We just moved into the area and have been in need of a good sushi spot. We did takeout and didn't dine in, so I can't speak to the service or dine-in experience, but the food was great. They have a wide selection of nigiri, classic rolls, and specialty rolls. We got some nigiri as well as a rainbow roll, the wild tuna roll, tuna gone wild, and the kamikaze. The rolls were all great, and the fish was extremely fresh. I'm looking forward to dining in and trying some more of their options! read more

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Service - they did come to check on us, which is great. The attitude though was not so good. Rough and abrasive. We felt no friendly vibes, we felt like she was very stern and not the nicest, especially when we had an issue that she didn't initially believe us on but turns out we were correct. Miso soup - average, as expected. Miso soup is pretty standard. Veggie tempura - not a lot. Came with 2 onions, 3 sweet potato and half of a mushroom. Usually there's more variety and more veggies included. The tempura was super thin and flaky, it fell right off. Not much flavor. It came with the smallest bit of sauce that was gone in a few dips, not enough for th whole appetizer. GIANT CRAB CRUNCH $18 (Deep fried roll with spicy crab, avocado, smoke salmon, cream cheese served wi wasabi mayo and unagi sauce) - initially the role came without smoked salmon and cream cheese, it was the wrong order. I ate a little before realizing it and when I pointed it out the waitress didn't believe me and acted like I was lying, I was very uncomfortable. She kept telling me it's the giant crab crunch and had me show her each ingredient. She was pointing at rice on the roll and telling me that it was salmon and cream cheese right there, which it absolutely wasn't, she was pointing in nothing. And my roll came with jalapeño accidentally, it wasn't supposed to, and she kept telling me there's jalapeño inside like it's supposed to and that's why she knows my order is correct... which doesn't make sense because the roll didn't come with jalapeño. Honestly the whole thing was just uncomfortable and finally she took it back to the chef and said she will ask him. Chef said it was the incorrect role after all, we were right. Now I dont care it all about the incorrect order, I only care about what felt like abrasiveness and not believing me when I mentioned. Finally they brought us the correct order and it was very soggy and fishy. The smoked salmon inside had a strong potent fishy flavor. Barely any cream cheese. Mostly spicy crab and the whole thing was mushy and totally falling apart. I asked for a side of the wasabi mayo on top since there was barely any and she said it's an extra charge for a small portion. So we politely declined and were surprised. CALIFORNIA SUNSET $19 (Crab meat, cucumber, avocado topped w/ fresh salmon w/ salmon roe served w/ citrus mayo): first of all we asked in it's imitation crab and the answer was yes. It's not real crab, which is very deceiving since the verbiage said "crab meat" but it's not crab meat, it's imitation crab which is usually white fish. Second, we asked for the citrus mayo on the side and it came with none and then they tried to charge us $1 for it. They gave just a teeny tiny bit and when we asked for more we actually did get charged $1 for a tiny little Petri dish of sauce. Quality: veggie and fish quality seemed to be good except for the fishy fish my roll. Would not go back based on this experience. read more

Sushi Badaya - Veggie Tempura was only onion, sweet potato and 1/2 a mushroom. Meh - Sushi Bars Near Me - Highland Park, Illinois

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Best sushi in north shore friendly staff , sat at the sushi bar and was able to talk to chef very nice! quiet space. read more

Sushi Badaya - Cinco De Mayo - Sushi Bars Near Me - Highland Park, Illinois

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Fantastic sushi bar in the heart of downtown Highland Park. They have a wide selection of rolls along with a variety of drinks and appetizers. The staff is very friendly and it has an Asian fusion kind of vibe. read more

Sushi Badaya - Sushi Bars Near Me - Highland Park, Illinois

This is my go to spot for sushi, conveniently located near my place and office. The menu is thoughtful and the taste of the food reflects that. Not sure where else I would find this quality elsewhere. Also, service is very good. Mainly went in for quick lunch, but can't wait to try dinner soon :) read more

