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Name: Indie Cafe
Address: 5951 N Broadway St, Chicago, IL, 60660
Telephone: (773) 561-5577
Price range: Under $11
Rating: 4.03

Indie Cafe

5951 N Broadway St, Chicago, IL, 60660

(773) 561-5577
Store is closed

Indie Cafe Menu

Thai

Wonton Crisp

Jade Buddha

Shrimp Wraps

Grilled Shrimp Salad

Andaman Salad

Tom Yum Kung Fried Rice

Basil Duck

Drunken Udon Seafood

Pad Thai

Indie Signature Curry

Indie Ocean

Crispy Chili Heaven

Curry Seafood Madness

Crab Cake Curry
Sushi

Osaka

Triple S
Signature Maki

Devil

Summer Passion

Monte Carlo

Crocodile

Sex On the Moon

Porcupine

Sunny Crunchy

Healthy Meal suggestions for Indie Cafe

Thai

Wonton Crisp [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Jade Buddha [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Shrimp Wraps [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Grilled Shrimp Salad [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Andaman Salad [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Tom Yum Kung Fried Rice [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Basil Duck [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Drunken Udon Seafood [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Pad Thai [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Indie Signature Curry [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Indie Ocean [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Crispy Chili Heaven [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Curry Seafood Madness [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Crab Cake Curry [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Sushi

Osaka [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Triple S [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Signature Maki

Devil [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Summer Passion [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Monte Carlo [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Crocodile [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Sex On the Moon [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Porcupine [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Sunny Crunchy [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Sorry, We are updating this restaurant blood pressure menu details.

Sorry, We are updating this restaurant cholesterol menu details.

Write An Anonymous Review

Jared S.

Rarely do you find a place that does not one but two things very well. Indie Cafe has great Sushi and great Thai. I love their Pad Thai and Bay Beach Fried Rice. Just a great place to go for carry out or dine in. Their staff is friendly and attentive. I hope you enjoy their unique collection of art. Check it out sometime.
(5)
Kyle T.

Honestly, i freaked out when we first walked in. Dim lighting, hip music....oh god...how expensive was this going to be? How much stress would this place put on my close to empty college student wallet? I sat down. Twisty forks and fancy chopsticks!? OH DEAR LORD! Seriously though. I finally calmed down when I saw the price of the stuff. Very reasonable. Very good. I didn't have any hardcore sushi but I picked up a California maki roll as well as an order of Thai Iced tea and a Panang Curry dish with extra spice. All were very good and very reasonably priced. Granted, it's not the cheapest place in Chicago to pick up some Asian food, but it definitely didn't destroy my dream of eating the next day.
(5)
William R.

BYOB, great food, set up a reservation online! just 3 good reasons to check out Indie Cafe, not to mention the awesome original artwork and nice staff! Right around the corner from my apartment so very convenient for me,
(4)
Amanda Z.

Fabulous! From the sexy ambience with the red walls and dim lighting to the delicate rangoons stuffed with real crab (no "crab stick" here folks), this place knocked my socks off. Located on a fairly inconspicuous area of Broadway just north of the Thorndale red line stop, Indie surprised me. I'd read all the raves of the crab rangoon, so instead of my usual order of edamame and miso soup, we splurged and went for the 'goons. And what a good decision that turned out to be. Perfectly sized with just the right proportion of crab, creamy, and scallion-y goodness, I was in heaven. Could've eaten two orders, but hey, I'm no glutton (hehe). An order of super-white tuna nigiri went down like butter as did the scrumptious sunny crunchy roll and the spicy blue crab roll. Next time, I'm bringing a few more peeps so I can try more of the beautifully presented maki rolls. You'd think we'd be done, but no sir, there was cheesecake on the menu and my handsome date couldn't say no. And neither could I, to some perfect, not-too-sweet green tea ice cream. Oh sh*t, looks like I am a glutton! One tip, make a reservation, as this place is tiny and the word appears to be out as to the fabulosity that is Indie. Great for a date, or for the start of a night out with the ladies.
(5)
Jesse S.

Been going here for quite some time, now, and it still fits the bill. Happened to go here last week for some post-birthday sushi noms, and did not leave disappointed. My dinner mate and I maxxed out on a selection of rolls, including but not limited to: LaFiesta, Volcano, Philly. The LaFiesta is my favorite, hands down. What began as a seasonal special is now on the regular menu, and it packs a punch with its little slices of jalapeno on the top of each roll. The quality is consistent, the portions are good, the prices are legit (though I always end up spending a bit more than I bargained--yea, better add a sweet potato tempura roll onto that--but never break the bank).
(4)
Brandon T.

I lived in edgewater for a couple of years and during my stint there I must have gotten sushi from this place more then 50 times. Needless to say I think it's fantastic! Some of the sushi rolls can get a little pricey, and you really don't necessarily always get what you pay for. (some of the cheaper rolls are fantastic, and better then there $14+ cousins) Regardless if you are in the area, grab a bottle of vino from dominicks down the block, and pop in for a nice dinner. I'm sure you won't regret it.
(4)
April W.

So excited I found a great Thai/sushi place that delivers in Rogers Park. Everything I have had from this place has been great. We have tried, curry, noodles, sushi, appetizers, soup, there was not one thing that wasn't great.
(5)
Anne B.

Great variety. Good ambiance. I've been here a few times and never been disappointed.
(4)
Brandie T.

Starved, I eagerly awaited my lunch; It arrived quicker than promised, which was good -- I was famished! While I didn't have as much of a tip as I usually give I paid the young man and promised to give more next time. Now, Unwrapping my food? OMG!! I have loved crab rangoon since I was introduced to it 10 years ago. This is *easily* the BEST Crab Rangoon -- in the WORLD!! It's wrapped so nicely -- the only thing missing is little ribbon bows!! Quite honestly, they look like little presents! I will be back again and again -- Thank you Indie Cafe!!
(5)
John L.

Food is excellent. That is all, and that is enough.
(5)
S K.

If you go it's a must that you get the Crab Rangoon... that's my favorite appetizer wherever I go & theirs is the best.
(5)
Sarah A.

Great sushi for the price. Romantic ambience in the restaurant. Turbo fast delivery, even on a Saturday night - like 30 minutes early fast. Do it!
(4)
Julia D.

We live in the neighborhood and have stumbled upon this place, our go-to place for delicious food and a comfortable meal. The rolls are to die for, every one of them. LOVE the Indie Signature with beef. We've tried numerous other dishes, Thai and Japanese, with high praise for all. The lighting and atmosphere is so pleasant. We recommend the bigger room for a less crowded feel, but have eaten in both rooms and enjoyed it. We highly recommend Indie Cafe!!!
(5)
Kristy N.

A good friend of mine just moved to this area and we tried out this place last night. I was very pleasantly surprised. It's BYOB (love!) and the sushi was very good. They have a wide variety of rolls and they are very affordable. The Blue Crab roll was to die for (we re-ordered this after devouring round one). We also had the Summer Passion (very refreshing) and the Sunny Crunchy ( a bit too much tempura for my taste but a hit with the rest of my table). Extra props for the very cool metal chopsticks :) I'd happily go back here.
(4)
Matthew G.

Indie CafÃ©, you are a delight! Why has it taken me so long to visit you? Everything is fresh and delicious and BYOB to boot! The Sex on the Moon roll is heavenly! It's fresh, tasty and reasonably priced. I also enjoy the funky, eclectic art that adorns the wall. Indie CafÃ©, you are marvelous!
(5)
Sabina W.

I've been to Indie innumerable times in the past three years (dine-in, take-out and delivery) and, like other reviewers, I am always pleased to find a variety of dishes to choose from. Take a group of friends here and everyone is sure to find something crave-worthy. Delivery is fast and reasonably priced, if you don't feel like braving the snow. However, I do feel that, having eaten here so much, I can tell you that their sushi is not always consistent. It's either delicious, fresh, fabulously plated. Or it's--well--not. Three times now, I have had spicy tuna rolls that were inedible; last time, I actually had to send them back because the smell and taste was just off. And I KNOW what their spicy tuna is supposed to taste like, having had it at its best. My stomach felt a little queasy just 15 minutes after I started my meal. I can't give you reasons why, and I don't want to discourage business for this nice place, but I would say that if you taste something off, send it back. The waitress was very accommodating, took the roll in question off my bill without a moment's disagreement, and even gave me a free miso soup "to settle [my] stomach." So, my heart is with Indie, but I'm going to only order sushi at their restaurant and not risk a night in with disappointing delivery.
(3)
Greg P.

I have been to Indie Cafe twice in the past month and had a very pleasant time on both instances. The sushi is very reasonably priced and the presentation is also terrific. And of course it's delicious as well. It is quickly becoming my favorite Sushi bar in the neighborhood!
(5)
Helena B.

Despite wandering in at about 2:59, the servers still let us order from the list of lunch specials slated to end at 3 PM. Lunch special items appeared to also be available on the main menu, but getting them as part of the special allows you to get an appetizer and soup/salad thrown in for the same price. I went with the eggrolls, miso soup, and the pad thai - a pretty standard getting-to-know-a-new-Thai-place kind of meal. While the miso was not the best I've ever had, everything else was delicious. The pad thai was large enough to have wrapped and take home for lunch the next day. The servers further endeared themselves to my heart in the during the ordering process. I'd ordered my pad thai with tofu, and our server came rushing back out from the kitchen to make sure I was OK with having egg. I immediately made a mental note to recommend this place to my vegan friends and meat-a-phobe family. The most striking thing about the food, however, was how *pretty* it all is. These guys reallly have a grasp on the art of food presentation. Lunch Buddy's spring rolls were my favorite, as the sauce was drizzled out in a quasi-floral design beside the rolls. I was here for Thai this time, but would definitely like to come back for sushi (especially the Crocodile Roll - it looked so cute! I may just have to be photographed with the darling croc before its consumption...)
(4)
Stefanie P.

I could honestly live off of Indie Cafe's delivery service. Eating there is really nice as well, though I could imagine it being very cramped on a busy night. The service is extremely friendly, and the portions are enough so you get plenty of leftovers (a must for Thai). The Crazy Basil Fried Rice is one of the most lovely dishes to ever grace my palate. Someday, I swear I will get something different. I've been telling myself that for the last year, but it hasn't happened. Oh well.
(4)
constantine a.

Great Lunch Spot! I been having lunch here since October 2006 on a weekly basis. Huge Fan of their delicious Thai Lunch Entrees like the Chicken Pad Thai, Basil Chicken (unbelievable), and Chicken Udon Noodles (i substitute chicken instead of shrimp). Also to my surprise, their sushi is not too bad, but their sushi pricing is overpriced. Never had dinner here, but when i drive by or leave work late, they are slammed since they have great food and its BYOB. Hope my review doesn't disappoint.
(4)
Nimra T.

I had a delivery order from here, the Spider and Shrimp Tempura, and it was wonderful! I have always heard great things about it and now I cannot wait to actually go there and eat again. Definitely recommend!
(5)
Melanie K.

Let's just do a quick survey, what the heck.... Which of the following do you enjoy: (mark all that apply) a. Thai food b. Sushi c. Inexpensive dinner d. BYOB e. ...a Dominick's next door. f. Low lights g. Date places h. Group places i. Menus with something for everyone j. Sharing food k. Incredibly diverse/interesting vegetarian sushi offerings l. Quality service m. El accessibility n. Modern decor o. Feeling hip p. Flavorful curry q. Getting extra rice with a smile when you need something to sop up that delicious sauce with. r. Unexpected surprises s. Simple presentation t. Creative sushi selection u. Lunch deals v. Going some place three times - and still being excited for the 4th. w. Spice. x. Coziness. y. Not feeling bad about having three hour conversations at a restaurant z. Obnoxiously long lists.... If you answered in the affirmative for the better part of the above list, check out Indie Cafe-because it is 100% about my experience dining there. An unexpected gem in Edgewater that won't let you down.
(5)
Carrie R.

I came here with a friend (and an admitted fan) so I had high hopes for the food, and the lunch special did not disappoint. First, it's an adorable cozy little spot with nice wooden chopsticks (not crappy break-apart), friendly service, and a fab lunch special. For approx $11 total (including tip) I got an entree, 3 crab rangoons, miso soup, and a drink. I had the drunken noodles which were not too greasy, full of fresh veggies, and the perfect amount of spice for my wussy palette. The rangoons were perfect 2-bites with a yummy sauce and the miso will be a favorite come cold weather. My only complaint is that the service was a little lacking. Friendly yes, but our empty drinks were never re-filled, nor were we asked if we would like re-fills (which was odd considering how often they re-filled the water... maybe I should be more proactive in my iced tea re-fill requests). Other than that, it was a great lunch and I will def be back.
(4)
Z. D.

they get the one star because the delivery service is so good. but if you go here to eat, BYOW. Bring your own waiter. I went there for lunch today with a friend and was waited on by a dude with a princess attitude. He "greeted" us at the door, pointed his nose up in the air, and pointed at a table where we could sit. He came by late to take our order and did so with the same asshole attitude. Much later, he brought the tea out and carelessly half slammed it down on the table. I'm a waitress myself so I know what it's like having a bad day. I let it slide. But, not being rude or demanding, we wanted to get the soy sauce dishes changed because they were crusty with something or the other. He blatantly ignored me, so my friend tried to get his attention "Excuse me, when you have time can we please get new dishes? These are pretty dirty." He rolled his eyes and snapped at my friend and word for word said, "Ya ya ya. New dishes." When he brought them back he tossed them on the table and made it seem like we were one of those high maintenance tables, always asking for something. "Here. Here are new dishes." He also didn't come back to the table after he brought the food out. Which came out late. If I'm going to pay money for a bag of Mighty Tea, at least refill the hot water. We waited forever for the check. I usually tip about 20-25% regardless of service. Still left something but honestly two bucks was about as much this Jack Ass deserved. I'll still order from this place solely for delivery, but will never bring people here again for food. The service is not worth it. The attitude was uncalled for. I'd rather go to Oysy and barely get served. At least the girls are nice about it.
(1)
Zo O.

Their decor is surprisingly modern & chic for a thai restaurant in the Loyola area. I've had some of their sushi AND thai. Both pretty good. My fave dish here: (on their thai menu under salads :P) Grilled shrimp salad. I know. It doesn't sound like much.. but woooooooow, it packed a punch. You know that TANG commercial.. kick in the mouth or whatever? LOL.. yeahhh, it was like that. Yum!
(4)
Natalie F.

I have been here twice now. My freind Joe took me here for the bday and I really enjoyed it, the aroma when you walk in is so amazing and not the overwhelming smell some places have. The second time was a bit manic. The credit card machine went down. uh oh.....yes they were slow about it and no explanation to what was going on, we went for our check and found out I had been double billed and they had already voided the second charge. The food was just as good as the first time around. I checked my account the next day and could see they charged me again. I called straight away and they had already voided it and had a receipt to fax me! fantastic. They profusely apologized and offered to work with my bank if needed. Who does that these days? When I had received my fax not even two min. later its the restaurant calling to ensure I received my fax and apologized again. Things happen. tis life, but you cannot miss the food here. It is soooo yummy. I love the selection and that it is a BYOB. I also enjoy the crowd as well. Very very alternative.
(5)
Lissa C.

I love that thought, "What should I order? Everything looks good!" This place has a nice decor, and a variety of sushi, Thai dishes, and snazzy cocktails. AND they deliver-- WIN.
(5)
kiyona b.

I am definitely a fan of Indie CafÃ© and have been for some time. Usually, I'll just stop by while I'm out and pick up one of my favorite rice dishes to go. I've only dined in there once. I am trying to eat healthier and I'm on a budget and so this is my go to restaurant. It's affordable, open late, and the food is delicious and much healthier than the food I would get from going a lot of other places. The wait is usually only ten minutes or so and they offer you a glass or water or tea while you wait (sometimes I use that time to go pick up a few items for the Dominicks a few doors down). I've only tried the rice dishes. Also I've only been disappointed once and it had nothing to do with the food. It was near the end of the night and they mixed up me and my friend's order. I didn't realize it until I got home with my food but when I called them about it they apologized and gave me a credit for my next visit. I think it was a simple misunderstanding but they were really great about it.
(4)
mike b.

Three Words. O.M.G, No reservations, but the turnover is quick. They do have a liquor license now, but we brought our own. One might think it's a bit pretentious, but once you are seated it's quite nice. Attentive Service. Menu at first glance might appear to be a bit overwhelming, but it makes sense. Went with two other people so we shared our dishes. I had the Panang Steak Curry and coveted the whole thing. Add-ons are only a buck, so I threw some shrimp in the mix, too. It's all in the sauces here. YUM. The Sushi is great, and the Sushi Chef is very concerned with your satisfaction. It has been ions since I have been in Edgewater and it was well worth the trip. Put it on your list.
(4)
Babs H.

You guys...do yourself a favor and go get a Godzilla Baba and a Summer Maki. They're spicy but cool and refreshing. And the Summer Maki comes with a mini paper umbrella...BONUS! You can thank me later :)
(4)
Brent K.

I've never seen another place in Chicago that treats all of their rolls like a piece of Art! Quite Unbelievable! Their lunch specials rock as well! Another fantastic place in Edgewater!
(5)
Darrell B.

Extremely friendly and accomadating service. Excellent prices and super tasty food. The Basil Chicken is freaking awesome. The all the sushi rolls we tried were super tasty too.
(5)
Jake D.

Service is absent. Food is fair.
(3)
Sarah V.

This little gem of a place has become my absolute favorite restaurant in Chicago. The food, whether Japanese or Thai, is consistently, inventively wonderful. Highlights include the crab rangoon or thai samosas as a starter, any of the specialty rolls in the sushi menu (Summer Passion & Sex on the Moon are both particularly good), or the Indie Signature curry with pot roasted beef. Their Pad Thai, always a good indicator for any Thai restaurant, is also to die for. And, if you're in the mood for a cocktail, their special martinis (lychee, ginger, cucumber, etc.) are all delicious. Every time I introduce someone new to this place, they can't believe they haven't found it before, and they keep coming back. GO HERE.
(5)
Meghan B.

So, this would be my THIRD update for Indie? It was solid and among my favorites in Chicago for a couple years. (I get veggie maki here, sooo delicious!) Then things seemed to go downhill and stay there for a few visits. I declared them "no longer crave-worthy" and everything, sheesh. So then, after a bit, we went back. And it was.... better. Satisfying, even. And then we went again on Valentine's Day. When there were a billion people there, with every excuse in the world for them to take shortcuts or otherwise be uncool to us (not that service was ever the problem). What did we get instead? The food we remembered. So well prepared. So fresh. So awesomely plated. And so, so, SO yummy and satisfying. Indie, I do believe I am crawling back into your arms.
(5)
Jen L.

I should probably start by saying that I've never dined in here. I initially found this place because it's one of the highest rated delivery places on GrubHub in the Edgewater/Rogers Park area. I understand why. The service has always been speedy, accurate, and delicious. I've tried a variety of their noodle and chicken dishes as well as soup. Everything has always been delicious. If you're looking for great take out or delivery, go for Indie Cafe. It's my go-to delivery place.
(5)
Ellie F.

I get Indie delivery a lot, living in Rogers Park. It's fine thai fare. The free appetizer when you spend $20 is a nice bonus. I wouldn't say it's my favorite, and the thai dishes lack a little of the flavor potency of others...but it's great for easy thai delivery. Entrees reheat well, Golden Triangle fried tofu appetizer...not so much.
(4)
W.I.N. A.

It occurs to me that, despite my frequent trips to Indie for take-out pad thai (delicious) and pad see ew (see my micro-review of the pad thai), and occasional trips in with friends for the insanely wallet-friendly lunch specials (set list of available dishes; for about $10-$11 including tip, you get an app, entre, and a soup or salad), I haven't bothered to actually review the place. Whoa, lookie there, just did. Probably my favorite and most-frequented local dining spot.
(4)
Peter B.

I absolutely love this place! The restaurant itself has a very chill vibe, our waiter was very cool too. I was never a huge fan of sushi until I tried theirs. It was simply awesome! I've had the Gyoza, Crab Rangoon, Chicken Pad Thai & Fried Rice, and my favorites are Indie's Signature Maki... The Summer Passion is phenomenal, as was the Sunny Crunchy.
(5)
Julie P.

Ordered delivery based on the reviews from Grub Hub since it's been awhile since I've ordered from here. Was craving vegetables and ordered edema-me, crab rangoons and the veggie delight with chicken. All delicious and was exactly what I wanted! I am going to add Indie Cafe to the regular list and keep trying new dishes.
(4)
Tuyet H.

OMG I love this place. Love the food and atmosphere. They also have BYOB even though there a cork charge. I been there many time, and never had been disappointed. The staff there are very friendly, always making sure that we're okay even though they're busy
(5)
MaryAnne M.

Really 3.5. Grading on a curve here. GNO in the house!!! Right off the red line. Crab ragoon was interesting and prepared in a way I had never seen before. It was prepared looking like a Beggars' Purse. Beautiful to look at and fresh tasting. Another lovely yelper and I shared: -Butter Ocean Asparagus Tempura, cream cheese, smoked salmon wrapped with shrimp and avocado. Topped with spicy butter. -Dragon roll Shrimp tempura, cucumber and mayo wrapped with broiled eel and avocado. Both amazing presentations. BYOB. 2 rooms. Attentive staff.
(4)
Scott B.

I concur----BEST crab rangoon I've ever had! This is my new favorite sushi joint. The nigiri was fresh, and the maki rolls were absolutely amazing! Four maki rolls, nigiri & crab rangoon for only $55.00. VERY reasonable prices, unbelievable sushi, excellent service, and it's BYOB. *My recommendation: Las Vegas & Spicy Blue Crab rolls Can't wait to go back & try their thai food----HIGHLY RECOMMEND!
(5)
Consumer N.

This is my favorite Sushi place in Chicago so far. It doesn't top the best Sushi I've ever had but no place in Chicago can. Its cute, consistently good food. I just wish the Sushi chefs stayed on the same page with portioning on the rolls, a tad bit less rice. However the taste is always on point, although that is key. The fish is always fresh. However, dinner time usually requires reservations as it can get busy and it is BYOB. Oh yea... Great date place!
(4)
Lauren H.

I put on a black turtleneck, a short skirt, knee high boots, and set out for Indie Cafe to see what the night would bring me. The moment I saw Crab Rangoon, I knew she had to be mine. She was warm, toasty, and her lovely smell just wafted across the room to me. I knew she was going to be trouble, but I could not resist her charms. She was rich and creamy, and left me wanting more, and more... and still more. Alas, others were calling her to them, so I moved on... Mr. Soft Shell Crab came my way next. He may have looked a bit tough, putting up that front of a shell and everything, but he was so tender on the inside, and when he hit the sauce, well, he just melted in my mouth. Unfortunately I had to share him with someone this time, but just wait Mr, I will get you all to myself next time. The underappreciated Sweet Potato Maki was my last hope for the night, and she didn't disappoint. She came all dolled up looking pretty in white with a green bow, and man, was she satisfying. I shared her with a friend, but that was okay, because there was plenty of her to go 'round. They were all cheap dates, and I was allowed to supply the liquor, so I knew it was going to be a good time. Here's looking at you, Indie.
(4)
Jack P.

Probably won't be going back any time soon. Why? Because the place evidently DOES NOT CARE ABOUT CLEANLINESS. While waiting for our order to be taken (for quite some time, now that I think of it), I saw a waiting patron knock over the Rubbermaid storage bin that holds the silverware. The contents spilled out onto the floor: napkins, silverware, chopsticks, all on the floor. Some stayed in their neatly-folded napkins, some did not. The server simply picked them up and started placing them back in their napkins, then placing them back in the container. The red lights were flashing in my mind because I got the impression nothing was going to be done about this. I was hoping they would at least take them back to the kitchen for a cleaning. Nope. I told my fiance, who was sitting on the outside of our table/booth. We discussed the proper course of action, and after waiting to give the servers ample time to take them back (benefit of the doubt) and seeing other servers hovering over the container, we decided to tell management, or at least whoever it is at the front door taking delivery orders and reservations. "Oh, I'll tell them (the servers)," was the response. Nothing was ever mentioned to the staff. I was watching. Eventually, the whole container was empty. Granted, I did not see the silverware's final resting place, so perhaps they did make it to the sink. But only one or two were taken in a given trip. Had we not already been seated when the container spilled, and we saw this during our wait, we would have left right then and there, and made a much bigger stink about it. I'm feeling evermore guilty for not just announcing what we had seen to those waiting. I apologize. OVERALL: It's all well and good to have pretty good maki and very fast delivery within a couple blocks (which is why 2 stars, for past experiences), but when you don't trust the cleanliness of what you are being served, what good is it, really?
(2)
Carol J.

I don't sush...something about the enzymes. Can't eat it. I've tried. So how can a girl that doesn't partake in sushi give five stars to a place that sells sushi? Because they have lots and lots of options that don't involve sushi...including the cuisine of my beloved Thailand. I've traveled extensively through Thailand and Indie can give some of Bangkok's best a run for their baht. Seriously, perfect Satay with the most flavorful peanut sauce I've ever had. Crab Rangoon that rocked my world. To date, the best I've had. Delicious avocado egg rolly wrappy thingy. I honestly was blown away by the amazing food, beautifully prepared and presented. The White Scorpion that my girlies ordered was almost too pretty to eat. And the service? Impeccable. I honestly have not had such great service at BYOB places in the past but the staff at Indie was on top of their game. Maybe because there were 19 bottles of wine and 13 people or something like that, I don't know but it was fantastic service. Special thanks to my soiree sister friend who put this GNO together! Awesome job Brett D! Can't wait for the next one!
(5)
AV G.

this place has 180+++reviews that are all valid--let me sumarize 1. very, very nice presentation 2. Thai, plus very nice sushi 3. Popular prices 4. staff is very nice 5. BYO 6. easy on street parking some ask why, i ask why the hell not???
(4)
Mel A.

I have yet to order in for Sushi so I may rate higher at a later date. Here is what I have ordered twice for delivery... Tofu Pad Thai: $7.75 Miso Soup: $2.00 Each time the Pad Thai was flavorless and dry. A good amount of Tofu with minimal sprouts, scallions, carrots, cabbage. Dry, dry, dry... no flavor. The Miso Soup tasted good but had teeny-tiny pieces of Tofu. Teeny-tiny. One definite plus....FAST delivery! Overall... I have been a fan of Ben's Noodle & Rice on Bryn Mawr near the red line. To me... their Tofu Pad Thai is perfect/consistent EVERY time. It's been 5 years now and they haven't missed a beat with me.
(2)
Jessica K.

Walk in and you probably won't see any Asians in here unless they work here. The ambiance is attractive with dim lights, cute tables, candles etc. It's too bad the food isn't as good as it looks. Indie has the potential ..just not there yet. Such a shame. Such a pretty little place... Portions are small. Pricing isn't cheap. Sushi is mediocre. If you do end up here.. bring a bottle booze or something. Maybe it'll help you get through the meal.
(3)
Crystal N.

So I came back to have dinner with friends and the food was great as expected. The La Fiesta was on fire and the Osaka (tuna with jalapenos & avocado) was fresh and filling. The service attentive albeit a bit slow in getting us the check, but no biggie. The now have their liquor license so they will charge you a corkage fee which I don't think was a lot considering that so many patrons had brought their own wine. Just one little complaint - Indie Cafe needs to stop being cheap and turn up the heat in that bitch!!! Toward the I was shivering like a Chihuahua!!! The thermostat said 70! C'mon people! You couldn't raise it up to at LEAST 75??? It was 30 degrees out there last night! Some people (like myself) just aren't ready for yet another brutal Chicago winter! Cut us some slack and raise the damn heat!!!
(5)
nicole r.

I live in the area and noticed this place one day walking home from a friend's house. It looked really cute from the outside and so I decided to try it out. So glad I did because it is really good!! I will agree with another "Yelp Post" that you must try the Crab Rangoon!! It's the best! I think I have ordered it every time, and the presentation is amazing! The staff has always been very friendly and helpful on the many occasions I have dined here (both for lunch and dinner). Along with the delicious food - I also like the interior of this place, and LOVE that they have REAL artwork on the walls (not generic posters), but really interesting and eclectic art! The food is always good and it is very easy to substitute items. It's in walking distance from my home which is perfect for me :) I also love that it is a BYOB! There is street parking (metered on Broadway), and parking on the side streets. There is also a Dominicks right around the block so in case you need to pick up a quick bottle of wine or beer, there is a store nearby (which I have seen many people do this)! Try it out and get the Crab Rangoon!!!
(4)
Tim B.

If you are looking for a primo Thai option in Rogers Park / Edgewater this is it. The food is top notch and the service is always solid. We have done takeout as well and have not been disappointed. And as if I needed another reason to love this place - its BYOB. Even if you forget to bring something with you there is a Dominick's right next door and a local liquor store with a solid selection of wines and brews right around the corner.
(5)
Erika M.

Excellent food and great sushi. I think the sushi is better than the thai food but both are good. Really enjoyed the summer crunchy roll (I think that is what it was called) and another roll they had on special. Friends all really liked it as well. Came back and got the pad se ew and it was good but not the best I've had. I will definitely return for some sushi!
(4)
KELLIE K.

Looking for wonderful sushi? Perhaps some tasty Thai? Grab a bottle of your favorite beverage and head this way for both. I've tried many different items and have no complaints over any of them. The sushi rolls are huge, delicious, and presented well! Get a few and share with your dining companions because there's plenty for everyone. The Thai dishes are flavorful, and the spicy dishes really have a nice kick. This is a perfect setting to go out with a small group of friends or take a date. However, don't plan on completely intimate conversation on a busy night because the tables are fairly close together. The good news is that everyone around you is very likely enjoying their food as much as you, so they probably won't pay attention to anything you're saying. Your wallet will appreciate this place! When asked about sushi close to my neighborhood, this is my destination. So, drive, walk, or hop off the red line at Thorndale and I'll meet you there!
(4)
Michelle S.

I wasn't a fan of the neighborhood, but I heard great thing's about this place. Yep, they were right! I WILL BE BACK :) Everyone who worked there were very nice & welcoming! Food was good. I had thai & sushi. Both were good. They even made something for me that wasn't on the menu. Which is ALWAYS a huge plus. The decor was very cute too.
(4)
Anna R.

I've been to Indie about five times and had a great experience every time. It's a nice atmosphere and we've always had good service. The food is high quality and a good value. I usually get the Thai dishes here- the pad thai with tofu and pad see ew are both great. They have a lunch special which is a really good deal where you get an appetizer, soup or salad and entree. My whole family loves this place!
(5)
Theresa S.

Yum yum and yum! I order from here at least once a month and really should have reviewed them a lot earlier. My only complaint is a little pricey and smaller portions but I have tired numerous dishes from here and have never been disappointed. Get their lunch specials if you can. A great place to treat yourself to now and then.
(4)
Sara P.

sunny crunchy is sooo good! amazing sushi.
(4)
Bella D.

