Very good food but painfully slow service. Very slow to get any of our food. The rolls are solid. read more

I've been to a few Shakou locations, but I would say that Barrington is my least favorite one that I've been to. The food itself is consistent with the others - obviously try some of the different sushi bowls, but my go-to is a poke bowl. Super large portions and a really good fish to other ingredients in the bowl ratio. Where Barrington lacks is the service. We made a reservation for 7pm, but when we walked in, they said it would still be another 15-20 minutes unless we wanted to sit on the rooftop... while it was drizzling. (at least that made me laugh at how unfortunate of a question that was) I get that certain nights are busy, but what's the point of making a reservation? We had to wait it out in the tiny little front area, which is definitely not big enough for people to wait in, and finally got a table upstairs. Our server was nice enough, but it took quite a long time to get two glasses of wine, so we didn't bother ordering more. Another thing I don't love, and this isn't the staff's fault - but the only way to get upstairs is an elevator. It's just one floor up, but it made me feel pretty unsafe not seeing any stairs in case there was something that went wrong. read more

I really liked that we could sit upstairs and see outside. Upscale sushi restaurant with descent prices and didn't have just sushi, there are other food choices as well. I would've liked to have seen more pictures of the food on the menu. Service was very friendly. read more

Shakou Barrington - Hikaru - OTG - Sushi Bars Near Me - Barrington, Illinois

The 6 of us sat upstairs. The negative rating is largely focused on the service. It took us 20 minutes to get waters and we didn't know who our waitress was. We finally get our waitress and we get a couple physical menus. It's pretty dark upstairs. They also have menus online. We joked that the waitress had to take the only elevator up and down to bring drinks and food and that's why she disappeared for long periods of time. Haha. We get our drinks about 40 minutes in. After an hour since arriving, we get our 3 appetizers. The Ahi nachos were absolutely amazing. The Asian lettuce wraps lacked chicken for the overall size of the appetizer. It wasn't enough for 4 people, let alone 6. One of our friends ordered the steak and scallops. Both came out burnt on the outside and were sent back. I'm not sure why someone orders steak at a sushi restaurant but oh well. By the time the fixed dish came out the rest of us were 75% done eating. Somewhat awkward. They did comp us on the steak. The sushi did taste good. I had 2 signature rolls which was plenty. My wife had two regular rolls. We walked out of there 2.5 hours from the time we arrived. Downstairs was 90% empty at that time. It's a different ambience and world between upstairs and downstairs. read more

Shakou Barrington - signature rolls - Sushi Bars Near Me - Barrington, Illinois

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went here for nye dinner everything was amazing and delicious. I liked that the server wasn't rushing us and the appetizers came first and then the entrees came later but not that quickly. I really enjoyed the music they played and the atmosphere was lovely.ill Def be back again to try some other dishes. read more

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Several people in our family like to pick here for family celebrations. The food is good and so the vibe. But the service (both wait staff and kitchen) is absolutely awful. We've been there many times and it's always incredibly slow. This last time we went, we were there for 2 hours and 15 minutes, there were several times when there was 20 minutes between when the server came to our table, and it took well over an hour from when we ordered our main meal to when it came. read more

My family and I came here for New Year's Eve dinner, we reserved a table in advance on Resy. Although the restaurant was very busy, the food came out quickly and the staff was very attentive. Our waters were always filled, empty plates taken away, and our waiter was efficient. The inside has a modern decor with a lot of grays/white colors. There is a parking lot behind the restaurant - though a bit harder to find a spot given it shares the parking lot with other nearby businesses. The food we ordered tasted great and with good portions. Prices are a bit higher than other restaurants, but with quality food and service. read more

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This restaurant used to be top of our list as a Japanese option local to us, but lately they have lost their way operationally. The food has been very good, our issue with them lately is the past 3 times we tried to place an online order it has failed for numerous reasons. 2 times their website allowed our online order to go through and when we called to follow up to give some allergy notes, we were told the restaurant was too busy to accept take out orders. If you run a restaurant you either do take out or you don't. You really can't pick and choose how you want to operate. If you can't figure out how to perform this operationally, get the proper management in place that can run it or just don't offer it. There are plenty of other Japanese options in the area that we will spend more money at. We place customer service as our priority when dealing with anything hospitality and service based. This is just not an acceptable way to operate a business in 2025. read more

Did take out... Shakou has gone way down during the past year....we get better sushi/ sashimi at a small Hole in the wall local sushi restaurant! Not the same as years gone by... Shakou is over priced... quality questionable....will not return... read more

Got food poisoning in! Tried to call to speak to manager- they said they would call me back and never did - terrible customer service!

