I came here one Thursday evening with a group of six and we were promptly seated upstairs near the "bar" without any reservations. I liked that they had a wide variety of options on the menu (including drinks!) so everyone could choose to go raw or not. I chose not to and got two different rolls, both of which were great. The real deal for me was when I asked for an alternative, non-soy based dipping sauce... and they provided! This is a BIG DEAL if you have soy allergies. They were super accommodating, whereas most restaurants scratch their head and say "teriyaki" which is basically souped-up soy. I want to say it was a sesame ginger sauce, but that may just be in my head. Overall good environment for large and small groups, but it wouldn't be the place I must go to again- convenient location in Old Town to meet up with some friends. I think if I could, they would get a 3.5 - especially for their reasonable prices and no wait. read more

Shrimp tempora is pretty good. I came to this place twice. Both time, we enjoyed it. Their lunch menu works during the weekend as well. Their bento portion is generous. Service is good. I definately recommend this place if you are lincon park or near old town. read more

I haven't been to Kamehachi in a while, and the last time I went, it was the Gold Coast location. What made me want to come back to Kamehachi was the Shrimp Yaki Soba and the maki rolls I had previously. They had left a strong impression on me and I have been waiting to go back. Well, the opportunity finally presented itself a few days ago. Of course, my friends trust my opinion and were more than amenable to my suggestion. Since particular things had brought me back to Kamehachi, that's what I thought we should order. Well, I was disappointed. The food was good, but it was not as great as I remember. First of all, the shrimp in the Yaki Soba were those teeny tiny, generic shrimp that the hole in the wall Chinese restaurants use. The last time I was at Kamehachi, the shrimp were large. almost prawn size, succulent and tasted of perfection. Also, the flavor of the Yaki Soba was different. There was something in this Yaki Soba that was just...eh. Also, I judge sushi places by their spicy tuna. It's a basic roll, but so easy to mess up. If a restaurant can handle the spicy tuna, then it tells me whether or not they can execute the more complicated rolls. When our maki platter came out, the spicy tuna were these itty, bitty rolls, the spicy tuna filling on the sparse side, and what was the offical deal breaker: it was NOT spicy. Sigh. Why call it spicy tuna, if you're not going to make it spicy? We also ordered the shrimp tempura maki. It was good, but without the soy sauce, there was no real flavor. Boo! Finally, we ordered what was the sunset maki. This was the highlight of the meal. The flavors were fresh, and balanced. You could taste each individual ingredient but the flavors were harmonious. This roll alone is why I am giving Kamehachi 3 stars instead of two. I'm not sure if the menus vary by location of if the items have just "evolved" since my last visit. Either way, I don't think I am ever going to return to Kamehachi because this past experience burst the bubble of my first time here. Cest la vie! read more

This place is So-So. We went for lunch and there were quite a few people in there. It took a while for anyone to come and greet us and take our order. It seemed like the staff was having a pow-wow in the back before they prepared for dinner which I found strange. The bartender and 1 bus boy were the only ones clearing tables and the bartender took our order. The sushi and miso soup were okay.Nothing to rave about. The decor is very nice and the patio seating looked nice as well. Not my favorite place in Old Town but it's convenient so I will probably be back to give it another try. read more

Kamehachi - California roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Great prices for pretty good Japanese food. Would not recommend the Udon--not very flavorful at all, but the sushi is impeccable! And the tempura is great as well, perfectly fried. Would go again and just stick with sushi options! read more

A solid Japanese restaurant. I have only eaten the sushi and it is solid and of good quality. The place itself is in a nice location and the setting can be intimate for a fun date. I agree that the price is a little high for the portion that you get but it is well done so just go for lunch on a Saturday and it will make for a good day. read more

I thought the martini glasses they used was way to small for a price of $11. However, if you feel like a martini try the ZEN MARTINI. It has a clean and sweet taste. I order the Sunset California Roll, and Spider Roll. I've had better Spider rolls for the price i paid for. The place decor was pretty nice, try getting the garden seats. The garden area is enclosed or opened depending on the weather. Small water fall, and great fans as a back drop. I'd only go back if I had to go for a special occasion. : ). read more

I don't get what the hype is about this place. The food is not impressive, the atmosphere is pretty boring. I think this place won best sushi spot, and I have been advised to go here quite a few times, but I doubt I'll go back willingly. Food was slow, rolls we just OK, specialty rolls are small and still have a high price tag. Atmosphere is not very inviting, and the space is pretty tight. One good thing is valet parking, since you'll never find a spot, and the fact that they are open late is nice. read more

I was brought here for my 26th birthday (by my request of course). It was really easy to make a reservation online. If you're dining as a couple, I suggest you request a table on the second floor - it's most intimate and dimly lit. We ordered a bottle of red wine and indulged in about four sushi rolls. The selection of rolls was somewhat lacking, but either way, what we picked was delicious. I definitely recommend visiting this restaurant. read more

We ate on the Kamehachi out on their outdoor patio area. This is a great place to eat in the restaurant - plenty of room and the noise level is very reasonable - no need to shout over other people to hold a conversation. The service was a little bit slow throughout the night but she got our order correct - so it was not a total loss. We started off with the spicy edemame as well as the fried oysters. The edemame was nice and salty and with the added spice, it made for a good appetizer as we waited for our sushi to be prepared and sipping on our drinks. The drinks were very good - like many others I highly recommend the lychee martini. The sushi was good. Again not spectacular but well done with fresh fish. The size of the sushi slices were appropriate and it did not feel like you were eating half a fish at a time on the ball of rice. The spicy scallop roll was very good and they used large scallops when making the roll - which really improved the taste of the roll itself. Kamehachi is a good location for good sushi - not really imaginative or exotic - and good drinks. If you can sit outside I highly recommend this area for to eat here. read more

I would give some of the specials a try. The wonderful roll is absolutely amazing. HANDS DOWN one of the best rolls. The menu is limited for rolls, but the selection of fish is great. The quality/freshness of fish won't disappoint..I believe they get their shipment in daily. Also, I would also recommend trying the entrees..I haven't tried a thing that I didn't like. read more

Gorgeous night in Old Town and all the outside tables were taken. Are inside and service was slow once we were seated. The hostess is the person who eventually took our order! We ordered various sushi roll dishes. One with white rice, one with red rice and one with black rice. The taste of the black rice was my favorite. The black rice seemed to have more of a subtle sweet taste. I'd definitely go back and maybe next time we'll have better service! read more

I have done delivery from here twice and I highly recommend it! If you're looking for excellent sushi delivered to your door, this is your place. For non-traditional sushi, loved the New York Maki with smoked salmon, but definitely loved the Kamehachi roll! They even add in all the necessities with your order including a little plastic dish for your soy sauce. It's definitely worth the 45 min. wait. read more

3.5 stars (rounded to 4) because everything was good to great, but nothing wow'ed me. The service is definitely on point. The waitstaff isn't overly friendly, but they're definitely attentive and are intuitive as to when you're finished your plate and when to bring the next thing. They serve great sushi. We got the lobster specialty roll - lobster, crab, cilantro, mango all in a roll, yum! My chirashi bowl would have been fantastic, but the rice had a bit too much vinegar. The appetizer was way too greasy with flavorless sauce. Also, I agree with everyone below. Go upstairs for a more intimate environment. read more

Went there recently with a Groupon. I have been here a few other times in the past, and the only reason I went back was because of the great discount. Overall, it's overpriced for what you get. The rolls were some of the tiniest that I have ever seen, flavor was fine. Nothing special. Fortunately the appetizers filled us up first, we got edamame and the spinach thingy with sesame/peanut sauce, both of those were great, but not great enough to go back for. The service was so-so, and the upstairs bathroom was so gross, it belonged in a dive bar not an "upscale" restaurant. I'd return if I had another coupon, but not for full price. read more

I like their Spicy Edamame a lot. I would probably go here just for that but their sushi is pretty good if you know what to order. The Dragon Roll is the best I have had their. They are really expensive though. There are better places in Chicago that are cheaper for Sushi. But this place is definitely not a bad date night choice. read more

They moved to a new site and it's way more upmarket, back to the high quality from whence they came. I am super happy that they have moved to a new space and can say that we are again regulars at this old town location!!! ------------- I was a regular here, it's gone further downhill and not impressed with the quality here. --------------------------- This place is not perhaps what it once was... but we're still regulars here and find the food perfectly acceptable, the service good and the overall experience good enough for us to keep coming back week after week. There are probably better sushi restaurants out there in Chicagoland but this is local and it has a great outdoor area at the back. read more

This review is for their delivery menu. Love them and have for years. Love the new space too. But this is about their "new menu" Tonight we ordered the chicken teriyaki an a bunch of sushi. The $15 serving of teriyaki didn't even one chicken breast! When we called to complain, the guy we spoke to 1) didn't seem surprised and 2) said oh have you ordered from our new location because it's different now. "I'll tell the owner". Non responsive. Completely. Very disappointing. Spent nearly $60 but will not order delivery from them again. Great food. Disappointingly small servings for their delivery menu. read more

