I recommend Kubo all day every day. Chef Chris is just phenomenal. You have to try the grinch roll. I've never had something here I didn't love. read more

Went for the lunch special on a weekday. The prices overall quite high, and I was disappointed with the 2 roll sushi combo, for 18$ you can't even choose whatever two rolls you want. You must choose one from each column. So I ended up just getting two sweet potato rolls, which was less than the cost of a lunch special. They were good which a good amount of filling, and fresh rice. Service was attentive. Water provided was super room temperature, and have to ask if you want ice in your water. Just a minor detail that matters when you are paying 20$ for lunch. Overall it was good, but for the price and disappointing lunch special I would try somewhere else rather than come back. read more

Kubo Sushi and Sake Lounge - Sweet Potato roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Elgin, Illinois

Lunch specials were good and affordable, located in downtown Elgin with plenty of street parking. We were seated in the middle of the restaurant and the wait staff was so friendly. We all ordered the lunch special which was the sashimi plate and bento box. The sashimi was semi-thick slices and fresh. The bento box was good and plenty of food for the price. I would come back for dinner specials. read more

Kubo Sushi and Sake Lounge - Sashimi lunch special $21 - Sushi Bars Near Me - Elgin, Illinois

This place is amazing!!!! Talk about a sushi gem in downtown Elgin!!!! Great atmosphere, staff, food and the drinks!!!! Brother sister duo crushing your experience from front to back with the sushi to the bar! Come check it out!!! read more

Kubo Sushi and Sake Lounge - Always packed! Come enjoy this upbeat saki and sushi lounge! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Elgin, Illinois

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As a retired chef trained at the Culinary Institute of America and someone who had the privilege of working at The French Laundry, I can honestly say Kubo Sushi and Sake Lounge is worth every mile we traveled from Wyoming to dine here. The ramen was phenomenal -- silky, flavorful broth, tender noodles, a perfectly cooked egg, fresh greens, and pork that practically melted in your mouth. Every detail was executed with precision and care. The Chicken Teriyaki bento plate was equally impressive: juicy, flavorful chicken, fluffy rice, crisp sides, and fresh vegetables that tied everything together beautifully. It was satisfying, balanced, and delicious. The sushi roll was the highlight of the evening. Generously topped with crunchy tempura flakes, drizzled with sauce, and artfully presented, each bite was an explosion of flavor and texture. And the tempura? Perfectly golden and crisp, light without being greasy, with both shrimp and veggies cooked just right. On top of the incredible food, Mel, the owner, was an absolute delight. Her warmth and hospitality made us feel like family and elevated the whole experience. Kubo isn't just a great sushi restaurant -- it's a destination. If you're anywhere near the area, make the trip. You won't regret it. read more

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Overrated and overpriced. $20.50 for a half bowl of noodles with five ounces of pork, a few pieces of broccoli and I saw two green peppers? Yaki udon noodles. Sauce salty. The sauce tasted like the Teriyaki frozen noodle bowls from Sam's Club. read more

Kubo Sushi and Sake Lounge - Overrated and overpriced $20.50 Yaki udon noodles with pork and a few vegetables. Half bowl. Salty. Won't go back. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Elgin, Illinois

Sushi and sashimi were excellent. You can trust these sushi chefs. Drink selection was good. A bit drab in atmosphere but I went for the food not the ambiance! Will return. read more

Nah! This spot was not it. The sushi was okay. The mango martini was delicious. The kake was not my taste. Excellent service. The bar section was interesting. read more

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Went here on a week day with a friend. Service: excellent! Friendly staff Ambience: good, nothing stood out but cheerful and intimate. Food: I had the ramen, my fiend had the maki special rolls l. They were very good but the ramen was a tad too salty for my tastes (yes, even by ramen standards). Would I return? If I lived local, it's a good sushi option. read more

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My spouse & I are new to the area, we are glad we came in for dinner to check this restaurant out!! The service was great, the server was very knowledgeable about the menu and was great at suggestions for sake- I wish I took a notation of her name,she was great!!! We ended up ordering two sushi rolls, chicken udon noodles and two bottles of sake. Everything was delicious! We will definitely be back again, this will now be our go to spot for sushi & sake! All the flavors were very fresh and hit the spot for our sushi craving. The restaurant itself had a very chill inviting ambience as a great mixture of music played to keep it trendy!! read more

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Nope not what I was expecting based on reviews . The sushi wasn't the best and the vegetable tempura was mostly onions. Wouldn't recommend to anyone. read more

Terrific service and vibe. We had no idea how hip Elgin is. Kubo is no exception. The sushi chef was accomodating for my request to have the sunamuno salad with tuna, instead of either shrimp or octopus. I can't get over how amiable and responsive the service is there. We were happy to find this gem en route to Ohare. It was worth barely making our flight! read more

Kubo Sushi and Sake Lounge - Niku Udon/Soba - Sushi Bars Near Me - Elgin, Illinois

