I fell in love with spicy scallop rolls here! I like the up stairs in this place. It was a little too dark though. I came with a few friends and just had a few rolls before we went out. The service was fast and the fish was fresh and the prices are great! a+ for them. read more

Probably my favorite of all the Kamehachi locations. Over the summer I ducked into their pleasant Japanese garden patio to escape the craziness of the Wells St. art fest (I understand that they enclose the patio over the non-summer months) and more recently tried their upstairs dining space - nice, but I'd recommend bringing a flash light or two if you want to eat up there for dinner, the lighting was ridiculously dim and everyone at our table was almost literally fighting over a single spot of light as we were trying to read our menus. I can understand why the menu prices can be such a turn-off, some of the pieces and rolls that we tried were not much better than you'd get at a hole-in-the-wall sushi place at a fraction of the cost. Some selections however, such as the toro, were outstanding (and at $10 a piece, they BETTER be outstanding!!) Good thing we had a Groupon to soften the blow on the final bill. What I really like about Kamehachi is their dessert selections. If you are in the mood for something more substantial than the standard sushi joint selection of mochi & green tea ice creams, you can indulge in something really rich like cheesecake or my favorite, the chocolate cube (three layers of chocolate mousse with a chocolate coating - yum!!) read more

The delivery service at Kamehachi has seemed to decline since they made the big move up the street. I don't quite get it, but based on events as of late, Kamehachi has been shuffled down much lower in my stack of take-out menus. Let me make it very clear that the quality of the sushi is still very good, fresh, and tasty. However, in the last few weeks I've dealt with really rude delivery drivers twice, delivery times taking the FULL estimated time (~1hr+) when they used to estimate an hour and provide delivery within 35 min, and an incorrect order. All I wanted was my beloved Sunset roll, and I was given a Rainbow roll. I just sucked it up and ate it; I like Rainbow rolls just fine, but it was a huge disappointment. I ordered from Kamehachi that night specifically for a Sunset roll. Maybe I'm being overly critical, but I'm going elsewhere for sushi delivery for a while. I hope to go dine in soon to finally get my hands on some Sunset roll goodness. The actual sushi at Kamehachi is easily 4 stars, so if you're looking for some rice + fish goodness in Old Town, I'd absolutely recommend dining in. For the moment, I'm wary of their delivery service. read more

I was looking forward to trying this place, but was very unimpressed. Service: We were told there was a 2 hour wait, then were seated 10 minutes later. The waitress was not attentive and we had to waive them down to order and pay. Food: I'm very adventurous when it comes to sushi, but I didn't enjoy any of the sushi rolls we ordered. It was bland and unoriginal. I enjoyed the Tempura Udon only, but was disappointed that I ordered vegetable tempura as an appetizer and the waitress didn't tell me that the Udon came with a side of a vegetable tempura. Atmosphere: The decor is okay. The tables are too close together so you hear everyone's conversation around you. read more

Kamahachi's unassuming facade makes it seem as if it is one of Old Town's hidden jewels. But when you ask for recommendations from locals about good sushi places, this place always comes up. I decided to try this restaurant when I invited my visiting mom and aunt to meet my boyfriend over dinner. When you first walk in, the restaurant looks like any other sushi place - white walls, small tables and minimal decorations. However, when you walk upstairs, you get a completely different vibe. The lights are dimmed and black lights replace the bright white lights glaring downstairs. The ambiance is almost club-like. There's music in the background and everything just feels chic. The bad lighting, however, made it very difficult to read our menus. I felt like a 65 year old lady desperately trying to read the menu over the tiny candle on our table. The sushi was excellent - very fresh. Also, they have a large menu. For someone who can't eat avocados, I still had a lot of options to choose from. We ordered sukiyaki to share, which ended up tasting pretty good. Kamehachi tops my list of sushi places. What's even better is that it's less than half a mile from my place. I will be going back to enjoy some yummy sushi and feel cool in the upstairs eating area... Check it out! read more