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This is our second time visiting this place and my wife and I were able to verify the passion chef Moon puts to the different sushi dishes. They are not only a piece of art but the combination of flavors is outstanding. Highly recommended. read more

Sushi Badaya - Wild Tuna. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Highland Park, Illinois

Checked this place out for a midweek date night. The staff was super kind and the little patio was nice and breezy but a bit loud with the train station being right there. We devoured the crispy tuna rice and the red dragon roll but the nigiri and poke bowl were just okay for us. The nigiri was fresh but with the added toppings, I was expecting more flavor from each bite. Would definitely go back for some rolls and that appetizer though! read more

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Simply the best sushi spot! Chef Moon is such a talent!! They always have featured specials on the board near the bar to try something new. There is such a range of sushi rolls plus some great traditional Japanese entrées. I see people of all ages in the restaurant whenever we come in. Also, the servers are so incredibly nice. read more

Sushi Badaya - Nigiri - Sushi Bars Near Me - Highland Park, Illinois

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It was our first time getting sushi here and I'd like to say their service is really good to start off. The sushi itself we have has better for the price. The presentation is really well done and tasteful. The fish did not taste super fresh compared to other spots we have been to. The restaurant although not too full about 50% full it was pretty loud. read more

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My sister and I had their Omakase dinner last Friday and it was absolutely outstanding! It was a joy to sit at the bar and see the dishes prepared and we were wonderfully attended to by the chef and server both in what felt a perfect setting. Our dinner included a delicious miso soup to start which was all the more special as it included many seafood goodies (lobster, clams, etc.). There was a generous serving of 15 sushi items, ranging from elegantly simply to exotic, such as cuttlefish with sea urchin. Dessert was a nice touch too. Highly recommend if looking for a top notch, traditional yet exciting sushi dinner. The only question is when to return. read more

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Look no further for Michelin star quality sushi in the suburbs and for a fraction of the cost! I take my husband's birthday very seriously. I love to splurge on his birthday and spoil him, especially with the food. I was originally planning on taking my husband for a day in the city with omakase lunch and dinner at Bavette's. Unfortunately, our dog has been sick so I no longer felt comfortable leaving him home or having someone else watch him for a full day. Thank goodness for Chef Moon and Sushi Badaya for saving the day and creating the most incredibly beautiful and delcious platter of our dreams! About a week before my husband's birthday, I looked frantically for high end sushi tray options and couldn't find anything that fit my taste. I wanted it to look like literal omakase on a sushi platter. I have ordered sushi platters from every spot in the suburbs (so I thought) and I they didn't fit the vision I had for a fancy night in. I saw Sushi Badaya pop up in my searches but for some reason, I had connected it to a Korean restaurant that is no longer open and hasn't been for quite some time, so I just kept ignoring the page. Then, for some reason, the picture on the list of searches changed for Sushi Badaya, showing a beautiful sushi tray. I immediately clicked it, not realizing it was Sushi Badaya. I couldn't believe I had missed this absolute treasure of a restaurant for who knows how many years! I emailed a email address I had found somewhere with an inquiry but hadn't heard back (I think I only waited like a day though) so I called the restaurant. When I referenced the tray, they said they didn't have it so I was confused but said okay and tried to move on and find something else. The next day or maybe two days later I finally found a restaurant downtown that had a sushi box type of offering but it was no where near the beauty of the Sushi Badaya's platters, plus it would have been impossible for me to pick it up and get home with enough time to decorate and pick up the other things for my husband's birthday. I was so frustrated so I looked on the website for Sushi Badaya again and noticed there was a different phone number than I had called, so I called that one. Chef Moon answered the phone and I thought I had called the wrong number at first but quickly realized it was his personal number (what incredible dedication to his customers to share his person number!). I let him know my dilemma and that I really wanted the platter in the picture but was told it was not an option and begged for him to please help me. He let me know that it was indeed an option, but it was not a pre-designed platter, it was custom. I understood then that there had been a miscommunication and wished I had asked more questions instead of giving in so quick the first phone call. He let me know to text him what I was looking for, the price range, and the serving size. I let him know it was for 2 people and that the price range was $200-300. I let him know my husband loves otoro, uni, and salmon (somehow he also knew how much my husband loves fried shrimp heads too!). Chef Moon responded immediately letting me know he would create a tray for $250 and that he would use great fish for us. I was completely enthused and let me say, he did not disappoint! My husband was thrilled with the platter and was shocked when I said I got it from the suburbs. He agreed it looked like the nigiri we had at Michelin star sushi restaurants! I am so incredibly grateful to Chef Moon and the Sushi Badaya team for coming through and making my husband's birthday dinner so delicious and beautiful. I guarantee I will be sending my husband on sushi takeout runs to Sushi Badaya moving forward. read more

Sushi Badaya - Gorgeous Custom Platter/Tray made up of Nigiri, Rolls, and Sashimi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Highland Park, Illinois

The sushi was super fresh!! Definitely one of the best sushi spots I've tried You can really tell the chef puts so much care into every bite read more

Sushi Badaya - Definitely one of the best sushi spots I've tried - Sushi Bars Near Me - Highland Park, Illinois

I ordered the lunch special menu. 3 steaks with teriyaki sauce, seaweed salad and sashimi and sushi combo. Everything includes miso soup. Everything that I ordered was fresh and perfect. For all that I paid only 93$, you can't beat that deal for such a quality meal. I will definitely recommend it to everyone read more

Sushi Badaya - Lunch menu Steaks , seaweed salad and sushi sashimi combo Everything comes with miso soup - Sushi Bars Near Me - Highland Park, Illinois

Sushi Badaya clearly strives for excellence and their passion is palpable with every bite. If it's true that we eat first with the eyes, then your peepers are really going to enjoy a trip here. Beautiful plating accents every order, and is as wonderful to look at as it is to taste. Sashimi was incredibly fresh, oysters were perfectly prepared, and three sake courses paired excellently. Service could not have been better. Korean speakers will especially enjoy the sushi bar. read more

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Sushi Badaya is easily one of the best sushi restaurants in Lake County. My family and I enjoyed a wide variety of rolls, nigiri, and sashimi. Fish is always fresh and presentation is good. For the price, you're getting great value. Service was great despite the fact that we came during peak hours. The restaurant can get quite busy. I would highly recommend making a reservation (exclusively through Yelp as of 06/2025). I do wish they would clarify the types of fish they use in some of their deluxe platters. My party could not quite figure out the type of white fish they service (my guess is probably escolar). Parking out front is easy and it's not too far from the Metra station. read more

Great experience overall. Fresh fish, good balance of rice, and very clean flavors. Friendly service and relaxing atmosphere. Highly recommend the salmon and uni. I'll be back for sure read more

Nice restaurant vibe. Inside it's pretty open and plenty of space. Service was ok, waitress was very stoich, just didn't feel friendly at all. Said what she had to say and did what she had to do. Not a bad thing, but not a good thing either I suppose. Let's get to the food... started off with couple oyster shooters, and the kids had Udon noodles and we had some sushi rolls. Although food quality tasted pretty fresh, I wouldn't say this is the best sushi I had. Priced fair but not a spot I would go out of my way to visit again. read more

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Great quality sushi in an unassuming spot!!! We went for lunch and it was quick and delicious. Highly recommend. read more

Sushi Badaya - Lunch special Maki Combination $18. Excellent - Sushi Bars Near Me - Highland Park, Illinois