I haven't been here in a while and loved the updated restaurant and larger addition. Nice place for friends and a date. I came here for a quick catchup with galpals and had some soup and gyozas. My pals had some maki rolls and we enjoyed a nice time here. Byob and good food. Gotta bring my fiance and show him around thai/japanese food!
(4)
Matt A.

Came for the sushi. Sat down, asked for an unfiltered sake...they don't serve liquor. Fair enough. I'm new to Chicago, but it seems like liquor licenses are hard to come by. The sushi was meh. Not bad, but not worth turning into a regular occassion. Not a lot of choice in fish, but they do have some unique rolls. We're in the Midwest, so no surprise the rolls are cream cheese and tempura variations, but again, the fish wasn't bad. I wonder how the Thai is. I'll come back to find out, but will keep searching for my local sushi feeding hole.
(3)
Jennifer R.

What is not to love about this place? Come for the $3.50 Thai and Japanese beers. The miso soup was cheap, delicious, and huge. We ordered a Crocodile roll for the table (worth splitting between 2 or 3 people) and it was ridiculously good. It has raised the bar for specialty rolls. The rest of the maki rolls were well made and we walked away full and happy. Not overly expensive. I would definitely come back.
(5)
Ryan A.

We lived within walking distance of this restaurant. After carefully reading through the yelp reviews, we decided to give it a try. Our first dine-in experience was phenomenal. My favorites were the ginger avocado salad and the indie ocean. Due to such a satisfactory experience, next time we called in for take out and ordered pad thai and chicken teriyaki. The takeout order was a letdown for sure! my noodle was dry and the chicken teriyaki did not have enough sauce at all!!! The above description alone certainly doesn't warrant only two stars. What am I about to explain is one of the most horrendous experiences I've experienced in my entire dining life. I called in for a take out thinking that last experience was just an abnormality. My order was placed at 8:00 pm; The server explained that the order would take about 20 minutes. I showed up at Indie Cafe 40 minutes later and was told that the food will be ready in another 10 minutes. I waited patiently for another 20 minutes. The server approached me apologetically and said it will be another 10 minutes. Forty minutes had passed, I was still waiting while the staff at the restaurant had started preparing their own dinner, a delivery guy came out with 4 different orders, and another customer had arrived to pick up his take out order. I was finally fed up at this point and asked the server for an update. She then told me that there was a technical error with their system that the kitchen did not even receive my order that I placed at least ONE HOUR ago! Normally, I would of just walked out at this point, but I had already paid and it was already 9:45 pm. so I had no choice but wait for another 20 minutes before my order was completed. The server was nice enough to give me $5 off for my next purchase after I had just spent roughly 2 hours waiting and $60 on my order. As if the $5 off a two pieces of mochi ice cream will make up their poor service. I still have not used the $5 off and do not intend on stepping into that restaurant ever again. If you really want to try this place out, do not, I repeat, DO NOT get a take out. This place is DINE-IN ONLY.
(2)
Yumna N.

I hardly eat Chinese/Thai food because I feel there isn't much variety....everything pretty much tastes and seems the same to me. I tried the Tom Yum Kung Fried Rice and I loved it! I tried sushi for the first time and had the spicy scallop sushi and that was also very tasty! Overall, I loved this place, the environment and food. The reason I gave it 4 stars is, the waiter wasn't really presentable. The place is beautiful and classy and the waiter is just chill like you're at a coffee shop.
(4)
Eugene K.

Great food all around. The sushi is fresh and they do a good job all around with Asian cuisine. The restaurant is cute and the delivery/web ordering is quick and easy!
(4)
Danny A.

This place was an overall great dining experience. I highly recommend the chicken satay, avocado ginger salad, and maki. All the appetizers are amazing. I highly recommend this restaurant.
(4)
Zane D.

This is my favorite thai place in the city, and I've had a lot of thai food in the city. If you get the Pad See Eiw, you can get it with crispy noodles. It's the best!
(5)
Susan D.

Given the reviews on Yelp for this place - I was disappointed in my nearly $40 through Grub Hub. I was really expecting more. In every way. The food arrived hot, but for these prices, I thought the portions were lacking. The tempura was quite good - with just enough sauce to manage. But the chicken teriyaki really fell short. Hardly any sauce at all - just a few pieces of chicken and some broccoli, a few carrots. It said "with steamed veggies" so I was expected a whole lot more. The pile of white rice taking up half the small plastic container looked stark sitting next to the nearly sauce-less meat. No sauce whatsoever on the veggies, either. At the least, they should have included some teriyaki sauc on the side. I mean, I've never seen anything quite like it - and don't care to again. The crab ragoon, which many people have raved over was just plain strange. Tasted ok, but did not look appetizing. I was expecting more of the fried wonton wrapper, but it was unwieldy - kind of like a little ball. The classic fried rice looked old. I've been running into this at a lot of Asian restaurants in Chicago. I can't recall experiencing that in L.A. Asian restaurants - so it's really disturbing to me. Clearly, some of these restaurants recycle their rice. It tasted okay, but I knew it wouldn't hold up more than a day - and I knew I would have leftovers. I really should have noticed that the reviews were from several years ago -- because clearly this restaurant has gone down hill. I will not be ordering from them again. I hope I get a link from Grub Hub to post a review so that others will be spared the expense of this ultimately very mediorcre and high priced food.
(3)
Meag H.

I stopped in to Indie Cafe today for lunch and found it to be interesting but not well executed. There was only 1 person waiting tables and she was very rushed, bordering on rude. I had the crispy tofu appetizer, which was very good but my sushi rolls, though innovative, were just ok. If the rice would have been fresher I may have liked them better. Overall, just ok.
(2)
Ryan T.

After relocating in E. Rogers Park and searching for quality and great sushi, I look no further! HANDS DOWN BEST SUSHI IN NORTH CHICAGO Being a Chef and Culinary Professional I have studied and worked with food for almost my whole life of 31 years. This is all I know and breath. I made a delivery order late evening on Fathers Day. Kept the order straight forward, knowing they probably have had a busy holiday, classic items and signature maki. Crab Rangoon , Philly City Maki, Cape Cod City Maki, & Almond Monkey India Signature Maki. The marathon started with these golden brown and crispy pillows of garlic, crab and fluffy creamy cheese, which where amazing. I always judge a place by the execution of a classic staple, and did they passed with flying colors! Following with the Philly Maki and the quality of the fish was quiet apparent in these first two pieces. Great smoked salmon and grade of rice. Next was the Cape Cod and the fresh crab along side the avocado and crunchy cucumber was perfect. Finally we finished with the Almond Monkey, and was it amazing. The composed flavor profile and texture elements paired so well together, which is a hard and delicate task with sushi. The BBQ sauce added a great note of acid cutting through the richness of the shrimp and almond. Hats off! Will be making this the ONLY SUSHI place I order from in the future! Thank You
(5)
Kristina J.

Absolute favorite Thai restaurant!! Very trendy and relaxing atmosphere. Staff is so friendly and accommodating. I had several questions about a few different meal options and the wait staff was so friendly and patient. The restaurant looks small but they can accommodate bigger groups no problem. I had my bridesmaids luncheon there- a group of 10 of us. They also deliver to areas outside of their catchment area! I love it so much, I've ask them to deliver to me in Evanston, which they have accommodated! I highly recommend this place!
(5)
Tom J.

Now that Tank Sushi had closed my wife and I were searching for a great replacement and we may have found it in Edgewater at Indie. We had the Almond Monkey, Godzilla, Santana, and Sweet Potato. All four were incredible. Service was great. Highly recommended.
(5)
Sarah P.

What I like about Indie is the decor. Fantastic paintings of men dressed in drag, some ambiguous, others outright, and women with huge eyes and red lips. I love that Indie advertises to customers that they are an LGBTQ friendly restaurant through the rainbow sticker posted in the window and the cute sign on the bathroom door. What I don't like is the waitress getting our order completely wrong, but we took it anyway because we'd just waited a half hour for it and our friends had their food so did we really want to wait again? Uhhhh no. We didn't care for whatever it was she served us, it was tilapia with a thick red sauce and just wasn't good. They didn't offer anything for the mistake, didn't even offer to take it back, so we paid full price for something we didn't like or even order. Needless to say she didn't get the full tip, which is rare coming from me because I'm a 20% tip kinda girl who appreciates how shitty the job can be. Not this time.
(2)
Vaidehi T.

I am a fan of the food at this place. But why the 4 stars instead of 5 - service or lack thereof. We found this place, thanks to yelp, on a Tue evening. They have patio seating, so we decided to sit outside. The place had a quite a crowd considering it was a Tuesday evening. That just assured us of our choice to dine here. After being handed our menus, the waitress disappeared. We had our orders ready and we were getting quite ravenous. No sight of anybody to come take the orders. I went inside and flagged down a waiter and he came to our table and took our orders. Everything we ordered was fresh, delicious and bursting with flavor. But the food itself took a long time to arrive. Maybe they were having an off night with regards to service. But the food here is great. It is indeed a hidden gem, and I would love to visit this place again.
(4)
Kristen H.

I moved into the heart of Asia on Argyle, but my Indie Cafe still has my heart. They're the best Thai food in our hood, IMO. Fav dishes: pad thai, chicken panang curry (order extra steamed veggies to add to it), potstickers, crab Rangoon. Food is reliably delicious on-site or delivery. Delivery is fast! Don't be frustrated that you get put on hold a ton when you order, it's worth the wait.
(5)
Mink L.

I am a regular here and usually love everything I order but today was a disappointment . They are going through construction so not sure if the best sushi chefs are off, but the rolls were completely off. Some may think it 's hard to mess up a roll, but today was definitely indie cafe'a off night. We ordered Tom Yum chicken and the chicken was a bit rubbery. The two rolls we ordered were the sex on the moon and Mexican and both were mediocre. The blue crab in the sex on the moon was very fishy, presentation was mediocre, and the Mexican roll had lettuce that was frozen and the tuna was very fishy. So so sad. We re still hungry so going to the next spot to get some more sushi. Maybe Sushi Thai or Ora.
(3)
kim c.

Sadly Indie has lost a frequent customer through the past several years. I've ordered from Indie online many many times with no issue. Today I was called after placing my online order and was told that since I live one block from their normal delivery area that'd I have to pay $5 or $6 dollars instead of the $2 delivery listed in my online checkout. I understand $2 is very cheap and maybe even an error on their website but to charge me triple for one block out of zone is telling me they really don't want my business. Good bye Indie, was good while it lasted.... Nearby restaurant took my order no problem and no $6 delivery charge.
(1)
Jennie T.

I haven't had many crab rangoons--mostly because I'm slightly allergic to shellfish and I'm lactose intolerant--but theirs were pretty good. They're tinier than ones I've seen in the past, but these were more tasty because the skin wasn't too thick and they had a good amount of filling. It went well with the thinly sliced carrot shreds and the sweet and sour sauce they gave us. We both liked the signature curry dish (potato, squash, cashew) with pot roasted beef though. The curry isn't nearly as spicy as I thought it'd be. It is made with coconut milk, and the squash is very good... Kenny and I both thought it was eggplant because of the dark skin, but eggplant doesn't have that yam-like texture. It comes with a little bit of crispy egg noodle on top. Very delicious. Ask for a spoon though. I don't know why they don't serve it with a spoon. I thought that was odd. I'd come here again for the same curry dish.
(4)
Clark K.

Have eaten there and have had delivery many times over the years, it's seems they have good days and bad there. I have had to send the food back a few times because it was simply rotten, other times they will forget the appetizers and get them to you at the end of the meal, acting clueless. I have forgiven them many times, but have decided we will part ways, I will never set foot there again, way overrated!
(1)
Tlafi K.

I ordered the calamari and crab ragoons as an appetizer. Was a bit disappointed with the the calamari because it was too oily. The grab ragoons were delicious. For the main dish, I ordered the basil chicken with brown rice. I tell ya all, the basil chicken is delicious. The wine is also reasonably priced. Ordered a Riesling for $4 a glass or there is a choice of $12 per bottle. The service is also great. Will be back.....
(4)
Charlz P.

I have enjoyed this restaurant for 5 years. I tend to get the fried rice and had considered it one of the best restaurants in Edgewater. Recently, when ordering takeout the quality suffers and the rice seems dryer. Hopefully, it's better in store.
(2)
Cathleen M.

I have lived in Rogers Park for almost six years and have seen Indie go from an unknown BYOB to getting their liquor license. Even with all of the changes the one thing that has remained consistent is the quality of their food. They have amazing sushi, seriously I kid you not it is by far the freshest in the city. I have actually had competitions with a few of my friends in Chicago to see if they could find a place better than Indie in terms of quality, so far none of them have been able to do so. The sashimi dinner is a must try and you really cannot go wrong with any of their rolls as they are all amazing. What I have always been a huge fan of here is the presentation, it is honestly top notch. If you get the crocodile roll, prepare to be amazed by how awesome it looks when it arrives at your table looking exactly like a crocodile. The ono they have and red snapper is definitely a must try if they have it that day. The value for the money you spend here is great and if you are in the area, its a definite go to for take away or delivery! Although I dont want to rave too much about this place (because it will continue to get even busier than it already is) its an absolute must try. I am sure if you go there once you will put it on the restaurants you will frequent over and over again. I also have to mention their Thai food is great. The red curry and chicken pad thai are my favorites there. Very authentic and done consistently delicious whether I am at the restaurant or get it delivered. Check it out, you will not be disappointed.
(5)
Adam K.

Great take out place for me. I have been ordering from this place since I moved in a few months ago to the neighborhood. I love the crab rangoon. It's like candy. The ginger delight with shrimp is great. The shrimp is opaque and cooked just right. It's great flavor and comes with optional brown rice. Great dish. Will order again and again.
(4)
Justina L.

The food here is delicious! I only give it four stars cause I've only tried their sushi and udon noodle both times I've been here. I celebrated two birthdays here, three years apart from each other and the quality of the food hasn't changed! I couldn't remember the name of this place since my first visit but finally found it on our way to another restaurant. So glad I found this place again! My hubby and I shared a plate of the seafood udon, devil maki, and sex on the moon maki. The maki was spectacular; you can tell each ingredient in the maki had a purpose. The udon was well seasoned and flavorful, not tasting like that generic Chinese noodle dish. The service was fine. It was a Sunday night and not that busy. There was a miscommunication within our party about when we were supposed to meet. So while we were waiting, the waitress was polite, not being pushy and refilling our teas while we were waited. Looking forward to go back again.
(4)
Karalopoulos M.

Great little spot for sushi. They have a lunch special that's a decent deal. Also they make cute little roses out of the paper wrapper for the straw. It's local, it's hard to find something not to like at this place :)
(5)
Nick P.

I give this joint 5 stars because the staff and food are fantastic, and they are consistently so. Service here is top notch, no waiting for water, no waiting to order, and no waiting for plates to be taken away or for the check. And they check in on you without being annoying. I get annoyed quick by slacking servers, ive been a server myself. None of that here. They obviously take pride in bringing great food with professional service, at a very decent price. I love eating here, and giving them my business. Edit: The house music is uber cheesy jazz vocal musak covers, but I'll come regardless.
(5)
Marty L.

Yowza, that was awful. Gyoza and shumai both fried and dry. Poorly assembled rolls with bad flavor combos - way too much cilantro in one, spicy crab mush in another. Maybe it was because it's the first of the year, but almost felt like they picked the items up at Jewel, nuked a couple of items then raced it over. Sorry, but Indie has fallen off the list of keepers.
(1)
Katharine T.

The boyfriend and I have been ordering delivery from Indie cafe for several years now. We have always liked their food but last weekend marked our visit time actually dining in their restaurant. They were pretty busy on Friday night, thankfully our friend made reservations and we had a table waiting for us. Service in general was pretty slow and not overly attentive but they were at capacity. Because boyfriend and I were with 3 other friends and drinking and talking away, I didn't really care about the wait. Had it just been boyfriend and myself I think we would have been pissed about the wait. 2 of us got curry and the rest of us (myself included) split several different kinds of Maki. I specifically ordered the Santana and the Monte Carlo. Both were really good, the Monte Carlo the favorite of the two. My 2 friends who I was sharing with ordered the Sweet Potato (always good), the Godzilla and the Una-Q, the stand out being the Godzilla. I have had their sushi delivered before and haven't been really that crazy about it so I usually get their curry delivered. I'll blame my lack of love for their sushi in the past on the fact that it was delivered. In the restaurant it was really very delicious. All the rolls we ordered were great. When we get delivery and I order curry I usually get with fried tofu, which is awesome, and crispy noodles, also awesome. Recently I ordered it with white rice and I found the white rice a little too mushy/gummy. They have really really good crab rangoon also. Actually well flavored, nicely fried little pouches and they have a really good dipping sauce with it, not typical boring sweet & sour. To be noted, they serve booze but you can also BYOB - that being said they charge $1.50 per glass used. We had 5 at our table, only 3 used their wine glasses so we were charged $1.50 for 3 glasses. My boyfriend did not use their wine glasses but brought in his own beer and drank out of the bottle, he was not charged a fee. $1.50 is pretty negligible amount so who cares, but it's worth mentioning. I would definitely dine in again for their sushi. This is just a solid neighborhood restaurant with good curry and good sushi.
(4)
Christina S.

I ordered pick up from here. Food is amazing, but my pet peeve is when someone ask you a question about what is in a dish, I think you should answer it correctly. I ordered the bacon scallop, drunken udon seafood, and dragon roll. I received a free appetizer, which was awesome. Everything was amazing but the drunken udon. I asked the person who took my order what types of vegetables are in it? He replied onions, broccoli, bell peppers, and basil. I asked him no basil and onions. I got home and to my surprise there was more than I was informed. There was bamboo in it! I absolutely hate bamboo. You can pick it off but the whole dish taste like it! Gross! Other than that it was yummy! Just if you are picky like me be cautious.
(4)
Sharang T.

Overall, while the food was above average in terms of quality and portion size - my main concern when dining out - the lackluster drinks and poor service left me unlikely to dine here again. If I do, I will possibly order carry out but there are so many good thai places around that it doesn't seem likely. They have a BYOB sign out front, but charge a corkage fee. They have drinks specials for five dollar mimosas, which we opted for since the place wasn't truly BYOB. Unsurprisingly, they were extremely weak. Finally, the reason this place loses out is the awful service. After I tried to pay - and hopefully take my date home, something I was pretty eager to do - the wait staff made me wait FORTY FIVE MINUTES to take my check. I mean, there's only so much post-dinner conversation I can make. The restaurant had three or four waitresses; and just as many parties, so there was no dinner rush. I found that completely inexcusable.
(2)
Laura T.

I could live on the crab rangoon. We get delivery more than I care to admit and never had a bad meal. It's also a great place to go out in a cool space with great drinks.
(5)
Shradha A.

Really cute ambiance, super friendly service, spacious seating, interesting art work, decent sushi but good sweet potato samosa and miso soup! large vegetarian sushi selection!
(4)
Stephanie M.

Love love love Indie, one of my go to spots... I've introduced many a friend to this place, even ate here for lunch AND dinner in a single day once (the hostess recognized me, yikes!).. Great pad thai, LOVE their rolls, great selection of drinks... I'll be back again soon...
(4)
Jean D.

Indie is always delicious and reasonable. The new look is fantastic and a lot more inviting. Truly is great to have them in the neighborhood.
(4)
Mike D.

We've ordered from here for two years. Recently, they've basically *doubled* their prices by suddenly delivering food in about half the quantity as before. Instead of standard entree-sized takeout containers for rice, noodles, etc, now the dinner delivery is approximately lunch-portion sized or smaller, in much smaller containers. Totally not cool and we just took them off our delivery list. It's like trying to rob your customers without them noticing that you're doing it.
(1)
Rasik M.

Food is good but a little pricey. I order from here almost once a week, the delivery speed is ok but can be better. Red curry is what I would recommend if you gotta order from here.
(3)
Rebecca B.

The sushi and thai are consistently delicious, Indie is a great neighborhood joint. I will agree with someone else who noted that the delivery food doesn't seem to be as high quality as when you dine in which is unfortunate, but they bring sushi to my door so it's kind of hard to complain.
(4)
Dave P.

Super tasty, excellent service, and reasonable prices. The Indie Signature Curry - wow! Pot roast curry would never have occurred to me, but my plate was clean!
(5)
Cartoon S.

If you like sushi, check this place out, its worth the trip! It's not the most amazing sushi on the planet. BUT, it's the best I've found in the area for sure. The ambiance is actually pretty cool and the service is always great.
(5)
Chris M.

I am a certified Indie Cafe fan. If I am craving healthy and delicious Thai food. I admittedly never dine in, even though I live 3 blocks away. Their delivery is always fast and hot, so it keeps me coming back. It is somewhat pricey, but it's worth it. Their Tom Yum Soup is insanely delicious. All of their curries are amazing as well, and come with just enough rice. Can't go wrong with their sushi options either, all very fresh. Their Smoked Chili Combo and Red Hot Chili Seafood are both amazing. I've never found something on the menu I've disliked I was 100% ready to give this a 5 star rating, but they stopped taking credit card over grub hub. That has to be the biggest con since I never have cash on me.
(4)
Patrick R.

Yay - Indie Cafe has become my new favorite Thai restaurant! I despaired last summer when I moved up to Edgewater from Wicker Park, thinking no restaurant could even approach my beloved Thai Village. Indie Cafe, however, is a horse of a different color. Where Thai Village was classic and kitschy, Indie Cafe is hip and modern -- but in a way that results in tasty food an an unassuming attitude. Here's a tip: If you dig curry, order the Indie Katsu. It's a special not usually listed on the menu, but they can always whip up a dish. It's got a generous helping of tempura chicken, along with carrots, broccoli and a bit of basil. The sauce is pleasantly spicy.
(5)
Lisa B.

I have been visiting Indie Cafe for 2 years now and I have never once been disappointed. The sushi is by far some of the best in Chicago for both quality and presentation. The entire restaurant has a young, hip vibe to it, and the wait staff is always very nice. This is an excellent date restaurant. BYOB and no corkage fee. Maki I recommend highly: Butter Ocean, the Dragon, Metallica, Las Vegas and the Volcano.
(5)
Cindy D.

Went back here to crave my sushi needs! Ordered the following... 1. White Scorpian - YUMMY!!! It's pricey at $14 a roll, but it's def. the most tasty roll we ate tonight. 2. Spicy sake - ehh.. wasn't spicy at all, plus small pieces of salmon inside. 3. Crazy chicago - once again ehhh.. nothing special. Has cucumber, salmon, and tuna; but once placed in your mouth, nothing stands out. 4. Monte Carlo - The white fish, which didn't seem to be cut correctly (it was big chunks vs. nice tender slices) was kinda hard. Plus the salmon piece inside was tiny! For the price ($12), I would not get again. 5. 2 orders of Sake sashimi - good, big, and nicely cut. Total bill with tip was around $65 for two people. Unfortunately, this is the best place between 4800 N to 5800 N compared to Agami and dib.
(3)
Dan M.

This has always been a staple in my delivery food. Really reliable with a wide variety on their menu. Typical Thai and japanese dishes mixed in with some of their own creations. The Sashimi platter is really nice for those doing low-carb. Lots of large pieces. Wonderful crab rangoon - I get an order everytime no matter what I am ordering. Huge props on presentation which is difficult on take out. The only reason it is not a 5 was last night I ordered the Chili pepper stir fry which was just ok and I like my entrees to be two meals, which theirs is just one.
(4)
Emily H.

I loved this place while I lived in Chicago (just down the street actually, on Bryn Mawr). It was possibly my favorite restaurant there. It is a great hole in the wall place that really isn't in a neighborhood full of restaurants, so it can be easy to miss. First of all. It is BYOB. This is what I miss so much about Chicago. The Dominick's down the block means that you can snag a bottle of sake or wine before you get there. Amazing Second, very reasonably priced food. When I walked in I expected to pay about $15-$20 for a single dish (decor, ambiance and the awesome dinnerware and menu designs), but a curry and a basic roll ended up to be about $15 per person. Lunch is even better, where you can get an appetizer, salad and an entree for about $7. I don't remember, but you might even get a soup as well? About the food: The crab rangoons here are OUT of the WORLD. The shell they are fried in is very delicate and light (doesn't overpower the rest of the flavors) and there is water chestnuts mixed into the filling, which gives the whole rangoon a very nice texture. The curries are very good, with good portions and lots of flavor, no watery sauce here! I like the sushi here, but the rice is a tad too sugary for my tastes (I prefer sushi rice on the savory-er side). Still very good though; the fish is fresh. Totally recommend it!
(5)
Ji K.

This place is super cute and the flatware is adorable, but . . . I don't know. I wasn't as impressed with the food as all those who gave the place five stars. I came with a friend and we both loved their menu and were so excited by all the maki choices, so we ended up ordering four rolls (yes, we were that excited) and some good ol' pad thai. The rolls were good, but not great (not to the extent which they were named). And the pad thai was tasty, but not the best I've ever had. I was so hungry that night so I thought everything would taste amazing to me . . . but since it didn't, my only explanation is that either their food was off or my taste buds were. Still, it's a nice place and I'd most likely come back if I was in the area.
(3)
K. N.

Good lord is this place fantastic. Me and two others went last night, and we had: 1. crab rangoon--fantastic. best crab rangoon I've had in a long time. 2. gyoza--also very nice. 3. tom yum soup--really nice complex flavor, served at the right temperature, and I heard the shrimp was cooked well. 4. 3 sushi rolls--boston, spicy salmon, and shrimp tempura--good balance of ingredients, the fish was not overpowered 5. Signature curry--i can't even describe how delicious this is. The meat is fork tender. 6. Mango cheesecake--light, sweet, flavorful, creamy 7. Mango sorbet, tasted very fresh All this for $50 :O I'm moving back to edgewater/rogers park and I cannot wait to visit this restaurant on a regular basis. UPDATE 6/28/08 well, We were here fri night and I have to knock a star off. -crab rangoon was good as always -tom yum soup had all kinds of bits in it's broth that should have been strained out -sushi was warm as though it had been sitting out a while -my partner's beef had a ton of fat all over it. We actually thought it wasn't worth th $50 for the two of us. And that makes me sad. I hope this was just an off night and not what Indie's turning into.
(4)
Gwendolyn H.

My friends took me here for my birthday. We love asian food of all kinds, but I especially love thai food and my bf loves sushi. This place is perfect for having both!! The drunken noodles were sweet & salty... we had sushi rolls for appetizers which were average, but a nice start to the evening. It was great for a bigger group and not too loud. Plus it was byob! While it was pretty far north for us to get to, I would definitely go there again.
(4)
Rachel B.

This has quickly become one of my top five restaurants of all time. The sushi is soooooooooo good. Bangkok (add cream cheese), volcano rolls (spicy), California (better than your average), dragon rolls, butter ocean, crispy chili heaven is spicy but so good. By the way-the crab rangoon is the best I've EVER had. I've had people come in from out of town who have said the same thing. They seem to only use high quality ingredients and everyone is very friendly. Presentation is also nice. Only downfall is delivery can be slow at times, but well worth the wait. Tofu fried rice is very good too.
(5)
Mara S.

I've really liked this place every time I go there. The service is great and the menu is extensive. I'm not a sushi fan, which they have lots of, but there are plenty of other options for me. I'm a big fan of their Thai options and was especially pleased when I went in last Sunday and found out that they had a lunch menu with some of my favorites. They just expanded the restaurant, it used to be teeny. Hopefully this means that business is good and they'll be around for awhile. p.s. Every one of my sushi eating friends thinks that the sushi here is really good... :)
(4)
Nate L.

Indie Cafe is the best. Thai. Food. Ever. Seriously. Their curries are amazing and the noodles are excellent. I recommend the Green Curry with Tofu or the Drunken Noodles with Tofu. You will enjoy it.
(5)
Jenn D.

It wasn't bad. It wasn't good. It was "okay". The atmosphere could have been cozy, but the music was a bit too loud. Normally I don't care, but you had to yell for the person across from you to hear you correctly. And also, that's normally not a problem, but when you have twenty people on one side of the room, it gets REALLY loud. Loud enough that I think that's why the waiter got my order wrong. I ordered sushi, and I get a plate of fried noodles. "Look, it's fine, whatever. Just tell me what this is." "It's drunken noodles." "But...what IS that?" After a while they took it away and told me that they'd bring me I actually ordered, I just needed to wait for it to cook. (Why did it take ten minutes to think of that, I wonder?) The sad thing is, the maki was actually decent. I mean, good enough for me to want to come back and try other things that they had on their sushi menu. But the night was just unpleasant enough that I don't want to go back. And if it helps, the noodles that they brought me looked pretty standard, too. You can get the same thing at Summer or Thai Grill around the corner. And you don't have to argue with the waiter over loud music if they get your order wrong, either.
(2)
Carla d.

I agree with the previous review. So sad. I used to love this place, even thought of trying to review it at Check, please! But...went again a couple of weeks ago, and left totally disappointed! :c( Please make Indie good again!
(2)
Juliet L.

Went here last night on a double date with our friends. It was awesome! All the food was just delectable. We tried the scallop with bacon appetizer, crab rangoon and several maki rolls. The crocodile roll was the table favorite. Everything was amazing. The service was great too - we called to make a reservation and even though we were more than 15 minutes late, they kept our fabulous table with super comfy chairs in the red room. Such a great experience. And not too expensive at all for sushi.
(5)
Eddie S.

Checked out this place with my wife after hearing about it from a friends for awhile. I'd have to say we were very pleased we did. Good place overall for a date and/or friends. Overall decor is a modern, lounge feel, but nothing too crazy. We got there around 7:30PM on a Friday night without a reservation and were able to get seated without a wait, but I think we got one of the last open tables. The place was packed for the rest of the entire meal we were there for. The menu is HUGE. There's a japanese section with probably 4 pages of maki rolls. They have other hot dishes, sashimi, appetizers and other stuff too. The Thai section was another 4 pages too, so finding something that you want to eat should be no problem. We ended up ordering the following: Philly Roll - pretty standard, got what we expected, no complaints White Dragon Roll - tasted good, fell apart a bit, but I'm easy to please as long as it tastes good Tempura roll - also good, its a bigger roll than the philly rolls (thicker) Santana roll - really big, pretty unique combination of ingredients that i really liked Also ordered - Tom Yum soup which was excellent, Bkk Street Scallops, which were awesome (maybe my favorite dish). Its 2 HUGE bacon wrapped scallops cooked perfectly with a nice sweet and spicy sauce served on top of a salad with a sesame-ginger dressing. The greens were fresh. Just a good dish all around. Overall, we were really happy we came. Presentation of food was nice on everything, but I need to come back and try their Thai curries and other rolls. There's so many kinds.......but I'll take more choices than not enough any time. Def check it out. It's easily better than any sushi option in Evanston.
(4)
Katie P.

