We hired Taiyaki Chicago for our wedding and they were amazing from start to finish. They were super responsive during planning, flexible when we changed the start time last minute, and even created a cute custom sign with our signature flavor. The taiyaki station was one of the biggest hits of the night, both kids and adults loved customizing their own combinations and toppings. The ice cream was yummy and the presentation was so cute and great for photos. We had 200 guests, and they kept the line moving while maintaining great energy the entire time. People still mention Taiyaki Chicago as one of their favorite parts of the night. Highly recommend for weddings and events! read more

Taiyaki Chicago - Desserts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Its a vegan scam. Warning for milk lovers, EVERYTHING is dairy-free! They say that they have a vegan option--while its already vegan. Its always empty compared to Dairy Queen and Kurimu. Terrible business model-I bet they won't be in business within 10 years. read more

Taiyaki is a great spot for unique ice cream! It usually isn't empty when I've been, but I'd say it's one of the ice cream spots in the area with the most unique flavors and combos! They have some set menu items or you can make your own. They are known for the ones that come with the cone, but you can also just order soft serve in a cup with toppings (it's also cheaper that way). I like to get the matcha soft serve with Oreos and chocolate sauce. So good! read more

Taiyaki Chicago - Matcha Soft Serve Cup with toppings - Desserts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Nice dessert place. Has lots of seating and a restroom. The workers are nice enough to guide you through ordering because it does get a little complicated with the toppings. read more

Dairy free was a pleasant surprise. Fun names for their specialty flavors. Good presentation. Taiyaki pretty thick and more dense waffle like? Still great flavor. Was quick and had nice space inside. read more

Taiyaki Chicago - Ube Vanilla - Desserts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Been looking forward to trying this place but was sadly extremely disappointed. The ice cream was delicious and the presentation was super cute, which is why I'm giving 2 stars. The taiyaki fish however was raw on the inside and super doughy. Pretty bummed out as both of ours were undercooked and we could only enjoy the ice cream. Feels like a waste of 10 dollars :( read more

Taiyaki Chicago - Raw taiyaki fish - Desserts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

THIS WAS SO CUTE! And super vegan friendly! All the soft serve is vegan, and you can get vegan taiyaki for +75¢. Which fillings and toppings are vegan are also clearly labelled on the menu. I got a vegan taiyaki with red bean filling, matcha soft serve, rainbow mochi, and sprinkles. It was so yummy and absolutely adorable. I wish I would have been able to hold fish like a cone to eat but it was too messy, the cups are definitely necessary :(. Matcha soft serve had a nice flavor and I loved the warm taiyaki. Rainbow mochi was also surprisingly super super delicious would definitely recommend you get that as a topping. The guy who took our orders was super nice. My sister ordered a regular taiyaki ice cream and hers came out just a few minutes before mine because you have to wait a tiny bit for the vegan taiyaki. There was a clear difference in color, hers was more golden and slightly browned while mine was a pale color but I was really happy with the vegan taiyaki offering. Definitely recommend! read more

Taiyaki Chicago - vegan taiyaki with red bean filling, matcha soft serve, rainbow mochi, sprinkles - Desserts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I got a matcha soft serve and milk tea earlier this summer. Matcha soft serve was great! My daughter was a big fan of the rainbow rice mochi. The milk tea was in test mode. Something was off between the water to tea ratio so it was quite watery... they remade it but it was still the same. We had a few people try the drink to make sure it wasn't just my taste buds. I appreciated how they tried to make it right but said they had a few kinks to work out with new staff so we asked for a refund on that drink. I'm sure this was a one off. Overall I think this place is cute and the matcha soft serve is lovely. I would come back again. read more

Taiyaki Chicago - Desserts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Yummy dessert spot! Just had a cup with oreos and chocolate sauce. Cute little place to hang out with friends and the service was quick. read more