Getting ready for a night out on the Town, with my Bride. Shakou was our destination for an enjoyable meal. Zia was in charge of our enjoyment. Since we were going out later, we passed on the drinks (What???!!! We passed on the drinks...yes, unfortunately,) My Bride ordered ordered the Chefs choice in Sashimi, I decided to have the Korean BoGogi with Vegetables. Check out my photos, they both were delicious. Have to say, never had a bad experience. To all Mangia & Cheers! read more

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Stopped in randomly one weekend and was honestly impressed with what we got. Me and a couple friends came in and the interior is nice, clean, and has a kind of upscale (it's not like super fancy or anything) vibe to it. We got tons of different sushi to try and to be honest all of them were fairly good. Of course the ones we kept coming back to were the chutoro and otoro. Quality was solid for both as well. Always a treat to have them. Dessert was fairly solid as well. Nothing super special so you don't need to go out of your way, but if you need to satisfy your sweet tooth not a bad option. Overall would definitely come back again and recommend checking the place out! read more

Shakou Barrington - Sushi Bars Near Me - Barrington, Illinois

Sushi is 10/10! Fresh ingredients, great customer service, the ambiance is amazing and chill very relaxing. read more

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I really like the atmosphere in this place. It's contemporary and higher end. The bonus is that you get to either sit in the restaurant downstairs or move over to the bar area, which is not necessarily a bar. It's another cozy place to eat, or go to the second floor inside or outdoor on the balcony overlooking Main Street in Barrington. The sushi is good. The teriyaki is great and the size of the maki rolls and bowls are ample. You won't walk away from the table being hungry. Try the seasonal dishes and cocktails. None of them will disappoint. Our service was great as always, and the servers are really chatty and super friendly. The only reason I gave it four stars is because it can be noisy in there and on the crowded end but, that's proof that it's a great restaurant that people want to come to. read more

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Extremely slow service. 40 minutes wait for sushi from order to serving. Food is fresh - perhaps the only commendable part of the experience. Very loud environment. Overpriced. read more

Shakou Barrington - Sushi Bars Near Me - Barrington, Illinois

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We went here with a group of 10 people. It was a little busy upstairs cause they had another large group as week. Our waiter was really nice and attentive. We were surprised they were able to split the bill for each person! The lychee martini was actually pretty good. A little too lemony for me, but stir it up a bit and it's fine. I had order the 7 piece nigiri thinking it should be fine. But then I ordered the tempura udon later cause the sushi didn't fill me up. The sushi pieces weren't bad. They tasted decent. There was nothing amazing about them really lol the tempura udon was pretty good. The broth was well flavored. The tempura were battered and fried perfectly. Not too thick of a batter and not too oily. We originally wanted to sit on the rooftop area, but the weather was not cooperating that day. Our group wants to come back again in the summer when the weather is nicer. read more

Shakou Barrington - Lychee martini - Sushi Bars Near Me - Barrington, Illinois

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Went to Shakou for the first time last weekend as a last minute dinner with my husband and our 7 year old who requested sushi. Definitely some of the best sushi around. It's so fresh and honestly wish I had just ordered sashimi all night instead of rolls because of how fresh and tasty it was. The inside was hoppin, trendy vibes and tunes from the early 2000s. The service ~ definitely room for improvement, not horrible, but not great. Our server didn't check on us much and it took quite a while to order, and then far too long to get our check. It didn't ruin the night by any mean, just could've checked on us more frequently. Needless to say, we will be back! read more

Shakou Barrington - Golden Lobster Roll - OTG Green Dragon Roll - OTG Urban Heat Roll - OTG Black Widow Roll - OTG Thai Chicken Wrap - OTG - Sushi Bars Near Me - Barrington, Illinois

Celebrated a birthday on the rooftop. Perfect night from the best Long Island ever to the Seven Ahi appetizer (AMAZING!) to Ramen and lettuce wraps. All were perfect and James took excellent care of us! Glad we came early before it got too busy, but atmosphere was great. read more

Shakou Barrington - Sushi Bars Near Me - Barrington, Illinois

Shakou, located in downtown Barrington has been on my list for a while now and finally made it to celebrate a birthday . The moment I walked in I was impressed by the interiors and stylish decor. We had reservations and were seated within minutes. I loved their menu, so many good options to choose from. We started with the stuffed jalapeños, Shumai soup, and seven spicy ahi! All three dishes were excellent . The stuffed jalapeños has just the right kick to it and loved the crunchiness. The Shumai soup was so flavorful and the shrimp dumplings tasted great. The Seven spicy ahi was just wow, loved the flavors in it. Next we ordered the signature rolls - AAC, Urban Heat, Raging Bulls, and Dragon Fire. Each of the rolls were prepared with the freshest ingredients and were beautifully presented. Each roll had its own unique flavor and tasted amazing . Executive Chef Sang Choi and his team have done an excellent job of serving the finest Asian cuisine . The four star review is because the service was not at par with the food . The host was really welcoming but our server did not make us feel welcome at all. It was a Friday night so the place was really busy which could be the reason why they were so rushed. Overall the food and vibe is a 10/10. Do check it out for delicious sushi and more. read more