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Sake Sangria - quite, but not too, sweet Mango sake mojito - I LOVE this. Takoyaki - tough octopus, but a lot of it Tamago ngiri - too vinegary rice, skip this Kubo roll - mildly spicy, nice eel flavor Smoky Apex - pleasantly smokey, entirely unique. I see why so many people like this. Futo Maki - too vinegary rice, quite sweet. Not great. This is a trendy, casual place with friendly service. Very kid friendly with things like helper chopsticks, ramune, and homemade lemonade. Overall, I think this place has some good items, good service and atmosphere, but not everything is created equal, and the preparation is a little uneven. read more

We stopped by Kubo for lunch because most of the places are closed during lunch, especially on the weekends. The space is really cute and the decor is so unconventional. I loooved the soy sauce skateboard, like how cool is that!! Anyways, the staff were all super friendly and so welcoming. I had ordered the sashimi platter and my fiancé got the steak bento box. Both meals came with miso soup and salad. The miso soup was whatever, same as any other. The salad was okay, the sauce was a little more acidic than I would have liked. The sashimi platter was underwhelming. Mostly because each pieces were so teeny tiny that it barely filled me up. The steak bento came with a little bit more food. The steak was chewier than we both would have liked, it felt so tiring eating it. The gyoza and croquette was decent. We also had the lychee lemonade which sounded really good and looks really pretty, but it has this like taste that I can't explain. Definitely not what I was expecting, wasn't a fan. We loved the convenience of the hours and it's close to our place, and we could walk around for a bit after. read more

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I can absolutely see why this place gets rave reviews. The atmosphere feels very mature, quiet, good to go to with a small group of friends to catch up. The food was absolutely amazing & tasted phenomenal. Staff was also very kind and knowledgeable, so, I appreciate the patience with us while we figured out what we wanted! It is more on the costly end, so, I did have to budget a bit. It's best to go during their specials if money is a big factor for you! read more

I absolutely LOVEDDDD Kubo. You need to check them out! Very welcoming atmosphere. Everyone was friendly and courteous. The vibe of the place is relaxing. The art. The music. Definitely a cool place. I love how they have regulars. So much to the point that the waitress knew their favorites and already place the order when walked in. Talking about VIP. I love how she was able to make them feel a part of something special. I went during lunch and was able to be seated immediately. The service is top tier. I didn't wait to long for pretty much anything. I received all of my food within 10-15 mins of ordering it. The menu is insane you can eat here several times and never have to order the same thing. They also have a separate lunch menu. They have a wide range of different sushi's. SUSHI LOVERS YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS THIS!! I ordered the Teriyaki Salmon, which came with steamed veggies and rice as well as a miso soup and a ginger salad with house made dressing. The ginger dressing itself was tangy and flavorful. The salmon was cooked to perfection. There wasn't an overwhelming taste of Teriyaki (Thank God). I am not a huge Teriyaki fan but enjoy it occasionally. I also got the TNT roll. SOOOOO GOOOD! 100/10 recommend, I can't even accurately describe it to you, you just have to come experience it for yourself. read more

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We try Sushi everywhere. Huge fans! Well this is the place! Number one! Our absolute favorite sushi

The chef/owner at Kubo is the real deal. He apprenticed for years with master sushi chefs from Japan and every bite of his sushi is a testament to his passion and attention to detail. Everything he does has a reason, and every ingredient is included deliberately. His craftsmanship is evident in every bite. Eating here is never disappointing, always delicious, and often surprising. I've been eating sushi with regularity for over 40 years, and Kubo's is my favorite. You wont be disappointed. read more

I walk in today to have some dinner around 5pm. The restaurant is empty with 1 table occupied. Since I'm dining by myself they don't want me to sit in a table because they said they had a lot of reservation. I don't eat for 2 hours and I do spend lots of money when I dine. They keep insisting for me to sit at the bar or the sushi bar. I just won lots of money at the Grand Victoria Casino so I have money to spend. I will never come back to this place nor recommend them to my friends in the social media. read more

The food is delicious....got the Grinch and the Smoky Apex and both rivaled even the best sushi in the city! However, the drinks (wine and an old fashioned) tasted watered down and the service was terrible...had a very pushy server who told us he had to check with the chef to see if we could order a third roll, because they don't let you order more than twice...in what world? We decided to go else where for a night cap, because we felt rushed and uninvited. Will probably order again, but for take out only. read more

Amazing! Fresh! Very friendly and informative staff! We tried 5 rolls and loved them all!