Taiyaki Chicago - Desserts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

In an area full of great dessert options, this specialty shop stands out. Taiyaki Chicago puts a modern twist on a traditional Japanese pastry. The shop was quiet and clean, with friendly employees greeting customers. Each order comes with soft serve ice cream, a filling flavor for the fried dough, and many topping options- there were so many delicious-looking ones that it was hard to choose! For those not in the mood for ice cream, the shop also offers smoothies and boba tea. I opted for the matcha ice cream with a custard filling. When the order came out, the pastry was piping hot and freshly fried, with the perfect crispy exterior and a fluffy interior similar to funnel cake. The custard filling was very generous and absolutely divine paired with the dough! It was the perfect contrast to the creamy matcha. Although the ice cream was very sweet, the sugar did not at all overpower the delicate and refreshing matcha flavor. I recommend ordering the dish upside down so you can get a nice taste of the dough and ice cream. I'm already looking forward to the next visit and trying more of their menu. To those in the area looking for a sweet treat, be sure to stop by! You won't regret it. read more

Taiyaki Chicago - Matcha soft serve with custard filling! - Desserts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

My favorite dessert place in Lincoln Park! Flavors always on point and you can bring your lactose intolerant/ vegan friends! Beautiful place and nice ambiance. read more

Taiyaki Chicago - Mag Mile Taiyaki - Desserts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Disappointing :( I've had this type of dessert in Chinatown and was hoping for it to be similar. It was not. The cone did not feel or taste fresh. However, the matcha ice cream itself did taste good. The server accidentally mistook my order and kindly offered to fix it. However instead of giving me a new cone, he used the same cone and just threw out the previous ice cream and put new ice cream on it. I have nothing to complain about the atmosphere, it was chill and slow. Wouldn't go back unfortunately. read more

Taiyaki Chicago - Crossover with matcha ice cream - Desserts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

taiyaki is so unique and cool! i've never had it before so im so happy that we have one in lincoln park. i literally ate an entire hot dog from weiner circle before craving a sweet treat so i didnt get a taiyaki and instead got the soft serve ube with oreo and mochi. the ube was reallyyy yummy and i wld recommend- the orea was a good crunch, but im not 100% feeling the mochi.... i might just not be a mochi fan but it wasnt really doing anything for me. my sister & friend got the taiyaki so i tried some and i did rlly like the red bean paste filling bc i lovee red bean paste. they both said the very bottom of the taiyaki is dense cake and they didn't know how to feel about it. but overall this place is amazing & i can't wait to frequent it over the summer!! i hope the expand their menu because it wld be so nice to try different flavors and combinations!!! there's indoor seating & the vibe is rlly nice, also the man who was working is rlly rlly sweet and nice!!! read more

Taiyaki Chicago - ube Soft Serve Cup with oreo + mochi Lincoln Park taiyaki red bean taiyaki with vanilla soft serve, coconut flakes, & mochi - Desserts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Excellent Taiyaki! They have vegan ones as well! Soft serve is vegan as well !!! Excellent spot for dairy free people like me :) They serve bubble tea with dairy free alternatives too! Service is pretty fast. Ambience is very simple. read more

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The taiyaki was warm and perfectly cooked!! I had the matcha soft serve with custard taiyaki in a cup with sweetened condensed milk and sprinkles, so good! After living in California, I had been craving this for quite some time and this was very much on par! Very friendly service as well :) read more

Taiyaki Chicago - Custard Taiyaki with matcha soft serve - Desserts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

While their taiyaki are cute, the ice cream was pretty flavorless. I thought the ice cream was soft serve, but it ended up tasting more like frozen yogurt, and the toppings for the seasonal "apple pie" and the "bean" (oreo) were very bland as they only sift powdered oreos/pie crust. Additionally, I think the dough for the taiyaki was undone but I'm not familiar with what normal taiyaki tastes like. The inside has around 3 tables with 2-4 seats along with bar space near the windows so there was plenty of seating when we went. The staff was very kind and were accomodating to my nut allergy. Overall, the ice cream was disappointing, but the service was good. read more

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My son and I were craving Taiyaki and decided to check this place out. I ordered the 'Lincoln Park' Taiyaki which is filled with Nutella, matcha soft serve, rainbow mochi ball stick and a wafer; my son customized his Taiyaki. Service was excellent and really fast! Make sure to snap a pic of your Taiyaki quick because this sweet treat will melt. I recommend stopping in if you have a sweet tooth or bring your children because it's an aesthetically pleasing dessert! read more