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What a super hip, vibey place! This location has 2 floors and 2 bars - not all that big so a bit quaint. The outdoor area looks fantastic, would love to enjoy that in the summer! Now the food. I don't eat fish so the sushi review comes from my husband. For appetizer, we had the egg roll: a bit greasy but yummy, gyoza: absolutely delicious (highly recommend), and the seven spicy ahi (he was OBSESSED with this). He had the chefs special for an entree, which he commented was very delicious but the slides of sashimi were on the thinner side. I had the chicken teriyaki for an entree which was one of the best I've had; reason being, everything on the plate was seasoned well. We also got a dessert on the house: mango and strawberry mochi. It was the perfect way to end the meal! We enjoyed our first experience at Shakou and look forward to coming back! read more

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Terrible management. I came in and ordered a drink and a meal and wanted to take an entree home with me for my wife. The waitress refused, she said the restaurant was too busy to do any to-go orders. I was one of 3 people in the entire restaurant. Management doesn't care, they will just blow you off read more

4 stars for great tasting food, beautiful decor and ambiance, value, and location. This place is located in downtown Barrington amongst the many awesome restaurants and shops. They have an extensive and creative menu. Food is amazing!!! So tasty and creatively put together. We had the bulgogi entree with rice, ramen, and the short rib entree. All three were to die for!!! The combination of sweet and salty were perfected in the bulgogi and short rib. The short rib was to tender, you can eat it with a spoon. MUST HAVE! The ramen was excellent as well. The decor was modern and intimate. There's plenty of indoor space! Great for a date or a big party! I was told there's rooftop bar and space as well. We came at a chilly night, so I never got to check it out. The service was a bit slow and I asked for a couple of things that were never brought (water, spoon, fork, bowl). Also, they close at 9pm but we felt rushed to finish our meals and wrap it up by 8:30pm. Other than that, the food will definitely bring me back! read more

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Great food, great service. We had a party of 10 for a celebration and ordered family style and the food just kept on coming. Cost each person $75. Drinks extra. We sat in a private-ish corner. Parking in the back or valet. Made the event that much more fun. read more

My friends and I went to Shakou on a beautiful evening. The rooftop area is beautiful. The cocktails were delicious and the appetizer and entrees were all amazing. The service was good, not great. Cecil be back! read more

It was a busy night at Shakou- I'm used to going to the Park Ridge location, which has a bit more ambiance/more "vibey." The Barrington location has brighter lights and feels more like a standard restaurant. Service was definitely slower than I'm used to at Shakou. Our waitress was very nice, but kept forgetting what we ordered and was checking in to see if what was dropped off was what we ordered. The food was tasty. I had the Niku niku, my husband had a hand roll and some sashimi and both were fresh. The others at our table also enjoyed their meals. The pyramid dessert at the end was also a favorite. The fire alarm went off about 3/4 of the way through our visit - and went on for quite a bit. Many guests left. They mentioned this just happened yesterday, because of vaping. No one came to tell us that it was not necessary to worry or leave- but staff just kept going along with their jobs, so we assumed we should stay. It was frustrating that there was no apology or check-in from our waitress about the situation... I won't be visiting this location again. I am a "member" of Shakou, but did not get that treatment. Our waitress didn't not even mention getting points for the visit. So, I can't even get that out of our visit. read more

Shakou Barrington - Sushi Bars Near Me - Barrington, Illinois

Got there early Sunday early before the dinner crowd. Had the lobster and shishito peppers-both fried and excellent. Next was the Yangnyeom chicken very crispy.Then we had the chicken fried rice, shrimp tempura roll and ribeye egg rolls. All were great the Yangnyeom chicken, fried rice and tempura roll stood out. Great service. read more

Stylish and classy restaurant with modern decor. This place also has a second level with an outdoor rooftop patio. Our group made a reservations for the rooftop but unfortunately the weather was too cold for us to sit outside. Our server was very nice and patient with our large group. I ordered a mock tail which I found to be super sweet. The Thai chicken lettuce wrap - nicely grill char chicken and the ginger dressing was tasty. The Golden Lobster roll has a nice garlic sauce and a good amount of lobster. Our group wants to go back during when it's warmer to sit on the patio. read more

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Hands down best sushi I have had in the Chicago land area. I have never had a bad roll here. All of their fish is extremely fresh and the rolls are made to order. I always order the ocean drive and the flaming hamachi rolls. The flaming hamachi is delicious, and the jalapeño adds a nice fresh touch to the spicy tuna roll. The ocean drive is hands down my favorite roll, this roll is so delicious...from the cilantro to the chili oil, all the flavors pair so well together. I would never think to add cilantro to my sushi but WOW it is such an excellent flavor profile. The service here is always quick and kind. I have never had a bad experience here. This last time I went in we had Kristen as our server, she was super friendly and gave us a huge pile of ginger when we asked for extra (it's the little things). This spot is always busy, so I would recommend getting a reservation (try and get on the rooftop patio in the summer, it's such a fun ambiance). read more

Shakou Barrington - Two Ocean Drive Rolls and a Flaming Hamachi Roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Barrington, Illinois

Good food. We prefer carry out Unfortunately recently they've not had enough staff to do carry out and serve in person customers.

The best sushi place in Chicago area! Was enjoying my dinner today and always. I like that they have many locations with beautiful atmosphere. In summertime there is a nice terrace outside. I would recommend to try the appetizer Seven Spicy Ahi and sushi with lobster. So delicious! read more

Shakou Barrington - My favorite cocktail Ice and fire - Sushi Bars Near Me - Barrington, Illinois

Amazing sushi and veggie gyoza dumplings! Such a cute rooftop vibe during the summer. read more

Shakou Barrington - Gyoza Dumplings - OTG - Sushi Bars Near Me - Barrington, Illinois

We had anniversary date there. Great atmosphere. Sushi was outstanding. Seemed like more fish in each roll than typical sushi we've had. Waiter was great. Sushi came promptly read more

Good option for a nicer dinner in downtown Barrington! Food is fresh but can be a bit pricy! Restaurant is clean and service is always decent! read more

Shakou Barrington - Green Dragon Roll - OTG chicken Fried Rice - OTG - Sushi Bars Near Me - Barrington, Illinois

This restaurant although crowded is by far the best sushi restaurant in Barrington The lobster roll is my favorite along with the green dragon roll. The sashimi is so fresh and delicious The pear martini is my favorite drink read more

Nice selection of sushi, great ambiance and rooftop dining. They offer many options for vegetarians.

Shakou Barrington never disappoints. From the lychee martini to the spicy ahi tuna app (can come in white or black rice)! It has a fancy modern decor and amazing rooftop seating during the warmer months. Servers are great, they know the menu and can help even the most novice sushi guest. Reservations recommended on weekends! read more

Shakou Barrington - Spicy Tuna Maki - minus 1 because we couldn't wait! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Barrington, Illinois

A nice restaurant when you first walk in. Mostly high top tables and plenty of staff to keep a full house under control. 4/5 service: Very friendly staff, took a moment to notice I was seated by their hostess, but then was given good service. My waiter was helpful when giving me recommendations of the rolls he likes or are popular. And the bus boy never let me water run empty. 4/5 food: When opening up the menu I was pretty hungry, but looking at the price of the rolls I tamped it down I was able to curb my normal order of rolls/chef specials to only one decadent roll and got 3 other basic ones for a fraction of the price. My bill still came out to the price I'd pay at other places for 3-4 specialty rolls. But lets move on to the flavor. Although labeled spicy, the heat wasn't there, but the flavor in the sauce was wonderful leaving behind a craving for more. The basic rolls were as expected nothing stuck out as good or bad, they were average. I do recommend giving this place a try, but set a higher than normal budget to eat here as everything on the menu is $$. I will be back to try more things as so much looked good and a lot of the rolls piqued my intrest. read more

Shakou Barrington - Sushi Bars Near Me - Barrington, Illinois

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We have been going to Shakou for some time now in Barrington but this is my first review of the place. I think Shakou has one of the best sushi in the NW suburbs. They have multiple locations to choose from. And if you have a Costco membership, some carry Shakou gift cards which give you a good value ($100 gc value for $80) for the money spent. You can't go wrong with any of their dishes. We started with their steamed edamame. Super good, perfectly salted. We also ordered another vegetarian app - the Agedashi Tofu. Also very good with great flavors. We did a few sushi rolls. Here is what we got: Midori Vegetarian - definitely highly recommend. Pink Panther - also recommend. Urban Heat - very good Dragon Fire - also extremely good. These sushi rolls are part of their signature rolls. We also got the Yaki Udon Noodles with Tofu and veggie and it was really delicious. This dish actually has shrimp in it but they were good enough to make it vegetarian for us. Overall you cannot go wrong having lunch or dinner here. They do get busy so I highly recommend making reservations. read more

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This is the third time I have tried to order carry out and they say we can't take your order. You would have thought they would have figured out the system by now. read more

Order take out- website says 45-55 minutes- 1/2 way thru order it says 75 minutes. Pay online and the time shows 90 minutes. Show up to pick up- not ready. Took 2 hours on a slow night for mediocre, overpriced food - never again. read more