Brought a friend and had dinner there a few weeks ago and as usual an exceptional experience. Our friend has made it their number one stop to come back to again. read more

Absolutely delicious Japanese cuisine! Been here numerous times and enjoyed multiple items on the menu. I have never experienced anything other than excellent service from any of the staff. You will not be dissapointed! So glad that I don't live far from this place! read more

Excellent food ! Fresh fresh fresh! Outstanding service with positive vibe! We had 2 salads, 2 rolls several nigiris and not one negative observation at all. Is gonna be worth the one hour and almost 40 minutes drive again, better than go to the city for sure! read more

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Omg! This was in my drafts for a while, but I'm rating 1 star because the manager at the time, she was super rude to my friends and I. It was over the weekend in the afternoon. She sat us down at a table but said "Well you guys have to eat fast cause this table's reserved and they'll be here in an hour." Like why sit us at this table then? The food wasn't bad but there's nothing special about it, the pork bento box was really dry. My friend didn't leave a tip because the service was so bad and the manager ran after us as we were already outside and said "why didn't you leave a tip?" So my friend gave her cash. The service that day was terrible. read more

Chefs Chris and Sam are awesome! Can't go wrong with anything on the menu and monthly special rolls are great! Staff is awesome. Mel's Kubo old fashions are the best. Best freshest Sushi in Chicagoland!!!! read more

Top shelf ingredients and a ton of skill making tonight's sushi and appetizers. First timers here I am absolutely impressed. Great service in a cozy sushi lounge. We'll definitely be back! read more

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We went back to Kubo for my birthday and boy what a great time we had. Due to their success, they have added some more staff and our favorite server took great care of us as usual. I'm very pleased for their growth and success. We shared 3 rolls, two of which are standard favorites of ours, the Elginite and TNT, and a new one for us, the Dragon. The Dragon is now one of my favs as it's got some heat to it on its own and has some great crunch as it's fried. Please check out their menu for the details. Hearing that it was my birthday, both Sushi chefs came out and shook my hand, and allowed me a photo opportunity with them. They surprised me after our meal with a beautiful dessert, two small and delicious cheesecakes on a decorated plate. As always, they created a great experience with the ambiance, friendly service, and outstanding food. If my last review didn't compel you to try this place, please consider going there. read more

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First time here and this place is a hidden gem in downtown Elgin. Leo was our server he was attentive and super friendly. The food did not disappoint, even the owner said hello and thanked us for coming. We will definitely be back, highly recommend you check this place out. read more

Service was really great but I was NOT a fan of the sushi. It was very rich in taste at some point the flavors blended together. The portion size was great though! The calamari tasted like oil and no flavor. read more

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I ordered take out from this restaurant and everything was great. I had drinks here before also and was happy at the martinis the bar tender served up. Cheers! read more

This food is delicious. Kris's menu is expansive. The fish is fresh and there's so much variety. This is an extraordinary chef who cares about his customers and takes special care with the good preparation. If you like sushi, this is the place to experience. I recently took my daughter and son in law here. They've travelled to Japan and raved about Kubo and its authenticity. I really love this place. We had the salmon bento box, lightly fried calamari, Philadelphia roll, kurage and some special ramen soups. Fantastic!!!!! read more

Really great experience! Chill atmosphere, friendly and attentive service, and delicious sushi. Recommended! read more

Exellent sushi by far in the Fox Valley!!!! Brother and sister own it, fabulous people!!! The server is equally wonderful and gives fantastic suggestions!!! Sumo roll is my fav!!!! The tuna tower is a must order!!! Make sure you make a reservation!!! read more

This was the weirdest experience I have ever been to and would NOT recommend it. The host at the front said it would be a 30 minute wait and refused to sit us at the bar, despite us both being adults. We were seated within 1 minute of waiting, not 30, which I admit was a pleasant surprise. The service was slow and we were ghosted for most of the dinner. The waiter, who was also the host, forgot food items and was snarky. I did not feel welcome at all. He charged us 20$ for two extra ingredients in my maki, which was outrageous. At the end, a waitress gave us our check and said "I hope you enjoyed the show! Thanks for bringing all the customers with you!" What the fuck does that mean? I felt uneasy and uncomfortable the entire time and will NOT be returning ever. 0/10 read more

The food was great. I had the veggie gyoza which was my favorite thing ever and I also had the kake udon. The service was also great, our server was very welcoming. read more

Kubo Sushi and Sake Lounge - Kake udon - Sushi Bars Near Me - Elgin, Illinois

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Wow, just wow! The food here was amazing! We started with dumplings as an appetizer and then ordered (4) different sushi rolls. We had the Elginite, TNT, Baked Alaskan and Diablo. They were each excellent in their own way and so we decided to get the Super Tuna, AWESOME! Leo was our server and was lovely! Just a wonderful experience from start to finish. read more

Kubo Sushi and Sake Lounge - Sorry I was unable to get clean pics! It was so good, everyone jumped in ! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Elgin, Illinois

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In my opinion, best sushi in the area. Staff is always friendly and super helpful. Great specials. Try their ramen too

We got the sweet & spicy roll and the smokey apex roll-- both really good! Staff is always very nice :) read more

Kubo Sushi and Sake Lounge - Sweet and Spicy Roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Elgin, Illinois

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Excited to finally try!! The food was good, the udon was a little over done or too much sauce as the noodles turned a bit to smoosh. The rolls were good, beautifully presented and large! Our service was excellent, we were a bit rushed but it was Saturday dinner so we totally understood. read more