Walked into Kamehachi at 9:15pm on a Saturday night looking for a quick bite to eat. I could have waited ~10 minutes for a table to open up, but opted to sit down right away at the sushi bar. I was shocked that this place wasn't mobbed. I highly recommend the "Summer" maki roll. Add in tempura crunch and you will be pleasantly surprised. My wife and I love going here. Very good sushi at very inexpensive (you can easily eat very well for less than $50 per couple with tip). The one downside is that the restaurant itself is packed tight. Not much room to spread your wings. Plus there's only one toilet in the bathroom - there can be a line if someone is taking a bit longer than average. read more

Something has to be said about the most aesthetically pleasing food I've ever seen yet refuse to eat. I've had sushi only once, and once was enough. My strong aversion to the texture and, more simply, the idea of eating something raw has deterred from being a true sushi expert, but I must say that when dining here with friends -- I eat the steak teriyaki; more about it later -- they praise presentation and delectability without fail. The way spider maki are created, for instance, is infinitely more innovative than I've seen at other similarly priced restaurants. Meanwhile, the steak teriyaki definitely compelsweekly visits. The sauce is much thicker than dishes offered by other places, and the hefty slab of meat is far and away the best offering I've found in the entire city. And let's not forget the 2nd floor lounge with its late-night hours. Nothing compares. Aurora, by the way, is also the best server in the world. read more

Kamehachi has a lot of menu choices for the sushi lover and sushi hater! It would be totally easy to bribe a sushi-hating friend into coming here on a night when you're craving some rolls! I loved the menu - the prices are great and the portions are generous. Also extra stars for their service. I went there with a bachelorette party of 9, and since they somehow didn't have our pre fixe menu ready to go, they offered to give us all separate checks so we could order whatever we wanted. Also, the manager sent us TWO rounds of drinks - sake at the beginning and champagne at the end! That's fabulous service compared to Second City who saw our party coming and sat us in the back corner of the theater! I'll definitely be going back soon! read more

Fun dining experience! We came here for a friend's birthday and sat upstairs. We had a few extra people show up and our waitress was very accommodating. I really enjoyed the Spicy Tuna ($7) and Kamehaci roll ($9), which is tuna, avocado, cucumber, and masago. The Dragon Lady drink is lovely. It's a delicious mix of vodka, pomegranate, orange, and pineapple juices, and lemon-lime pop. I also got the Migi-tiny, but didn't care for it. This was gin, lemon, cucumber and had peppercorn flakes sprinkled on the top. Old Town is a fun neighborhood, so be sure to check out some of the cool after dinner drink spots while you're there. read more

Seriously, this is one of my favorite restaurants in Chicago. I can't say I'm one of the die-hard sushi fans, although I do enjoy GOOD sushi. And it really has to be good. Can't tolerate the crap - and I've never had crap here. This is also the place where I tried sake for the very first time - yes that's right, I was once a sake virgin, too. It wasn't bad, but I think I'll stick to wine. But I digress... The service has always been great and the ambience is fantastic , especially if you dine upstairs. If you haven't been to this place yet, then be sure to put it at/near the top of your list! read more

I just ordered delivery tonight and am so satisfied. It arrived much sooner than I had expected and the food was delicious.

We have been to this restaurant before and has a great experience. Today is Labor Day and we went back for summer. We had a reservation and were greeted at the door with sushi is taking 45 min and maybe you don't want to order any. They were understaffed on the floor and in the kitchen. 55 min to get sushi, the entire reason we went there. Horrible. The food was as always very good. They over committed to take out orders and left their patrons very unhappy. We asked for a discount and they laughed. They can do a better job running this place. read more

Food was delicious. Service was deplorable - it took over an hour to get 4 rolls - my husbands lamb chops came out way before the rolls and the hostess was terrible nothing was comped and no one apologized read more