I'm shocked and appalled that I haven't written a review until now because Indie has been somewhat of a sushi staple for me for awhile now. Here's the thing about Indie: I love their sushi. It's always tasty, fresh, and very well prepared and presented. I've just recently discovered some of their specialty rolls and it's like walking up to Disney World for the first time. It's wonderful. Because I've been going here a while, I can say confidently that sometimes the "others" of the dining experience: service, presentation, and consistency in food preparation can be hit or miss. It's generally always good...but there are times that the food has been really excellent and other times that it's just "well, that was okay, huh?" Overall, I go back because I know what they have done in the past. But sometimes it can be a little lackluster. And whatever you do, don't ever get delivery from this place. With that, you're just askin' for trouble.
(4)
Benjamin R.

My GF and I are always looking for good Thai and this place has it. Close to the house and some of the best Crab Rangoon in the city. The other night I had the Indie Curry with beef. The beef was spectacular. Perfectly cooked. I was able to cut it with my fork/chopsticks. Highly recommended. It can be a little pricey if you decide to make it a sushi night. The sushi is pretty good, but I've had better at a more reasonable price. If you make a thai night then it is a very affordable meal. Plus it's BYOB which is always nice. If you live in the neighborhood and you haven't tried Indie yet then you're missing out. Make the trip. It's worth it.
(4)
Megan N.

For some reason, I find myself craving Indie Cafe at least once a week, more so than any other restuarant. I LOOOVE the red and green curry, I can't get enough of it, and would eat either one everyday if I could. I've dined at the restaurant once (during lunch) and was pleased to find out about their lunch special including soup, appetizer, and entree for an affordable price. They deliever, which is perfect, but one time they ended up forgetting my sweet potato tempura maki and I had to call back to tell them. I expected something free or a coupon to use later but got nothing. I was a little disappointed but not enough to stop eating here. Try it! Everything I've had (miso soup, egg rolls, pad thai, various veggie makis, red curry, and green curry) has been amazing.
(4)
Juls M.

We ordered Indie Cafe to go, the first night we were in our new place. The crab rangoon was some of the best I've ever had! We'll have to get a double-order next time. My boyfriend, who was having Thai for the first time, had the basil chicken and it was pretty tasty and served with white rice. I always order green curry when getting Thai, and this one was nice. Not the best I've ever had (that one was homemade by a friend) because I feel it could have been spicier. Also, they don't have coconut rice, which is kinda a downer. That said, I would order the curry again, just spicier. The big plus, they deliver to us.
(4)
Rhys O.

Amazing!!! Had the Philadelphia, and crab rangoons. Delicious. Delivery was quick, and driver was very polite. Would definitely recommend to anyone. Must try, and they deliver which his a huge plus.
(5)
Chitown D.

Indie Cafe is close, so we order take out pretty frequently. The food is consistent and isn't bad, but it is a bit overpriced for the portion size. The staff are very friendly and the guy who usually answers the phone is great. The orders are meticulously packed, we have never had anything missing, and it's always ready on time. Overall, pretty good.
(4)
K. Michelle B.

They have super sushi and super Thai, and they deliver. Indie is perfect for those nights you don't want to cook but want to eat something relatively healthy. When eating out (say, your TV trays are in the shop) Indie's BYO status means you can have a civilized dinner for a relatively low price. The new dining room is a different but welcome addition to the former shotgun restaurant. My favorites (keep in mind I'm vegetarian) include the sweet potato tempura maki, any of the Thai curries (esp green and signature), inari nigiri, cucumber salad, and the lunch bento special. They're nothing unusual, but they're solid.
(4)
Jeremy O.

**CAUTION! Hipster review below** Ok, I'll say it - I used to like this place when it first opened years ago. I used to live right around the corner and so I've been coming here for years - the order guy knew us by name. Initially, this was always an excellent spot to go to for really reasonably priced Thai and sushi. The servers were always nice, very attentive, and the food was excellent. Indie has seemed to decline in quality since they started expanding. When they moved into the adjacent storefront, their prices went up a little bit and the waitstaff seemed much more rushed and less attentive to diners. I still didn't have any issues with carry out or delivery though, so I didn't think much of it. Since they've gotten their liquor license, the food has just been terrible. The last 3 times we ordered food (once dining in, two deliveries) it didn't really taste right and, even when we order our usual dishes, the flavor and ingredients can vary immensely from day to day. The death knell finally came the last time we ordered last month. My wife ordered beef and broccoli and got really sick after eating it. She said it smelled fine and tasted fine but it was obvious something she ate from Indie made her sick. Sorry Indie, we won't be ordering again. You used to be cool....
(2)
Christina C.

I love, love, love this little gem. Given the restaurant's surroundings near the Thorndale Red Line stop, passerbyers may not expect much. However, after being recommended to visit Indie by a coworker, I cannot get enough. The quality of the dishes is perfect - fresh, rich and colorful. The portions are plentiful and well worth the few extra dollars Indie chargers over the area competitors. The atmosphere in the restaurant is charming and hospitable, with beautiful and appropriate decor throughout. Every dish I have tried has been delicious, from the "Oranger" chicken to the various maki and sushi offerings. Everyone who I have taken to Indie (which has been quite a few people!) have enjoyed it as well. The only feedback I would give the restaurant is to consider adding more noodle dishes to the menu. I've had their current menu so many times, I'd love to see something new! Whether or not this happens, Indie is certainly worthy of 5 stars!
(5)
Elizabeth A.

I've officially given this place enough tries. The sushi is bland and the service is poor. We had three people sort of wait on us, neither of which communicated with each other. Food took forever to come out, and when it did, it wasn't worth the wait. It was very bland. To top it off, their internet connection was lost, so they had no way to take our credit card. We ended up having to leave credit card number, name, and address, which makes me really uncomfortable considering that identity theft isn't a very rare occurrence. Never again!
(1)
Weisun C.

Squeezed into a storefront on Broadway, with a great view of the empty shell of the neo-Spanish-revival building which used to be what we were calling, "the Giannoulias bank," the now defunct Broadway Bank. It was a very comfortable room to be in during a winter's night. Our waiter was very attentive. Our appetizers were a mixed bag: The gyoza were tasty, but less satisfying were the samosa-like sweet-potato samosa (It was only samosa-like because each were made in a quick method, similar to how wontons for a soup might be, with half-inch edges of the dough all around.). Later we enjoyed our Pad Thai and California maki roll. But these portions were small, though properly priced as such. Like our appetizers, the desserts, from a very limited menu of them, were also a mixed bag: the green tea ice cream was generous and tasty, while the mango cheese cake came out so frozen, it had to be rejected.
(3)
Jason J.

Some of the best sushi in Chicago at a reasonable price. Never heard to get into and the service is good.
(4)
Eve P.

Nice, neighborhood Thai restaurant. When I'm dressed casual and I want to go to a sit down restaurant without having to get all dolled up, I come here. It is a trendy little restaurant that is inexpensive. I ordered the green curry chicken and a Harajuku Mojito. Both the dish and the drink were delicious. Don't let the mojito fool you. It tastes so good but it will get you tipsy! The staff is nice but the seating is a little too close together but hat doesn't stop me from going back. If it's not super packed, It's not bad. They also have outdoor seating in the summer.
(5)
Piyush P.

Perfect gateway on a lazy weekday. Affordable Thai food with decent selection of wines. I would not skip their drunken noodle and probably compliment it with Hum - a traditional Thai drink (alcoholic). I would also recommend their delivery service.
(4)
Harrie D.

I love indie cafe - the sushi is good, the non-sushi appetizers are good, the staff are efficient, and when grub hub failed the indie cafe were super helpful in fixing the issue. they do great take out and great in store too
(4)
RalphMarple R.

It's a pretty good spot, interesting cocktails, nice ambiance and diverse Asian food offerings, all priced well. Definitely will be back again.
(4)
Dusty S.

Consistently great food, drinks, and service whether dining in, carry out, or delivery. One of my favorite places since moving to the city a year ago.
(5)
Jamie H.

My boyfriend and I have ordered delivery here a handful of times. I always get the Seven Samurai Salad and a miso soup. Despite being delivery, the fish has always been pretty fresh. My boyfriend loves, and always gets the Basil Chicken. We spiced things up last night when we decided to dine at the restaurant and by getting the Andaman Salad. It came with shrimp, calamari and scallops. The fish was warm, which I wasn't expecting, but it was still quite tasty. I could have stopped there and have been content with my meal, but we had also gotten Crab Rangoon; they're pretty small but really tasty. Definitely top contenders for best Crab Rangoon I've ever had! I also got the Chicago Crazy Roll. I was full, but I managed to eat the whole roll! It was very fresh and exactly what I expected. Oh, I also had some house sake and my boyfriend got some beer - only $3.50, what a steal! The atmosphere was modern, clean and nice. There were some crazy pictures on the wall, I didn't get a chance to see all of them, but they're quite unique (re creepy). The staff was attentive and friendly. Excellent dining experience for a Saturday night and no wait.
(4)
Scott S.

I've been here at least 5 times and the food is amazing, but better yet the atmosphere. Great date place! It's got a good romantic vibe to it.
(5)
Tim M.

Well I assumed, since this is the only sushi joint that serves alcohol in Edgewater, that it would have good food. I was wrong, and shame on me for thinking such a stupid thing. The sushi was uninspiring, the wonton was almost burnt to an inedible scolding mess in my mouth, and the service was consistently absent. I felt like I wasn't even welcome there with the awkward wait and seating. And there were several tables that were "reserved" next to the windows that never showed up. The server never asked us how we were or seemed to care that we were there. The place was barely 1/3 full even by 6:30pm when we left. So how is there any excuse for such absent and flaky service? As far as the food, I was warned when I ordered the Kimono roll, that it would be REALLY spicy. Really? Spicy? Spicy Nacho Doritos have tasted spicier. It was bland, unexciting and fell apart often. And don't cut the shrimp to the point in which the END of the tail is STILL in the roll. Come on. You may try to put on a trendy facade, Indie Cafe, but you didn't follow through with any positive experience. Making your food look fancy and serving alcohol with the option of BYOB just doesn't cut it. For those with the need for a gimmicky place to eat, here you go. Don't expect much. The only thing I enjoyed was the selection of sake. Sad first impression Indie Cafe. Just sad.
(2)
John L.

Food ok, not great. Service, a total fail on all levels. I should have seen it coming when I had to track down the server to get the wasabi and ginger that was absent from our sushi appetizer. The main issue was a problem with my main dish, lacking the advertised garlic sauce. Up to this point, our server had been inattentive - very slow to bring drinks, never checked with us on how our appetizer or main dishes were. I had to get up to find her to note the problem with my meal and ask for some sauce. She left and avoided our table from that point on (until delivering the check). I had to track down the manager, who eventually brought some sauce - no apology. As my husband noted, they seemed to act like I owed them an apology for pointing out a problem with the meal. A better-run place would have replaced the dish. Overall we felt unwelcome. My two dinner companions liked their meals well (tofu curry, cashew chicken). The appetizer (spider roll) was mediocre for sushi. We've been twice before and liked it pretty well for a quick neighborhood meal. But we'll give this a long break in the rotation before they get another chance.
(1)
Andrew E.

I tried out Indie cafe for the first time by placing a carryout order. I ordered some pad thai and an appetizer by phone as I walked over from the bus stop - and here's where they underpromised/overdelivered: they said it'd take about 20 minutes for my order, and when I walked over in less than 10 minutes the order was ready so I paid and walked right back out. The food was good and came in decent portions, but the pad thai was not especially distinct from most other places even though it satisfied the cravings. The proportion of flavors and ingredients in the pad thai seemed well-balanced, too. Having scoped out the place it seems really great for a relaxing sit-down meal with a group or date. Lastly Indie cafe stood out for its decorations - notably a wall panel with Thai-looking lettering fashioned out of metal wire. Would be happy to return or do carry out again to try something different on the menu.
(4)
LaVerne A.

Love this place! First of all the ambience and the decor were so inviting! I mean just cute and quaint and pretty!!! Happy to have found this gem in my neck of the woods! Delicious, fresh sushi and a host of other yummies! Will be my go to spot from this day forward! The smoked salmon mail with cucumber and avocado has to be the best thing I've ever tasted! Yum! Love! HApPy place!
(4)
Hanna H.

This cozy, neighborhood restaurant has become a favorite date night spot ever since I moved to Edgewater 3 years ago. Their servers are attentive and nice. I am a fan of their curries, and highly recommend trying their signature curry. Their spicy miso is also delicious if you're a fan of spicy soups.
(4)
Megan M.

After nearly 4 years of not visiting this restaurant due some poor experiences my boyfriend and I decided to stop back in and give it another go. I am glad we did! They have a pretty decent wine selection and at very reasonable prices. We ordered spicy miso and the jade Buddha dumplings to start. The spicy miso was so good but the dumplings were dry and a little hard on the outside. For dinner we ordered the the drunken noodle and the tofu teriyaki. M boyfriend love both, I thought the tofu had way too much sauce but I prefer a lighter hand when it comes to teriyaki. I am glad we went back and we will be back in the future.
(4)
Borya P.

My girlfriend and I came to Indie Cafe on a Sunday afternoon and it was relatively empty. We sat outside and the waitress quickly made sure we had water and menus. She was very sweet and after giving us a couple minutes to decide, took our order for the avo salad, a miso soup, shumai shrimp, a Tom kha soup and kindly gave us more time to pick our entrees. The appetizers that we ordered were absolutely delicious. The presentation was beautiful and everything tasted fresh and balanced. For our entrees, my gf ordered mushroom and cucumber rolls while I went with the omikaze chef special. This was the best decision I could have made because what I got was an awesome array of fresh nigiri. The pieces of fish were HUGE!!! It was an awesome deal for the price. Our bill came out to $50 for everything and we were not only stuffed, but enjoyed that meal more than any other we have had in a long time (west loop and Lincoln park restaurants included). I will definitely be back! :D
(5)
Laura V.

Best crab Rangoon in Chicago, delicious Asian inspired cocktails-try the Hum- the sushi is super fresh and really creative maki rolls. Warm friendly owners and staff make this my favorite dinner spot on the Northside
(5)
Andrew H.

Good solid Thai and sushi place. Miso is great. Def a regular place to go for dinner in edgewater.
(4)
Joe L.

I live around the corner and was feeling sushi for lunch and heard this was a great spot. They were very friendly when I walked in the door! I ordered the lunch special which is a pretty good value for $9.95. Three pieces and a roll with a soup or salad. I got the the salad and it was the cutest side salad I have ever seen. The presentation was very good (it's just a side salad right? But still. It was pretty) The pieces were good and proportional to the rice, but the fish in the rolls were a little too thick for my taste. I personally like thinner pieces of smoked salmon as it can be tough at times. Also, I'm used to spicy tuna being basically finely chopped tuna mixed with the spicy sauce. Everything tasted great though. Just texture issues for me as far as these rolls are concerned.
(4)
NadeÅ¾da Å .

I love this place! Everything I tried was delicious, the service was great and the best of all: it's so cheap. Maybe the best sushi and Thai dishes in the area.
(4)
Erika G.

Back after a long absence. Still a great neighborhood place. Great sushi value for the money, and the food is well presented, fresh and delicious. Had three Maki rolls. Spicy Tuna, Spicy Blue Crab and another one - um, top of roll menu, right side, I forget the name. They were all GREAT and a nice portion size. Perfect for two to share. Rounding out dinner with a couple pieces of Toro sushi - the best. There are also LOTS of vegetarian options here, you can bring all your friends! They have drinks now, but you can still BYOB inside the restaurant, which is nice. The interior is MUCH more stylish than when they first opened, and I'm happy to see this place thriving. The service could be a little quicker/more attentive, but we were in a little bit of a hurry that night, otherwise we'd have lingered and it wouldn't have mattered.
(4)
Heshan W.

Beautiful Thai decor, with splashes of Asian/sushi bar style theme. Legit Panang curry! One of the best Thai restaurants in North Chicago.
(4)
Katie K.

This is, by far, my favorite restaurant in Chicago. The crab meat rangoons are the best I've had, and I eat thai and chinese food quite frequently. I reccommend this place to everyone I know. Their seafood madness with salmon is spectacular.
(5)
Kendrick W.

An absolute gem tucked away on the Northside near Edgewater. Very classy and tastefully decorated, you get a feel for the relaxed vibe of the place as soon as you come in. The Sushi is top notch and at a reasonable price. The appetizers change frequently but are always very very good. I also highly recommend the ginger avocado salad. Of course you can never go wrong with BYOB for the added bonus.
(4)
Jack H.

I absolutely adore this place! Whether dining in or ordering takeout or delivery, Indie is consistently excellent. Their Basil Chicken is one of the best tasting things I have ever had the pleasure of putting in my mouth. For realsies - it is beyond delicious. Pad Thai is another favorite, as well as any of their curries. The sushi is always amazing as well, in fact, I really have never had anything that I wouldn't order again, and I've been ordering from here regularly for the last 5 years or so (sorry it took me so long to write a review!) I can't say enough nice things about this place - keep up the good work!
(5)
Tom W.

Very fine place. The interior design are a good welcome to this special restaurant. The menu says it all: large variety of small Japanese specialties and some more fusion-inspired main dishes. Everything very good and well presented. For sure the sushi is affordable. Fine service -for sure it's a best sushi and Thai place in the neighborhood. Recommended.
(5)
Manal A.

The food was good .. the food presentation was amazing. . Thou the service was not satisfying at all ! I felt like an intruder more than a guest/customer. The servers never smile, and ignore you when you call them .. I loved the food but I wasn't happy with the service. . The restaurant deserve more than 3 stars , but with this unsatisfying service.. 3 stars is the perfect rating...
(3)
Esther K.

I enjoyed Indie for its ambiance and interior. The service was also friendly and fast. I was, however, disappointed by the mediocre food. I had the Sunny Crunchy roll which came with asparagus, and I literally was unable to chew the asparagus through because it was so tough. I took home a Summer Passion Roll and spring rolls for my boyfriend, and again they were just okay. I have several friends in the neighborhood who rave about Indie so I'm going to hope that mine was an unusual experience, but with so many sushi/Thai places to explore I'm not too tempted to return.
(3)
Emily B.

Drink selection: Fantastic. Really unique. Sweetened plum wine? Awesome. The sushi is fantastic. The super white tuna nigiri pieces were pretty substantially sized. They also have a very cute and tidy presentation of the food. Good music, beautiful BEAUTIFUL space. Only giving 4 stars because we told the waiter that we were splitting the check and he ended up giving us one check and stared us down like hawks when we sat there doing the math trying to figure out who owed what, but the guy who brought us our check wasn't our original waiter so he probably didn't know. Otherwise, I would definitely go again!
(4)
Danielle C.

I have been a fan of Indie since it opened. I used to frequent the Thai place in the spot before they took over; the move to Indie was a natural progression. I am still one of their biggest fans. I see the same people working in the restaurant and delivery. That tells me quite a bit about staff treatment, etc. and I like it. Indie has been fully embraced by Edgewater and works to keep the menu fresh. They have NOT let this success go to their heads! The lunch specials are still out of this world. High Quality. Low Price. New Items do appear on the menu- I love the Jade Buddha appetizer. Old favorites are reworked. The spicy Tuna is now SPICY!! The crab ragoon is still the best ever! The Online ordering system takes some cash off your order- LOOK INTO IT!!!
(5)
Alina S.

This place has amazing sushi and Thai! Their variety of sushi rolls is amazing and their Tom Ka soup is the best I've had EVER! I find myself craving it often. It has the perfect mix of lemongrass, coconut, chicken, and veggies. The place is also BYOB which is nice!! They also have great ambience with the most unique art on the walls. It's like eating inside an art gallery. Super cozy! LOVE THIS PLACE!!
(4)
Maria V.

Good but not great. I ordered the Drunken noodles a little crispy and they were good! The Crab Rangoon was disappointing. Miso was good. I've had better Basil Chicken.
(3)
Clara R.

I like this restaurant, nice atmosphere and decoration. The vegetable egg rolls are not recommend beside that the Yakisoba Chicken was good, the fried rice, the gyozas, cucumber salad, sweet potato samosa very fresh and good.
(3)
L S.

Probably one of the best Thai and Japanese restaurants in Chicago. Definitely the best in the north side. The food and the service incredible, the price too. Highly recommended.
(5)
Calin D.

This is an interesting place. I believe it's BYOB - and - they also serve. I had an excellent saki flight - wow. The food is good, and I ordered more than I needed, (as usual), out of sheer curiosity. The service was great. The art is wonderful, the atmosphere is very pleasant. Don't bring your kids, they'll be bored. Do, however, go next door and purchase some amazing wine for your meal.
(4)
Humyra S.

For me service is everything and this place did not deliver. Waitresses were not welcoming at all. Sushi was definitely not worth the price. Overall a pretty bad experience for a group of 5 women.
(2)
Carrypotato W.

This two stars is for the nice interior design. Nice display for the food, But flavor is really not that great. First of all, the miso soup was so salty! I ordered one set of uni, the uni is dark yellow dirty color, and it is warm, that means it is not fresh, the rice is soooo soggy, they use long grain rice for sushi, are you serious? How much water do you put in your rice? And for the godzilla roll, same problem with the rice, the flavor is good but once the rice is bad, it ruins everything. Other dishes are fine, but definitely not a place for sushi. I really don't understand how did this place get 4 stars for over 500 reviews.
(1)
Amy G.

I was looking for a good sushi restaurant to celebrate my one month anniversary with my bf. So I took a chance on this place because of the good yelp reviews and I do not regret it one bit! The place has a nice atmosphere, with dim lighting, and interesting art on the walls. But let's talk about the food! The crab Rangoon are very small but so delicious! I ordered the Godzilla BABA and my bf ordered the Dragon rolls. They were both amazingly delicious! If you're looking fit spicy I'd go with Godzilla BABA. My bf also ordered their pad Thai noodles and they were on point. I would definitely recommend going here. Although I would make a reservation because it was pretty stuffy when we got there. If you don't want to wait for a table you can sit at the bar. We got lucky and got a table just in the nick of time before there was a line. Also it's BYOB! So that's always a plus!
(5)
Yasmin S.

Their sushi is OK. I I also tried their chicken/shrimp egg rolls which were better than the sushi roll we had which was the Godzilla BaBa. The bbq was a bit much in the sushi but it was decent enough for me to finish my portion of it. I wouldn't recommend this sushi roll but I'd definitely like to go back and try others cuz they sounded delicious.
(3)
Nosherwan Y.

Recently remodeled and excellent food and service. It's around the corner from the Thorndale Redline stop. It's a neighborhood favorite so you may want to call ahead and make reservations. The sushi is great, especially the fatty salmon nigiri. I eat a lot of red curry, I've had it at virtually every Thai place on the north side for the last 17 years and this is hands down the best. You will not be disappointed at Indie.
(5)
Emina D.

Sushi is solid, definitely not your cheap kind but also not the greatest I've had. The rest of the menu is appetizing as well and their selection of libations is decent. The ambiance/decor is somewhat strange and borderline creepy. I would not recommended this place for a romantic dinner. Moreso a dinner with a buddy you like, but don't want to date... The service isn't the greatest either. I suppose the owner wanted to compensate for the poor decor by hiring non-English speaking staff that's barely (or, is it?) of legal age for working. All of that said, when you crave some sushi and you're in the neighborhood, you won't regret stopping by here. As long as you don't expect the night cap, ha!
(4)
Ojos D.

Good place. I really liked the atmosphere, its not too bright so nice for a date with your bf/gf. The sushi was good! I had some 'mexican roll' and it was tasty but the size of the roll pieces much bigger than other places but less pieces. Anyways, worth to try and not too expensive! They also have lunch! I will definitely try this place again!
(4)
Ryan V.

They have great food and the BEST mochi ice cream! I particularly love the Panang Curry and the green tea mochi ice cream.
(5)
Jessica G.

I am sad to say that they have fallen far from previously being on my list of favorites. We ordered red curry, paid thai, crab rangoon, and a sushi roll... and it was all bad. The curry was bland and unpleasant. The crab rangoon were gross - just off tasting and bad. The pad thai (so hard to get wrong!) wasn't good. The sushi roll was hard and crunchy (tempura fried to death) and then was set on top of the hot food for delivery so it was warm and gross when it arrived. I can forgive one bad dish, but not 4. Sadly, we will not be ordering from here again. First time I've ever thrown away leftover thai food...
(1)
Sara V.

I always forget just how s-l-oooooooo-w service is here. On my last visit there I witnessed a table near us ask for their bill just after we asked for our drinks and then not get it until well after we'd gotten our drinks (which was at least a 15 minute wait already). After making many trips I think I can safely say that sushi is the way to go. They have some good thai dishes but the sushi is vastly better. And don't go if you're starving or in a rush.
(4)
T T.

Wonderful place--I've eaten there for years and my experience has been positive every time. Highly recommend the Tom Yum fried rice and the crab rangoon. Great date place or gathering for small groups.
(5)
Daniel C.

My favorite Thai and sushi place. Glad they are in my hood.
(4)
Laura L.

I've heard great things and finally got takeout from here. Even thinking about this food makes me think 'gross' and squirm. To start, there was no rice included w my curry order...which is unfortunate bc the only good thing in the order was the panang, but I had nothing to put the sauce on. The sushi roll seaweed was soggy. The sushi rolls were warm, eww. Even the soy sauce tasted foul. They packed my salad in with the hot food so it was like steeped from the hot food in the bag. (Why not put it with the sushi, since that bag was almost empty and sushi was at least warm, not hot?) One of the worst takeouts I've had in Chicago. Disappointing. Oh, and2 sushi rolls, curry and pad Thai was $40! Boooo
(1)
Mike S.

Had the pleasure of dining here tonight! Servers were fantastic! Food was amazing. Always get the best Crab Ragoon in Chicago.
(5)
Nick J.

The menu is great and the sake selection makes you want to come back week after week just to try them all. I recommend the sweet potato and asparagus appetizer followed by the green curry and a red bean and mochi ice cream for dessert.
(5)
Eric S.

Absolutely incredible. Great atmosphere but most importantly great tasting food for a fair price. My only concern is the wait staff. Beautiful girls that attract all the scary creepy old men. I feel sorry for them.
(5)
Ariel S.

Delicious food, lots of nuanced flavors. A little disappointing in the soup department, though -- they make tasty Tom Kha but the portion is quite small for the $5 it costs.
(4)
Ilana C.

We've lived in the neighborhood for about a year and somehow hadn't made it here until now. It's got a good vibe to it. We ordered fresh spring rolls, which were decent but can't compete with Urban Vegan, the vegan salad which was good - the dressing was really good, oranger with mock veg duck, which was good though reminded me a little of BBQ sauce. They offer brown rice (extra $1), which I love. The service is good, but food is definitely very slow. If they had a vegan tom yum soup, I would probably order delivery from them rather than M Kafe. But we will definitely go back for dining in, especially if we have some time to spend. ********* UPDATE FOR VEGANS - their soups can no longer be made vegan and the fish sauce cannot be removed from many dishes. Will not be returning.
(3)
Brittany B.

This is our go-to neighborhood spot for lunch or dinner. It's fun for a date or pickup. Their vegetarian sushi is good, especially the tempura. I also really like the spicy miso soup. The lunch special is a really good deal. Pickup is quick, but eating inside can take a little bit long.
(4)
Jo E.

Nice place and decor, but may be a bit pretentious. The food was mediocre in taste. Pad se ewee (spelling?), who messed that up? The sushi roll names had more creativity than in actual composition. Prices seem higher for what you get. The Lychee Martini and Ginger Martini was delicious. We ordered then with Kettle One vodka instead of the house vodka and it made a difference. Overall, there are better Thai Fussion places to visit with better sense of value and quality for the amount. I would maybe return for the drinks and pretty decor. But then again, who goes to restaurants for the drinks?
(2)
Torque C.

Consistently good. Always a pleasure to eat somewhere, where the staff is really glad you came to dine! They care about the food they are serving too. You can't go wrong here.
(4)
Ben D.

My wife and I enjoy sushi, so we thought we'd give this place a try for being so high-rated. We ordered 4 rolls, none of which we were impressed by. One of the rolls was really fishy - as in, NOT FRESH. Never in my life have I ever needed to spit sushi out. Totally unacceptable. The other 3 rolls were just ok. In my opinion, the sushi was totally over priced for the quality (or lack there of). We had it delivered. It took about an hour and a half - should it really take this long to not cook food?! The driver actually "got lost" - Ten years ago, that would have been an acceptable excuse for late delivery, but today we have access to GOOGLE MAPS, GPS, etc., so there ARE NO EXCUSES. YOUR JOB IS TO DELIVER FOOD IN THE CITY SO GET DIRECTIONS FIRST!!! Don't call ME for directions, that's totally unprofessional and unnecessary. Never again!
(1)
Annalena K.

Went to Indie cafe for the first time last night and loved the place. The atmosphere is wonderful and they have Tsingtao, my favorite Asian beer. I got the chicken pad see ewe and ate the entire thing it was so tasty. The flavor was perfect and it came out piping hot. Can't wait to try getting them delivered and sharing with others!
(5)
Ciel D.

The food is always great; I've never been disappointed. I've been going here for about 2 years and its my favorite sushi place. The only negatives are that (1) it can get crowded on Friday/Saturday nights meaning service is a little slow and you may be seated up against other people and (2) for some reason I've never enjoyed one of their custom martinis, like the fresh ginger martini. They're pretty sweet; if you're into sweet cocktails you'll love it, if you're not, stick with wine.
(5)
Frances A.

My friend and I were starving, so by the time the food came we would've had anything. With that being said, I was pleased and content. I was glad they had Hitachino White. Very few neighborhood places have it in stock, so I was pretty stoked. For apps: I've definitely had much better Fresh Spring Rolls elsewhere. There wasn't anything outstanding about them. I thought the filling was much chewier and not as fresh as I was expecting. As excited as I was about the bacon wrapped scallops, they were definitely subpar. I've had so much better. It was quite unmemorable. The crab rangoon, on the other hand was phenom. Although you can get crab rangoon anywhere, these were so good. Not as creamy and fried as I've had it elsewhere. Not too greasy, quite light, and very enjoyable. We split the chicken pad thai. I like a little more kick in my pad thai personally. When I requested extra limes, we only got two extra slices. There weren't enough nuts in our entree either. I like a heavy flavorful pad thai - ours was a little simpler, nothing extraordinary. The mango cheesecake was a great end. Such a simple taste. Normally I go towards tempura ice cream or mango sticky rice, but this was perfect. Not as sweet as I normally go, which was perfectly fine. I could've done without the whipped cream, but otherwise... perfect way to finish.
(3)
Arianna P.

I was't sure if we should eat there at first, but the minute I walked in - i felt in love with this place!!! I like there design, so cute and comfy. Waitresses are super nice and polite. Great customer service! Prices are average - pretty much the same as in the city. Food is coming out fast, fresh and really good! Wonton soup was literally the best soup I ever tasted, and sushi are great and affordable. Definitely coming back and bringing my friends to check it out.
(5)
Geoff M.

Both the Japanese and Thai cuisine are great! Presentation is Great. Service is solid and friendly. I would recommend
(4)
Rahshonda K.