I hadn't been here in years, because I'll say til I die, not many 20/30 something's hang in Old Town when they're single. Think about it. I'm still single, and hanging out in this hood more often, clearly trying to extend this single life as long as possible. We ate a ton...shocker. Spicy edamame- was soooo excited bc I've never heard of this before, but blah city. Next . Shrimp tempura app- really tasty, but not much here. Special Maryland soft shell crab- super good, but not even close to worth $18 . Maguro- yummy, nothing to write home about. Salmon special- at $6 I had serious high hopes for this. And it was super awesome. Red dragon- super fresh and good. But not worth $17. We also had a couple more rolls, but writing this I realize how little impact this place had on me for the price. If you read my reviews you know price is never an issue. But in this case, this little neighborhood joint needs to remember they're not on the gold coast. read more

My boyfriend and I went to dinner at Kamehachi and were really excited because we love sushi and they're always packed, but after dining tonight we felt extremely nauseous. Not only did our food take over an hour to get to us, but the people sitting next to us had been there for two hours and grabbed the manager to get an update about their food. The manager that was there was so unprofessional, didn't apologize, and didn't do anything to help the situation. Another woman started applauding obnoxiously to get everyone's attention to make a point that she'd been waiting for her roll for over 2 hours. Then when my boyfriend and I finally got our food, we were so grossed out by the salmon and tuna that we only had 4 pieces total out of our 5 rolls we ordered to share. Not only was that gross and left us feeling sick, but it was just disappointing overall. The only reason I'd give it a 1 star is because our server gave us his discount code because the manager wouldn't comp our food even though we ate nothing!! -50/10 for us and I solely made this account to review this place. read more

I ordered delivery pretty late on a Monday evening. I got food delivered sooner then expected, the sushi was of a great quality and very fresh. read more

Gosh, my experience at Kamehachi was mediocre at best. I know I used to like it. Used to think it was the tops of sushi in Chicago, and I'm not a sucker for a fancy sushi joint either. Things were pricier than they should be for sure. Small plate of veggie tempura, $13.95? Weird. And eh. The sushi itself was just average. I could go to a million cheaper places for average. I don't think I"ll go back. read more

Sushi makes me happy. I love eating it and I am even a little addicted. I love trying all the different restaurants when I am ordering delivery. I have ordered from this restaurant before and I was happy with the food becuase the quality was good. Not wanting to take a gamble last night I ordered even though the prices were higher then I wanted to pay. For the price the sushi is just ok. I enjoyed the flavor and the food was fresh and delivered very fast, but the price made it not as satisfactory. I wouldn't order from them again. read more

If I could give more stars to this awesome place I would. First time I went here it was a Saturday night with a midsize group. We were informed the wait would be some obscene long amount of time. I was ready to just go but one of the people I was with convienced to me to just stay. We sat down had amazing service and listened to metallica reinterpreted by the Japanese. Never had a better time! I've been going here for over ten years and the service and food has never not been up to par. Thanks! Thumbs up! read more

Average sushi - nothing memorable. I might be spoiled by the inexpensive and delicious sushi places that I enjoyed the past several years in NYC, but - still - this place is way too expensive for the quality. Of course, we will be back since it is next to our apartment. Two suggestions: 1) Sit upstairs - ambiance/lighting is somewhat better. 2) Try the Sunset Roll - it is pretty good. read more

I was led to believe Kamehachi was one of the top sushi restaurants in Chicago, and would be accepted even in cities that actually feature large bodies of salt water. My meal was hugely disappointing, and wouldn't have been good even at one of the hole-on-the-wall spots around town I usually turn up my nose at. For three of us, we asked for the chef's recommendations, mostly sashimi and stay away from the saucier stuff. Some of the fish that came out was excellent, but about half was gamey or flavorless, and a few pieces were inedible gristle. Conclusion: Kamehachi does not in fact find better fish than the sushi hoi polloi, and therefore should be drizzling everything with wasabi mustard and olive oil like the sushi joints that have DJ nights. This experience set us back about $200 -- worth it for a good sushi meal in Chicago, but not for this meal. It's possible we hit Kamehachi on a bad night, but I'm not inclined to go back and test this theory. read more

I went here on a date and we went to the upstairs level. Very cute and intimate feel up there. Perfect for a date or close gathering. The downstairs is just a typical sushi restaurant, but upstairs is completely different. The service was great. They were super friendly and always checking up on us if we needed anything else. The rolls were delicious and were a decent size. They have tons of options but also have a lot of traditional rolls too. I will definitely go back! read more

My friends & I done here once a month after serving dinner at a local soup kitchen. We always hope for Jessica to be serving us! She is the best in the house! Two words: Rock Shrimp!!! You won't regret it! Love this sushi spot! Especially in the summer & in it's side walk seating! read more

I went to this place at a company event. It was great. Food was awesome and servers were quick to handle more than forty people in one table. I need to come back. read more

I actually really liked this place even though it has okay reviews and feels a little chainy. Our server was nice but wasn't very helpful in giving suggestions or answering questions. We got a bottle of sake that was very good, several rolls, rock shrimp and nigiri. I really did enjoy all of it. The fish quality seemed good and the rolls were a good size. The rock shrimp was delicious with just the right amount of spice. I liked how they have a backroom and bar area which makes it seem more intimate. read more

Kamehachi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I came here for lunch with coworkers during the week. They have a special lunch menu and discount for those who work in the area. It was a pretty good deal for the amount of food you get. I got the Bento Box A, which was nice because it was a nice array of items from the menu. I was so full I definitely had to take a box home. It has large open windows in the summer, which can be very pleasant. read more

We used to go to Kamehachi in the old location and just went back this last weekend. The food was just ok, not as great as before and I didn't think it's worth the value. read more

I am a big fan of Japanese food. I love Rice balls (or Musubi), Katsu Don, and Sushi. This place managed to sort screw up on the Katsu Don. The meat was sort of Stale. Which, reminded of of Thai Spoon's leathery Chicken. The parking is atrocious, the service is ok. Nothing really fantastic about it. And Katsu Don took about 20-30 minutes to get ready.. which, shouldn't really be so... for Katsu Don. The prices are just too Expensive. It doesn't justify eating here. Try your luck at Sunshine Cafe in Andersonville. Much better service, cozier place, and great selection.. at a decent price. Oh, and there's decent parking spaces. read more

Great, authentic, tasty Japanese food in Streeterville. The sushi was hearty and the sukiyaki was legit. Our server happily obliged my request for a raw egg to dip my sukiyaki. Highly recommended for Japanese food downtown. Right up there with Itto Sushi. read more

After hearing about the rave reviews and Check, Please recommendation, my gal and I finally got around to making reservations for this place. I was a bit thrown off once we entered the restaurant since we were the only ones there, save for a couple that was just leaving. There was a small main room with many doors leading to a private room and another to the restrooms. Anyway, on to the food. I ordered the sashimi appetizer and beef teriyaki dinner and my lady ordered the chicken teriyaki combination dinner and we both shared a dragon roll plate. The sashimi was good and fresh, but I wasn't impressed with the dragon roll. I ordered the steak to be cooked medium rare. It was cooked to my specification, but there was just something so-so about it. Overall, I just wasn't impressed with the food and overpriced beer. It might be fun for a large group to go to for a quick sushi fix, but I would not go back. read more

Meh... That's how I would sum up my experience at Kamehachi. But I suppose I should make it clear that my apathy towards this place is mostly situational, meaning that with all the incredible BYOB sushi places in this city, why would you choose one that's just alright? The atmosphere at this place is nice, especially upstairs, which is decorated with cute little structures that make you feel like you're sitting in cabanas. Nothing about their sushi menu really struck me as unique and their wine menu is lacking. So why would I go to a mediocre sushi place and have a so-so glass of wine, when I could go to a phenomenal place and bring my own bottle of my favorite Cabernet? I wouldn't intentionally, and that's why I won't be back. read more

I've been here twice, and both times been kind of disappointing. The atmosphere is beautiful and romantic. However, the food is bland. Also, my friend and I both ordered sushi, and the rice was warm. I mean, seriously?! read more

Pros: Our waitress was able to recommend sake to try and offered samples of our choices. Nice atmosphere and decor. Decently priced "standard" sushi rolls. Cons: Waited about 45 minutes for our meal. Specialty rolls are better than the standard fare but still not that memorable. Bottom line: I'd go back (or order delivery) for cheap rolls or if I'm extremely lazy and unwilling to leave the Old Town area. Otherwise, I'd happily hike it somewhere else. read more

Love the food...never going back I'd been going to Kamehachi when it was in its old Wells St. location and always had a great experience. Unfortunately, the excellent food and adequate service isn't enough to make me return to their new location when you have to shout at your dinner guest in order to be heard. After 90 mins, we were both so hoarse that rather than sitting any longer, we decided to continue our evening across the street. After 23+ years, Kamehachi, you've lost my business. read more

We had dinner last month on a Saturday night at 7:30 pm and the food and service were excellent. My only regret is the restaurant was so loud in the dining area that I could barely here my friends at our table for 4 people. I've been in busy restaurants before were it was loud, but this was exceptionally loud in my opinion. The food was truly worth trying again, so I would definitely go back. I've been in the upstairs dining area before and we did not have this issue. If you have a large group, the space upstairs is perfect! read more