Taiyaki Chicago - Lincoln Park, & Custom Taiyaki. - Desserts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Stopped here for a mid-day snack. The interior decor is pretty plain with white walls- nothing exciting. There were a couple people running the store and the kitchen is hidden. I got the Lincoln Taiyaki Matcha ice cream was good with the mochi topping. The Nutella is too sweet for an asian dessert, so had to scoop some out. I'm disappointed that the pastry was underbaked. read more

Taiyaki Chicago - Lincoln Taiyaki with matcha ice cream - Desserts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Honestly a 3.5 but rounded up to 4 because service was so good. We dropped by here after a random dinner in the area and were going right for the taiyaki. My friend and I being mirror images ordered the same taikyaki with matcha with the only difference being red bean vs custard fillings. Our orders came out pretty quickly and were giant! Definitely have dessert space in your stomach if you come here. I will say that the matcha soft serve had a great robust matcha flavor - not dilute or faint at all and not too cloyingly sweet in any way. Loved it! Now the problems started once I got down to the taiyaki itself. It was a hefty taiyaki and I truly wonder if it should have been cooked for a longer period of time because parts of it felt very thick and gummy. The outside and the top had a little bit of a crisp but the middle was honestly very hard to get through. The filling was fine -- i.e. the custard that I got and it complimented the rest of the dessert well but I have to say I have some reservation about the thicc taiyaki which felt a little underdone imo. Service was very sweet; you order at the counter and they call your order out. We went on a weekend night but the crowd was not insane which was much appreciated. There is a good amt of sitting area on the inside too! read more

I got The Bean Neighborhood Favorite with vanilla ice cream sprinkled with Oreo crumbles on top of a taiyaki filled with red bean paste. The taiyaki and red bean paste were both not very sweet nor flavorful. Plus, it was like fighting through a fortress of vanilla ice cream to get to the taiyaki below. This establishment is great for straightforward, uncomplicated flavors and people who want to get a cute picture with some adorable ice cream. The portions are massive and you won't leave hungry. read more

Taiyaki Chicago - The Bean - Desserts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Mmmmm, it might be winter but I still have a soft serve craving. Taiyaki is a perfect match because of the warmth of the Belgian waffle holding the soft serve. Super easy to order, just follow the instructions on the board. I opted for no filling, chai soft serve, and a wafer stick. You have up to two toppings. The chai was also a seasonal. It takes about 5-10 minutes for each one to be made. When mine arrived, I had to eat quickly. I was maybe 1/3 from the top down before it started melting. When I got to the cone part, I was stoked. This is where I was a bit sad, the fishtail portion is all dough, so I needed more soft serve. If I got taiyaki again, I'd get the soft serve in a dish, and the cone separate for dipping purposes-that way I can eat all the cone! The chai was soooooo delicious!!!! They really hit the flavor. While I'm not lactose intolerant, the soft serve is dairy free! read more

Taiyaki Chicago - Chai taiyaki with wafer stick - Desserts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Good ice cream, waffle fish was good. The toppings do get messy. Service and ambiance is good. Overall a good spot to go to for some ice cream and waffle read more

Fish cones were ok - I think these are just not my kind of thing. Soft serve is dairy free, and made with coconut oil. I think I would have preferred the texture of a dairy ice cream. Fish cones are cute, made fresh to order. Crispy on the outside, but rather than being like a fluffy waffle texture on the inside, it was a bit gummy - I did not finish the fish. I did like the red beans they put in the fish (there is also the option of pb or Nutella). Staff were super friendly - they let me sample the ube soft serve, which had a bit of a nutty and chocolatey flavor. I would come back to try some of their yummy sounding drinks in flavors like rose petal and black sesame. read more