I have constantly passed by this place and figured this would be a great place to take my mom since she LOVES Thai food. We decided to go on a day where I was sitting for a friend so we had a jogging stroller. I cant be the only one to come to a restaurant especially this one in particular with a stroller. The guy came out who I am assuming is the owner looking disgusted that we didnt want take out we wanted to actually sit down...HMMMMMM!!!! My mom ordered the Panang Curry with Tofu and I ordered the Chicken Basil Fried Rice...YUMMY!!!!!! Thai Iced Tea so delish and they added lemon to it which made it even extra yummy!!! I loved the atmosphere! Cute place for a date night!!!!
(4)
Debra L.

What a nice surprise! Several months ago I ordered take-out from Indie Thai. I don't even remember what I ordered because it wasn't memorable. It was some noodle thing. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't outstanding either. Fast forward to the present. I met up with a friend from the neighborhood and he suggested we have lunch here. The place is currently remodeling one section of the dining room. The dÃ©cor is already pretty cool so I'm looking forward to see what they come up with. I love the Asian art. Now for the food. We started with sweet potato samosas. They're small and come five on a plate. They were colorful and tasty. I ordered the vegan salad for lunch. Seriously, try this salad. It's so far beyond salad as usual. The salad comes topped with stuffed tofu. I wondered, how do you stuff tofu? Oh, they do! The tofu is pressed, browned and formed to make a little pocket. (Think pita!) Then it's stuffed with sticky, white rice. The salad had a very generous amount of asparagus and the ginger dressing was light and flavorful. The salad was delicious and filling. My friend ordered basil chicken. He raved about it and cleaned his plate. The servers were efficient and attentive and kept my cup of ginger tea full at all times. I'm impressed!
(4)
Jillian D.

I also live in Rogers Park and enjoy the handful of Thai restaurants around, but I love that Indie Cafe offers both Thai and sushi. As a vegetarian who doesn't eat fish, I enjoy the veggie tempura/maki, very fresh as another reviewer said. It was the first time my boyfriend tried tempura and he loved it. The miso soup is delicious. We've come here for a couple date nights as they have a nice drink/beer menu too.
(4)
Mariella A.

I love this place. The service is alright. They get very busy and sometimes the food takes long, but other than that, this place is great. The Chicken Pad Thai is one of the best I've had, so is their miso soup. The sushi is fresh and of decent proportions. I highly recommend this restaurant.
(5)
Gaurav B.

Good Ambience .. excellent food ... good prices ... Loved the veggie sushi especially the mango avocado one .... and the sweet potato tempura sushi ... yummmm
(5)
Jaci Y.

I read about some great reviews on this restaurant, so thought I'd check it out with some friends. The atmosphere was Hippester like, very contemporary. Food took a long time to come to our table, our waitress was very sweet. When the food did come-out I thought it wasn't bad. However, the portions were small, and the sushi although, presented very well, wasn't outstanding to us. We had the Pad See Ew with beef, panang currie with Chicken, one spider roll, and one Chicago roll. The food wasn't bad but it could've been better in my opinion. It is not a place I would brag about to my friends, however I wouldn't cross if off my list as a hot spot to dine out and have a good time. I did like their Thai Ice Tea. I felt their prices were about right.
(3)
Erin E.

i say goddamn! when it comes to sushi rolls, indie does 'em all the best. philly, dragon, spider, etc., etc., etc. yum, yum, yum. i have a hard time not getting sushi when we go here. but i love it when my friends order thai cuz then i get to sample it. :) and lo and behold, indie makes my favorite sushi AND my favorite thai. in all the land. just a few days after our delightful, relaxed, family-style nye dinner (which included an abundance of appetizers, wine, sushi, thai, AND desserts, all for the low-low price of $35 pp), i was having some serious cravings. give me an exact repeat of that entire meal, please. i can now add the following to the list of the best things i have ever eaten: chicken satay basil chicken drunken noodles panang curry dragon ball z dessert (battered & fried ball of green tea ice cream with raspberry stuff drizzled on top) and of course we had the usual crab rangoon and variety of sushi rolls, which were as succulent as ever. swoon.
(5)
Fufu S.

Just ordered from them for the first time off of grub hub. they delivered on time. The price is appropriate. I got delivery done since I am extremely sick with the flu and thought the tom yum soup would do me good. Food review 1. Tom yum soup: Tasted mildly sweet to me...but I am sick so that may have altered my taste 2. Panang curry with chicken: mediocre, a little soupy. 3. Basil chicken: Probably the best I have had. It was a little salty for me but again I will blame my taste buds for it. 4. Crab rangoon (for free): kind of salty actually and this is not a taste bud issue. 5. Steamed rice: extremely dry, almost felt like it was a day old or something. super disappointed with that. Overall Best basil chicken I have had. Mediocre tom yum and panang curry Won't get crab rangoon again Steamed rice was gross. Portions are smaller than other places If I go back it will be for the basil chicken only....
(3)
Sharee M.

Crab Fried Rice....YUM, YUM, YUM! Ive been passing this place for week on my walk home and I finally got a chance to go. I went to Indie twice this week for their crab fried rice. It was sooo good. I really love it and never had it before. Why? Not sure, but it was a pairing that was so tasty, I am not sure I am going to be able to have fried rice any other way. YUM! I went ot Indie on Thursday night for their Jazz showing, which was cool. It lasted until 10pm, so about 3 sets. I loved it. The place was packed and even though I was by myself, I felt a little a cramped by the spaces in the front room. I love the atmosphere and the service was timely. Same for the second visit on Sunday. Less crowd but with a second person, the space was cramped. I love the details of this place. The menu is so cute and the pictures of dishes inside was so helpful. I also love the the chop sticks. The boy got the curry, which he liked, said it was ok. The Crab Rangoons were ok. Small, but yummy with sweet and sour sauce. They were served 'cute'. I did not like the chi custard at all. The taste was not that great. maybe if the raspberry sauce was on top or something, I would have enjoyed it. I did get the mango cheesecake on the second try, which was ok. I did not think I will order dessert again from here. Summary: I will come back to Indie, esp when they have jazz. I will order the Crab fried rice (my fav). I like taking people here due to its location and vibe. Overall, cool place.
(4)
Sam L.

It's my favorite Thai place in Chicago and I LOVE Thai food:) They're really good about modified orders including vegan and mild requests even though the waiting staff can have a bit of an attitude, some nights. It's literally about 50 cents more expensive than other Thai places but the gigantic portion size, incredible menu, plus AMAZING flavor are well worth it. Two noteworthy tips: anything described as spicy is HELLA spicy though too delicious to stop eating no matter how much it hurts. Secondly, the fine print on the menu mentions if you spend over $20 or $25 you get freebie appetizer~they won't mention it on the phone when you order but it's a great deal and their sushi's excellent, too, if you need something to reach that total! Mmmm, they're also very thoughtful in how they package takeout soup and curry...why do we eat anything else, really?!
(5)
Kyle H.

My first time at Indie Cafe won't be my last. It took all my curry courage not to order one of the Thai Curry specials, because I do love a good curry, and Indie Cafe's looked amazing on paper. But a friend and I were on a sushi/maki Mission from God, and I'm that happy we were. While Indie used to be BYOB, now they offer a nice variety of wines, a few beers (Sapporo, please!), and mixed drinks. Start with the crab rangoon, because it's the best ever. Presentation at Indie is a strong point, and the crab rangoon is done in what looks like little money bag pouches, and you can taste the excellent crab. Heavenly. I ordered the special Je T'aime Maki rolls with blue crab, avocado, crispy seaweed, and many other things. While it was very fresh and tasty, it was overshadowed by the Godzilla Baba, a complex maki with excellent colorful, sexy, presentation. It was amazing, and it's fun to say! Indie Cafe really has something for everyone with curries, rice dishes, sushi, maki, noodes and fried rice, and unique seafood specials. The atmosphere is nice but relaxed, and service attentive.
(5)
Tammy N.

Needed to kill some time so I wandered into Indie Cafe. Had a fabulous experience.....wasn't overly crowded so I received incredible, friendly service. The paintings and overall decor is incredibly cool....whimsical, weird, entertaining, modren pop art-ish are words that come to mind, none of them completely accurate. Awesome place. Had the Drunken Noodle - enjoyed every bite. Lunch specials look fabulous and reasonably priced...hopefully I will find myself in the neighborhood before 3pm one day soon. Did I mention they have a beautiful cocktail menu too?
(4)
Ally C.

Sat down for drinks and appetizers once, typically, I order out! Speedy, efficient service. FanTAStic food: many options, generous portions, & free extras when you order more. Always comes in half the time. The mango sticky rice is particularly phenomenal - treat yourself!
(5)
Nicole O.

Not my favorite place, weird decor and the dish I got was just mediocre. Not very lively restaurant, the staff was just kind of watching us eat and listening to our conversation. Wouldn't come back to Indie.
(2)
Gabby J.

Everything was fresh and delicious! This is a must have in Chicago. Thai traditional curries and amazing appetizers. Crab Ragoon is devine. Really good service and nice atmosphere.
(5)
Jessica W.

This place is great. I found it thanks to yelp, so here I am, giving back. I've ordered both for delivery and dined in. Delivery was the best I've had, but not wonderful. I guess you just can't expect delivered sushi to be excellent. The sit down experience, however, was wonderful. The place is beautiful inside.. So unexpected. It's got a great vibe, and for me, that's half the experience. The food is the best thai I've found in Chicago. I had the Pad Thai, my partner had the Pad See Ew (we were feeling unadventurous). They were both quite good. Good quality beef, which is important when it's in a dish like those. I'm pregnant, so I can't eat beansprouts and I told the server that.. and of course, it came out with beansprouts mixed into it. I told them and they made me a fresh batch quickly. But every thai restaurant I've been to since being pregnant has made that mistake. Service was just okay even besides that incident... It seemed like we had 3 servers throughout the night. But again, I haven't been to a Thai place with good service, so I'll let it slide. Overall, it was a great experience. The crab rangoons were amazing. As was the seaweed salad. And the vibe was wonderful. We were on our way to go back again a few weeks ago and stopped at another place along the way instead. Bad decision. Indie cafe is 10x what that place was.
(5)
Jelena Z.

Anytime I encounter an Asian restaurant dabbling in Japanese and Thai, I'm suspicious. I think, there's no way it can all be done right. But all those glowing reviews, from trusted friends no less? Let's take a chance, baby! A girl friend and I perused the menu before calling in an order for takeout. Between the curries, noodle dishes, maki, fried rice, spring rolls, fried tofu and much more, there's really something to please every palate, every craving. We went with an order of cashew chicken, Pad Thai and a spicy tuna roll. We were quoted a 15-minute wait and when we arrived, our food was professionally packaged (who likes drippy sauces all over your order?). And, some extra fortune cookies were doled out upon request, with a smile. So, the food - simply wonderful! I'd rate the Pad Thai as an A-, the cashew chicken as a B and the spicy tuna roll as a B+. Solid eatin' all around, and for super reasonable prices. $5 for a fresh spicy tuna roll? I believe they're more expensive (and much less edible) at Jewel. I should mention that I'm extremely picky when it comes to Pad Thai and Indie's finally quelled my craving for the good stuff. Yay!
(4)
Margot F.

Very good food. The blue crab fried rice and drunken noodles are amazing. The staff is very friendly too, if a little slow....the amazing food makes up for it.
(4)
Courtney C.

I love Indie Cafe! It is a treasure in the area and the maki is always phenomenal at a pretty good price. My favorite is the Sunny Crunchy! Mm! Would recommend stopping by if you've never managed to, it's too delicious to pass up and well priced!
(5)
Aaron S.

Yesterday I ordered Indie Cafe when it was a cold Wednesday and I had to work late and they responded pretty ably to my interest in a delivery of some kind of reasonably priced stir-fried vegetables and chicken with rice dish. The sauce my veggie delight with chicken was cooked in wasn't overpowering and the chicken did NOT taste bad! Let's see ... yep! That's basically all of the checkboxes, right there! Also, the food was still pretty hot when it came and I did not have to put it in the microwave. I can't really overstate how important this is to me. Uh, I'm going to be eating it lukewarm the next day - I'd really prefer to have it hot the first time, thanks! I actually APPRECIATED the fact that delivery took an hour - take as long as you like, as long as the food is hot when it gets here, please!
(4)
Ebs B.

Okay, so I'm giving this place 4 stars because of a few things. 1. The atmosphere is very relaxing and still classy in a down-to-earth way 2. There are many different sushi rolls to choose from 3. They offer Thai food and great Thai crab rangoon 4. It's inexpensive All of these were reasons I enjoyed this place. The caterpillar roll, which had slices of avocado covering the roll was delicious (although if you don't like eel, I'm sure you could ask for something else). I do agree with another reviewer that this is not the place to go if you want extremely fresh raw sushi, but nonetheless I adore this place. Granted, maybe I liked this place because my expectations were so low before going in and it really took me by surprise. All in all, I'm sure I'l be back, if at least to try the Thai :)
(4)
Rosanna L.

I recently went here for my cousin's birthday and we were in the thoughts that it was an Indian, Thai, and Sushi restaurant, but it was only Thai and Sushi. There were three of us and we ordered crab ragoon and salmon and spinach wrapped in crispy wontons. They were both flavorful and the salmon and spinach was definitely something different. We each ordered 1 Thai dish (Drunken Noodles, Red Curry w/ crispy noodles, and Basil Chiken) and 1 sushi maki (sunny crunchy, fried komodo, and shrimp tempura). The Thai dishes are yummy, but the Drunken Noodles portion was very small. The Red Curry had great flavor and went well with the noodles. The Sunny Crunchy and Shrimp Tempura Maki were delicious, but the Fried Komodo was okay. My cousin had ordered a Thai Ice Tea and it wasn't sweet so she asked for some sweetener (thinking she would get condensed milk), but instead the waitress was confused as to what to do and asked if my cousin wanted packed sugar instead. Really? The service was okay. The atmosphere was awesome but kind of tight. Definitely will work for a romantic date or just with a group of girlfriends!
(4)
Erin B.

Yum, yum and more yum. I loved everything about this place. All the food, service, decor was fabulous. It would be great for a date but they were also super nice about my toddler age son. The presentation counts I will be back!
(5)
Davy W.

I've been to Indie quite a few times, and it's always been in my mind the "fancy" place to get Thai food. Decor, presentation - it's a cool place, and I've always liked going. The food is great. The food is fantastic. The food is wonderful. The service blows. Every time I go back, there's a little less friendliness, a lot longer wait for things. Today we were the second table to arrive on a Sunday afternoon, and it took ages for the server to come by to say hello. So long, in fact, that we were able to rattle off our order for appetizers, drinks and entrees because we had been reading the entire menu for so long. And I was there with two people who had never been there before - it's not like we were ordering the same thing we always did. We didn't see the server again until our food came out. At the end of the meal, when we were ordering dessert, my mother ordered a cup of hot coffee to go with it. For whatever reason, that delayed dessert an entire half hour. As well, when we finally received the coffee, the mug was only half-full. I guess they make tiny cups of coffee, one at a time - why would you put it into a full-size mug? The server brought the check, and my mother asked for another cup of coffee. The server paused, tutted, and went to change the final bill to charge us for the second cup of coffee, and 20 minutes later brought another half-cup of coffee. So glad we didn't need to be anywhere. To sum up: You have to try the food from Indie. It really is great. Just get it take-out.
(3)
Beth R.

So, I have this reputation for being a little bit set in my ways when it comes to food. And I have this friend who's a vegetarian. And this other friend who loves us in spite of our dietary restrictions. We like to eat together. Guess where we all just had an excellent time? We started with two orders of gomae-ae, which always strikes me as a combination I would have never created, though spinach and peanut sauce are delightful on their own. They are also delightful together, as it turns out. We scanned the sushi options (a mere part of the large pan-Asian menu) but couldn't come to a consensus, so we skipped it. However, there are several rolls I want to try in round 2. Everyone chose Thai dishes: mixed vegetables with an especially flavorful broth for moi. The Adventurous One (as opposed to The Picky One and The Vegetarian One) had the foresight to ask about the level of heat in the drunken noodles. The waitress said that for her, it was mild. The Adventurous One said that sounded fine. Fast forward. It wasn't mild and it wasn't fine. My friend politely explained that it was too spicy to eat, and asked for milder replacement, saying she would pay for both. The waitress was very accommodating and brought the new version in a matter of minutes, which was just right. We returned to our plates and conversation, periodically noticing the music (a lounge version of Radiohead's "Creep" and a remake of "Fur Elise" among others). The dining room was busy and carryout seems to be a strong draw as well. We were pretty sure the man siting next to us by himself was amused by our girl talk, but we were really enjoying ourselves so it didn't matter. Oh, did I mention it's BYOB? Finally, the bill came and our waitress had only charged for one of The Adventurous One's drunken noodles. This is one way to promote return visits, sure, but the food itself and overall attentiveness would have earned those anyway. I'm very glad to have made this acquaintance and will be back.
(4)
Ehow C.

I went here with a friend who was a bit hesitant going to a fusion restaurant, since we both have access to a plethora of quality sushi and Thai joints. The restaurant is nicely laid out with some intriguing art, a perfect place to take a date. On the same note, the place leans toward the pricey end, so don't expect cheap eats here. We shared a Monte Carlo dish, which was pretty fantastic looking, and about equal tasting. My friend ordered additional regular maki rolls which met with approval, and I ordered the spicy seawood udon dish, which really hit the spot. I'm not giving it a perfect five only because the sum of its two cuisines is not greater than them separated. The prices also pushes it closer to a 4, but it's certainly not the deciding factor.
(4)
Ana S.

Had a game changer for our pre-Valentine's Day dinner and had to be lunch instead due to my husband being called into work for dinnertime. Was originally planning to go to Vines on Clark but instead sticked around our hood instead. As we trudged our way to Broadway Cellars we came upon Indie Cafe and quickly changed our minds and stopped our trek here. I really wanted Pad Thai so we had it with the chicken-yum! The portion was actually huge which I didn't expect. Plans didn't go as they were supposed to but thank God my neighborhood also has options as well. Go Edgewater!
(4)
David R.

I recently attended a birthday dinner in a party of six at Indie Cafe, and the main thing that struck me was the fantastic service--from the man on the phone who took my reservation, to the host that evening, to the waitress and the bus staff. They were all pleasant, patient, efficient, and helpful. The food is still pretty good, too. I finally tried some sushi: the Bangkok roll is very good, but the Las Vegas fell a little flat. The pieces are cut too large, and the rice was a bit sticky, making for a mushy, cumbersome mouthful. I also had the Bkk Street Scallops appetizer and a seaweed salad--both very good but not quite great. I snagged several bites of the birthday girl's Veggie Delight, a simple but very tasty and satisfying dish. Based on service alone, I would consider this a strong contender for another group dinner. Next time I am going to try the drunken udon and a couple different maki.
(4)
Len L.

Thai and Sushi, who would have thought that this combination would work. I'm a believer and licking my chops for more. There are two rooms for dining, the gray room which is brightly lit and where the sushi-bar lives. I prefer the red room, which the light is dimmed for more of a romantic feel for dining. We ordered a few Indie specialty maki rolls. Out of the three, I loved the Volcano maki. Yum! The roll was made to perfection, all the flavors melted in my mouth and exploded with love. Yum, again! The second course was Thai Hawaiian Duck curry, it came in a large platter, the duck breast was infused in the curry and was spectacular. Don't worry if you forgot to bring drinks to dinner, Jewel is next door and Indie welcomes B.Y.O.B with no corkage fee. There are plenty of free parking on the side streets and metered parking on Broadway. I would recommend making reservations, this place fills up fast.
(5)
Anne W.

This is my local Thai/sushi spot. I went a few years ago and the sushi rolls weren't really tight enough for me, they actually fell apart. But that could've just been an off night. I have had the Thai offerings and they are delicious. Would recommend this place for sure.
(4)
Jenny L.

loved this place before. Used to go here often, great decor n good sushi. Last night when we visited. Service was just horrible........extremely disappointed. We were directed to our seats, then took atleast 15 minutes to place our order. Another 20-30 min for the appetizer. finally came our sushi. Had to ask the server for water refills. Once finished dinner, awaited for awhile for the check. Had to ask three different people for our check. That's just ridiculous. Not only I was so upset due to lack of service. Ended up being late for our movie :-( Will be long before I would go back there again. Service is getting terrible.
(2)
Rhonda G.

Dear Genie, I need a place that will let me bring in my own booze, allow me to be seated quickly without a reservation on a saturday night, cost less than $25 a person, have something for the sushi lover and the thai lover, must have many options and great flavors, oh and it must be less than 5 minutes from the el. ::rubbing my magic lamp:: *POOF* Indie Cafe. Thanks Genie!
(4)
E P.

I walked by here a couple times not realizing how nice it was inside, on a recent vacation in the Edgewater neighborhood. On my last day, my host suggested it as a place for lunch and I was glad he did. I won't say its the best I've ever had - but it was tasty sushi with a beautiful presentation. I splurged on a couple fancier rolls, and one rainbow roll - and that was actually the best of all that I tried. I liked the decor and would return if I am ever in the area again.
(4)
Drew M.

Their Signature Curry Dish with tofu was unbelievably good, as well as their crab Rangoon. The sushi was really really great. Wine menu was nice and the environment was cool. One of my favorite places to eat in Chicago.
(5)
From A To Z.

Wonderful! I had an amazing lamb curry special once. Delievery and dining in has never disappointed. My only complaints are that it does get crowded on the weekend, so stop by on a Monday night if you prefer a more intimate dining experience. Also, don't come in close to closing time- the servers WILL rush you out by dropping your check mid-entree. This is something that would normally really set me off, but I happen to love the place enough to ignore the one-time occurence. I'd give them five stars, aside from these two complaints!
(4)
Emily O.

I used to love indie cafe, I went there for dinner Monday April 22nd and had a horrible experience. problems: - fried calamari appetizer this used to be the #1 reason I visited indie cafe, the dish was amazing, consistent and the most tender & flavorful fried calamari I have had. last night the fried calamari was rubbery, greasy, and had zero flavor. It tasted and felt like something from a shady greasy spoon. - service The server was new, but I do not think she was at fault in the order items came out. We ordered an appetizer and I clearly ordered a plate of sushi for my meal, and then another dish. The appetizer and the sushi came out at the same time. The meal on the other hand came out 10-20 minutes after I finished my sushi plate, leaving me to watch my companion eat his meal. The sushi tasted fine but it was getting gross because I was trying to wait to eat it. - non-sushi Oh boy, the non-sushi dish. The person with me ordered a fairly generic orange chicken but that is usual for him. We waited an extremely long time for this dish to come out, on top of that the tables around us were all also getting impatient with how long the dishes were taking to cook. In addition to the long wait the dish was terrible. He has had it there before and I almost always sample a taste of the dish. Previously it's always been too sweet for me but the flavor is ok. Today the sauce tasted like something out of a can. It was very very bad. I would have taken panda express over this. On top of it all I went home feeling sick and ended up throwing up my meal the next morning. Not sure if it was from the food or something else, but I felt fine as soon as it was out of me. So terribly disappointed because I used to love going here :( I would normally give a restaurant with one bad visit a break if I enjoy it, but this was just so bad I will not be returning.
(1)
A.J. M.

Very fresh, nice service, quaint place overall. We got the caterpillar roll and I think the White Scorpion. Those were the specialty rolls we chose and I thought they were delicious. The shrimp tempura roll was surprisingly flavorful and I'd reccomend that for a basic roll at Indie Cafe. I'm looking forward to coming back some time, but I think I want to try their Thai food as well...
(4)
B K.

Beautiful. Really beautiful presentations of Thai and sushi. Four of us did a lot of plate sharing, so we got a lot of sampling done. Some very creative menu items, including novel cocktails with Asian influences. (I notice a lot of reviews describe this place as BYOB, which must be old news.) The room itself is not beautiful, the outdoor seating is unattractive, and some of the artwork on the walls is interesting-but-creepy, but I wouldn't take away the fifth star for that, because the food (reasonably-priced, BTW) is, well, beautiful.
(5)
Dalissa B.

Really great Thai food and the ambiance is nice for a dinner with friends or a date. Prefer the Thai food here over the sushi.
(4)
Chef V.

My first visit to Indie was my first restaurant experience in Chicago. I visited Indie the first night I made it to Chicago, took a car ride from Detroit, picked up a date, and found my way through the crazy and amazing city, and I have to say it was a great introduction and dining experience, much to do because of my date, but the food was impeccable as well, and the combination led into what turned out to be an amazing beginning of my trip. I love Sushi, my favorite cuisine, my next favorite is Thai, and when I researched restaurants for my stay, this one read well to my appetite, and usually when I visit a new sushi joint, I always just order their specialty rolls. Well Indie did not let me down. Very tasty! From the impeccable service, to the cleanliness, and of the decadent art displays, the food presentations were displayed as art as well, and I must say, the rolls tasted as good as they looked, and no soy sauce was needed. The only aspect that surprised me was when I ordered sake, I asked for a recommendation, and the waitress recommended the house sake. I was on an obvious date with a girl, and I thought the waitress would have gone for the up-sell, but no... even when I asked how the more expensive bottle was, she still favored the house, which was about the cheapest. Much appreciation towards her for that, as the house was just perfect. It was my dates first time with sake, and she enjoyed it. Overall I give it 4 stars, but likely on my next visit I'll try more or their Thai dishes to have a better opinion on the overall concept of the restaurant. But I do highly recommend it to anyone, and I will be back. Salut!
(4)
Melanie S.

I love Indie Cafe and Sushi. It's the ideal place for a date, dinner with a friend, or a large group. The menu is huge, with several sushi options, Japanese cuisine, and Thai dishes. I have a hard time deciding, so I usually end up ordering a little bit of everything: a couple of pieces of sushi or maki, an appetizer, and then a Thai dish for my entree. Everything is well prepared, presented artfully, and prices are more than fair. Street parking is pretty easy too. And don't miss the weekend lunch specials. One of the best bargains in the city.
(4)
Emily H.

Love love love. They have interesting veggie sushi, which is rare in my experience. I used to get excited and think it was exotic when a restaurant had an asparagus roll. Now, I look at those menus disdainfully while thinking about Indie's mango-avocado-cucumber roll and the veggie tempura roll. I order the same thing every time (mango-avo-q roll and v-tempura) and it's delicious. Service is iffy - sometimes it's great, sometimes it's slow. But the sushi is so good that I don't complain.
(5)
Alex B.

I lived just about around the corner when this became a local dining staple for me. I've since moved a bit farther away, but still love it. Great for lunch or early dinner. Just ordered delivery through Grubhub and got a free gyoza with my order. The food came 30 minutes before the estimated arrival time and the guy was super nice. Well, the gyoza wasn't in there so I called and they sent it back out to me right away. The same guy came to the door and he wouldn't even take a tip for his extra hassle! How sweet of him. So, solid food and prompt service. I can't account for when they get busy, but they've always been good to me. Glad to have them in the neighborhood.
(5)
Gyuzel G.

Indie is usually our favorite spot in the neighborhood as the food is pretty good. The service though... Last night me and 4 of my friends went there to have valentines dinner. 3 of us were seated at 7.20ish and placed an order closer to 8. The waitress made us aware that it would take about 30 minutes to get our food, which was understandable as they were busy. 2 of our friends joined us later and placed their order for an entrÃ©e. The entrÃ©e arrived in about 20 minutes. We thought since we ordered rolls it would take a little longer for our food. We started asking other employers (because the waitress was pretending she doesnt see us) about the status of our food at about 9 pm. Both tables on our sides changed the party twice since we we seated. One of them had a roll order so it was strange that someone who got here an hour after us got their roll order. We received the smallest roll (Boston) closer to 10 pm. The restaurant was half empty by that time. Other rolls came later with 10-15 minutes interval. It felt like they completely forgot about us. Our waitress never once checked on us! We ordered a bottle of champagne and when it was finished it stayed empty on the table until we left. My friends wanted to order another bottle, but decided not to bother. With all the respect and understanding, there is no way you should wait 3 hours for your food! At least make an attempt to apologize for the wait, don't completely ignore your customer. We felt like we were bothering her when trying to get some attention. At the end, when credit cards were run, the waitress brought us samples of mochi ice cream and that was the reason for minimum tip. 2 stars for the food and negative 10 for awful service.
(2)
Ayako M.

Dear Indie, I didn't know how awesome you really were until I left Edgwater for West Town. After trying other Thai spots I realized how delicious you really were and how lucky I was to have you within walking distance. I took you for granted. I never even reviewed you for over three years! I want you to know that I miss you and you will always be the Crazy Basil Fried Rice that I use to judge all others. Yours forever, xoxo
(5)
Dennis J.

Went here with a large group for a friend's birthday and was pleasantly surprised. The food was all tasty and well-prepared. The service was decent. They also provided a nice dessert for the 'birthday boy.' Still looking for an amazing Thai experience, but this one was solid.
(3)
Jeanette S.

The sushi was good, but it is hard to mess up sushi! What really stood out to me was the presentation. There was a lot of creativity in plating the sushi (a hodge podge of various sushi with delicious sauces). Its a nice date spot (i went there for a first date) too. And a cozy, sleek atmosphere.
(3)
Adam E.

My favorite place! I usually order for devilery. But when I do go there I have good customer service. It is a small intimate, tastefully decorated, cozy restaurant. I live two blocks south so it is very convenient. I AM ADDICTED TO THE CURRIES. lol.
(5)
Frank C.

The crab Rangoon and spicy drunken noodles are amazing. Would have given 5 but sushi is only very good vs amazing. Will definitely be back!
(4)
Patricia L.

Food = 5 stars; Service = "meh" Ever since I was introduced to Agedashi Tofu, I can't help but order it everywhere I go now. And I must say, this is, hands down, the best one I've had so far. Outer thin layer of light and crisp golden flakes of bliss embracing the tofu and dipped in just the right amount of sauce? STOP IT. I couldn't help myself with that one. I almost forgot to share it with my date-for-the-evening. 1 for you...5 for me. I thoroughly enjoyed the New York City Maki as well like how Sound of Music's Maria enjoys "raindrops on roses." Like no joke. It was the combination of 3 of my favorite things: eel, avocado...and that's right, cream cheese. I liked the options between Maki, City Maki and their Special Makis. Tried the Shrimp Tempura as well but wasn't much of a fan... it was kind of bland for my taste. I shall return! Literally. Cheers to the freakin' weekend, I'll cheers to INDIE. P.S. Minus just one star because service was kind of slow. Not so slow where I wouldn't return though. And ambiance was pretty intimate. And..AND...BYOB?! Sold. You ain't gotta ask me twice!
(4)
Cassie M.

Their Bay Beach fried rice is divine, as is everything else I have tried here. My roommate could live off of their red curry. Everyone is friendly, the food is quick (without being too quick... I like to know it's being made to order haha), & it's located conveniently off the Red line. Seating is a tad uncomfortable, the AC is a little too cold, even in this heat... & it is definitely a yuppie/hipster type place. But the food is worth it!
(4)
Pam D.

We stopped here for an early dinner last week with a friend. I had sushi, while Chris and our friend had Thai food. I got to taste quite a variety of dishes and everything was fresh and really good. We all loved the sweet potato tempura maki. I have had sweet potato maki rolls before, but this was so good because it was tempura and so freshly prepared. I also had a chance to taste the red curry with tofu and the beef Pad Thai. Both were very good. The sushi combo I had was really fresh and everything was nicely plated. We went fairly early, but it looks like it could get crazy crowded. It has that "trendy" look to it .... not pretty, but cool. I look forward to my next visit to try more items. I'll go early though because I am allergic to crowds.
(4)
Amy J.

I have been going here since it first opened. In the beginning it was a dream! Great prices, attentive service, beautiful presentation, and wonderful flavors! After their expansion, the food & service went down while the prices went up. They put some ugly, "hip" (scary) art on the walls, redo the menus every now and then, serve liquor, and think they can bs everything else. Whhhhhhy?! It's like that innocent girl who went to Hollywood to be a star and now she's hookin' for $10. Will she ever get that innocence back? I still love you Indie Salad.
(3)
Stephanie L.

Ok, so I used to go here all of the time about 4 years ago when it first opened. I went back with some friends for some sushi and BYOB! Sushi-4.5 stars....AMAZING, loved it and totally reasonable in price. Cant beat it. Service-2....OMG this place was barely busy, but we had to ask several times for our apps, more water, ice, etc, etc, etc....it was quite annoying. I could understand if it was packed but it wasnt. Also, we werent being excessively high maintenance. BYOB-4.5, its always good when you can bring your own booze, especially when you plan on drinking to forget! Overall, I would say 3.5 stars...however yelp doesnt believe in halves so I am being stingy today. If you can deal with the horrible service, this truly is a great sushi/thai restaurant.
(3)
Alexandra F.

Best sushi place I've been to in Chicago. Prices are great. Never very busy, never had to wait to get a table. Food and service is always great. And they serve Mighty Leaf tea!
(5)
Sandy D.

This is my go-to neighborhood Thai joint. The indie signature curry (with pot beef, as recommended) is excellent, as is the crab Rangoon. The handful of other noodle dishes I've tried are tasty enough, but I always go back to the curry. I also recall the sushi being pretty good, although I've only had it once. Delivery and service are slow, and the prices are slightly higher than other Thai restaurants in the city, but the food is more than slightly better, so it feels worth it. Very cool vibe if you dine-in.
(4)
Brett M.

Over the past few years we've ordered from Indie Cafe a number of times without complaint, usually on week nights and via Grubhub. Tonight was a Saturday and the AWFUL quality of the food means we won't ever order from them again. the sushi roll we ordered, which on the menu claimed to be blue crab, tasted fishy, disgusting, and had shells in it. Inedible. Had to be thrown out. grubhub promptly refunded us the cost of the roll. When we tucked into our usually good Pad See Eiw, it tasted like it had been doused in MSG, which we'd never ever detected before. To know that quality suffers so much on a Saturday means a restaurant isn't able to ensure that each dish is properly prepared and makes me confident we can find a place that delivers more consistent results for our money. Also delivery took almost 90 min tonight. Shameful.
(1)
Lynda L.

I work steps away from Indie and it's always my first choice for lunch! I love the spring rolls, crab rangoon, miso soup, fried rice, seaweed salad... The Santa Fe roll is my favorite of the less expensive sushi items. The lunch specials are great and reasonably priced. The staff is wonderful and sweet. They remember me by name and there's never a wait. I have yet to actually dine-in yet, but I'm looking forward to sipping drinks and eating some of my favorite food among the fabulous artwork and relaxed atmosphere of the place. Love it!
(5)
M L.

Oh...my...god... I'm leaving Chicago in a few months, so I'm trying to enjoy as much of it as I can before the Big Move. I came here today for the first time with a group and am kicking myself for not finding this place sooner. The tempura sweet potato sushi is just to die for. The avocado was nice and fresh, too, which always makes me happy, because I've had some narsty avocado sushi, yo. But this is great and I'll definitely be back.
(5)
Rachel H.

The boyfriend and I had reservations downtown for sushi on Valentine's day and traffic was no joke. Instead we decided to do a walk-in at Indie Cafe (I saw the reviews on my phone and gave it a shot). Luckily, we were seated right away without a reservation. Although, the service was extremely slow. Wouldn't they have more servers on one of the busiest days of the year for restaurants? NOTE: We ordered from the sushi portion of the menu (this review is solely based on their sushi, not the thai food). I was pretty disappointed. The rolls had way too much rice, and the sushi was pretty fishy. It wasn't fresh. We ended up spending 100+ which included a bottle of wine. We were left unsatisfied. The only thing we enjoyed was the crab rangoon. 2 stars just for that.
(2)
Niya K.

I really liked this place before. It was my weekly staple but the last six months something has been wonky. I think it coincided with me seeing that the young man who walks around Loyola's Campus with no shoes on works there. And he give this place a bad vibe. Anytime I have an interaction with him I knock a star off this place. If you've seen the sole's of his feet you'd feel the same about him being any where near your food. First experience with him I ordered before I left work but the red line was having issues so when I got there I had been on a train for an extended amount of time after a long day. He told me "I looked bad" WHO SAYS THIS TO A PAYING CUSTOMER. And when I told him that was not appropriate he went in for an arm pat. ::side eye:: Boy I do not know you, and from what I do know, says do not touch me. I snatched my food and left. I stopped ordering for a while but went back because the food is usually good. I ordered on a Wednesday night and waited TWO HOURS for my food. When I called an hour in I could tell they had misplaced my order because a manager got on the phone to apologize but didn't admit their error. I'm assuming my food got lost because when it arrived it was cold. My sushi though... ::le sigh:: the salmon smelled funny and still had skin on it. At this point I am moving at the end of the week, outside of their delivery range. I think this is a good thing because I think the service is going down and I want to remember this place in its glory and not as the place with the boy with nasty feet and no home training's place of employment.
(3)
Andrea W.

High quality Thai Food in a relaxing yet elegantly decorated space. The Shrimp Pad Thai and Basil Chicken was excellent comfort food.
(4)
Maura F.

I am always suspect of places that claim to do both Sushi and Thai...but in this case I was deliciously proved wrong. Sometimes you just can't decide: Tom Yum Soup, Red Curry, or Sushi?? I guess I'll have all 3. YUM! The atmosphere is really nice - plus even though they have a full bar it is BYOB. Shoot. Now I want to go there instead of cooking tonight. Boo.
(4)
Nick S.

It's always hard to find a place that does, Thai and Sushi well. But by george, I think I've found it, throw im a BYOB to boot, and it's pretty much the greatest thing since sliced bread. Been there about 4 times now, and carried out a few more than that. Pretty much your order should start with some Crab Rangoon, and then the Habanero Sushi, and you should finish off with some Steak Panang Curry. Let me tell you about the Steak Panang Curry, the curry is so good, I would mainline it into my veins if I could. Seriously. Do it. Don't forget your wine.
(5)
Daphne L.

Still delicious, still need a private moment with the crab rangoon. Love that they have a full bar now. Indie, you never fail to disappoint!
(5)
Ali J.

This place has great food, I love their sushi and their noodle dishes are great too. It's a shame the service is a little slow and lacks attentiveness.
(4)
Ashley K.

The world's best crab rangoon. No, I haven't tasted all of the crab rangoon in the world, but if you're looking for a more accurate frame of reference, it's a challenge that I'm willing to accept. They actually use real crab in their crab rangoon- not "crabstick" and not only cream cheese like so many places are apt to do. It's the the real McCoy here. People - do yourself a favor and go get these NOW. I've been known to eat an entire order by myself. I've only ordered the Thai food here (no sushi) but it's always been very good. Rumor has it that this place isn't BYOB anymore, which makes me sad. But who really cares when you can just order another crab rangoon? Fortunately for my waistline, this place is a hike from where I live. Otherwise, I'm fairly certain I'd be ordering crab rangoon every day. I wish I was kidding about that. For now, I'll just have to stop in when I trek up to visit my friends who live in Wisconsin...I mean Edgewater.
(5)
Hans A.

I am one to try a restaurant over and over to give it a chance and I have to say it's been a roller coaster ride for Indie CafÃ©. I do love their food but the service has much to be desired. I have never walked away unsatisfied with the food. They have a wonder full selection of food and my favorite is the sushi and there daily rolls. I have been going to the restaurant for Lunch and Dinner and even take out for quite some time for maybe five years or so and the food never disappoints. But I must admit the service is spotty when the restaurant is full the service is lacking but if you manage to go right before the dinner rush it's spot on. Take out & Delivery is spot on everything comes hot and with in 30 to 45 min of the time of order. I have lived in the Edgewater/Rogers Park area for many years and this place is one of my all time beloved eating spots. I do a delivery every month for my get togethers and all my guest love the food. So for a spot on food experience Indie rocks but for a dinner experience go early or after the dinner rush. The service is fair but is way more attentive when it's a bit slower during the week.
(4)
Jaki J.

Went there on Sunday night with a couple friends. Pros Good food Nice decoration Patio seating +++ Cons Had to wait 15 mins to get us a server Had to wait 10 more mins to get a water Had to wait 10 more mins to order Ordered appetizer and a drink, but both came after we had our main dish BAD SERVICE !! During all time we were there, the place was NOT busy. We had to go inside and look for our waitress.
(2)
Azhar M.

The food over here is worth every penny! I mean c'mon Sushi and Thai under one roof!! You cannot beat that. Good food, trendy place, and great staff. My wife and I ordered 3 different sushi rolls (which were AMAZING) and a thai platter (also really really good!) I don't remember what that platter was called, but it was mixed with shrimp and chicken and we ordered it extra spicy! I must tell you spicy over here is no joke! if you appreciate spicy food, then you will love the food here. Overall i had a very pleasant experience. Oh one more thing...this place is very very reasonable. If you have a casual date night planned...this place is recommended!
(5)
Claire S.

Indie is an intimate and pleasant restaurant with good food to back it up. I thoroughly enjoyed the Sunny Crunchy (spicy tuna, cream cheese, scallion, asparagus tempura with bbq sauce) and I have craved it every day since I first tried it. If you're in or around Edgewater and looking for good sushi, I'd highly recommend Indie!
(4)
Libby V.

I've been coming to Indie since I moved to Edgewater in 2006. I absolutely love the food. I have my trusted favorites but I also love trying their specials, especially the appetizers. My personal favorites: pad see ewe, panang curry with chicken and crispy noodles, spicy tuna roll, dragon maki, Thai iced tea and, of course, their crab rangoon. On the weekends, it's unfortunately now necessary to make a reservation, as the restaurant is very popular. (It's very easy to spot new Indie goers getting off the red line, as they are clearly bewildered at finding themselves anywhere north of Addison in search of a good meal.) I will say that Indie's wait staff is not nearly as attentive as they were a few years ago and that the quality of the food declines on the weekend - most likely because they are so busy. If you want Indie at its classic best, go on a weekday or Sunday afternoon - the experience will be heaven. That doesn't mean that the food will be bad on Friday or Saturday - it just won't have the same level of care that those who know and love Indie have come to expect. An unfortunate consequence of success. Still, this restaurant is not to be missed.
(5)
Emily Y.

Crab rangoons!!! - YES! YES! YES!!! (Little pockets of cream filled love!) ...pad thai? NO, definitely not. Never again. BYOB... but they charge for a glass. That adds up to 3 stars, for me.
(3)
Lorenzo S.

Seriously!? What about this place is not to like? Really!! It's BYOB for one. And its right by two liquor spots, and right by the train as you head out for a good night. Atmosphere is intimate. Staff is nice, informed. And the dishes are rockin. These guys are doin there thing. Edgewater has some really great asian spots. But if you're looking for awesome Asian on the north side as a whole to take your lovey, I honestly can't think of any place better. You might want to call ahead on the weekends, cause it does get bumpin.
(5)
Brett F.

Given the small language barrier I initially had with the Indie CafÃ© staff when booking our GNO reservation, I have to admit I did get a tad nervous with how they would handle the rapid-fire service of 20 hungry, fabulous and semi-critical yelpin' women. I love to be proved wrong though and the folks at Indie really catered to our group impeccably well!! Totally on top of their game, we had wine and champagne (it's BYOB - score!) chilling in buckets in no time, a round of pre-ordered apps sailing to our lips and a fantastic table in their 'red room' set up with flickering candlelight and lots of modern, stylish touches. I have not one complaint about any of our dishes, either. Our rounds and rounds of apps were so very budget friendly and insanely delicious!! We all went bananas for their crab rangoon - those delightful pockets of sinful goodness were gone in nanoseconds - they come with that ubiquitous sticky, sweet sauce only kicked up with a really nice touch of spicy heat! More flavor = Me so horny, er, happy!! Do go for the fresh spring rolls if you want a more waistline friendly option, these vegetarian delights seriously make up in taste for what they lack in calories. I think I can safely speak for everyone and say we all adored our sushi dishes. Amazing presentation and taste made standouts like the La Fiesta maki, White Scorpion maki and Sweet Potato maki well received unanimously. Even my sashimi was excellent - and the addition (finally!) of the fried shrimp heads to accompany my ama-ebi (sweet shrimp) made me a huge fan of Indie on the spot and even triggered a group singalong of the roly, poly fish heads song. Nice! A solid 5 stars for Indie CafÃ© and their great digs although I'm sure the 18 bottles of champagne we toted along didn't hurt to skew things in their favor either!
(5)
Angie M.

Indie CafÃ© has three of my most favorite things: sushi, Thai and BYOB. They're pretty much a threesome of fabulousness, so when I can get them all in one place, I'm one satisfied gal. Sexual innuendos aside, Indie CafÃ© is truly a find! Located on an unassuming strip on the 5900 block of Broadway, you may not have ever found this little treasure if you didn't have good reason to make it this far north. Luckily, the Yelpette GNO dinner crew decided to make this their monthly destination! Food: Dear Lord Baby Jesus, I'm in lurve with the crab rangoon. Those little fried pouches of cream cheese and crab yumminess are, as one Yelpette put it, better than Xanax. I also sampled the spicy crab roll. Um, yes, it's spicy. Good thing I can take some heat. Liz M. and I split the stunning White Scorpion roll as well. Jam-packed with tempura crusted soft shell crab, spicy mayo, masago, superwhite tuna and avocado, it is a treat not to be missed! Service: As good as can be expected. It can't be easy to serve a posse of 20 boisterous ladies who brought more bottles of wine and champagne than the number of people in our party. The staff at Indie CafÃ© had us pre-order our appetizers, so those came out super-quickly. Our dinners came out rather staggered, but we did order quite a bit of sushi, and seeing as how Indie CafÃ© is tiny, I'm sure the sushi bar is tiny too! It takes some time to lovingly wrap our maki rolls. Ambience: Decent! We were seated in the "red room." So plush, so sexy. I need to come back on a date. The main "gray room" didn't have the same panache we found in the red room. All in all, a fun dining experience for a fabulous crowd of Yelp ladies. Next time I'm up North, I'll be sure to stop back in.
(4)
A. S.

I've only ever had their takeout but it's always been quite tasty. My boyfriend used to frequent Indie when he lived nearby and has rave things to say about the dine-in experience, but I'll let him write that review. (I think he just liked all the cute waitresses!) I love the Indie Signature Curry. It's so unique and delicious with squash and avocado...Mmm. I like their Pad Thai too, but I always have to ask for it extra spicy. I'm a spice whore though, so it might be fine for some. Their Japanese basics (Edamame, Miso, etc.) are yummy and the few classic rolls I've had have been fresh and good. I like the various city rolls I've tasted off other people's plates, but my favorite Signature Maki is the La Fiesta. Sushi + Cilantro = Happy Anna. They are a little expensive though, that's the only draw back.
(4)
Unity O.

I have never ever eaten so much rice in one sitting in my life!!! Now, that is saying something for this Puerto Rican Chica, you see I grew up eating rice & beans--no wonder I was a little fatty as a child :-) Trust me though I am not complaining because it was super yummy! Although, I left feeling uncomfortably stuffed--oh the tummy wanted to explode. Not only was my first Indie Cafe experience filled with lovely Yelp ladies (thanks to Brett for organizing a GNO), it was also my first EVER sushi experience--yes tis true people, my sushi virginity was lost last night. I have no regrets about that. Just like any new experience, you can either love it, hate it, or just be so-so about it. While I cannot say that I am huge fan of sushi, I will give it another go soon. I opted for the garlic chicken dish (Thai) and I must say they do it right. The garlic is not over powering and the chicken portion is very generous, the rice portion on the other hand is humongous--holy flip! I really do love that this place is a combo of Sushi & Thai. It is nice to have options and if you ever wanted to go out with someone who justs wants sushi & you are not a sushi lover--you can have the Thai. In my book that makes this place pretty fantastic. I definitely recommend this place for groups. While it is not large, it can accommodate a group of up to 25 pretty easily. Plus, it is also great because you can sample other people's dishes--thanks to Jackie for sitting next to me & getting me to try her sushi dish. Loved, Loved, loved, the ambiance of this place. We were in the Red Room and it was very warm & inviting. It would also be a great option for a romantic date. Grey room was a little blah, but I only strolled through it. The menu is quite extensive & kind of cool looking. All in all a wonderful experience & I cannot wait to go back.
(5)
Sonic T.

This place is great for enjoying Thai food in the heart of Edgewater. Try the Basil Chicken! The ambiance is decent, but the space could be larger to justify the large amount of guests. This place is BYOB which great for enjoying a nice bottle of wine and Basil Chicken! We like to order for pick up as well. Nice paintings on the wall for dining in and BYOB. Does not get five stars because location is so so, and the restaurant is somewhat small for the plenty tables. Business is business, but it doesn't give you a cozy environment when you are sitting next to someone and can hear their entire conversation, or their elbow is literally on your table. Feels like a cafeteria. Other than this, everything is great. I'm a repeat customer.
(4)
Angel L.

So I'm sitting here in the middle of typing this review of this wonderful establishment that I have been ordering take-out/delivery from and visiting for the past three years---and my order arrives----20 minutes after I ordered it. Priceless. The food is wonderful, and the location is beautiful, cozy, spacious, and intimate. The service is great, and the delivery is (as previously written) QUICK! (Of course on a Friday/Saturday night delivery may be 40 minutes to an hour) My favorite dish is the Crazy Basil Fried Rice (requested sans Fish Oil, Fish Sauce, & Egg to veganize of course) with the addition of the veggie mock duck. Yes, this option adds $3 to the order but it tastes AMAZING! Also, the Golden Triangle (fried tofu/tofu tempura) is the best you will find anywhere. Perfect texture and crispyness! I've never eaten at another place that does it as well. The Yakisoba (requested sans Fish Oil, Fish Sauce, & Egg to veganize again of course) and Avocado Rolls are also worth ordering. And hark!!! Through yonder window breaks??? ALCOHOL!!!! :) As of late February, Indie Cafe now serves alcoholic libations for your delight. Rock on! Of course I do wish overall everything was a little less expensive, however Thai is usually more expensive than other types of Asian cuisine, and the prices are not unusual. You can even order online through their website if grubhub.com isn't your thing, however you will not be able to add additional notes to make your meal vegan like you can on Grubhub, so grubhub.com will remain my delivery website of choice. GOOD EATS!!!!!
(5)
Chris D.

Amazing yet again, and this time I tried the sushi. The cucumber rolls were ginormous, easily futo-maki sized! So delicious. This has become my fiance and I's go to place at least once a week.
(5)
Reuben H.

The Indie Signature Curry is worth the trip on its own- but this place isn't going to allow you to just come in the one time for the one dish. A little background- unlike other restaurants that hype about doing Asian fusion- this place holds true to two different Asian food-styles: Japanese and Thai. While it isn't exactly traditional in any way- they do keep the menus for both style separate- and therefore honoring the traditions of both well. Everything I have ever had here has been terrific. I always appreciate a creative maki and this place has them! From city-themed maki (Philadelphia is good, but I most like the Santa Fe), to their interesting music and cartoon-inspired maki (the Santana roll, Metallica roll, and my favorite- the Popeye roll), they do creative rolls well here. Appetizers are good too- with both the Japanese and Thai themes represented well in all parts of the meal. I sidetracked though- back to the Indie Signature from above. The absolute perfect blend of mussamun beef curry with a blend of different spices, cashew nuts, and my favorite- potatoes. The potatoes are what makes this dish so unbelievably delicious to me! Oh yeah- BYOB to boot. Dominick's is right up the street so if you didn't already pick up that bottle- stop there before you stop here. The place has expanded since the first few times I had gone- which is a good thing considering even now there are long lines to experience this place. Overall, just about my favorite place for either sushi or Thai- and definitely my favorite place to go when I am looking for a bit of both.
(4)
Torrie B.

So I love Indie Cafe...seriously it's legit. Great sushi variety, seriously fresh fresh fresh ingredients, amazing spring rolls, I could go on!! Cool combo of full bar and/or the option to BYOB for a small corkage fee, great and attentive service. The only reason it scores 4 instead of 5 stars for me is the 1.) ambiance ...often cramped quarters which can cause you to involuntarily over hear details from another's conversation. This for me is a pet peeve, I don't want to be so cramped in that my chopsticks are poking my neighbor in the face and 2.) While the sushi is delish...the thai part of the menu doesn't do it for me. I have had much better Thai right around the corner at Ben's Noodle on Bryn Mawr (which I believe has the best Thai in the city.) Overall though, visit Indie Cafe. It is worth it. The hubs and I keep going back...at least for the sushi.
(4)
Melissa S.

I was pleasantly surprised by my sushi delivery from Indie Cafe! There was a great selection of rolls that managed to incorporate interesting flavors without going over-board with the crazy ingredients. The prices were fair, the fish was fresh, the order was correct, and delivery was timely. This is what I look for in a sushi delivery experience. Personally, I recommend the Kauai roll.
(4)
Jillian V.

Disappointing sushi. I ordered salmon and seabass nigiri which were actually quite good although the cuts were uneven - too thick on one end and paper thin on the other. The fish tasted nice and fresh, though. The rolls with tempura were terrible! I got the dragon roll (shrimp tempura in the middle) and the sweet potato roll. The tempura coating was thick, hard and flavorless...definitely not light and fluffy like it should be. It made the rolls actually difficult to eat both because of the nasty flavor and the excessive, jaw-numbing chewiness. Also, the shrimp used in the dragon roll were tiny, pathetic little things.
(2)
Carl B.

Updated from 2007-2010: indie has gone quite downhill. Fish doesn't pop with freshness like it once did and the service is abysmal. Below is my original 5-star review. Anymore, I wouldn't patronize indie but for want of better options/a better life for myself. ************ Few places could master two types of cuisine at once, and not be called the Cheesecake Factory. I have to get the Indie Signature at least once or twice a year, and I've had most of the sushi rolls on the menu, most of which are priced quite cheaply. On a couple of the best nights, I felt like I had stolen when I got the bill, so I passed the difference on to the wait staff. The atmosphere is perfect. You never really wait, even on a Saturday night, but there's always enough people and chatter to create the right level of ambience. The crab rangoon of all things is memorable. The tom yum I thought was outstanding, and I don't even like shrimp. If you want to impress, go here. Bring leftovers to [address redacted by Yelp ed.]
(3)
Nektaria R.

After having a horrible week, driving 2 hrs in traffic on a Friday afternoon and then ending up missing my massage, the people at Soothe your Senses Day Spa recommended this place for dinner. They said it was really good and since the night was so perfect, it would be a nice walk to unwind. It was the sunshine in my bleak week. We had to wait 20 minutes for a table which went by pretty fast since I grabbed a menu to help me decide on what I should order. We were seated and immediately the server started taking care of us. We were tired and oh so hungry that the BYOB didn't click. But that's OK, the food was amazing so the alcohol was not necessary. Thai: Tom Yum - Spicy goodness Tom Ka Kai - So good, words can't describe Chicken Veggie Delite - Tasty just too white for me Beef Drunken Noodles - Yummy, spicy and can be eaten for breakfast, dinner, snack, you get the picture. Japanese: Philadelphia Roll - Too cream cheesy and lots of rice, I'd prefer less rice but I guess its OK for a smoked fish, if it were raw though, definitely more fish, less rice! Spicy Scallop Roll - Different, not sure if I'd order it again, a hint of fishy I must say, my dinner companion is not a raw fish type of girl so she didn't want to try any of the fancy rolls. That's why I'm going to grab my adventurous girl pal and go back for the following: The Crocodile The Frie Komodo The Butter Ocean The Rainbow No room for dessert! Although I wanted to try one of the following which I'll save for next time: Thai Iced Coffee Red Bean Ice Cream Sweet Sticky Rice and Mango Passion Fruit Torte Thai Custard I think I'll go back and just eat the Tom Ka Kai and all the desserts! Oh and the drunken noodles, and, darn, I'll just end up ordering a bunch of stuff and getting super full like last time. I just have make sure to park really far so that I can somewhat digest some of that food prior to getting into my vehicle. Or just walk from home. That's less than 3 miles. We'll see. Can't wait.
(4)
Linda K.

This is my favorite Thai /sushi place to eat. They have a lot of selections to choose from and its byob. The paintings are a little creepy to me tho but the food is sooo good! They also have a great lunch special.
(5)
robin k.

You know, I've never actually been to this restaurant, but I've ordered from it for years. The food is always fresh, delicious and more than that ... it's dependable. They rarely make errors, which makes me very happy. They've always been completely gracious. It's a pleasure to give Indie Cafe a positive review!
(4)
Scott H.

The food is great. Too bad the web ordering on their website no longer works for me. Too bad. I'h hungry and handicapped. I''ll order for delivery from somewhere else in the future.
(3)
Kevin R.

Great date spot! They give you big portions of delicious food. Tried a little bit of everything, and was disappointed by none (several different sushi, tempura veggies, pad thai, etc...) Funky decor and friendly service round out the experience. Highly recommend, and it's great if you're not a sushi connoiseur - they help pick out some good stuff.
(4)
Sunshine A.

Two words - Godzilla Roll! I had been meaning to try this place out for a while, as I drive/or walk past it at least 3 times a week. I finally decided to check it out for dinner last weekend, and was blown away. It is located next door to a Somali restaurant that I frequent, but never wandered two doors down...glad I finally did. After looking over the massive menu, we decided to start with the Godzilla Roll and an order of Crab Rangoon...Probably the best sushi and Crab Rangoon I've ever had. Now I've been to A LOT of [Asian] restaurants, so that is saying something! Not only was the sushi delicious, but the presentation was definitely a beautiful site. Of course, I went with my usual Thai Iced Tea, which was great. Pretty standard, but there are times where I've had tea that tasted sort of chalky...theirs didn't. As my course, I went with the basic red curry w/shrimp. I generally go for something a bit different, but when trying a new restaurant I tend to go with the classic dishes for my first visit. It was pretty good, although I will say I didn't like that they put eggplant in the curry. Either way, it was tasty. The bf got the Bay Beach rice dish which was also tasty. I'm not a huge drinker, but they had a special of 3 glasses of wine for $10. Not bad! Well - it's safe to say that I'll be back. Possibly for dinner tonight. Ha!
(5)
Jackie P.

I walked and I walked and I walked and I walked and I walked. Did I mention I walked!? And while it isn't really that "long" of a walk it seemed to take forever to reach my destination and the whole time I am thinking..."what is so special about this place? How good can the sushi be at a cafe? Are we there yet? This had better be good food! Are we there yet?" Well folks let me tell you my walking and semi patience paid off. This place literally came out of no where and slapped me in the face. The restaurant is sleek and modern and not at all what I was expecting. Honestly I thought I was walking to a whole in the wall sushi joint. Little did I know this place is pretty fabulous! The food is great as well. Of course I got the sushi and it was melt in your mouth wonderful. The rolls are huge for the price so you definitely get what you paid for. Everything is artfully done and it's so pretty you almost don't want to eat it! My dining companion had one of the many Thai options on the menu, drunk chicken or something like that. I liked the chicken but not so much the noodles. However, I am not a Thai food fan and she said it was very good. But let me back up and tell you about the appetizer I had. I ordered the crab rangoon and OMG I loved it. they were in these cute little balls and you just pop one in your mouth and they literally melt away. Revealing a yummy goodness inside! I was sold! My friend got the spring rolls. I was worried because I had spring rolls at another location and disliked them. But these were very very good. Fresh and yummy! I definitely will be back. But next time I am bringing my own wine (it's BYOB) and taking the bus! Hooray for great sushi!
(5)
Earlie C.

Let's cut to the chase. I was kind of bummed out about the charge for a glass concerning the BYOB. None the less, the food has been mostly exceptional. Impressive wine list. Crab Rangoon is better than any similar restaurant around that I've had. The Pad Thai is just... okay. Nothing really to blow your socks off. The Pangang Curry is fantastic (but was cold when I received it =/ ) as well as the ginger salad. The ambiance is different, but strangely cozy. Surrealism blankets the walls. Alcohol is over-priced for Edgewater. All sushi I've had from Indie has been delicious. Definitely a place worth trying.
(4)
Stephen F.

Indie Cafe had solid 4-star potential, but gets bumped for a few reasons. First and foremost, this restaurant is NO LONGER BYOB. They do have an alcohol menu and will charge $5 for corkage. That's not really a star-subtractor, just a note. They do lose a star for the hourlong wait for sushi. Both the waitress and manager apologized to us for the delay, which was good-- but neither offered something to tide us over until the sushi eventually came, as they should have. The fish was solid if unspectacular, suffering the oversauced fate of so much Chicago sushi. Best was the eponymous crocodile roll, with an excellently heated piece of fresh eel. Other offerings were good, but inessential. I also have to ding Indie for undercooked edamame. On the whole however, I think this restaurant deserves its solid reputation and large crowds on a Friday night. If I lived in the neighborhood I would certainly come back.
(3)
Brandon A.

Wonderful Thai food and excellent sushi. This place has the VERY BEST crab rangoon I have ever had. Those little crunchy purses of crab and cream cheese (amongst a few other ingredients) are something that I have come to crave! I have had countless dishes on the menu and tried oh so many sushi rolls and they are continually very good. Some mild to moderate flaws here or there however. One bad Blue Crab sushi roll experience, vegetables undercooked more regularly than I'm happy with, and delivery times that can exceed 85 minutes for relatively simple orders to a location only a mile or so away. But overall they have earned my repeated business for what they do right. Friendly service, nice atmosphere, BYOB, OUT OF THIS WORLD MANGO in the mango sticky rice desert at times when mangoes are out of season (how do they do it?!? Its sweeter than sugar!!), and all-in-all consistently good food. This place is doing sooooo many things right that it warrants a place on my "Favorites in Chicago" list. A must try!!!
(4)
Adam A.