This restaurant is in downtown highland park and has parking directly out front of their building as well as a parking lot across the street. The inside is very cute, lots of greenery against the wall where the booths are. There is a lot of natural lighting as the store front is all windows. The staff is very friendly, they are attentive and quick. We did not have long periods of where there wasn't drinks of food coming to our table, haha. The cocktails need help, they are lacking in quality and flavor. We tried the espresso martini which tasted like vanilla club soda and coffee liqueur. It was not good. We also tried the sex on the beach and it was okay, it's lacking something and the flavors weren't what this cocktail typically is. The sushi on the other hand is 5 stars and I will be coming back to try more! We had the taco Tokyo which we both really enjoyed - light and crispy. I could eat this everyday haha. We also tried the dark knight roll which was okay, not my favorite but still a solid roll. Lastly we had the cinco de mayo roll. That was tasty and very good! I would order the cinco de Mayo roll and the taco Tokyo app again and again. They also offer omakase at $150 per person. I'm definitely coming back to experience this! Overall this is a great sushi spot that we enjoyed, thank you! read more

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We absolutely loved dining out at this place. Chirashi was fresh with perfect texture, making every bite delightful (salmon melts in your mouth)! Two thumbs up! We would definitely be back again. *** They use freshly prepared wasabi which was an absolute bonus *** read more

Sushi Badaya - Mochi ice cream - Sushi Bars Near Me - Highland Park, Illinois

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Sushi is always my cuisine of choice and somehow I've never been to Sushi Badaya despite always being in the area. My party of 4 lovely women stopped in here this past Monday evening. A star for being open on a Monday! We were hungry and the menu had lots of great options for us. We shared the following: Apps: edaname, taco tokyo, crispy spicy tuna (all great) Rolls: Something Special, Wild Tuna, Salmon Sunshine, Tuna Gone Wild All of the rolls were great, although the Salmon Sunshine was my personal favorite. It was a lot of food, but us hungry ladies ate it all. We were having so much fun eating and chatting that they nicely told us when they were closing up the restaurant. All 4 of us agreed we would dine here again or even take out in the future! read more

Sushi Badaya is very likely to be one of the best sushi spots in all of Lake County, if not the best in regards to quality, cost, and service. This was our second time visiting and this time around, my wife and I enjoyed the sushi dinner and some a la carte uni while our baby had the basic udon dish. It's a rare combination of high quality ingredients and fish tied together with expert craftsmanship in the preparation of the sushi that elevates the food altogether in a supremely enjoyable bite! Every piece of sushi we had during either visit was truly excellent! The venue is cozy, open, and familiar, while allowing you to comfortably talk and enjoy the company you are with. Chef Moon, Allie, and the whole staff are stellar at providing excellent food and service. There is much value to be had at Sushi Badaya, and I would recommend it to sushi lovers and first-timers alike. As an aside, I feel that many of the 1-2 stars are outdated (from before Chef Moon's tenure) or speaking from a flawed perspective and unable to fairly rate the establishment. If sushi is on the schedule, Sushi Badaya would be my first choice in Chicagoland! read more

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Was really optimistic before we visited after seeing the reviews/menu/photos, but was throughly disappointed. Let me start by saying the space and staff at the restaurant were super attentive and nice. The variety of the menu was extensive and would make you think you were going to have a great meal. Now to the rough part. We primarily ordered Nigiri which was the worst tasting sushi we've ever had. The selections we had made along with their recommendations ranged from ok to unbearably fishy/tough. While the presentation looked wonderful, none of the fish tasted fresh and provided the sensation good nigiri does. The worst was the king salmon and fatty tuna. Both tasted extremely fishy...enough to ruin the flavor of the other fish that may have been ok on their own. This might be a place to get decent maki, but in terms of nigiri/overall fish quality I would not recommend. We had ordered a crispy rice spicy tuna which was decent, but honestly just acted as a palate cleanser for us between fish. read more

Sushi Badaya - Nigiri + Crispy Rice Spicy Tuna - Sushi Bars Near Me - Highland Park, Illinois

Our normal spot is Happy but tried this out on a whim a couple months ago and I thought it was awesome. In the past, had ordered here but rolls were tiny and we hadn't ordered in years. But... think they are under new ownership and it was really outstanding. read more

I've been eating here since I was a teenager. They changed owners but otherwise it's still mostly the same. I come here every time I visit my parents read more

Generally we avoid eating raw sea food .. unless we feel super comfortable with eattery..... this place had not much traffic & food was ok at best. read more

Omakase is a great experience here! My husband and I went for our anniversary and it was a memorable meal with a ton of variety at a great price. It's extremely filling and you get more than your moneys worth. All the fish was extremely fresh and delicious! The omakase came with three appetizers, sashimi, nigiri, a roll, a hand roll, and a dessert! The service is amazing, very attentive and friendly. The vibe all around is just welcoming! I'd recommend for any event or if you just want to treat yourself! read more

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This is my first time to this establishment. I was a little concerned as there was only a few people dining in there, but the food was absolutely delicious. My friend and I started with a special which was a hand roll with spicy Toro. we also split the sashimi salad. I got the caterpillar roll, and it was very very good. read more

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Yet another great experience! The spicy Bomba Maki was outstanding, and the Ocean Drive Roll was absolutely delicious. The fish tasted so fresh, and the service was friendly and attentive. I can't wait to return! read more

Sushi Badaya - Spicy Bomba - Sushi Bars Near Me - Highland Park, Illinois

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Good dining experience. My 10 year old son is now enjoying eating sushi and he wanted to try a new place. He ordered the seaweed salad and a maki roll that I didn't take a picture of, but liked my maki rolls more and he ended up eating most of mine! The sushi was fresh. They don't have iced tea on the menu but they were able to make me one!! Overall, service is good and they have an outdoor seating area too. read more

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Amazing Food. The service was also amazing. The California Sunset is highly recommended. The ambiance was nice and comfortable, music just right. read more

Sushi Badaya - Miso Soup - Sushi Bars Near Me - Highland Park, Illinois

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We ordered the 9 (assorted) dinner. High grade fish and the little surprising flavors fit perfectly to have a good sushi experience. Service was thorough and concise--straight to the point. Nice setting and breezy ambiance (outdoor) read more

Food is excellent!! The thing is you won't find much of a difference in the quality of the food between sitting at the restaurant and taking out. Chef moon is very talented. His combinations are delicious. read more

Wonderful find in downtown Highland Park, IL. Friendly staff & even better food. Fresh sushi presented like art. Ambiance is casual. Must try if you are in the area. read more

Sushi Badaya - Supreme sushi dinner - Sushi Bars Near Me - Highland Park, Illinois

Terrible service!! Not certain why the servers ignored my family, but after watching many tables seated well after us receive their meals and I questioned what the status was of our order. they continued to ignore us with no response. Not overtly rude, just treated us as if we were invisible. I will go absolutely anywhere before this place ever again. . read more

Rolls were big and delicious. Just the way I like them. Nice atmosphere, staff was friendly read more

Sushi Badaya - Giant Crab Crunch and Crunch Roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Highland Park, Illinois

Phenomenal!! Everything is delish and staff aims to please... spicy scallop roll is best thing I've ever eaten.. read more

Sushi Badaya - Sushi, sashimi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Highland Park, Illinois

The rolls are huge and they have a ton to choose from. Very high quality. They have a few Japanese beers. The one we had was great. We only occasionally come to the area, but when we do this will be a must visit, along with Lou Malnatis! Also, the staff were incredibly friendly to my three year old girl. They brought her a coloring book and several of them came around to talk to her or play with her stuffed animals. The fried rice she had was great. read more

It was great. Food was good, service was good. However I've been noticing that restaurants don't understand that appetizers should be brought out before the entrees. Why does everything come at once? I sometimes forget to just order the appetizer first. read more

Pleasantly surprised with this sushi joint. Started with wine, duh. They have a full bar which is nice and we also ordered shrimp tempura which had 4 pieces of shrimp and some tempura veggies. It was delish! Also had their miso soup which was nice and hot but just ok. House salad with ginger dressing was really good! For entrees we got the original ocean drive and original dragon and spicy tuna makis! All were super fresh and delicious! My tummy be happy!! read more

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