Taiyaki Chicago - Desserts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Very delicious taiyaki with a healthy number of flavor and item options. You get exactly what you hope for, and it pretty much always delivers! - Fast service - Almost never has a line - Delicious taiyaki and soft serve - The bubble tea is pretty solid too! - Great limited edition flavors - Inside is clean with a few tables and chairs I have a positive experience every time I go here and would definitely recommend it to others. The taiyaki has a great balance between "waffle" and soft serve and makes for a very fun eating experience. I would recommend getting it "upside down" (comes with a cup) if you are worried about spilling. Great spot to get dessert in Lincoln Park! and best taiyaki I've had in Chicago. read more

Lots of options here for people looking for soft serve or smoothies or shakes. Next time I'd get Nutella as my filling for the traditional Taiyaki. Staff was welcoming and quick to deliver orders. There is seating inside and it's a nice little spot for a quick treat. read more

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My friends went here and it looked cute so I went today and I absolutely love it! Today's flavor was mango so I got mango with Nutella filled taiyaki topped with caramel and graham cracker. It was delicious. The mango ice cream had a frozen yogurt like consistency and I'm guessing that's because the ice cream is non-dairy. The taiyaki had a nice crunchy outside and soft chewy inside. My brother got a taiyaki with red bean which he loved. The red bean was chunky and not a paste (just so y'all know... No issues with that.) I also got the tiger boba and that was delicious too. Not too sweet and still had flavor. They have a lovely floral wall with a bench towards the back of the store so you can take your cute aesthetic photos. I'm looking forward to visiting again and trying another flavor. read more

Taiyaki Chicago - Taiyaki w/ Mango Ice Cream - Desserts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Great little spot for Taiyaki ice cream and more! The menu walks you through the different fillings for your Taiyaki (fish shaped sweet bun), ice cream choices, and toppings. They also have boba. We chose a red bean filling with milk tea ice cream, which was a seasonal flavor, but it was so good I think they should definitely make it a regular ice cream choice! You get to choose two toppings but the man let us pick another one for free. We had to wait around 5 minutes for them to make it fresh, which we didn't mind. It seemed like only one person was working the whole store (taking orders, making them, and cleaning up) but everything was well taken care of, and we had no complaints whatsoever. Seating available and bathrooms inside read more

Taiyaki Chicago - Desserts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

My partner and I came here on a Saturday afternoon during their grand opening. We received BOGO 50% off on our taiyaki since it was their grand opening. The shop was quiet but with very very limited seating, we actually had to wait around to get a table. Taiyaki is a little messy to eat so a table is necessary and they have the space for it so I don't understand that part. I got a taiyaki with ube filling, matcha ice cream, condensed milk drizzle, and rainbow mochi. My partner got a taiyaki with red bean filling, matcha ice cream, condensed milk drizzle, and brown sugar drizzle. I was extremely dissatisfied with my treat. The matcha soft serve tasted of matcha, but seemed watery instead of creamy. The condensed milk drizzle was barely noticeable in terms of flavor, although the ube filling tasted authentic. Lastly, the actual waffle part for mine was undercooked, tasting rather doughy and raw in the middle. I think this place is a tourist stop, not a foodie stop. I didn't try their boba but I wouldn't have the highest hopes. Try somewhere else! read more

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The taiyaki itself needs to be eat right away or else it would turn sticky and gets hard to chew while the ice cream come on top is so tall you need to have it asap too otherwise it gonna melt and fall right away. However the taste of the ice cream is not too heavy it's more to the light side and less sweet than usual which is the only reason why I still give 4stars. Inside the shop doesn't have any window though so you need to come out and take a pic in-front of the store if you need some cute pic. The staff was okay and it's clean enough. read more

Taiyaki Chicago - Red bean Taiyaki with green tea ice cream - Desserts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This restaurant appeared in my Instagram newsfeed over a year ago. I never made my way until today since I was already going to be in the neighborhood. What an amazing choice. Granted it was so cold and rainy but I did not care. I walked in and was instantly greeted. The restaurant had the place decorated from top to bottom for the Halloween holiday. Unfortunately there was no public restroom due to Covid. The food: I chose to get a Nutella filling cone, matcha and taro soft serve and the rainbow mochi straw. Such an amazing choice. Taro was the flavor of the day and guess what? The soft serve is DAIRY FREE! The cone was so soft and gooey. And there was an abundance of Nutella inside. The mochi was so cute and chewy. The cashier made everything perfect. This is my first time coming but trusssssst and believe ya girl will be returning. read more