Went out for dinner tonite with the family and had dinner. I have to say that every dish we ordered was excellent which doesn't happen often and I'm pretty honest with my opinion. The teriyaki sea bass was moist with a nice sear. The charashi bowls were awesome. Fish slices were thick and fresh even on a Sunday. The tempura was crispy and not greasy. The fried chicken wings were crazy good . Super juicy and crunchy . I could of just had that and been happy. Prices were reasonable. Will be back . read more

I am not a connoisseur of sushi, though I do enjoy it on a fairly regular (bi-weekly) basis. We arrived at 7:30 on Saturday night and were seated downstairs immediately. After starting with a delicious miso soup (his words, not mine) we had the following rolls: Spider Sunset Summer New York Chicago The presentation was pleasant and I found the rolls to be interesting and delicious (I sampled all of them). The Summer roll had a kick to it, the Spider roll was a bit bland but the Sunset roll was fabulous!! The fish was fresh and served in large pieces within the rolls, which I appreciated. Also, no roll had any ingredients that overpowered the fish which I don't always find. I will be back read more

Yeah, I don't have a whole lot to say. Sushi is good for cheap, but mediocre. Salads are wicked expensive. I got a kani su salad, minus the seaweed last night. So cucumbers and crab (likely imitation, though I'm not sure). $11! Serious! It's my own fault for not reading the menu, but come on. I've never had a kani salad cost that much. it's a side salad, for cryin' out loud. The sushit wasn't bad. The first I went it was better, I thought. Last night wasn't that great. If last night had been my first experience, I wouldn't have gone back a second time. However, my first experience wasn't bad, but my second was pretty blah, so I won't be back. Service is was really got me. They weren't that busy, but while we were greeted promptly, it took about 20 minutes to get and pay our bill. I had been finished for some time before our server came back. After we asked for our bill it took about 10 minutes to receive it, then 10 minutes after she took it. I was tired and just wanted to leave. Nothing worse than being ready to go and unable to leave. It's not the worst experience sushi experience I've had but not even close to the best. I will likely not be back. read more

Loving the new atmosphere! I've been a fan of Kamehachi for about a year and a half now. The menu consists of Japanese style entrees and very good sushi! There is a full bar and the service is attentive. The old Kamehachi was nice but tables were too close together. The new spot has tall ceilings and plenty of room with two stories of tables. Its new stylish atmosphere and chill music have added to its success! Kudos Kamehachi . . . read more

You'll find trendier sushi spots in town, but Kamehachi is one of the better ones in my opinion because their fish truly is fresh. The decor varies - upstairs is more dimly lit and 'funkier', compared to the downstairs which is a bit crowded and a bit lacking in atmosphere. However, my favorite spot is their outdoor patio in the summer. I guess I've grown to love this place so mush as it's a regular standyby being a few doors down from my apartment. Now for the food...as others have mentioned, I'm obsessed with the Green Turtle Roll! They stuff the rice with eel and its sweet brown sauce along with crunchy tempura flakes. On the outside, they lay a piece of ebi (shrimp) over the rice and drizzle the whole thing with a creamy wasabi sauce (to die for!) and green tobiko. It somehow combines every taste combination in one go - sweet, spicy, creamy, crunchy - it's a must! read more

This is the only Kamehachi restaurant I go to when I am Chicago. Although I haven't been there in over 2 years, on my most recent visit I still enjoyed their food, decor and atmosphere. I prefer dining upstairs (club like). I have dined a few times downstairs and it just wasn't the same. Dishes to try: 1. Absolutely the Oyster shooters 2. Kani Su (Real king crab) 3. Teriyaki Steak (NY Strip, medium rare) IT IS THAT GOOD! 4. Agedashi Tofu Sushi, Sashimi and Rolls are good but nothing special. Fish and Seafood ingredients are fresh. Felt good just like old times. read more

There is absolutely nothing to complain about the interior decor of this place. It has the nicest decor I have ever encountered for a restaurant in the US. My only worry when I first walked in was, will the food quality still hold up or will it be at the mercy of the decor? ... It was at the mercy of the decor. I ordered the Tori Kara (spicy fried chicken with sesame glaze)...nothing like what it said. It wasn't spicy at all! I was a little taken back at how fast the chicken got cold as well. I also ordered the white heat. Why I ordered it was because of the red chilli pepper paste...I swear I did not taste any of it. The whole maki seemed a little tart as well, the combination of jalapeno, citrus soy, and cilantro being a little overpowering. I m not saying overall things were bad, but there is certainly room for improvement in becoming the best (after all, that should be the goal, right?) Then again, should I be seeking gourmet sushi in Chicago far away from the ocean? But I do love to be surprised... read more

Awful experience. We asked the waitress if they had a sushi combo/ sushi boat they didn't offer that but the waitress said she would speak w the chef and come up w a combo. We ask for some simple tuna/ salmon cali rolls. They brought us some sashimi and pieces of unique sushi. When the bill came we notice she selected all the most expensive items on the menu ! The bill was triple of what we expected! She took advantage of us. The manager came and gave us a discount. He felt bad she never discussed prices or gave us an idea. The manager was cool but I felt they took advantage. I use to go to this place all the time but I will never step foot in their again.... read more

Thanks to Leang E. for the tip about heading upstairs! The dim lighting and cozy tables made for an intimate experience even though all the tables were quite close together. We started off with our usual favorite, agedashi tofu, which sadly was not at all crispy this time, and the gyoza, which someone else recommended and I'm glad they did. For the entree, I decided to try a non-sushi dish this time since that's all we ordered when we visited the other location the first time. I was definitely happy with my yaki udon but my boyfriend didn't like the sushi special he picked. The summer roll wasn't bad though. We opted for dessert since the other location had a yummy tiramisu - no tiramisu here, but we did enjoy a chocolate mousse cube instead. The peach limeade was not as yummy as the green tea martini, but hey, you can't always make right choices! Overall, I'd give this place 3.5 stars and suggest going to the other location. read more

I really wanted to buy a zillion of the $50-for-20 coupons that were offered on groupon.com last Friday for Kamehachi but I missed my chance and they sold out! I had never been here, but the deal was so great even for medium sushi that I figured there was no way to lose! Anyway, we were on Wells visiting a florist and thought, hey we should go to Kamehachi because after midnight when the 5,500 Groupons print, they are going to be slammed for the next 6 months. We sat on the new patio - cute cute cute! A deck with a retractable awning, a waterfall, green plants, good wall decor/lights, good music... It was charming! We ordered some regular rolls (including the super creative and tasty Summer Roll) and added in some of the tuna stuffed jalapenos and a few pieces of blue marlin. We did think the prices were kinda high, especially for the nigiri. The food was good, but only medium fresh. Not bad, not the best. A-OK. The service was good and kept bringing us drinks. The special drinks are also very good. We ordered the hot sake with chambord. Holy batman! I drank a large by myself, ha! We also had 3 of the martinis - tasty! They didn't mind that we ordered another bottle of sake after we were done eating while we chatted about the universe. In general, we always like to personally thank the chefs when we leave, but these chefs seemed very uninterested - 2 of them ignored our second, louder thank you's, and the other just stared at us. read more

Decided to go here, since my boyfriend wanted me to meet up with a friend, and this place was their old hangout. Opted for the Kamehachi bento box, with the special item of the day was the seaweed salad (or shau mai, but the waiter was unsure about it.) The California roll was kind of on the dry side, if that's possible. I'm not really a big fan of California rolls to begin with (even though it's from California, and I'm from there. =P), but I guess the rice was dry and the ingredients didn't seems too fresh. I asked for my teriyaki beef to be cooked well-done, but after arriving in the middle of the beef, it was still pink, maybe about the size of a nickle. I wasn't too sure about this, but I might have gotten sick from it,. Next time, I'll order something else, but from that experience, I probably wouldn't go back, since I know that there are other Japanese restaurants around Chicago. read more

We liked the place. Really liked it. Then went one night, and the eastern European (Why have an eastern European waitress in a Japanese place anyway ?) got it all wrong. Mixed up stuff we ordered , disappeared somewhere , general service was very slow, too. Massive accent , hard to understand. Anyway, very disappointed. Still ,we went back 2 weeks later to give them another chance, got a seat upstairs. Some guy turned up with 2 glasses , filled them with water without saying a word. No sign of waitress/waiter. We waited for 10mins. Then left. No one stopped us. read more

Downgrading. Since they moved, the new Kamehachi is much more spacious and swanky. They're still open late so this is a good place to come after shows when you have not much choice. Key: You don't have much choice late at night. Bad thing. The sukiyaki was waaay too salty. The sushi was A-OK (sashimi and a couple of rolls, nothing to write home about) Service was awful. My glass was not refilled even once. The waitress came to get our order, and never returned. Given the salty sukiyaki, I was so thirsty and I didn't get any water. BLEH This isn't my first review. I had given 5 stars in 2011, 4 stars in 2012, and now 2 stars only. Something is wrong obviously... read more

Asian chimichurri steak and rock tempura shrimp app were delicious. Lychee drink was good. Sushi was pricey $16 rolls for crouching tuna hidden crab and the Valentines day special roll which ended up being very similar. The fish was fresh and both rolls were ok. Service was great. read more

I don't know what to think of this place. I think my perception is misconstrued. This is one of my girlfriend's favorite places. We ordered it take out last week. The flavors weren't all that bad, but the textures were not good. The tempura sucked. Everything was soggy. The sauces weren't that good. They messed the order up in a couple of different ways.... Maybe this is all due to it being take out. As I said, I think I will definately give this place another chance because it has come so highly recommended.... but my first impression was not a good one. Perhaps I will have to dine in my next meal at Kamehachi. read more

Was less than impressed after having heard good things about this og Kamehachi. Rolling in for a late Saturday lunch, there were maybe 7 people in the restaurant, but it took a good 25 minutes for our main food dishes to come out! The spider roll we ordered was pretty small and pathetic and pretty bleh compared to what I've had in recent months, registering at $2/piece for a paltry 5 piece roll. My katzudon was pretty pedestrian too...I came here to order this b/c it's so hard to find Japanese rice dishes downtown for a reasonable price...if I wasn't so lazy, I'm sure I could make it better. The only saving grace was the special stuffed salmon we ordered. Stuffed with crab, and placed over some garlic/starchy sauce, it was pretty good. But we definitely waited a long time for it...no apologies, nothing from the wait staff. Considering how slow it was, I'd hate to see how service is when it's actually busy. read more

Been here once and will not return. We came here at around 2:30 pm on a Tuesday, certainly not prime time, but still... $10 Martini that was drinkable, nothing special, though slightly watery. Fried oyster appetizer. This was OK although served with dijon mustard and sweet/sour sauce, which makes you feel as though you're eating spring rolls (not to mention there was no meaningful flavor synergy). Then sushi: spicy tuna maki, new york maki, and sunset maki. First of all, the wasabi they gave us was seriously weak. The sushi itself was simply underachieving in every aspect. The seaweed was dry, the rice was too starchy and layered way too thickly around the rolls (this should be obvious even from the couple pictures posted here on yelp), and the added condiments such as spiced aioli and roe were simply flavorless. The fish was fresh enough, but everything else was supermarket quality. Service was also bad. Maybe since the place was empty the servers were taking things easy, but our sushi arrived on the table several minutes before the appetizer, and we had to ask for the check twice. They also almost took down the wrong order but when she was reading through everything at the end we noticed the mistake. Maki rolls at sushi samba (where I usually go) are only like a dollar/roll more expensive than they are here, and they're made 100 times better. Cocktails at sushi samba are $1 more and also 100 times better. Should have just stuck with the tried and true. read more

Simply the worst fatty tuna I've ever had, and they charged $8/piece for it. Service was also slow

Great service and great sushi. Fresh, thoughtfully created rolls. The garlic chili oil edamame was out of this world.