I absolutely LOVE Indie Cafe! Sadly, I no longer live in Edgewater so I don't get to eat there as often as I used to. Everything on the menu is absolutely delicious! Here are my top 3 favorite menu items: 1. Crab Rangoon - The best I have ever tasted! I am tempted to get one tattooed on my bicep. 2. Basil Chicken or Basil fried rice - Both have similar flavor and must be tried to believe how great they are. 3. Indie Signature Curry - Potatoes, Cashews & Massaman Sauce need I say more. Don't think that just because these are the only three things mentioned that the entire menu isn't fantastic, it is! Great service, environment and amazing food!
(5)
Doro R.

Vegetarians- go here! Seriously, the best sushi in Chicago. My favorites include the shrimp tempura maki and sweet potato maki. From the Thai list, I like the cashew chicken. There are lots of vegetable rolls. They are creative and tasty, not like at other places where your only option is cucumber. Service is great. Water glass is always full and no one is pretentious. I love this place.
(5)
m d.

I loooooooooooooove Indie Cafe. I can't think of any sushi I've had there that I wouldn't order again. Also, the basil chicken. And the ginger chicken. And the crab rangoons. And the miso soup. This review is making me hungry! It's also reasonably priced, BYOB, and they have a great lunch special. Win!
(5)
Mark T.

Visited Indie this week for the first time. Service was efficient, but impersonal and hands-off, but I really didn't care since the food was so good. The La Fiesta roll was scrumptious and had a depth of flavor that can only come from really expertly prepared sushi rice. The curry pockets (can't remember what they are called) were really out of this world. LOVE! We brought a bottle of wine, paid no corkage - even though they sell wine. Another reason to heart them (and to avoid places that charge a ridiculously high corkage fee.)
(4)
Stephanie F.

Say something bad about Indie Thai and Sushi---i dare you! This place is a gem. Can you say BYOB?! I love it! The sushi is fresh, the Thai dishes are perfectly seasoned. Large portions, great prices. I just love this place. And its true what you've read about the crab rangoon....its freaking out-of-this-world! Really, Ive never had better. Ever. The best. I want it. Now.
(5)
Dan S.

I don't really get the seeming trend of Thai and Japanese/Sushi at several places in this general area (north side). I do, however, have a strong opinion on how to make it work - great food! I've tried Indie twice and am already a fan. We gone early (with Grandma) and have had terrific meals. The curries are exceedingly tasty, the crag rangoon are much-talked-about for good reason and Grandma has enjoyed her Ginger Fish immensely. They also have a great touch with duck - have tried two dishes and they were both cooked perfectly. Finish the meal with their Mango with Sticky Rice. The mango is generous, and ours have been ripe and wonderful. Will be back when I am next in Chicago.
(4)
Heather H.

Anywhere that makes a crocodile roll look like an actual crocodile has me doing the giddy clap. (That is an excited little clap and a mini-dance party all rolled into one.) I met a friend here for dinner on Friday night and absolutely loved it. We made a reservation for 7:45 because I heard it can get pretty hoppin' during the dinner hour. It was more precautionary but tables were filling up around us left and right. The atmosphere is so relaxed and comfortable, with dimmed globe lights and candles adding to the warm glow. Unique and creative artwork on the walls. The service was great, host seated us quickly and the waitress was right there for drink orders. We tried the edamame which was salty and delicious although it never fails that I squirt myself in the face while eating it. There is so much to choose from on the sushi menu, we were out for maki and it was hard to chose just a few!. They all sound delicious. We didn't order anything too crazy; the Santa Fe, Philadelphia, Summer Passion, and the Sunny Crunchy upon a recommendation from our waitress, which was amazing and our order was up very quickly. Indie is still BYOB but they recently received their liquor license so there is a corking fee. My one tiny gripe, some of the rolls are so big they are hard to wrangle with chopsticks and fit into your mouth without them falling apart. Luckily my friend is kind enough not to laugh at my efforts and neither of us have any shame in using our fingers from time to time. I will be back to Indie for sure!
(5)
Jackie H.

I love this place! Great sushi, very reasonable prices, great service. The crab rangoon is amazing! The sushi is very fresh. Everything I have tried, some more basic rolls, some speciality rolls, was amazing. They do serve alcohol now, wine list isn't too bad either, One of the best sushi places in Chicago!
(4)
Ryan C.

I was recently introduced to Indie Cafe and I was highly surprised. I love sushi, but would hardly call myself a Sushi Aficionado and luckily someone was there to educate me! Everything was wonderful and the staff was extremely nice. The Las Vegas roll and the spicy tuna stood out the most as my favorites. The menu has a wide arrangement of various sushi. The hardest part is making up your mind on what you want. I've had some sushi that was too fishy and the seaweed wrap was too salty or fishy tasting. I did not experience this with any of what I had. I've heard people say good and bad things about this place. I don't think I have one bad thing to say about this place and will go many more times. I've also heard people rant and rave about their Rangoon. I didn't have any, but might on the next visit out. They also have a full Thai menu on top of. I didn't have any, so I won't rate it.
(5)
Jennifer B.

My experiences at Indie have been okay. The food is fine, but not particularly memorable. The service is lacking; the servers are ambivalent to your experience at best, and I have had several occasions in which they have apparently not heard my order - for example, ordering two pieces of tamago nigiri should not result in my receipt of tamago maki - and I have not received an apology or a replacement without me asking for it. The house drinks are interesting, but overpriced, though the wine is reasonable. The atmosphere is nice. It's in my neighborhood, but other places outrank Indie for thai and sushi.
(3)
Nick M.

I don't think I've experienced the creativity and greatness that is Indie Cafe. First time I went in, none of us got sushi. What we ordered was pretty plain and simple. It's not that it wasn't good but it wasn't out of this world nor did I expect it to be. The second time I went to a friend's b-day party (of which I was late... for good reasons). I didn't eat anything but everyone's dishes all look very delicious. Even the crawfish (or prawn) with it's head still on as a friend devoured it, looked tasty. The staff is a little slow but nothing to get upset over, plus they were nice enough to bring my friend a b-day treat after I asked them. I haven't given up hope yet. I will one day have that joy that I see on others faces as I walk by, some even giving me that "ha ha" look. One day...
(3)
Daniel M.

Have only had the Thai here and it is awesome. Good crab rangoon, and if there's one thing I know it's good crab rangoon. The drunken noodle is quite good too. I live a few blocks away and have gotten carry out and eaten there, but most times I get take out it's nowhere near as good as eating there. Either way definitely recommended.
(4)
Sonia K.

I think I've been to every Asian restaurant in the city, and this is by far the best---the ambiance, the food, BYOB! Some of my favorite dishes---Bangkok Roll, best Crab Rangoon I've ever had, Tom Yom Soup, Smoked Chili Combo, Basil Chicken, Green Curry and Crispy Chili Heaven. I think that was my last meal :)
(5)
Michael S.

I have been a huge fan of Indie for a long while now. I think that in the past they always did a great job with BOTH their Thai and Sushi offerings. And had I written this review last year I would have give 4-stars, easily, maybe 5. However, over the last 6 months or so, I have noticed a decline in quality. The food has been inconsistent - ranging from (still) fantastic to a little bland. And the last couple of times I dined at the restaurant I found the bathrooms to be dirty - which is gross. And I cannot give more than 3 stars to a restaurant with a gross bathroom. Maybe there has been a change in management? The BYOB/Full bar option is obviously fantastic. I love that. And the food, when the chef is having an 'on' night, is very nice. I am still a fan - just no longer a huge fan - and if they can get their food back to a more consistent quality and get that bathroom cleaned up, I will be back to update my review.
(3)
Colleen C.

The right potion... of posh and price, Indie is more, than raw fish and rice. Indie Thai and Sushi Cafe? Holy mackerel, salmon, tuna, yellowtail and unagi, my friends! For real, this joint is where it's at. How I love somewhat hidden gems...a crowd of happy neighborhood people, enjoying a quiet dinner, mingling with friends, laughing over their own wine....ahhhh, really, this is what life is made of. Excellent food at ridiculously excellent prices. Can it be so? Yes, in fact it can. One does not need skimp on the finer things in life, one just needs to look a bit harder to unearth the true gems. And this, is a gem in every sense of the word. From the moment I walked through the door until I drifted softly to sleep dreaming of crab rangoon so soft and wonderful...Indie Cafe hit a home run. Service, ambience, location, menu, decor, offerings, selection, pace, performance...sigh, I think I'm in love. Seriously.
(5)
Bill M.

Indie Cafe has a nice and sleek interior with a menu featuring Thai and Japanese dishes. The food is beautifully presented at Indie. My Thai lunch special is probably the most basic thing on the menu (the physical menu is really cool, almost like an art swatch) so my order had a simple look to it. I had chicken pad see-ew (fun to say?) with miso soup and mini vegetable egg rolls, a well-rounded lunch though none of the choices were awe-inspiring. My friend had seaweed salad, beautifully served in a martini glass along with a cutesy paper umbrella. The salmon and spinach rolls were not bad considering I do not even like seafood. Sushi is again elegantly displayed, a work of art in presentation and apparently taste too though my friend said it was not spicy enough.
(4)
Patty V.

Yes...you MUST order the Crab Rangoon. They were different than the typical wonton style pillows of goodness I am used to,but....DAAAAAYUMMMM!! These babies are divine! They are little yummy purses of silky smooth,creamy and tasty delight. The dipping sauce has the perfect ratio of sweet and savory.Even if you do not have Thai for the rest of your meal. Get the Crab Rangoon! I love BYOB and stopped on the way from the L at a local liquor store and picked up a bottle of Prosecco. Always perfect with Thai or sushi. I had a lunch special sushi platter. Everything was fresh and service was very friendly and efficient. I would go back in a heart beat! The company was also top notch. Maybe, when I go back the weather will be cooperative and we can sit outdoors.
(5)
Vivian D.

The atmosphere at Indie Cafe is really very pleasant. It is usually never too crowded and even when it is technically at full capacity, it never feels uncomfortable. The decor is modern and sleek from its walls down to its tableware. Now, let's get this straight. The sushi is pretty good and on the creative side. The thai dishes are, in my opinion, somewhat better and usually what I go with. The Indie Signature Curry? If this dish were a song, it would totally be my jam! However, ladies and gentlemen, I must now clarify. I am giving this restaurant 5 stars instead of the 4 that it deserves SOLELY because of their one and only, their crab rangoon. It has been years since I had the pleasure of eating this for the first time and it still remains as one of the top ten things I have EVER eaten. So what is so spectacular about this Crack Rangoon? Oh, pardon me, Crab Rangoon? What isn't spectacular is more the question. Yes, there is crab. Yes, there is cream cheese. Yes, there are wonton wrappers, but there is so much more! There are, what I believe to be, grated carrots and celery added to the seasoned mixture that add a great texture and taste. Paired with one of the better sweet & sour sauces I've tried? Truly heavenly.
(5)
Christine F.

Indie, I still love you. But your Jade Buddha apps (chive and water chestnuts in a crispy shell) were really not good. I was hoping they would be similar to Tac Quick's chive potstickers, but to no avail. Too little shell and too many chives. Flavors were very meh. I will continue to feast on their rangoon as apps.
(4)
Lawrence Y.

We came here earlier this week and I liked my first experience. It was furnished decently; good ambiance for an Asian restaurant. We started off with Thai Samosas, which were really good. It came with a tiny tiny plate of cucumber salad. We ordered the following maki: + dragon roll: delicious - volcano roll: good but kind of mayonnaise overload. + sweet potato tempura: yummy! who knew something so simple could taste so good! + heat/ hell/ fire roll (sorry I couldn't remember the exact name): this was also good and pretty spicy! The server we had was pretty nice. I'd come back for the maki - and mayyyybe something on the Thai menu.
(4)
Darrin T.

90 minutes for delivery when I was quoted 45. ONLY 4 RANGOONS in an order?!!!! Look, the food is not bad. The rangoons were tasty (but ONLY FOUR!!!!!). The Kuai maki was pretty good. The Pad See Eiw was good, and the Bay Beach fried rice was above average..... HOWEVER...... They would have all been a lot better if they were actually HOT when they got to me. Ironically, they comped my sodas and my roll - the two things that I actually wanted cold. I am sure under normal circumstances, this place could be pretty good, but you do not get my repeat business when you deliver cold food to me.
(2)
Morgan C.

Sorry, Indie. I love your sushi, but you lose a star for the marked decrease in service. It used to be, when this was a once-a-week place for me and the gf, the service was fine. Cheerful, pleasant waitresses. Water always full. Fresh wasabi and ginger. Not so much anymore... the straw that broke the camel's back was the guy who repeated our order, still missed a roll, never spoke to us again, had to be flagged down for anything, and not even entering our subsequent orders into the system. Maybe this is retribution for forgoing our monogamous relationship. I don't know. But what was once a standard has become just another place, albeit with top-notch sushi, in our sushi rotation.
(3)
Shawn T.

First, Understand that If you order Sushi from a Thai place you may not get the most ideal sushi. However, even with that being said - Indie Cafe's Sushi is still pretty good! Recently I came here with friends. This is a BYOB place, so great for enjoying a few drinks with friends without paying ridiculous BAR tabs. I had the Indie Specially Curry, which is one of the most yummy and amazing curry dishes I have ever had! The meat was tender, the rice and curry combination- amazing. There was even a ball of noodle- unusual for curry dish, but still simply amazing. We ordered sushi as an appetizer, and it was delicious. Best bet is to order one of the Thai dishes here, and eat Sushi as an appetizer. Go to a Japanese place if you want to out-of-this-world sushi. The Thai foo
(5)
P S.

Girl date with my Carrots, and it was decreed that Indie Thai and Sushi was the plan. BYO, naturally. And we totally did. BYO. Er, BOO. We were seated immediately, greeted friendly-ly, and began the large task of sifting through an extensive, ongoing menu. A little too extensive, perhaps. Because my eyes are always too big for my stomach and I'm a greedy sod, I decided on both Thai AND sushi, thankyouverymuch. We went for spring rolls, crab rangoon (five stars in itself), two sushi rolls (the Chicago...something..was excellent btw), two pieces of tuna maki AND an order of garlic chicken which I knew would really just serve the purpose of the next day's dinner. Oh and for dessert? Mochi and Thai custard. The mochi was excellent (mango, green tea and red bean), the custard was warm and silky with a lovely unidentifiable sweetness. We're gluttons. But hey, we're also young, good lookin', fabulous and gainfully employed so what's NOT to celebrate? Clink!
(4)
Nick B.

I heard about indie awhile ago but went back and forth with going because word on the street was that it was BYOB and then it wasn't and then it was...so I finally checked it out and it is indeed BYOB! Phew. For appetizers I went with the fresh spring roll and golden triangle (tofu tempura with sweet n' sour sauce). Both were awesome. The spring roll in particular was fresh and stuffed with different vegetables. Totally enjoyed it. The golden triangles were pretty wild. For my entree I went with the vegetable delight and to be honest? Not really all that. It was tofu, broccoli, carrots, mushrooms, and peas. The food wasn't bad but the sauce was awful. No flavor whatsoever! On top of that, there was a lump of white rice. I'm turning into a hater of white rice. Can't stand it! Towards the end of the night, it felt like we were being rushed. We had half a bottle of wine left and the servers (multiple) kept coming back to see if we put our money down. Constantly. Now, I used to be a server so I know how frustrating it can be, but the place wasn't closing anytime soon and we had plenty of wine left over. Anyway, no big deal I guess. Loved the atmosphere and music of the place. Chill and relaxed. Enjoyed it. Would I run back? No. Check it out? Why not, it's in the neighborhood.
(3)
Abby A.

I drive by this place all the time and finally had the opportunity to check it out. It was Halloween weekend 2011. We arrived before 6pm on Saturday and were seated immediately. The place was practically emply, but that's why I like to dine early. The menu was huge and we enjoyed reading it. However, at least 15 minutes passed and no one came to take our order. We noticed that several servers were at a back table doing each other's makeup and taking photos. Seemed like they were all dressed as cats. Anyway, I set my alarm for another 5 minutes. Totally ignored. We got up to leave and a waitress finally took notice and caught up with us at the door. Too late. We went to Ethiopian Diamond down the street and were attended to promptly, as always I won't be giving this place a second chance.
(2)
Dian S.

Delicious food, high quality, great sushi. Amazing prices!! Great atmosphere. Staff is not friendly but you get your food.
(5)
SK S.

Indie, the place that everyone raves about but a place that I really do not like going to. Since I have a few friends that frequent this place, I always play nice and go along. Indie has some decent lunch specials but then again so do most places in the city. I do not recommend going here alone. The wait staff is not attentive to single party tables and always assumes that you are getting takeout. I have witnessed this and experienced it first hand and it personally makes me feel uncomfortable. Furthermore, I hate when wait staff assumes that you wont tip well because its a table of 1. So, you're asking yourself, well I never eat out alone so this is irrelevant to me! Well you're correct in that assumption but I have also been to Indie with friends and have had to wait for over an hour to get our food. The kitchen staff and the servers are not prepared for when it gets busy and by busy I mean the place is half full. Now, I can get past a bad service, but that's only if the food is amazing. Their miso is decent but not the best I've had. I do enjoy their sweet potato tempura roll but it is HUGE. If you're one of those people who prefers quantity over quality Indie hits that on the head. Furthermore, their quality control is lacking. There are days when I have had really good rolls here and days where the rolls have been almost inedible. When the rolls are good, they're really good but I hate not knowing if its going to be good or bad. Overall, I would say that Indie is an ok sushi place. Good bad or ugly, I would go here if there weren't other options on the North side. Fortunately, there are and thus my visits to Indie are limited to requests from friends.
(3)
Brian L.

I love the ambiance here, it's pretty decent for an asian restaurant. The food was inexpensive and the staff was rather friendly. My friends and I order basically everything on the menu. It's typical thai food and sushi that taste all the same everywhere else. It reminded me of a place called Butterfly that I went to in the city. Their Thai Samosas were yummy! I would love to go back for more, and it's a great place to bring a date. Oh yeah it's BYOB! :-)
(4)
Andrew H.

Try HUM it's awesome. Few blocks for our first place in Chicago and we keep coming back for takeout and dinning. They just recently started accepting takeout orders on their site and you get 10% off your order if you order that way (although the online ordering can get buggy). The food is amazing and reasonably priced. Love the paintings and decor.
(5)
Jim C.

Basil Chicken!
(5)
Erin H.

I miss this place. So. Much. Prior to being the Indie Cafe, there were several other restaurants in this location, none of which stayed open for long. I think all of Edgewater rejoiced when Indie opened its doors and we found really great food there. It's awesome that they're still open, and they've even expanded. Indie has proven time and again that good sushi doesn't have to be expensive (or pretentious). The Thai options are excellent as well. I am always amazed at the beautiful way they plate the food, because you feel like you're in a super swanky restaurant and should be paying way more than you are. To make it even better, it's BYOB. Great food, and great value for the money. Go here now.
(5)
Mark S.

Food is consistent and inexpensive. The sushi rice is plain rice (not flavored like true sushi rice), but the rolls are good. The Thai food is also good and rich! For the price it is completely worth it. A couple things you should know... - bring a coat or wear a sweater if you go during the winter. They keep it cold in the dining room. - don't feel rushed. We had two waiters doubling their efforts to take our order and get us drinks - but they don't really rush you. I think there was just confusion (which happens often when we go there). - be prepared for big bites. They cut our roles into 5 pieces instead of 6, so they were quite a bit to chew. - don't BYOB. They have a full bar, and their wine is VERY inexpensive.
(3)
Sandeep P.

I've had this delivered to a friend's place, and man was it good! He ordered sushi (which, from the piece I tried, was delicious) and I got gyoza and pad khee mow (or however they spell it here). I must say, I was both impressed with the food and the delivery time. I just wish that they would deliver to Evanston! All in all, probably one of the best places you can get delivery from in the area, especially if you want to satisfy a few different Asian cravings at once.
(4)
Elanders B.

Awesome byob food been going for years sweet Potato maki rolls amazing
(5)
Donaye N.

I've never been in the restaurant, I've always ordered in...and so far I haven't been disappointed. I ordered through grubhub last night, I was given an hour delivery time...got my order in 20 mins. Yay!!! Anyway, chicken pad thai was yummy, as always! Crab rangoon was also great! I wanted dessert so I ordered Thai Taro Custard. It was on the small side, but it was good, not too sweet! Wish it was a bigger portion!
(4)
Heather V.

Once again, a BYOB ethnic restaurant wins me over! I've been going to Indie Cafe for 2 years now and it's never disappointing. They just remodeled and expanded the restaurant so it's even better! They have fast delivery too. The food combination of Thai and Sushi is a great twist and accommodates everyone. I take all of my guests here and they're thrilled with it too. Be sure to bring your favorite beverage to enjoy the fabulous food!
(5)
Tiffany M.

Our go-to for Thai delivery. Don't miss the basil chicken or the crab rangoon. Best I've ever tried of either.
(5)
Herminia I.

Immediately after stepping out from the Thorndale red line station, your olfactory organs are filled with something amazing. If you continue walking west on Thorndale and then north on Broadway, you can follow that smell straight to the doors of Indie Cafe. One day after work, i had enough--I walked the extra block to my house, grabbed my fiancÃ© and came right back for dinner. Because its a Thai restaurant, I am hesitant to try their Japanese dishes. However, their spicy basil fried rice is my favorite dish. Not only is it tasty, but it will clear your sinuses. The fiancÃ© is a fan of the tempura sushi which he orders every time. After every meal, be sure to order their mochi ice cream in mango or strawberry. They can get crazy busy during dinner time on the weekends so be sure to call ahead and make a reservation.
(4)
David K.

I just tried this place tonight, ordering food for takeout. Overall, I had a good experience, which surprised me, given some of the negative reviews this place has received, especially concerning its service. The service was very friendly, even service with a smile, and I received my to-go order rather quickly. I ordered the ginger chicken and it was quite good, although I would have preferred a slightly stronger ginger flavor to the sauce, but the ingredients were definitely fresh. I would certainly order from them again. The restaurant itself is beautifully decorated, and so I would be happy to dine-in one day and enjoy the food along with the atmosphere.
(4)
John B.

Indie is just far enough away from me to be off my radar. If you're keeping score, that's about a mile and a half. I have very short radar. OK, that's not completely true, because it's right up the street from Moody's Pub, and I go to Moody's fairly frequently. But I have to make plans to go to Moody's -- I don't just end up there. And since I always thought of Indie as a sushi place, and since I'm not really a sushi fan. I never made plans to go there. Until last week. The secret of Indie -- not really a secret, since it's right in their name -- is that they're not just a sushi place. They serve Thai food and a handful of Japanese dishes (teriyaki, noodles) along with the sushi. So while my companion was enjoying her rolls, I could get down on some Thai delight. They also have a lunch special, which involves an entree, an appeteezer, and a soup or salad for around 8 bucks. Score. According to the Yelp stats, 64 of these reviews include the phrase "crab rangoon." Make that 65. These are not the thick, chewy rangoons you may be used to. Instead, they are delicate little crispy purses of cream cheese goodness. I will take it on faith that there is crab in there. But crab or not, they are tasty. I also had cucumber salad -- standard -- and drunken noodles. The menu describes this dish as having "the sensation of hot chili." Rather than actual hot chili I suppose, because the dish was not hot at all. It was, however, very fresh and flavorful. Then there was this appetizer... They call it "asparagus gold," and in addition to the asparagus, there's bacon and shrimp, all wrapped up and fried like a sinful little eggroll. Mmmmm. I liked Indie well enough that I ordered delivery from them within the week. I am hesitant to order noodles for delivery, because you never know what you're going to get, but I had heard good things about the pad thai, so I gave it a try. It was delivered it pretty good shape; i.e not a clumpy mess. The panang curry was good, too -- it's always nice to see something in the dish other than sauce, chicken, and rice. The fish cakes broke my heart. I love the fish cakes, and these were small, dry, and flavorless. *sigh* Here's the upshot: I started this review ranking Indie as four stars, and after writing the review have knocked it down to three. It's a cute little spot, and dining there was a good experience. I would gladly go back to meet people for lunch or dinner. But the only thing I ate that really bowled me over was the asparagus appetizer. They do a good job, and I can see why people like it. But I'm not going to be dragging my friends there, and four stars deserves at least that.
(3)
Mel L.

I've been here a few times and they've been consistently good. It's slightly more expensive than the usual Thai places in Lincoln Square but I like having the option of ordering some sushi rolls as well. Crab rangoons - Very good but not mind blowing as a lot of reviews seem to make it. It's mostly just cream cheese but has a nice thin wrapper unlike a lot of other places. Tasty though Soft shell crab appetizer - Just ok. They only give you one crab for the order. I prefer the ones from Silver Seafood instead. Chicken gyoza - Very tasty as well Spicy blue crab roll - Very good and made with real crab unlike the crab stick or imitation crab that a lot of places use. Cape Cod roll - Real crab with avocado and cucumber. Tasty but paled in comparison to the Spicy roll. Indie Signature curry - This is one of my fav dishes to order here. It's a yellow curry with potatoes and squash. Delish! Chicken broccoli/peapod - Very bland. Kind of a dissapointing dish. Not much flavor at all. Shrimp Pad See Ew - Also very tasty. Sometimes it has a little too much soy sauce though and is a bit salty. Thai custard - Also very good, but a bit small as far as portions go. Mochi w/ green tea ice cream - Tried once and didn't really care for the rice coating. The ice cream was good though. Will be back soon!
(4)
Sarah L.

This is the spot to be for fantastic sushi and Thai cuisine. I came here on a Friday night with a couple of friends. We were told there would be a 20 minute wait but we ended up waiting a half hour. It was well worth the wait! The decor is very sleek with bright red accent walls. There are also interesting pictures on the wall. The one I remember most was a young girl wearing a hat that resembled a green brain... very interesting art. You must check it out. We had the famous crab rangoon and it was the best I ever had! It wasn't just a fried wanton with cream cheese. It actually had crab and flavor. The spring rolls are awesome! They are not fried, they are served cold. Kind of reminded me of a salad sushi roll. I will definitely get both appetizers again. We also shared 2 specialty rolls. The dragon and the spider. The fish was fresh and the rolls were huge! There were some other rolls I want to try next time like the sweet potato maki and the southwest roll. Indie has a huge sushi menu and they put pictures next to the items on the menu so you know what you're getting. Very helpful! Lastly we all ordered Thai entrees. I had chicken pad thai and it was really good. I could only eat about half because I was so full off the rolls and appetizers. My friend had chicken fried rice made with brown rice. That is a nice "healthier" option to have. You can get your sushi made with brown rice but it's an extra $2/roll. My other friend had beef pad see eiw and his came out 15 minutes later. The girl forgot to put the order in. That was the only problem we had that evening. All in all, Indie Cafe is the spot to for awesome sushi and it's also byob.
(4)
Cornelius T.

Good, solid Japanese and Thai cuisine! This place has been in the neighborhood for almost 10 years, and never once has it disappointed in its service or the food quality. Whether dining for lunch or dinner, you will find creative sushi items and flavorful Thai entrees to satisfy whatever you may crave. The only occasional drawback is the overcrowding that can occur at the weekend (perhaps due to the expressway rats that scurry in from the suburbs and bring with them an utter lack of couth!).
(4)
tracy f.

I'm not surprised by the relatively-consistent four star reviews I see on Indie's page. The food is surprisingly good, the location is accommodating, the waitresses are cute, it's byob and I hear the delivery is fast. Anyway, drunken noodles and veggie maki are my fav, so when I saw Indie's menu I got really excited. My friend and I were surprised to see the main room packed on a Sunday night. I noticed that this place appears to be very couples-centric. Tables-for-two line the back wall; candles and white xmas-ish lights glow in the dimly lit room. I also found it odd that the waitress appeared to be swamped and running from table to table while a gaggle of employees fraternized by the front door. On to the food: Indie is super accommodating to vegans. Most of the noodles and curries can be made wo egg and fish sauce and there is an entire page of veggie maki(!!). There is a mango, avocado cucumber roll! Kanpyo! And oshinko! We ordered the drunken noodles with tofu, "Indie signature" curry and avocado maki. The sushi was straightforward and yummy. The soy sauce is served in a neat pitcher/cruet. The noodles were greasy, but they were filled with crunchy vegetables and were pretty delicious. The presentation of the Indie Signature Curry was lovely... it was adorned with a strange and tangled fried ball of noodles, basil and meticulously cut squash of some kind. The curry was nutty and more like a Panang than the Mussamun that the menu specified; it was filled with potatoes, squash and cashews and was realllly heavy but totally enjoyable (though I would be overwhelmed if it was the only thing I ordered). All in all, the service was kind of slow, but the food was great and affordable. I'm a little bummed that I am right out of their delivery range, but I will definitely be back soon.
(4)
Samuel A.

This is my favorite day-to-day restaurant in Chicago. Sure, there are a couple uber-expensive places I like better on special occasions, but I get takeout from Indie about three times a week and often take friends or dates to eat here, hence day-to-day. I like the atmosphere (great downtempo chillout music, constantly pulling out my phone to identify songs and download them for myself), and there's so much variety in the food -- even though I usually do get one of two or three things! The only bad thing about the place is it can get very crowded and noisy during peak hours -- you almost have to come on off hours (i.e., not during regular dinner time) if you want to carry on a conversation. Love that these guys are savvy enough to have a Facebook page, though. They take credit cards under $10 unlike a lot of other affordable Thai places, too. The food is really cheap (except the sushi, which is mid-range as far as sushi restaurant prices go) but it's good and there are lots of healthy and vegetarian options. The decor and atmosphere are much classier and more hip than you expect from a cheap Thai place though.
(5)
Stephanie H.

This is one of my favorite Thai/Japanese places. Plus, I'm a fan of any place that delivers. The rama chicken, the musuman curry, and the sweet potato maki are unbelievable!!!! Oh! Don't forget the crab rangoon...little fried purses full of cream cheese & crab awesomeness. Beware, though..sometimes the rice dishes taste a little smokey. I've had that happen with both the rama chicken and the orange chicken. Strange...
(4)
Audra C.

Things you should know about Indie Cafe: #1- when they say something is hot, THEY REALLY MEAN IT!!! #2- They have AMAZING customer service!!!! Sunday evening I ordered the Panang Curry. I'm used to a sweet/peanuty curry that I get at other places, and was shocked when I got IC's version that basically burned my mouth off. *Disclaimer: I didn't read the menu very closely, so this was completely my fault, as they clearly state that the Panang is spicy. I was exhausted and VERY hungry, so I called them and asked if they could remake it. I felt terrible, so I walked over to pick it up and make a switch. Not only did they try to call me to deliver it (it was originally a carry-out order), but the manager was so incredibly nice in talking to me about what my issues were AND they included a little cucumber salad. Even though this was my mistake, they really went above and beyond in making sure I was taken care of. I will probably not order the Panang there again, but I will definitely go over for other Thai dishes :)
(5)
Jenna C.

I've eaten in a few times and my ranking stands for Indie. I'm happy to report the soggy edamame issue appears to be a take-out only problem. The sushi, sashimi, and maki continue to be impressively fresh and tasty. Both Japanese and Thai appetizers have been delicious. Less delicious -- the Thai dishes. Oily noodles, flavorless rice, scarce vegetables. Stick to the sushi. The interior is dark and artsy, but in a cute way. Good for either a date or friends. The service varies between very good and spacey.
(4)
Shruti M.

I really really wanted to like this place more than I did. My boyfriend ordered from the Thai menu, and that I would have given a 4 stars; Panang and basil fried rice were so good! But I ordered the yummy crunchy roll, and it ended up being deep fried (not stated on the menu) and the spicy tuna cooked through which was weird. Tom kha Kai soup was okay, but a little on the sweet side. After adding siracha it was delicious! Adegashi tofu was Delish but only 3 pieces in a serving ? Cmonnn. Cool decor though, and I like the atmosphere. Will be back
(3)
Debbie V.

We had a reservation on saturday for my friend's birthday. Only one person had arrived on time and they were nice enough to sit her down before everyone had arrived. There was four people total in our group. The appetizers were delightful, crab ragoon, bluefish claws, dumplings, shrimp and vegtable tempura. The entrees were a good size and very tasty. I had cashew chicken (one of the best I have ever tasted). Service was terrific !!! Very clean and cute ambiance. Make reservations if you go on the weekend. Luv it!
(5)
Elizabeth W.

This is my go-to place for take out. They have a great menu selection of sushi and noodle dishes. The stand out items are the sweet potato tempura maki and the crab rangoons, which are some of the best I have ever had. This is probably the best Thai & sushi place in the Edgewater area.
(4)
Kristen H.

Indie is solid and a reliable place for dinner. A byob Asian fusion joint with a private ambiance. It's cozy and reasonably priced. I have enjoyed the Tom kha Kai soup, a handful of different rolls, noodles, rice dishes and curry. I love coming here with a group & sharing some appetizers family style. I look forward to my next visit.
(4)
Allan N.

I have been going to Indie for about two years now and see myself coming back again and again for the good food and equally good service. Consistency of the menu items were shaky the first few times I dined there, but it has increased tremendously in the past year. The maki and nigiri mated with the excellent miso soup and crab rangoon as starters will leave you with a serious case of Happy-Belly for the evening. :) On the Thai side, the fried rice and noodle dishes always leave a smile on my face. Definitely good options for carry out. But these are just my opinions. Go out and try it personally. Enjoy the selections and ... above all... have fun.
(4)
Julie R.

This is one of my favorite places to go with my husband ... I love sushi and curries. However my husband does not enjoy sushi. -sigh- You can get a big variety of yummy rolls for good prices. And the thai food is good as well. Ask about any specials because last time we were there John got one of the best Thai curry dishes I've ever tasted. Service is okay. Nice but nothing outstanding. Call for a reservation just to be safe.
(4)
Carolyn B.

This place is a great spot for an inexpensive date or dinner with friends. BYOB with no corking fee (yes!) and good food. I usually go for the noodles and I like their option of "crispy" noodles in my pad ke mao. And of course, the crab rangoon is amazing.
(4)
sarah m.

So, I haven't had the sushi here. I'm writing about the best Panang Curry and Yakisoba dishes I've ever had delivered! I took a chance on this place through grub hub and I don't regret it! Get the Panang Curry with beef and potatoes, the Yakisoba with chicken and the Vegan Salad. Yes, I said Vegan Salad. I was shocked by how fresh and delicious this salad was. And the portions are perfect. I am definitely a fan of this restaurant for delivery!
(5)
Julia R.

Amazing food and amazing lunch special! I came here with one of my friends last week for lunch - best Thai food I've had in a very long time! I had Pad see ew noodles - absolutely amazing...and i have never had crab rangoon that was even close to being as good as it was here! Their lunch special is only around 7.50 and comes with a main course, an appetizer (which for me was 3 crab rangoon), and a soup or salad. I got miso soup which was delicious - as simple as it is, and my friend had a cucumber citrus salad that she really liked. She had green curry - i tasted it and liked it, but it was definitely on the spicy side - i know i couldn't have eaten it for a meal based on how spicy it was regardless of the great flavor. Had chocolate mochi ice cream for dessert - also good. Basically, great food, great price, cute atmosphere, and good service. I'll be frequenting this place often.
(5)
Scott S.

This is my absolute favorite neighborhood restaurant, bar none. I have been going for years now; their quality, presentation, and pleasant demeanor keep me coming back. Both the Thai and the sushi are excellent (the teriyaki can be a bit tough sometimes) and they have more than a few unique dishes that really take things to the next level. Their presentations are impeccable and worthy of a restaurant twice its price. Dishes I love include the smoked chili combo, the gyoza (and especially its sauce), their salad dressings, the spicy tuna roll, and some of their custom far-out rolls like Bangkok. It saddens me that I can no longer go here due to dietary restrictions. I will treasure the memory of many wonderful long lunches and delivered dinners from this gem. If you're in the neighborhood, please give it a try - and see how fast you return.
(4)
Cathleen H.

Yummy delivery Thai. Very consistent and reasonably priced. Plus they make the most beautiful sushi that tastes as good as it looks!
(4)
Christina K.

Meh. My initial review is based on the Thai food, which simply doesn't hold a candle to the better options I enjoyed in D.C. when I lived there; I'll have to give the sushi a try and see how many stars that bumps Indie up, because their options on that side of the menu do look tasty. Keep in mind that I know a bit about Thai cookery, to the point that I get curry stocks brought to me by a friend who worked in Thailand for years. So, I'm a harsh judge, and if I expected good grub, what I got was barely adequate. I went for takeout, asking for "Thai spicy" up front, and ordered a trio of straightforward classics: spring rolls, tom yum, and basil chicken. The presentation of the spring roll was pretty (loose, untucked ends flying high, woohoo!), but the tamarind sauce was thick and flavorless, and the ingredients themselves not blessed with any particular snap. Pretty but bland is still bland; a proper spring roll has a certain crunchiness, and the tamarind a certain piquance; both qualities were entirely absent. Then I tried the tom yum, which was was very good--spicy, harboring a good pair of shrimp, and with that right amount of tangy lime-y flavor; this reassuring bit of yumminess left me hoping that perhaps the chicken would end this meal on a high note. Sadly, such was not the case. Remember, I asked for spicy, but what I got instead was merely oily, too-finely ground (and therefore that much more oily, not especially flavorful, and mixed in with overcooked and infrequent peppers, onions, and green beans, and with the most flavorless basil I think I've ever stomached. It wasn't the worst Thai dish I've ever tried in Chicago, but it wasn't far from it. So, basically, the tom yum is what gets this place something higher than the lowest possible review, and as I mentioned before, maybe the sushi's all that and the proverbial bag of chips. However, if this is the state of Thai in the Midwest, then leaving DC has given me at least one source of regret.
(2)
Erica T.

I always come here with the intention of getting sushi, and can never resist the call of yummy curry. I cannot get over the Indie Curry - this dish of yummy squash and cashews and potatoes and meat in flavorful coconut milk curry sauce is absolutely delish. Also, having been to Shinobu the night before and having had a not so great experience there, it was refreshing to see how attentive the staff was, how great the presentation of the meal was (in addition to the taste). Next time I *really* want to try the Metallica roll, or the hawaiian duck curry (which they seem to have as a special every time I go there) but will probably succumb to yummy Indie Curry once again.
(5)
iddells E.

Ok, I went here again and took my mom and I've decided that I won't come back anymore. I realized that their portions are tiny!!! I don't know what I was thinking the first time I came here, maybe I was just excited. I was extremely put off by how small the bowl of tom yum soup was. It cost $4.25 for a tiny bowl that I could finish with just 10 spoonfuls. I also didn't think it was that good...I'll go to En-thai-ce for my tom yum. I ordered the tempura sushi that cost $7.00 and contained 6 small pieces....I'll go to Tokyo Marina for that. Beef salad was alright, it was spicy but not as lemon-y as all the other great ones are. So, I'll go to Opart Thai for that! Green curry was a decent size. I still like the atmosphere and decor. So, I'll skip it from now on and go to Grande since it's a Thai-Sushi place and their portions are bigger.
(3)
Devon R.

The raves are justified -- totally. From being voted by Chicago Magazine as one of the Best New Restaurants of 2005 when it opened to the frequently full dining room(s), this restaurant lives up to the hype. The combination Japanese/Thai menu is the best invention ever. If you're not in the mood for sushi or tempura or noodles or curry -- then what good are you??? There is something for everyone. I try to order a new dish every once and again, though I have my favorites (drunken noodles with tofu, veggie tempura maki, tofu steak teriyaki), and I have never been disappointed by anything I've ever ordered -- in fact, I ususally end up with some new favorites. Presentation is a huge plus at the restaurant: the sushi looks like art, and it really elevates the whole experience. Service is wonderful, sweet, and charming. Another biggie: BYOB. If you forget your wine, there's a Dominick's across the street. Phew! Their take-out is really fabulous as well -- the quality of the food comes through and nothing is lost in transport or translation. With the recent expansion of the restaurant, the space has really opened up. The new seating area is very well designed, clean and modern, great lighting. The original seating is still comfortable and intimate as well. You can't go wrong with either side -- and with more space, hopefully there will be less waiting time during their peak hours. Oh and the prices -- un-freaking-believable. Sometime I'm going to really go nuts with appetizers, sushi, and dessert, and maybe then, just maybe, the bill might fit. Otherwise, you won't believe the deal you're getting!
(5)
Gail I.

I just want to add my voice to the wave of positivity that this place seems to inspire--and warrents. Went with some friends with very different appetities--vegetarian, carnivorous, hungry, not so--and all were happy. Everything was tasty, well prepared, and well presented. The service was charming and our seating was comfortable. The crab rangoon and the hamachi were as good as reported. The sushi wasn't extraordinary--but was good, fresh, and reasonably priced. The beef teryaki was delicious-and such a generous portion that the trencherman carnivore in our party had a hard time finishing it. Really nice place.
(4)
Joey M.

I love this place. Lovely decor. Fun music.Very fresh nigiri/sashimi, 2 pieces per order. Creative and delicious maki rolls.The sushi rice is firm and substantial.It's BYOB which adds to the value pricing of the place in general. I generaly stick to sushi there but I really like their curry dishes.
(4)
Gayle G.

I likey. We've only had delivery and both times it's been really quick. The first time it was Thai, tonight it was sushi. Both times really good. I like the Tom Yum and the Penang Steak was really tasty. The fish was very fresh. We only ordered nigiri and sashimi, no rolls. It's not cheap, but good quality.
(4)
Lex N.

They always forget something. Three times they have forgotten miso soup of wasabi or something else. I do not want to be bothered by delivery people twice in one night to get what I ordered! The delivery person also forgot the receipt so I added two dollars for delivery charge. Never again. Hama Matsu here I come.
(1)
enrique t.

I love you Indie. you are there when i want a quick cheap lunch. you are the perfect place to take out of towners when we are by my house. you have the best atmosphere of any byob ive been to. i have good crazy tuna hand roll and curry. i wish you would offer BROWN RICE. i know certain carb concious people would pay more for it. ive considered bringing my own brown rice. how cool would that be. i like the technish music too. i could see a live DJ in this place as well as maybee later hours on friday and saturday. (edit) they now have brown rice but charge an extra $2 for it which is a bit much.
(4)
Lindsay N.

My new favorite restaurant. Dear God, it's good. Their Crab Rangoon is unbelievable. Perfect every time!!!! The first few times I went here, I got their sushi. So fresh, So Good. I finally tried their Thai food only because my friend got their red chicken curry. And then I was at a loss for words. Basically, you can't go wrong here. It's all so good, it makes me want to weep. Weep madly and laugh wildly all at the same time. Too bad they don't serve crazy pills.
(5)
Nada R.

One day, I will order a Thai dish here, I swear. Until then, I will order the salad that comes with with inarizushi & asparagus, and I will order some maki. Why would I do that? Because they have sweet gourd rolls AND the best sweet potato tenpura rolls you ever laid eyes on. WHAT?!, I hear you ask. Where is this? It's at Indie Cafe. I'll report on the Lard Nar or some Pads shortly. Maybe.
(4)
Leang E.

Ahem... I was glad to convince my friend that a Thai and Japanese restaurant would be able to make great sushi. Now, I'm convinced that this will be his go to delivery place for sushi. This review is for delivery only, and they are pretty quick. The maki rolls are tasty and creative. We had the Philly Roll, Spicy Blu Crab, Una-Q, New York, Bangkok, Summer Passion. If you don't feel like sushi, there are plenty of other menu options. The prices are a little less expensive than some of the other sushi places I have been to. Looking at the website makes me want to go in and have a more complete experience inside the restaurant.
(4)
Katherine S.

I joined Yelp just so I could give a glowing review of this place! I made a reservation for the Red Room (as suggested by the fellow reviewers on this site) and was seated promptly. My date and I brought a bottle of wine and a bottle of saki, and the waitress brought us saki glasses as soon as she saw we had it with us. The atmosphere was very cool and hip. Dimly lit, pretty artwork, nice music. The menu is extensive. We ordered crab rangoon and it was amazing! My main dish was the Indie Signature Curry and it was fantastic, so rich and aromatic with so many different flavors. Definitely ranks up there with one of the best massuman curries I've ever had. The plate presentation was also gorgeous. I felt like I was at a 5 star restaurant, not a small hidden joint in Edgewater! My date ordered the Summer Passion Sushi and he said it was wonderful, so even though I don't eat sushi, I tried it and I thought it was great! We also ordered green tea ice cream and red bean paste mochi ice cream. Both were wonderful. As soon as I got home, I raved to my roommate and told her we were going there as soon as possible. It was swank, delicious, cheap, and lovely. Looks great for groups and it was definitely great for a romantic date :) I WILL BE BACK, INDIE CAFE!
(5)
Jo-Elle M.

Yummy yummy yummy. I'm addicted to this place. Favs: Spring rolls (and the presentation - even with delivery - awesome!); Red curry (hot hot hot). I usually do take out or delivery, which is a shame, as the atomsphere is cozy and lovely - even with their recent expansion. Very good thai food and I really enjoy their maki.
(4)
John A.

This is my favorite Thai restaurant in Chicago, and the best Thai restaurant I've been to.
(5)
Jessica K.

I have been here a few times, mostly for Sushi and appetizers. This place is "trendy" for the area and can be packed in the evenings, even during the week. Ambiance is nice, and great to see a fresh look in the area to spruce up Broadway. It's a BYOB, and that is always a plus in my book. The sushi is fresh and I am a fan of the city maki rolls. They have a nice variety of rolls, although I wish they had more. The thai selection of the menu seems fair enough, and they have a few other noodle selections as well. The crab rangoons are heavenly, I just had them for the first time on my last visit and now I'm regretfull I hadn't tried them before. If you order online you can get a free order of them if you spend $20 or more! If I'm craving sushi on the near-north side, this is my go to place.
(4)
Beth R.

Went there with the hubs and 1 other couple last Friday. We ordered 8 sushi rolls to share and were rather surprised when all 8 dishes were delivered to our 2 small tables at the exact same time. The big plates they use for cute presentation took over our tables leaving us very little room to move around. The tables are so close together that I felt too squished to leave the table to wash my hands. On the upside - the food was lovely. We order a lot of delivery from Indie but the crab rangoons are MUCH nicer eaten at the restaurant - the filing is liquid awesome.
(3)
Adam G.

Ok so I see there are quite a few reviews on this place but thought I should add mine none the less. I was highly impressed with everything this place had to offer. From the decor and music right down to the food. I went on a date and maybe that helped too because I really enjoyed the person I was with. We shared a dragon maki roll as our appetizer. One of the best I've had in the city! I then went on to have the Pad-See-Ew with beef. VERY flavorful and tasty! They add carrots, peas and baby corn which I have never had in the dish before. They have a great selection of sushi, Japanese and Thai cuisine. Parking is meter but shouldn't be a problem. Pleanty in the area.
(4)
Milo M.

This place is great, genuinely friendly service, fresh sushi, inviting atmosphere, great prices, BYOB and their version of (Thai) Panang ranks among the best in the city. This place is the Butterfly (Grand ave) equivalent of the North Side, given that they balance Pan-Asian Japanese/Thai equally well. Service is never something I care about, but the service here is consistently friendly in the most sincere way. The food, price and genuinely friendly service makes this one of the best in the city. BTW- Other Thai favorites: Spoon Thai (Western), Classic Thai Clark St.
(5)
Diana M.

Finally ate in (instead of take away) and had the sushi here. It was pretty good, but nothing special. I had a spicy tuna roll, a Boston roll (tuna/avocado) and a mango/avocado/cucumber roll. The latter was very good, as was the Boston, but the spicy tuna had sort of a weird texture to it, that I didn't enjoy it as much as I was hoping I would. 6 rolls (I had 3/BF had 3) Crab rangoon (best in the city, hands down) 2 iced teas $52.00 (including tip) - I think that's quite reasonable! Maybe next time I'll just get one roll, crab rangoon and some pad thai.
(4)
Brandy M.

Order the gome-ae app, it's amazing!
(5)
Erik P.

I only had sushi/maki. The basic fish quality seemed very good. However, the rice was cool, and falling apart, and seemed to be missing something (vinegar?). I can shovel all kinds of things into my mouth. It's actually perhaps my most graceful, proficient move. The sushi was difficult. It really has to work together at a basic level, and the rice being off threw it. We ordered many of all the individual pieces on the menu as things went on. We tried several of the more interesting rolls - I will give them some credit for trying, but I didn't feel like they came together very well. Maybe I caught them on an off night....?
(2)
Andy D.

favorite place in this neighborhood. Variety and qualtiy of food is a hit especially lunches are a great deal. Love the drunken noodles!
(5)
Bob D.

Indie, I have to knock you down a bit. The first time I ate at Indie I was impressed with the freshness and the overall experience, not blown away mind you, but I felt there was a chance we could become closer friends. On my most recent visit, I was craving Thai, not Pad Thai, Not some Curry, but something herbacious and spicy. I struggled with your menu, distracted by wonderfull glossy photos of sushi and interesting artwork on the walls,, I kept turning pages back and forth, after I regained my focus, my date and I ordered some dumplings, small flavorful, but very pedestrian. My date opted for the green curry, and after some waffling I was enticed by a fried rice dish that claimed to have , lemongrass, galangal, kaffir, thai chillies and cilantro, normally I would never dream of ordering fried rice, but I have always loved this combination of herbs, chillies, and rhizomes. I was getting anxious for my food, I needed a distraction from the couple next to me rinsing springrolls down with a bottle of Yellow Tail Merlot. Finally my food had arrived , I pierced with my chop sticks and filled my hole, nothing, another bite, still nothing, I pinched the cilantro sprig and ate it, yep that is cilantro, unfortunately that was the end of my herbaciousness. I picked around and around searching for something that resembled one of the listed ingredients, not even a tiny bit of lemmongrass was to be found, nothing. In dire need of the taste of Thai, I reached across and stole a bite of my dates curry, bland, no kaffir, no nothing, just coconut milk and maybe onion and ginger, not that perfectly balanced "how do they make this reaction", I looked at my date, we were feeling for each other, we had only driven past 10 other thai restaurants to come here, braving Friday rush hour traffic and deciding that a trip to Uptown or China town was out of the question, now here we are stuck with very mediocre food and losing our will to enjoy ourselves. Desperation struck, I have an idea, I will ask the goofy server boy what is wrong with my food. "excuse me sir" "the menu says there is Kaffir, cilantro, lemongrass, and galangal in here" all the while the couple next to me is laughing it up with their Kangaroo wine and are now interested in my trials, Waiter "oh yes it's in " I picked at my food with a dextrous hand and said " where" Waiter " all mixed up" realizing quickly that I may have to fix my own dish I asked for some chillies and hot sauce. He whisked the chillies over quickly, rolled his eyes and was never seen again, at this point I overheard my neighbors making yummy noises while eating rangoons and California rolls,my food now just tasted like fried rice with chile powder. I don't need another restaurant for Crab Rangoons, California rolls and the likes, I need a restaurant that someone slaves over traditions, an institution where some one grinds exotic ingredients together to make the flavor of their child hood, one that will make me assured that Thai food is not something you get at the mall, I have had these experiences, have you? When in doubt you can make your own. My recipe for green curry 1/2 onion sliced thinly 2 T. green curry paste (Mae Ploy brand) 2 kaffir lime leaves 1/2 can of coconut milk 8 oz chicken broth cilantro 1 t. fish sauce salt and pepper to taste heat sauce pan on medium high heat, add onion and 1 T veg oil, cook until soft, add curry paste cook 1 minute, add remaining ingredients and simmer for 5 minutes, taste for salt and pepper, add whatever protein you like.
(2)
Joel G.

This place rocked! The inside of the restaurant was beautifully decorated which gave off a good first impression. As I sat down and looked over the menu, I was torn. One side of the menu offered Thai food while the other side offered sushi. What to do... what to do... Pondering my decision, I made a quick scan around the room. There was a big group celebrating at a table in front of us. They definitely were members of the cool kids club. I wouldn't mind being a voyeur for a few moments but my stomach had its own ideas. Looking back at the menu I decided to get the sweet potato roll and the salmon and avocado rolls. The consistency of the sushi tasted spongey but in a good way. I don't think I've ever tasted sushi like this before. My girlfriend had a couple of pieces of salmon with quail eggs on top. That was awesome! I don't think I can get sushi with quail eggs in Houston. As I though about that fact, I got sad.
(4)
Jims L.

Decent place for good, cheap sushi, but nothing special!
(3)
Kate W.

I like this place a lot. I held a party here with some friends and they were able to accommodate us very well. There were 10 of us and the only problem occurred when a friend who isn't good with "ethnic" food ordered a tuna dish and was surprised when it came raw. I just laughed at her. The waitress was very attentive and asked what the problem was with her meal... I was proud of the waitress for not laughing at her like I did. They were even kind enough to take that off the bill. The rest of us all loved what we ordered and agreed we'd definitely be back again. The prices were also very reasonable.
(5)
Jamie H.

Ordered from this place for dinner a few nights ago. Thought it was expensive until I saw the size and quantity of everything. Definitely worth the price, especially for the amount and quality. Not the best sushi I've ever had but certainly up there. The fish eggs especially (my favorite) were very good and tasted fresh.
(4)
Rachel L.

Wonderful food that satisfies you, but isn't horribly expensive. Most dishes are around $7-10, depending, with the maki around $8-12. It's also a BYOB, which is nice. Also, they don't charge even a dollar for a corking fee! They just hand you the corkscrew. The food was delicious! I can't wait to bring friends there.
(5)
P S.

Insanely fast delivery! The food is consistently awesome. The only thing I have every been disappointed by is that their masago is sometimes weirdly extra fishy... that has only happened when i've eaten in. the restaurant is filled with awesome pop surrealist art!
(5)
Rachel R.

Since my friend introduced me to this place a year ago, I go about once every two weeks. It's always satisfying, and reasonably priced (especially the daily lunch special!). I usually always get the same thing (vegetable egg rolls and Rama Chicken), but if something is consistently great, why stray? My friends usually get the Sushi with similarly high praise. This place has single-handedly renewed my faith in "pan-Asian" restaurants. So rarely can a place do both Thai and Japanese so well.
(5)
Shureice J.

I love this place. They simply have the best sushi EVER!!! My favorite is the pop-eye. The prices are awesome.
(5)
Michael P.

This is SUCH GOOD FOOD. I don't know how to write about it in a new way with being redundant to all the already positive notes! I'll give you my favorites: Drunken Noodles, with chicken and the crispy noodle upgrade.....and depending on the day extra spicey! And of course, the Red Curry. It probably doesn't matter what you get - just remember to follow up the meal with some Mochi Creams. The chewy outside is the bomb and out American mouths will get through anything for some ice cream! I'm going now! Mmmmmm!!!!!
(5)
A C.

This is my favorite sushi restaurant on the north side. WE order all the time because they deliver fairly fast (within the hour) and have delicious makis. It is also the best Thai restaurant on the north side. Definitely our favorite delivery/take-out place. We've dined in a few times, and the atmosphere there is pretty nice too.
(5)
Barry J.

Took my wife and 11-yr old son to dinner here this past Saturday. I intended to try their signature massaman curry with steak (recommended on their regular menu) but the waitress strongly encouraged me to order the crispy chicken panang curry from the specials card. (That wasn't its actual name, but those were the ingredients.) Presentation: Roughly 7 planks of hot chicken with crispy shell were stacked in a teepee shape, like an illustration of a firepit from a Boy Scout manual. The planks were as long as a regulation sized nestle crunch bar so this was a mighty generous amount of meat--like two meals worth, and I was hungry. Do you like rich and spicy panang curry? Mmmm tasteh. The generous dollop o' white rice had black and tan sesame seeds sprinkled on top, and a funny shape pressed into it. Service: Cheerful, friendly, enthusiastic! Cute to very cute waitresses. Oh behave... Wife had a sushi deluxe plate. She literally said "dee-lish" so I think she may have read my other reviews in which I quoted her as saying that. She did mention there was more wasabi on the pieces than she's used to, but she loves the stuff. This dish comes on a white plate the size of a vinyl LP so the sushi looks like art. Or jewelry at a boutique even. Son had chicken and broc in peanut sauce with wide rice noodles. This was artfully arranged as well. Stop me before I describe again. . . Son and I each had a cali maki which was delicious and came sliced and arranged in an unexpected, artful fashion! Ironic, since at this point I expect them to do _something_ cool, but exactly what? I do not know! Expect the unexpected! Menus: cool, unconventional graphic design! Who would have. . .oh right, that's so Indie cafe. Background Music: unobtrusively hip and cool electro jazzy lounge selections! A little warning about the liquor store, the best beers I saw there were Goose Island Honkers', 312 and Kolsch. Fine beers all but I would have liked something more. . .unexpected. Misc. details: This is a smallish room and half the other diners had their kids with them. But this was the early dinner crowd (6:30p) and even the little ones used inside voices. Meal was $62 w/tip, totally reasonable. I love this place.
(5)
Rocky B.

I'm kicking myself that I had never tried this place for sushi before today. I've stopped in and picked up some tempura and some iced thai coffee and wasn't impressed with either so I just put this place out of my head as far as going there or sushi. Today when trying to figure out where to go for a light lunch my husband and I decided to give Indie Cafe another shot. The restaurant is small but cute. All dark wood and black comfy chairs, black curtains...very chic. As soon as we were seated our glasses were filled with water...took awhile to actually get our menus tho. My husband went with the lunch special so he got fried tofu and a cucumber salad and the crazy basil fried rice. I ordered a thai iced coffee, a spicy tuna roll and a cucumber salad. Thai iced coffee was actually delish. Definitely not made the same way when I ordered it the first time I went to Indie Cafe. The cucumber salad had cucumbers, carrots, red onions, pineapple, jalapenos with a light tangy vinegarette. Very referesshing. My husbands fried tofu was pretty good as well....very meaty. I was surprised when I got my roll. Not only did I get my 6 pieces of spicy tuna but I also got three pieces of nigri and a little mound of seaweed salad. It was all so fresh and flavorful. My husbands crazy basil fried rice was also very good. Our meal came out to $17 and change...not bad at all for all the food we received.
(4)
Luc R.

I like sushi, the ex-lady liked Thai. She probably still does, I don't know. What to do. Indie cafe. The selections are amazing, the prices fantastic, and the help is always patient, helpful, and tip-worthy. When they suggest a special, try it. I've never had anything bad. Nor has anyone that I know.
(4)
Annie C.

The best crab rangoon IN ALL THE LAND. Seriously, I crave the crab rangoon. It's SOOOO good. Go out of your way to eat this crab rangoon. Do it. NOW. I've been here a few times and can say the Rama is delicious and the Panang is delicious. Perfectly spicy. I got a sushi roll once with bbq sauce that was sooo good but half way through I couldn't eat any more because it was too sweet. Share that one, I guess. It's really nice inside and also BYOB, which rules. Plus, you can't go wrong with the menu. It's never ending and I love that I can get Thai and my boyfriend can get Japanese. Awesome.
(5)
Dallas F.

I read all these amazing reviews for Indie Cafe and I hoped to have an amazing dish there. Alas, I did not. It wasn't terrible, just not something I liked. I had several maki rolls and only one was good to me- the dragon roll. Even it wasn't all that great. My friend ordered the Pad See Ewe and I tasted it and definitely did not like it. My pad thai was made with chicken instead of the tofu I requested. I ordered a sprite that never came until I ordered it again from a waitress who wasn't ours. Perhaps they were having an off night.
(3)
Ash M.

Food is good and fairly priced. The service is decent, not outstanding, but not bad either. It is BYOB, which is a huge plus for me- and they do well accommodating groups (we went as 8). They also have fast delivery, which I make use of at least once a month.
(4)
Scott D.

Amazing every time.
(5)
Morris F.

A first visit to Indie with friends was a huge success. I doubt there is better Thai food at this price point in the city. In addition to the usual Pad Thai and Pad See Ew type dishes, Indie serves some more interesting plates, including the Indie Specialty Curry. One complaint: we told them in advance we were going to be sharing all the dishes, but they still brought them as individual servings, each with its own little scoop of rice. This can be solved next time by a more specific request for how it should be served, but it's the sort of thing you wish they would think of. Five of us ate all we wanted for about $60. You definitely want to reserve if you are going at the dinner hour. The ambiance is hip and the crowd fairly young, resulting in a somewhat conversation-challenged environment. But go for the food!
(5)
Molly F.

Indie was my third sushi experience. I thought I hated sushi until I came to this place. Apparently, all places were using unfresh fish and stringy nori. I couldn't believe people at that stuff! Then, I came here and I am a changed person. Though, I feel sushi will be a taste I become accustomed to as I did with beer. Seaweed salad was a really fresh, and refreshing taste. They serve it in a martini glass with an umbrella. I don't remember the rolls we got, but I can say with full confidence that anything you order off the menu here will be delish. It's BYOB and I swear, everytime we finished a bottle of wine and were moving towards our next, it was already uncorked--the waitress was that fast and attentive. The dessert menu was phenomenal. Green tea ice cream was a bit of a bust, but the mango cheesecake was creamy, fruity, and fresh, and the mango sorbet was smooooooth. Go with the mango!
(4)
Rachel B.

The bar drinks are excellent, the food is very good, the portions are small and the service flat out sux.
(3)
Tamra G.

Lurrrves this place! It's a hidden gem of a restaurant nestled into a block of other little hole-in-the-wall stores in Edgewater...you'll probably miss it if you aren't paying attention when you walk by. [But, I have them deliver way more than we're in the restaurant anyway, so hey.] I LOVE their Crazy Basil Fried Rice. Any of their appetizers are great--tend to do the Golden Triangle (tofu) and the Crab Rangoon most frequently. Their Thai iced tea is to die for! I usually tell them to hold the ice so I can make it last longer. ;-) Their delivery guy is SUCH a hottie!
(4)
John W.