Taiyaki Chicago - Nutella filling, matcha and taro soft serve with a rainbow mochi straw. - Desserts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I came here after seeing an instagram reel about the shop, and it was so good. I came by on a 90°F day, and the ice cream taiyaki just hit. I ended up ordering one with matcha soft serve which was such a good choice. The shop itself is on the smaller side, but does have a few tables to sit at. I also came early in the day, so the service was fast and the staff was very patient and nice. read more

Taiyaki Chicago - Lincoln Park - Desserts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Okay place. It's one of those places that combines alot of stock ingredients. The sum is more than the parts type of ish. And the sum isn't lol. But it's still REALLY nice presentation, cool waffle fish, nice piece of art for a dessert. Okay dessert. read more

SO yummy. The inside of the shop is pretty sparse and I wish they'd decorate it cuter! The cashier was very helpful in explaining the build your own process to me when I was struggling food came out super fast! Since its the only taiyaki ice cream place (that I know of) north of the loop, it definitely fills the spot well :) read more

Taiyaki Chicago - Build your own Taiyaki - Desserts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Delightful pastry fishes vomiting up frozen confections for your enjoyment and entertainment. Different and worth a try.

What a cool, unique treat in the heart of Lincoln Park! This review is for a traditional taiyaki with peanut butter filling, taro and black sesame soft serve, topped with crushed oreos and graham crackers. The result is a delicious dessert that checks off all the boxes. The flavorful creaminess of the vegan soft serve is great, not too sweet. This was one of the best, most authentic taro ice creams I've had. The toppings offer just enough flavor and texture to take it to the next level. But the freshly baked (fried?) fish cone is what makes this special. With the filled inside, it's almost more or a dessert sandwich, a little sweet and savory at the same time. I loved it, but this is what I call sometimes ice cream. This is great late at night if you had a light dinner, but would be tough to finish immediately after a meal. read more

Taiyaki Chicago - Traditional Taiyaki - Desserts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Honestly this place is cute and Instagram worthy but the taste of the ice cream is absolutely horrible. I don't even think it's ice cream it's something else. It wasn't for my taste buds. You should try this for the pictures and a one time thing but never coming back. The staff was so friendly and they were wearing masks and taking precautions. They didn't have their own lot so you have to street park. read more

Taiyaki Chicago - Desserts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I'm not a huge taiyaki fan so I skipped it and got the $4 milk tea (flavor of the day 10/29/20) in a cup. I didn't realize it was dairy free until after I ordered. I can't say I was a fan. It was very sweet but did taste like milk tea. My bf agreed. Also, I had the dairy milk tea soft-serve at Kurimu and liked it a lot more. I saw other reviewers complaining that it melted really fast. I didn't have an issue but it was also ~40 degrees out side. Dine-in is not available due to COVID but they did decorate for Halloween. read more

Taiyaki Chicago - Non dairy milk tea soft serve @eccentricexperiences - Desserts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

3.5/5, rounded to 4/5 The tayaki was quite interesting. I do think it was a bit on the tougher side similar to other reviews. We got it with matcha ice cream and oreo and mochi toppings. The matcha ice cream was delicious but so strong it ended up being a little too overpowering (bitter?) by the end. The oreos were a good mix along with the matcha. The mochi was... ok. read more

Yummy ice cream/desert spot in a great area! Staff was super friendly. There is indoor seating (but very limited). They have lots and lots of varieties to choose from ranging from smoothies, boba, to soft serve in a dish or cone (famous fish cone). Portion size was a little larger, but price was just right! There are unlimited customizations you can make to the food. Overall, vibe is great, and it's a more modern desert shop. I will definitely be going back! read more

Taiyaki Chicago - Desserts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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The taiyaki was delicious and perfectly crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside. We got the matcha soft serve with red bean filling and two wafer straws. The matcha and red bean went perfectly together, and the soft serve was great especially considering it was dairy free! read more

Taiyaki Chicago - Red bean filling with matcha soft serve - Desserts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois