show me (I wonder why?). I explained that every time this happens, I am disgusted and may take months before I order again. 6 years ago when I moved to the area I would order at least once a week from them. Now its more like twice a year. Vegetarians be very cautious when you order something with tofu. Sometimes there might be chicken hiding in your dish and may be too late before you see it. If you do want to take the chance, I suggest their curries but with fried flat noodles. @owner or @manager, if you have anything to say please contact me. I want to love you guys again. read more

This place discriminates against families with babies. We arrived in the afternoon for a late lunch, place was empty and the girl asked "is your baby going to be loud?" I was shocked by her question and she proceeded to say, we sit people with babies here and points towards a seating area near the restroom, dark. We dont support places that discriminate and will choose to spend our money at other local businesses. You should too. Also to put this in context, the baby was sleeping and was just breast fed. I am sure what we experienced violates some kind of law. read more

I lived in edgewater for a couple of years and during my stint there I must have gotten sushi from this place more then 50 times. Needless to say I think it's fantastic! Some of the sushi rolls can get a little pricey, and you really don't necessarily always get what you pay for. (some of the cheaper rolls are fantastic, and better then there $14+ cousins) Regardless if you are in the area, grab a bottle of vino from dominicks down the block, and pop in for a nice dinner. I'm sure you won't regret it. read more

Vegetarians- go here! Seriously, the best sushi in Chicago. My favorites include the shrimp tempura maki and sweet potato maki. From the Thai list, I like the cashew chicken. There are lots of vegetable rolls. They are creative and tasty, not like at other places where your only option is cucumber. Service is great. Water glass is always full and no one is pretentious. I love this place. read more

I was recently introduced to Indie Cafe and I was highly surprised. I love sushi, but would hardly call myself a Sushi Aficionado and luckily someone was there to educate me! Everything was wonderful and the staff was extremely nice. The Las Vegas roll and the spicy tuna stood out the most as my favorites. The menu has a wide arrangement of various sushi. The hardest part is making up your mind on what you want. I've had some sushi that was too fishy and the seaweed wrap was too salty or fishy tasting. I did not experience this with any of what I had. I've heard people say good and bad things about this place. I don't think I have one bad thing to say about this place and will go many more times. I've also heard people rant and rave about their Rangoon. I didn't have any, but might on the next visit out. They also have a full Thai menu on top of. I didn't have any, so I won't rate it. read more

I've had this delivered to a friend's place, and man was it good! He ordered sushi (which, from the piece I tried, was delicious) and I got gyoza and pad khee mow (or however they spell it here). I must say, I was both impressed with the food and the delivery time. I just wish that they would deliver to Evanston! All in all, probably one of the best places you can get delivery from in the area, especially if you want to satisfy a few different Asian cravings at once. read more

Say something bad about Indie Thai and Sushi---i dare you! This place is a gem. Can you say BYOB?! I love it! The sushi is fresh, the Thai dishes are perfectly seasoned. Large portions, great prices. I just love this place. And its true what you've read about the crab rangoon....its freaking out-of-this-world! Really, Ive never had better. Ever. The best. I want it. Now. read more

So I'm sitting here in the middle of typing this review of this wonderful establishment that I have been ordering take-out/delivery from and visiting for the past three years---and my order arrives----20 minutes after I ordered it. Priceless. The food is wonderful, and the location is beautiful, cozy, spacious, and intimate. The service is great, and the delivery is (as previously written) QUICK! (Of course on a Friday/Saturday night delivery may be 40 minutes to an hour) My favorite dish is the Crazy Basil Fried Rice (requested sans Fish Oil, Fish Sauce, & Egg to veganize of course) with the addition of the veggie mock duck. Yes, this option adds $3 to the order but it tastes AMAZING! Also, the Golden Triangle (fried tofu/tofu tempura) is the best you will find anywhere. Perfect texture and crispyness! I've never eaten at another place that does it as well. The Yakisoba (requested sans Fish Oil, Fish Sauce, & Egg to veganize again of course) and Avocado Rolls are also worth ordering. And hark!!! Through yonder window breaks??? ALCOHOL!!!! :) As of late February, Indie Cafe now serves alcoholic libations for your delight. Rock on! Of course I do wish overall everything was a little less expensive, however Thai is usually more expensive than other types of Asian cuisine, and the prices are not unusual. You can even order online through their website if grubhub.com isn't your thing, however you will not be able to add additional notes to make your meal vegan like you can on Grubhub, so grubhub.com will remain my delivery website of choice. GOOD EATS!!!!! read more

I absolutely LOVE Indie Cafe! Sadly, I no longer live in Edgewater so I don't get to eat there as often as I used to. Everything on the menu is absolutely delicious! Here are my top 3 favorite menu items: 1. Crab Rangoon - The best I have ever tasted! I am tempted to get one tattooed on my bicep. 2. Basil Chicken or Basil fried rice - Both have similar flavor and must be tried to believe how great they are. 3. Indie Signature Curry - Potatoes, Cashews & Massaman Sauce need I say more. Don't think that just because these are the only three things mentioned that the entire menu isn't fantastic, it is! Great service, environment and amazing food! read more

Always a great meal and great rose. Intimate space yes lively enough for a first date. read more

I think I've been to every Asian restaurant in the city, and this is by far the best---the ambiance, the food, BYOB! Some of my favorite dishes---Bangkok Roll, best Crab Rangoon I've ever had, Tom Yom Soup, Smoked Chili Combo, Basil Chicken, Green Curry and Crispy Chili Heaven. I think that was my last meal :) read more

Nice, neighborhood Thai restaurant. When I'm dressed casual and I want to go to a sit down restaurant without having to get all dolled up, I come here. It is a trendy little restaurant that is inexpensive. I ordered the green curry chicken and a Harajuku Mojito. Both the dish and the drink were delicious. Don't let the mojito fool you. It tastes so good but it will get you tipsy! The staff is nice but the seating is a little too close together but hat doesn't stop me from going back. If it's not super packed, It's not bad. They also have outdoor seating in the summer. read more

Indie Cafe - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

It was hard to go into Indie Cafe without high expectations since there are so many rave reviews but quite frankly, I found it disappointing. The space itself is cute,"cozy," (read: teeny tiny) and has an overall modern feel. The silverware is lovely, I probably stared at and fondled my fork for a good two minutes. As for the service, it was pretty decent, especially for it being a busy night. But.... the food! Some of the avocados in my sushi roll were brown and the nori was too chewy. Chewy nori is the worst because you spend all this time trying to break through it with your teeth and at some point you have to give up and swallow it, nearly choking to death in an attractive spectacle of hack-coughing and tears. read more

Beautiful Thai decor, with splashes of Asian/sushi bar style theme. Legit Panang curry! One of the best Thai restaurants in North Chicago. read more

It's always hard to find a place that does, Thai and Sushi well. But by george, I think I've found it, throw im a BYOB to boot, and it's pretty much the greatest thing since sliced bread. Been there about 4 times now, and carried out a few more than that. Pretty much your order should start with some Crab Rangoon, and then the Habanero Sushi, and you should finish off with some Steak Panang Curry. Let me tell you about the Steak Panang Curry, the curry is so good, I would mainline it into my veins if I could. Seriously. Do it. Don't forget your wine. read more

At first I was skeptical of this place because it has japanese and thai, which is kind of like places that serve tacos with spaghetti. My friend wouldn't stop raving so I gave it a try, and I'm glad I did. Their crab rangoon is some of the best I've had. They are smaller little bite sized ones. I always get their veggie tempura maki rolls- they come in either asparagus tempura or sweet potato tempura. Yummy and delicious! Other cool thing is that they deliver pretty quickly. Last time I got my order within a half hour. I agree that it is a little expensive but it is worth it. read more

Went there on Sunday night with a couple friends. Pros Good food Nice decoration Patio seating +++ Cons Had to wait 15 mins to get us a server Had to wait 10 more mins to get a water Had to wait 10 more mins to order Ordered appetizer and a drink, but both came after we had our main dish BAD SERVICE !! During all time we were there, the place was NOT busy. We had to go inside and look for our waitress. read more

Food = 5 stars; Service = "meh" Ever since I was introduced to Agedashi Tofu, I can't help but order it everywhere I go now. And I must say, this is, hands down, the best one I've had so far. Outer thin layer of light and crisp golden flakes of bliss embracing the tofu and dipped in just the right amount of sauce? STOP IT. I couldn't help myself with that one. I almost forgot to share it with my date-for-the-evening. 1 for you...5 for me. I thoroughly enjoyed the New York City Maki as well like how Sound of Music's Maria enjoys "raindrops on roses." Like no joke. It was the combination of 3 of my favorite things: eel, avocado...and that's right, cream cheese. I liked the options between Maki, City Maki and their Special Makis. Tried the Shrimp Tempura as well but wasn't much of a fan... it was kind of bland for my taste. I shall return! Literally. Cheers to the freakin' weekend, I'll cheers to INDIE. P.S. Minus just one star because service was kind of slow. Not so slow where I wouldn't return though. And ambiance was pretty intimate. And..AND...BYOB?! Sold. You ain't gotta ask me twice! read more

One day, I will order a Thai dish here, I swear. Until then, I will order the salad that comes with with inarizushi & asparagus, and I will order some maki. Why would I do that? Because they have sweet gourd rolls AND the best sweet potato tenpura rolls you ever laid eyes on. WHAT?!, I hear you ask. Where is this? It's at Indie Cafe. I'll report on the Lard Nar or some Pads shortly. Maybe. read more

I'm not surprised by the relatively-consistent four star reviews I see on Indie's page. The food is surprisingly good, the location is accommodating, the waitresses are cute, it's byob and I hear the delivery is fast. Anyway, drunken noodles and veggie maki are my fav, so when I saw Indie's menu I got really excited. My friend and I were surprised to see the main room packed on a Sunday night. I noticed that this place appears to be very couples-centric. Tables-for-two line the back wall; candles and white xmas-ish lights glow in the dimly lit room. I also found it odd that the waitress appeared to be swamped and running from table to table while a gaggle of employees fraternized by the front door. On to the food: Indie is super accommodating to vegans. Most of the noodles and curries can be made wo egg and fish sauce and there is an entire page of veggie maki(!!). There is a mango, avocado cucumber roll! Kanpyo! And oshinko! We ordered the drunken noodles with tofu, "Indie signature" curry and avocado maki. The sushi was straightforward and yummy. The soy sauce is served in a neat pitcher/cruet. The noodles were greasy, but they were filled with crunchy vegetables and were pretty delicious. The presentation of the Indie Signature Curry was lovely... it was adorned with a strange and tangled fried ball of noodles, basil and meticulously cut squash of some kind. The curry was nutty and more like a Panang than the Mussamun that the menu specified; it was filled with potatoes, squash and cashews and was realllly heavy but totally enjoyable (though I would be overwhelmed if it was the only thing I ordered). All in all, the service was kind of slow, but the food was great and affordable. I'm a little bummed that I am right out of their delivery range, but I will definitely be back soon. read more

Given the reviews on Yelp for this place - I was disappointed in my nearly $40 through Grub Hub. I was really expecting more. In every way. The food arrived hot, but for these prices, I thought the portions were lacking. The tempura was quite good - with just enough sauce to manage. But the chicken teriyaki really fell short. Hardly any sauce at all - just a few pieces of chicken and some broccoli, a few carrots. It said "with steamed veggies" so I was expected a whole lot more. The pile of white rice taking up half the small plastic container looked stark sitting next to the nearly sauce-less meat. No sauce whatsoever on the veggies, either. At the least, they should have included some teriyaki sauc on the side. I mean, I've never seen anything quite like it - and don't care to again. The crab ragoon, which many people have raved over was just plain strange. Tasted ok, but did not look appetizing. I was expecting more of the fried wonton wrapper, but it was unwieldy - kind of like a little ball. The classic fried rice looked old. I've been running into this at a lot of Asian restaurants in Chicago. I can't recall experiencing that in L.A. Asian restaurants - so it's really disturbing to me. Clearly, some of these restaurants recycle their rice. It tasted okay, but I knew it wouldn't hold up more than a day - and I knew I would have leftovers. I really should have noticed that the reviews were from several years ago -- because clearly this restaurant has gone down hill. I will not be ordering from them again. I hope I get a link from Grub Hub to post a review so that others will be spared the expense of this ultimately very mediorcre and high priced food. read more

So I love Indie Cafe...seriously it's legit. Great sushi variety, seriously fresh fresh fresh ingredients, amazing spring rolls, I could go on!! Cool combo of full bar and/or the option to BYOB for a small corkage fee, great and attentive service. The only reason it scores 4 instead of 5 stars for me is the 1.) ambiance ...often cramped quarters which can cause you to involuntarily over hear details from another's conversation. This for me is a pet peeve, I don't want to be so cramped in that my chopsticks are poking my neighbor in the face and 2.) While the sushi is delish...the thai part of the menu doesn't do it for me. I have had much better Thai right around the corner at Ben's Noodle on Bryn Mawr (which I believe has the best Thai in the city.) Overall though, visit Indie Cafe. It is worth it. The hubs and I keep going back...at least for the sushi. read more

It's my favorite Thai place in Chicago and I LOVE Thai food:) They're really good about modified orders including vegan and mild requests even though the waiting staff can have a bit of an attitude, some nights. It's literally about 50 cents more expensive than other Thai places but the gigantic portion size, incredible menu, plus AMAZING flavor are well worth it. Two noteworthy tips: anything described as spicy is HELLA spicy though too delicious to stop eating no matter how much it hurts. Secondly, the fine print on the menu mentions if you spend over $20 or $25 you get freebie appetizer~they won't mention it on the phone when you order but it's a great deal and their sushi's excellent, too, if you need something to reach that total! Mmmm, they're also very thoughtful in how they package takeout soup and curry...why do we eat anything else, really?! read more

Super excited to try this restaurant as I love sushi and read overall wonderful reviews. We ordered delivery which was prompt, but 3 of the 4 items we ordered completely smelled off and the taste was horrendous and nearly rotten. The Monte Carlo roll tasted like rotten fish, and the nigiri was all slimy and most also tasted off. Nearly 3/4 of what was ordered needed up in the trash, and I needed up sick for a couple hours. I reported it through the delivery service and they reached out to the restaurant for a refund. Indie Cafe came back with the response of "we will need the items back to give a refund." So you want a customer to drive out of their way, to your restaurant, and give you back food that was partially eaten and in the trash? Whoever the manager/owner is needs a lesson in customer service. Trash food the first time, trashier manager/owner. read more

Yowza, that was awful. Gyoza and shumai both fried and dry. Poorly assembled rolls with bad flavor combos - way too much cilantro in one, spicy crab mush in another. Maybe it was because it's the first of the year, but almost felt like they picked the items up at Jewel, nuked a couple of items then raced it over. Sorry, but Indie has fallen off the list of keepers. read more

Indie Cafe - Crab mush - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This is my favorite thai place in the city, and I've had a lot of thai food in the city. If you get the Pad See Eiw, you can get it with crispy noodles. It's the best! read more

Amazing food and amazing lunch special! I came here with one of my friends last week for lunch - best Thai food I've had in a very long time! I had Pad see ew noodles - absolutely amazing...and i have never had crab rangoon that was even close to being as good as it was here! Their lunch special is only around 7.50 and comes with a main course, an appetizer (which for me was 3 crab rangoon), and a soup or salad. I got miso soup which was delicious - as simple as it is, and my friend had a cucumber citrus salad that she really liked. She had green curry - i tasted it and liked it, but it was definitely on the spicy side - i know i couldn't have eaten it for a meal based on how spicy it was regardless of the great flavor. Had chocolate mochi ice cream for dessert - also good. Basically, great food, great price, cute atmosphere, and good service. I'll be frequenting this place often. read more

Nice place and decor, but may be a bit pretentious. The food was mediocre in taste. Pad se ewee (spelling?), who messed that up? The sushi roll names had more creativity than in actual composition. Prices seem higher for what you get. The Lychee Martini and Ginger Martini was delicious. We ordered then with Kettle One vodka instead of the house vodka and it made a difference. Overall, there are better Thai Fussion places to visit with better sense of value and quality for the amount. I would maybe return for the drinks and pretty decor. But then again, who goes to restaurants for the drinks? read more

I like this place a lot. I held a party here with some friends and they were able to accommodate us very well. There were 10 of us and the only problem occurred when a friend who isn't good with "ethnic" food ordered a tuna dish and was surprised when it came raw. I just laughed at her. The waitress was very attentive and asked what the problem was with her meal... I was proud of the waitress for not laughing at her like I did. They were even kind enough to take that off the bill. The rest of us all loved what we ordered and agreed we'd definitely be back again. The prices were also very reasonable. read more

I've really liked this place every time I go there. The service is great and the menu is extensive. I'm not a sushi fan, which they have lots of, but there are plenty of other options for me. I'm a big fan of their Thai options and was especially pleased when I went in last Sunday and found out that they had a lunch menu with some of my favorites. They just expanded the restaurant, it used to be teeny. Hopefully this means that business is good and they'll be around for awhile. p.s. Every one of my sushi eating friends thinks that the sushi here is really good... :) read more

I really liked this place before. It was my weekly staple but the last six months something has been wonky. I think it coincided with me seeing that the young man who walks around Loyola's Campus with no shoes on works there. And he give this place a bad vibe. Anytime I have an interaction with him I knock a star off this place. If you've seen the sole's of his feet you'd feel the same about him being any where near your food. First experience with him I ordered before I left work but the red line was having issues so when I got there I had been on a train for an extended amount of time after a long day. He told me "I looked bad" WHO SAYS THIS TO A PAYING CUSTOMER. And when I told him that was not appropriate he went in for an arm pat. ::side eye:: Boy I do not know you, and from what I do know, says do not touch me. I snatched my food and left. I stopped ordering for a while but went back because the food is usually good. I ordered on a Wednesday night and waited TWO HOURS for my food. When I called an hour in I could tell they had misplaced my order because a manager got on the phone to apologize but didn't admit their error. I'm assuming my food got lost because when it arrived it was cold. My sushi though... ::le sigh:: the salmon smelled funny and still had skin on it. At this point I am moving at the end of the week, outside of their delivery range. I think this is a good thing because I think the service is going down and I want to remember this place in its glory and not as the place with the boy with nasty feet and no home training's place of employment. read more

Drink selection: Fantastic. Really unique. Sweetened plum wine? Awesome. The sushi is fantastic. The super white tuna nigiri pieces were pretty substantially sized. They also have a very cute and tidy presentation of the food. Good music, beautiful BEAUTIFUL space. Only giving 4 stars because we told the waiter that we were splitting the check and he ended up giving us one check and stared us down like hawks when we sat there doing the math trying to figure out who owed what, but the guy who brought us our check wasn't our original waiter so he probably didn't know. Otherwise, I would definitely go again! read more

Have been coming here for years and lately the quality of the sushi and rolls isn't what it used to be. I stick with the thai portion of the menu these days. Too much going on with the sushi rolls. Less is more. read more

Walk in and you probably won't see any Asians in here unless they work here. The ambiance is attractive with dim lights, cute tables, candles etc. It's too bad the food isn't as good as it looks. Indie has the potential ..just not there yet. Such a shame. Such a pretty little place... Portions are small. Pricing isn't cheap. Sushi is mediocre. If you do end up here.. bring a bottle booze or something. Maybe it'll help you get through the meal. read more

Indie Café, you are a delight! Why has it taken me so long to visit you? Everything is fresh and delicious and BYOB to boot! The Sex on the Moon roll is heavenly! It's fresh, tasty and reasonably priced. I also enjoy the funky, eclectic art that adorns the wall. Indie Café, you are marvelous! read more

The world's best crab rangoon. No, I haven't tasted all of the crab rangoon in the world, but if you're looking for a more accurate frame of reference, it's a challenge that I'm willing to accept. They actually use real crab in their crab rangoon- not "crabstick" and not only cream cheese like so many places are apt to do. It's the the real McCoy here. People - do yourself a favor and go get these NOW. I've been known to eat an entire order by myself. I've only ordered the Thai food here (no sushi) but it's always been very good. Rumor has it that this place isn't BYOB anymore, which makes me sad. But who really cares when you can just order another crab rangoon? Fortunately for my waistline, this place is a hike from where I live. Otherwise, I'm fairly certain I'd be ordering crab rangoon every day. I wish I was kidding about that. For now, I'll just have to stop in when I trek up to visit my friends who live in Wisconsin...I mean Edgewater. read more

My friend and I were starving, so by the time the food came we would've had anything. With that being said, I was pleased and content. I was glad they had Hitachino White. Very few neighborhood places have it in stock, so I was pretty stoked. For apps: I've definitely had much better Fresh Spring Rolls elsewhere. There wasn't anything outstanding about them. I thought the filling was much chewier and not as fresh as I was expecting. As excited as I was about the bacon wrapped scallops, they were definitely subpar. I've had so much better. It was quite unmemorable. The crab rangoon, on the other hand was phenom. Although you can get crab rangoon anywhere, these were so good. Not as creamy and fried as I've had it elsewhere. Not too greasy, quite light, and very enjoyable. We split the chicken pad thai. I like a little more kick in my pad thai personally. When I requested extra limes, we only got two extra slices. There weren't enough nuts in our entree either. I like a heavy flavorful pad thai - ours was a little simpler, nothing extraordinary. The mango cheesecake was a great end. Such a simple taste. Normally I go towards tempura ice cream or mango sticky rice, but this was perfect. Not as sweet as I normally go, which was perfectly fine. I could've done without the whipped cream, but otherwise... perfect way to finish. read more

The fish tasted so fresh. The spicy tuna mix was balanced to perfection with its flavor profile. The cripsy salmon skin was super, super crispy. The spicy miso soup was hot! with a substantial broth. One nourishing for the soul. I'm lying in bed wondering why I feel so good and I'm reminded - that meal! read more

My GF and I are always looking for good Thai and this place has it. Close to the house and some of the best Crab Rangoon in the city. The other night I had the Indie Curry with beef. The beef was spectacular. Perfectly cooked. I was able to cut it with my fork/chopsticks. Highly recommended. It can be a little pricey if you decide to make it a sushi night. The sushi is pretty good, but I've had better at a more reasonable price. If you make a thai night then it is a very affordable meal. Plus it's BYOB which is always nice. If you live in the neighborhood and you haven't tried Indie yet then you're missing out. Make the trip. It's worth it. read more

Disappointing sushi. I ordered salmon and seabass nigiri which were actually quite good although the cuts were uneven - too thick on one end and paper thin on the other. The fish tasted nice and fresh, though. The rolls with tempura were terrible! I got the dragon roll (shrimp tempura in the middle) and the sweet potato roll. The tempura coating was thick, hard and flavorless...definitely not light and fluffy like it should be. It made the rolls actually difficult to eat both because of the nasty flavor and the excessive, jaw-numbing chewiness. Also, the shrimp used in the dragon roll were tiny, pathetic little things. read more