Generous servings for sushi but zero flavor, especially spicy tuna...highly doubted it has any spicy mayo

You can enjoy pretty good sushi at Kamehachi. It's not a bad atmosphere either. I would suggest sitting upstairs though. The downstairs atmosphere is more like a sushi cafe. It's very bright, and the table are packed together closely. The food is good though. I would still go back, but it wouldn't be at the top of my list for sushi places. read more

I've been Yelping for years and have found it to be wonderful way to find restaurants and businesses in the cities I travel to...and yet, I've never been compelled to write a review until today. My family and I have frequented Kamehachi in Old Town for years and have generally found the restaurant to be of high quality in terms of its sushi and service. I'm disappointed to say that while the new space is definitely an upgrade from the old restaurant, the quality of the food and service haven't followed suit. We were seated promptly and loved the vibe of the restaurant with a patio full of diners outside and a large inviting space on this inside. However our dining experience went downhill from there as our waiter was slow and inattentive to our dining needs. We ordered our regular staples of nigiri, udon soup, and maki rolls. The nigiri, while fresh, were smaller than what has traditionally been served at the old Kamehachi, the soup lacking noodles, the rice on the maki rolls was unacceptably dry, and the soft shell crab used in the spider roll tasted like it was sitting in the fridge for a week....absolutely awful. The new Kamehachi hits the mark for trendiness, but this is not the reason I've dined here over the years. The food and friendly service are gone with the new restaurant as is this loyal diner. Goodbye Kamehachi :( read more

Really great food. Not just your average rainbow rolls and spicy tuna. They have some truly creative dishes and wonderfully inventive appetizers. They have a great atmosphere inside and a nice little place to eat outside. The server was a little nonexistent. But it seemed like it was just the one that we had at our table. read more

First, the beef kakiniku was impossible to chew on. I was surprised how chewy it was and really impossible to eat. I tried only one piece and ended up going to the restroom to get rid of it lol. Did not finish this appetizer needless to say. I made polite of mention to the waiter of my dissatisfaction but never heard back. Also, the sashimi platter while very good in terms of freshness, the pieces were definitely below average in terms of size. Not a horrible experience by an means but I won't be back. Thanks for your reply. The server never mentioned removing it from the bill. If he did I appreciate that. Someone else paid the bill and I did not review it. read more

A whale of surprises. I have eaten at three Sushi Restaurants that changed my opinion of Sushi.... Now there is a fourth - Kamehachi. The presentation was lackluster - the interior was tired and then the food arrived.... Although poorly presented the food was made with care and simple wonderful artistry. The salad was topped with a very thin slice of Lotus root.... What a surprise :) The dressing appeared as expected for a Miso based dressing until I tasted it... Yummy.... And the rolls. First of all they were beautiful. The rice which is the most difficult part of sushi was very very good. The cuts of fish were excellent and then the sauces!!! The Spicy Tuna Deluxe Deluxe was the best Sushi I have every tasted. And at the end of the feast I left very satisfied. I would recommend this restaurant to any friend.... In fact if you want to go let's just head over. read more

Currently I am visiting Chicago and I was so excited to find a sushi place in my favorite part of town, Old Town. I came in by myself because my sister is at work. First, it took the waitress about 15 minutes to bring me my water, when she brought it she set it down and walked away. Second, after I got my food, she never once came back to ask me anything, I even had to flag her down and ask for more water. Third, I ordered the spicy tuna roll and the sunset roll. The spicy tuna roll had no flavor other than the soy sauce and was very chewy. The sunset roll had no flavor besides the cilantro. After all of this when I was finished I put my chopsticks across my soy sauce dish and set my napkin on the table, the waitress never brought me my check. It took me asking twice to get it. The only reason I gave it two stars is for the environment, but I won't be returning. read more

I've been going there every Friday with my buddy for about 3 years now. The place is great and we're treated extremely well. Love the food / service / atmosphere / staff & owner. read more