Every time I eat the crab rangoon, it feels like the very first time: I popped it into my mouth, my eyes widened, and I realized I had experienced taste nirvana. It's really that good, I recommend it with every fiber of my being, and whoever came up with that recipe should be famous. The service can be a bit disorganized, but they manage somehow. They get everything taken care of in a reasonably quick time, so I have no complaints there. The menu is broad, and the depth of its offerings varies. The "Japanese" section is the biggest by far, which is fantastic for someone who likes sushi, rolls, sashimi, special dishes (like a crocodile made of eel), and so on. However, a Thai fan wouldn't enjoy the same variety. This may be a good thing, though, considering many people probably wouldn't want to stray too far from basic Thai dishes, anyway. The food is good. I don't think it really differentiates itself from what other restaurants of that ilk offer, in terms of taste, but it's definitely very well-presented and worth the price. While the sushi and special dishes can reach $20.00 and beyond, the value you get for the price is excellent. You can order a dish for $7.95 and be satisfied, or you can drop phat cash on an extravagant meal and come away from the experience feeling it was money well-spent. The verdict: go there. Go there a lot.
(5)
Jon J.

I didn't really see the big deal about Indie Cafe. I had a pleasant lunch there on Friday, but it wasn't the amazing experience that I had been led to expect by the reviews here on Yelp. Instead, I had some solid Thai curry in a swankily decorated restaurant. I did appreciate the value of the $7 lunch special, though! I didn't find anything wrong here, just nothing too memorable. If I lived in the neighborhood, I'd probably come back due to the convenience factor, but for non-local residents, it doesn't seem worth a trip out of the way.
(3)
Po A.

Delicious pad thai. I forgot what else we had, but the pad thai was AWESOME. I can still taste it!
(5)
Rena P.

This was my 3rd time at the cafe, and I returned because the first two times were amazing. Everything I tried seemed to bring me sushi bliss. This time, however, I don't know what happened- everything had a "fishy" taste to it. Ironic as that may sound, fresh fish does not taste fishy, only fish that's been frozen and then thawed--never sushi grade. Unfortunately, all the fish in our maki rolls were inedible. We ordered $70 worth of maki rolls and ate a total of one roll combined (and even that left me nauseated for the remainder of the evening. Maybe there was a new sushi chef, maybe they had an off night, whatever it was...the restaurant experience was a bust. Kinda sad because I really loved this place initially.
(1)
Marie L.

It was hard to go into Indie Cafe without high expectations since there are so many rave reviews but quite frankly, I found it disappointing. The space itself is cute,"cozy," (read: teeny tiny) and has an overall modern feel. The silverware is lovely, I probably stared at and fondled my fork for a good two minutes. As for the service, it was pretty decent, especially for it being a busy night. But.... the food! Some of the avocados in my sushi roll were brown and the nori was too chewy. Chewy nori is the worst because you spend all this time trying to break through it with your teeth and at some point you have to give up and swallow it, nearly choking to death in an attractive spectacle of hack-coughing and tears.
(3)
Timothy M.

Bravo, Indie Cafe, Bravo. It's a dangerous game mixing cuisines from different countries -- I usually find pan-Asian restaurants end up lacking and very generic -- but Indie sure comes out on top. The sushi is INCREDIBLE. The presentation is amazing, the prices are decent, portions are good, etc. I'm a huge fan of the Popeye maki, the other special makis are all delicious too. The soup is good, and it's BYOB. Just go around the corner to the liquor store and buy some white wine and you're set! I live hella far away from this place, and yet I've managed to get over here a few times. With plans to go back. And since I haven't even been to all the sushi places within a few blocks of my house, that's saying something!
(4)
Michael K.

The food at Indie is very good. I've had the Basil Chicken several times, and it was nice and spicy. You can substitute brown rice, which is a great option. The Asparagus Gold appetizer, with the shrimp and bit of bacon, is tasty if a little naughty. My vegetarian friends love this place, too. My only complaint is with the service. While everyone is extremely nice, something has been missed or confused every time I've been to Indie. The mistakes are always corrected and I've never been over-charged, but be aware that you may have language issues with the servers. Just double-check your order, and everything should be fine.
(4)
rachel p.

After reading all the great reviews, I assumed that Indie cafe must be sushi heaven. Maybe my experience was so bad because my expectations were set so high. The fish was good quality, but that's about it. The nigiri we ordered were made with non-sticky rice, it fell apart when you picked it up. All of the specialty rolls were either overwhelmed with a strong flavor (like cilantro) or drown in some kind of heavy sauce. The extras totally overpowered the taste of the fish. I couldn't tell if i was eating tuna, yellow tail, salmon or shrimp. The service was good, the interior was clean and modern, but the food was bad and I will not be back.
(2)
Sheina K.

This place has my favorite silverware in the city. Good atmosphere & yummy food too. I had the Hawaiian duck curry special, which was a little too fatty for my picky self but still excellent flavor. The jasmine tea & mango mochi were yummy. Our servers were very nice & patient. Will definitely return. BYOB (liqour store on Thorndale or Dominicks on Broadway both convenient options). I don't think they charged a corkage fee for our screw-top wine but I didn't peruse the receipt either... If they did, it wasn't a lot of $.
(4)
Jess S.

OHMYGOD I love this place. The food is great! The sushi is great! The prices are great! This is one of my favorite restaurants. I have had my "birthday dinner" at Indie Cafe two years in a row because its affordable and delicious. Its small and they don't take reservations, so part of me selfishly wishes no more people find out about this lovely little place! Oh and the sushi presentation is beautiful.
(5)
Aigars E.

Very good place, priced just right)
(5)
Tom T.

Oh my dear Ceiling Cat ... this place is amazing. My wife and I went here for the first time on our anniversary, and Indie didn't disappoint. We ordered crab rangoons as an appetizer; upon their arrival, we noted that they were small ... but *wow* were they delicious -- much better than any other we've had elsewhere. The maki sushi we split was quite good, and furthermore made me happy to know I have a trustworthy place to order sushi from in the future. My entree was the basil chicken ... which -- NOM NOM NOM -- promptly disappeared. ^_^ The service was good, and the ambiance cute -- the art adorning the walls is eye-catching, and the lighting is a just-right shade of twilight. We'll certainly be back; I've already stopped by once just to get the crab rangoons for take-out, and they were just as good as the first time. I don't know if I've lived in Chicago long enough to finger any particular restaurant as my overall favorite, but Indie would be on my shortlist. (Afterword: It's now late 2011, and I've since moved back to New York state. I can easily say that I miss Indie more than any other restaurant in the entire Chicago area, and it's tied with the Free State Brewing Company of Lawrence, Kansas as my favorite restaurant *anywhere*.)
(5)
K C.

and yes the yelpers are right, they have the best crab rangoon here. been here few times and im still not sick and tired of their food. I love this place, small but trendy,classy and very cozy. servers are awesome except that one night that waiter keeps on asking us if we need something else as they are already closing. oh well. i still love them tho. I wont say it's the best thai restaurant but it's one of my favorite!
(4)
Maggie H.

I have been going to Indie for many years now. I am not a sushi fan but I eat everything else. Rangoons, Thai samosas, Satay, Veggie Egg Rolls, Cucumber Salad, Basil Beef, Classic Fried Rice w/beef, Crazy Basil w/beef, Drunken Noodles with Chicken and on and on and on. Oh and if eating at the restaurant the Fish dishes ROCK!! Wouldn't do fish for delivery, it needs to be enjoyed on site. The delivery is always prompt, food hot and GENEROUS portions. Love Love Love Indie and have tried other places in the neighborhood but none compare. Keep Up the great job Indie!!!
(5)
adya a.

Very fast delivery. Didn't enjoy the sushi rolls at all just threw them out. Crab was not fresh and the rolls were way too big. Just wasted my money.
(2)
Lauren M.

Love this place - we order takeout from them about twice a week. The delivery takes awhile (no longer than they tell you it will) but it is the most consistent and yummy thai we've found in chicago. Because their takeout is so good we've never actually been to the place - but I expect it's even better without the drive time :) Their curries are delicious, excellent crab rangoon, and I love the way they cook their tofu (their chicken and duck are good too). I don't actually like their sushi - so if that's what you're considering getting from them I would recommend going somewhere else. Their Oranger is really good though - I would stick with their thai and chinese-ish options.
(5)
Debresha P.

When I went here I went with a group of friends for a quick dessert. I tried their green tea ice cream and they had a red bean ice cream at the time. I also tried their Mango sorbet cake...DELICIOUS!! I was very apprehensive to try the red bean ice cream but when I did it was like a symphony in my mouth.... MMMMM SO GOOD!! Only thing is I wish the ice cream and cake was a bit a larger in portion size. Don't get me wrong the presentation was phenomenal but, the small amount given didn't satiisy my hunger for more lol! I haven't tried anything else but, is planning to go back with my hubby for a romantic dinner!
(4)
Dave A.

I'd probably give this place 4 stars if the order had been done correctly. I'm sure it was just happenstance, but when you order sushi takeout, I don't check to make sure they put the soy sauce in. Soy sauce is a pretty integral part of sushi. Once I figured out the mistake, I had to go back. They really didn't pay much attention to me, just gave me the soy sauce and I was on the way. I don't know what more I really wanted; I was just grumpy making a 2nd trip. Ok, part of the blame should go on me, because for some reason, I was out of soy sauce at home. The food was good. I like the edamame a little saltier, but the specialty rolls were good. Seemed like reasonable prices. I'd order from there again. I hate checking my order in front of the staff, but maybe I should make a habit of it.
(3)
Dalla A.

I am a big fan of Indie- delicious sushi at a great price. Try the summer roll with spicy mango and tuna.
(4)
Mikaela S.

Oh My Lord is this place delicious! I think it is the second best thai food I have ever had in my life. I just moved into the neighborhood, and needed to find my new thai place. The flavors are so amazing, and they are very friendly. And the decor is way hip and fun. EAT HERE! :)
(5)
Joel S.

I keep wanting to love this place, because it seems like a place I'd love, but at the end of the day it's all glitz and no glamor for me. What does that mean? They have all my Thai and some of my Japanese favorites and they seem to do them in a consistent manner, but I never have something and say that's the best "xyz" I've ever had... or even "wow, that's awesome!" Also their menu is freaking huge!!! A veritable nightmare for an indecisive orderer such as myself. I feel like I'm at the Cheesecake Factory for crying out loud. I'd rather see the menu pared down to the best and be wowed than have every option under the sun. Overall though solid, if not inspiring offerings.
(3)
Nellie T.

I would give Indie 3.5 Stars if I could. It's not amazing, but it's good. This location is close to my place, so it scores points for convenience. It's a small place, but very nicely decorated. They have cute little menus in these individual metal covers. Sushi is plated very decoratively. The waitresses here recommended the fried shrimp wraps for $7... pretty good. Seaweed salad was served in a martini glass with some masago. Very pretty and tastey. Sushi was regularly priced, pretty decent. We had three rolls and paid about $45 for three people. Not bad. Try their specialities, very yummy. Ask the waitress for sushi recommendations. They knew what was fresh and made very good recommendations. Very friendly and nice. Didn't try any of their thai dishes so I can't comment on that. I would say this is a good place to head to when you have a craving for sushi but you have a friend who doesn't. Something for everyone. It's cute as a little date spot. BYOB keeps you safe financially. Don't expect the best sushi ever. Not for these prices and especially not this far away from the ocean. You're going to have to pay to transport fish that quickly out to these parts. No reason not to try this spot if you're close by. I'll definitely go back.
(3)
Jill A.

This place rocks my socks. So much so that when I'm having a bad day, like today with snow in the forecast and the huge pile of work that followed me home, I console myself by ordering some out-of-this-world crab rangoon and fried rice from Indie Thai. I've also had the sushi and it was very fresh-tasting, with beautiful presentation. It's also BYO Wine at the restaurant, delivery is fast and courteous, and I have nothing to add to the other reviews here except to say that you simply must stop by Indie if you are in the neighborhood. And order the crab rangoon!
(5)
Erik R.

Everything I've tried and everything my friends have tried here is fantastic. The staff is very friendly, the menu is diverse, and the decor is surprisingly charming for such a small place. Not a bad date place unless you're looking to wow someone with how much money you're spending. Addendum: Holy cow! If I could add another star after trying the Indie Signature Curry with beef, I would. Essentially a massaman curry, the beef was so tender I almost needed a straw and the sauce was incredible! Even the delightfully presented acorn squash was delicious and I hate squash.
(5)
Melissa T.

The highlight of Indie Cafe is the fried rice. It is the best I have ever tasted in my life. I get the classic tofu fried rice and my boyfriend gets the crazy basil kind nearly every time we eat here. They also make a delicious agedashi tofu though the serving size is small. The sushi is okay. They are currently displaying some really cool/creepy artwork inside worth checking out.
(4)
Tiffany S.

Even though I have had better sushi elsewhere, it is nice to have Indie Cafe in the neighborhood. The sushi is not bad at all but the quality has been inconsistent. Strangely enough only with the more basic rolls? The Pad Thai and Rama Chicken are very good. I also like the fact that they have lunch specials. Nice atmosphere for dinner. The lighting and music is just right, the staff always friendly and the clientele a fair representation of the neighborhood.
(4)
Corey Q.

Great experience! Sushi was fantastic and the bill was reasonable for the amount of food and service. Nice atmosphere and outdoor seating is available. BYOB is always a plus and their menu has a nice variety of Thai and Japanese dishes. Tom Yum soup was so good...try it!
(4)
Armando C.

I just have to say that hands down this is one of my favorite places to eat up north! Service is great!!! I highly reccomend their sushi!
(5)
Made N.

Love this place. Food is always amazingly good. Great vegan options. Swanky cute interior (although they're good with take-out and delivery too). Really, it's all just very good. It's a for-sure deal whenever anyone comes into town because I know they won't be disappointed. As a Vegan, watch out for not-mentioned-on-menu fish eggs hiding in things that sound legit (like the seaweed salad), but they're always more than willing to take it off, just need to be told :)
(5)
Kristy O.

Yummmmmy! I live in the area and unfortunately the area lacks good restaurants...I think. But, Indie Cafe tops all of them. The presentation is great, the food is wonderful. Lunch specials and reasonable dinner prices, as well. I love the sushi, and the Thai food is good too. I recommend the Pad Thai and the Crab Rangoon. 6/28/08: I have been visiting Indie A LOT lately. Everyday there is a lunch special from open-3pm and the prices are not only cheap, but the amount of food you get is unbelievable! Choice of soup or salad, crab rangoon (3 of them), egg rolls (2), or one other appetizer option, and then a main dish, and the options are wonderful. This option is only $6.75! They also have sushi selections, and Japanese. The price on those are different but still so affordable. I recommend the rama chicken, crab rangoon (best I've had), shrimp tempura maki, and sweet potato maki. Also, the lunch special is for dine-in, carry out, or delivery. Basically, I'm obsessed.
(5)
Josh C.

Not only did Edgewater need a really good Asian restaurant to offset some of the shady ethnic eateries in the hood (there are some other safe bets, but I won't go into them here); but now it has an exceptional one in the Indie Cafe. I've eaten here about seven times now and it has yet to do anything short of satisfy. The sushi is always very fresh, well constructed and served with an eye towards artistry and flavor combination. The hot Thai (and even Chinese) dishes are really good too and you can tell that much care has gone into the preparation. They also have the BEST crab rangoons that I have tried in the city. Made from paper thin wantons, the homemade appetizers are light, flavorful, and addictive. I highly recommend this restaurant for a comfortable meal that will please someone with "downtown" quality expectations.
(4)
Jarod P.

Two, yes, that's right, two restaurants in one! The thai here is worthy of a Thai-only restaurant, and the Japanese entrees and maki are worthy of a Japanese restaurant. Plus, you can mix and match - get your table an order of maki to split as an appetizer. Unless you find yourself craving the crab rangoon, which everyone seems to rave about, and judging by the crowd tonight, everyone seems to order. I love their savory and rich basil chicken, but I'm also happy just trying their many creative maki rolls, like the Popeye (unagi, avocado, cucumber, cream cheese and spinach, topped with BBQ sauce) and the Metallica (scallop, spicy mayo, masago, cucumber and avocado.) I had to order that last one because whenever I see a menu item named after a heavy metal band I feel obligated to order it. (They hate me at Kuma's because I always order "one of each.") There are a lot of temptations on the menu; I figure it will take years to try them all. Oh, also, they get bonus points for dealing with my rowdy party of nine in a timely manner, without screwing up a single thing (and for taking the unorthodox but entertaining approach of asking for a show of hands to see how many miso soups to bring out.)
(4)
Anna B.

I went here for my birthday last December, and I'm still thinking about how good it was. We had the veggie tempura, the pad thai, and the tofu green curry, all of which was absolutely delicious. The place is unbelievably nice, considering how cheap it was! Check out their site for amazing photos of the even better food. I hope to go back soon!
(5)
Kate H.

mmmm it's yummy and so dern purdy. This place has Thai food and Sushi, too! It's definitely a nice looking place to have dinner if you're in the mood from some grub of the East. It's very classy, the service is super and the prices are pretty, good, too. I think a noodle dish hovered around $6.50 or $7.00.
(5)
Pontip M.

So today I was thinking about ordering from here through Grub Hub and then found out my neighbors had just had dinner there tonight. Another friend woke up from his NYE hangover and was hungry. When I found out my first choice Tank Noodles was closed I said we should to Indie since I knew it was open. The decor made me think it was going to be more expensive than what I read online. But luckily they just have nice decor and an affordable menu. And the food was really good too! We started with the Santana roll and their special a Blazing Coconut roll, both were inventive and tasty. We each had a soup. He had the Tom Ka Gai which had all the right flavors and I had the Won Ton. The won tons had big pieces of shrimp and was really good. The broth was a bit salty but not enough to not have kept trying to finish the bowl! We shared the Indie Signature Curry(massamun curry). For $10 is was amazing! Massamun is my favorite of the thai curries and this was well done. I only wish it had more pineapple chunks but the beef was really tender and the potatoes were cooked through. Our total bill came to $64(incl tax and tip). We both agreed it was worth it and if I go back and have a similar experience I'll bump it to 5 stars!
(4)
matt a.

I was a complete rookie at sushi. I had only tried cali rolls. I had tried Indie's food numerous times and thought it was outstanding. Anyway, a friend of mine came into town, and told me he wanted to get sushi and some sake bombs. So, without hesitation, I said, INDIE. That was maybe 3 months ago, and since, I have gone back 3-4 times. FOR THE SUSHI. Sunny Crunchy is friggin amazing, Others that stand out are the popeye, the dragon and the spider rolls. I can't get enough of this place. If you haven't tried it. DO IT.
(5)
Alex B.

Good, solid Thai/ sushi place with very fresh, if uninspired rolls. We enjoyed the Chicago Crazy, spicy tuna and some roll with mango chutney (sounded good, but we could barely taste the mango!). The Thai curries and noodle dishes are also delicious, although the gourmet feel allows them to get away with less than generous portions. However, the prices on both the rolls and Thai dishes are reasonable (most rolls between $5 & $12) and the BYO policy is a nice perk. Get a reservation on the weekends. This place is crowded!
(4)
Doko A.

I like their THAI FOOD better than their sushi. Im not saying the sushi is bad there but the panang curry, rama chicken, and pad thai are my favorite so far. Sometimes when they're busy, it's little hard to get the waiter's attention. Overall good food with BYOB
(4)
Yo U.

It's a decent restaurant. Try it if you're in the neighborhood and you'd like some Thai food. BYOB is a huge plus for this place as it helps keep the cost down. A ghetto-tastic corner store under the Thorndale El stop around the corner provides adequately for most of your beer needs.
(3)
Cheryl L.

I have to admit that I've taken to judging Chinese/Thai restaurants by their Crab Rangoon... and I think I've just stumbled upon the ultimate Crab Rangoon, at Indie Cafe Thai & Sushi: paper-thin wrappers, and the touch of pepper in the filling makes them so delicious, I could've easily made a dinner from them alone. But the great tastes don't stop there. Indie Cafe is a hip, hole-in-the-wall joint: feng shui-spartan design consisting of a dozen tables and half a dozen seats at the sushi bar. The menu comes in a metal CD-case, consisting of small laminated pages outlining your menu choices and giving plenty of pictures to help you decide. Lots of variety in Japanese and Thai dishes, superb selection of sushi and sushi rolls. In addition to the most amazing Crab Rangoon *ever*, I had the spring rolls - which were more sushi than traditional-style spring roll - and a chili-hot seafood salad that was as beautiful as it was tasty. The staff was nice, the prices were reasonable (dishes run from $3-17, with most in the $4-8 range), and all the food was great. I couldn't believe I had not discovered this gem earlier!
(5)
Phillip L.

Food is great. Decor is great too; the paintings are very interesting and memorable. Things I've tried: Drunken Udon - noodles (Japanese food): Good. Portion is smaller than I had hoped. Crocodile - sushi rolls: Great. They cook a whole eel and underneath it they put the sushi rolls. The eel is delicious and cooked to perfection. Tom Yum Soup: Great (Thai food), but the portion is small. Thought it would be bigger. Tom Yung Kung Fried Rice: Good (Thai food). Everyone seems to like the crab rangoon, but I think its just as good as the ones in any small and local Chinese carry-out restaurant, except more expensive. It's good, but there's nothing too special about it. Overall, great place to eat. Try it out sometime.
(4)
Jenifer B.

I love getting delivery from this place when I'm in the mood for sushi since they're close by; they're so fast and everything comes tasting great. Eating in kinda sucks, as our waiter didn't seem to care either way about us and the seats are crowded together, but the food itself is awesome, and the price isn't too awful. Their gyoza are the one item I would definitely not recommend. They were bland and so crunchy that they seemed deep-fried rather than pan-fried, ick. The philadelphia roll is my favorite, and their salmon roll and tuna roll wouldn't be bad if they didn't put wasabi in it. They insist that putting wasabi in the roll is the 'proper' way to do it, but they're the only place I've ever been that does it like that. If you do dine in, try the orchid tea, its delicious, but just like the green tea ice cream and iced thai tea, its something they just buy and dish out, not a culinary creation.
(3)
Monica Y.

Yummy vegetarian mussumam curry. They put long strips of acorn squash in it!
(5)
Luke V.

LOVE THIS PLACE! It's really the best sushi on the north side, hands down, and wonderful thai too! Contrary to other reviews, I have eaten in and had delivery several times, and both are good! In the city, we generally expect that delivery will take 1 to 1.5 hours, that's just the way it is. I don't think I have ever ordered delivery from anywhere in the city and had it arrive in less than an hour, usually about 90 mins. And seriously, of you are going to cry over delivery food, you should probably be on medication, and if you want 30 minute delivery, go back to Hinsdale! Lol
(5)
Ryan S.

Indie is awesome in every way. I eat here at least once a week and everything on the menu is good. I usually get the basil chicken or red curry.
(5)
Jolene H.

What shall I say? I went to Indie cos' of the great reviews on Yelp...but like the French say "Comci-comca" and the Singaporeans say "so-so only lah". It was erm...OK. I was famished after a 3 hour session in the gym and was ready to gobble. We ordered the Yakisoba, unagi (eel-my fave!) sushi, hamachi (yellowtail) sushi and the spider maki. It was bad at all but it definitely WASN'T mindblowingly fantastic and definitely NOT 5 stars. (The fish wasn't as fresh as I expected) Let's just say the presentation was better than the actual taste.
(3)
Ingrid H.

I love this place. It offers great thai, good sushi, a nice ambiance, a BYO policy and you get all of this at a very forgiving price. While there may be better places in the city for both sushi and thai--there are none at this price point. Just make sure you call ahead for a reservation. The BYO policy means tables take longer to turn over--making for a long wait on a busy night.,
(5)
Roxanne B.

Best Thai food and sushi in Rogers Park, for sure. Their sushi is fresh and delicious - my favorite is the mango-avocado-cucumber, which didn't sound that appetizing to me at first but it tastes so good with soy sauce (or by itself). Also, I yearn for their ginger avocado salad just about every day - the ginger dressing is the best! As far as Thai food goes, their basil chicken is my mainstay. Their pad-see-ewe is really good too, especially compared to some of the other surrounding Thai restaurants in Rogers Park. Even though I order delivery half the time, the decor is not so bad. It's super eclectic and kind of disjointed, but I don't dislike it. The presentation of the food is always nice too :)
(4)
jackie z.

I went to Indie for the first time today. I brought my four year old and my five year old for dinner. My daughter loved the crab rangoon's and my son enjoyed his fried rice. I enjoyed the best sushi in town. The service was amazing. I couldn't find my waiter, but the waiter for the table next to us offered to help with our request. That rarely happens. It was a long drive, but worth every mile.
(5)
Bonnie L.

Let me preface this by saying that I do not eat sushi. Yes, I am a sushi virgin. I did look at the selection of veggie rolls and thought that some looked appealing to me, I will have to go back and try some of them. But I did have the Thai. I ordered some spicy flat noodle dish that was delicious. It was very affordable. For two entrees, one appetizer AND a bottle of wine, our bill come out to about $25.00. Plus, the decor inside is really nice and service was very friendly and prompt. I will definitely go back. Perhaps try some sushi..................
(4)
Tim L.

Worth the trip if you don't live in the neighborhood. REALLY good crab rangoon. Had a bunch of different sushi rolls and they were all really good... good size, well-rolled, good amount of fish, etc. Very reasonably priced too.
(4)
theresa a.

after playing a late but posh gig in the south loop, my string trio and i raced up to Indie Cafe under the cellist's recommendation. as we hurriedly grabbed a bottle of pinot noir from the nearby Dominick's, i was looking forward to a leisurely meal. we got to Indie fifteen minutes before closing (1030p on a Saturday), and sheepishly asked for a table. the friendly and welcoming host still seated us but we definitely had to hasten up with the ordering. the staff remained friendly through out our late meal, but i definitely want to come back to enjoy a more lingering meal. the presentation (decor and food) of this place impressed me. it's hip and trendy without pretentiousness. my friend's seaweed salad came in a martini glass sprinkled with some red roe and topped with a cocktail umbrella. we just wished there were more seaweed instead of the cucumbers that propped up the seaweed and took up most of the glass. the seaweed that we got was perfectly crunchy and delicious. my drunken noodles were slightly more sophisticated and delicately flavored than most i've had. my other friend enjoyed his green curry came in a square dish accompanied by a mound of rice piled in a triangle. by the way, that was the first thai-japanese restaurant i've been to lately that did not subject their customers to sleepy and sappy 80's hits! i was also impressed by two more things: 1. reasonably priced entrees (my drunken noodles was under $8) 2. the fork with the semi-nautical knot. what is it with me meeting great silverware on my recent restaurant outings?! i really don't have a silverware fetish. i'm the one who never buys the silverware off people's wedding registries.
(4)
David L.

The lunch specials are the best deal in town. Less than $10 for an appetizer, soup, and an entree. My partner and I order from Indie at least once a week, and we've taken nearly all of our friends there. Both the Thai and Japanese menus are wonderful, and I've never had anything bad from either. My only complaint is that they are terrible at getting your order right on the phone, and have routinely screwed up our take-out items. Just play it safe and check the bag for the right items if you get carry-out.
(4)
Amber P.

Went to check out India Cafe after reading the reviews on Yelp (plus we were in the area for the Tweedy concert at the Emmanuel Temple). Ordered the crab rangoon and it was fabulous! The cream cheese tasted whipped and I think that's what makes these so tasty. The sushi was fresh and very clean tasting. We also ordered the ginger rice dish and it also did not disappoint. The service was great and the art on the walls was interesting to look at. The food prices were extremely reasonable as well! Great place for dinner!
(5)
Ryan G.

I think Indie suffers a bit from trying to do too much when they could excel at a few things. The menu feels more like a short novel, and the sheer number of choices is a little overwhelming. Certainly I understand why they would go with both types of cuisine, but in the process I think they miss on a lot of mediocre dishes.
(3)
Inspector G.

This is no five star restaurant. At best, Indie deserves 3 stars for having decent, if unspectacular, food but loses major points on service and atmosphere. Based on our first two experiences, one take-out and the other in-restaurant, here's what we've found: The Good The food is generally pretty good. As others have pointed out, pan-Asian menus don't often work out but Indie seems to have pulled it off. The shrimp shumai appetizers were light and delicious, leaving us craving more. The penang main course had robust flavor. The sushi wasn't bad, although we've definitely had better. The Bad On the downside, the restaurant is narrow and very cramped with wait staff scurrying back and forth constantly. The long, narrow bench seat felt like a rack. Although the staff are all quite friendly, we seemed to have multiple servers, which sometimes meant no one at all. The sushi we ordered sat on the sushi bar for a solid 10 minutes waiting for the penang to be finished. Summary ratings (out of 5 stars): Food: * * * - not bad but not out of sight either Atmosphere: * * - cramped, busy and uncomfortable Service: * * - friendly but slow and disorganized
(3)
Michael G.

This is a great restaurant! I've eaten here several times, before and after their expansion. The food and service is great, at a very reasonable price. This is one of the best places to eat in Edgewater and the city.
(5)
Tandra H.

OMG BYOB with great food! Thank you! The sushi is amazing and I am so in love with the curry. For me hot days = cold sushi, cold night = hot curry! Also I love to take friends because, I like sushi, some people don't. So they can get the Thai food.
(5)
Johanna C.

I really hope this place never closes. It's one of the few good Thai restaurants in the neighborhood. GREAT presentation with the sushi and dishes. Everything I've tried is very tasty and has its own take on Thai and Japanese. It definitely can get very crowded since it is such a small space - call ahead and ask them to reserve a table. Very well priced and a nice atmosphere. Go here! EDIT: I've become a lot more descriptive in my reviews so here goes: My favorite sushi here are the V Tempura, Caterpillar Roll and Summer Passion. They have specials as well. I tried the Indie Maki which was an option available in the restaurant. From what I can remember, it was very good. Sushi will run you from $4 (nigiri) - $18 (rolls at the most expensive price) depending on what you order. Almost everything I've had on the Thai side of the menu has been very tasty. My favorites are: Sweet Basil Chicken, Panang Curry and the Drunken Noodles. Those will run you around $7 - $11. They have good appetizers too. Everyone seems to like the Crab Rangoon which are pretty small unfortunately. :( The strawberry mochi is an excellent way to end your meal. It is BYOB. Parking is a hit or miss in this neighborhood. There are metered parking spaces on Broadway and Thorndale. You are better off trying a weeknight to come here. I recommend that you come in for sushi as opposed to calling for delivery. The thai menu is good for delivery if that is what you really want.
(5)
Dan B.

I woke up on this snowy Sunday morning and I could not decide whether I wanted sushi or Thai. I the remembered a friend mentioning Indie cafe having both, and doing them very well. I have to say I loved everything about my experience here. First off they have a great lunch deal, that is good even on the weekends. $7 for an entree, appetizer, and choice of soup. The best Thai style crab rangoon I have ever had! I had the pad se eew too which was excellent. In addition to the lunch special I got a spicy tuna roll which was also a delight. Fresh, spicy, and also had cucumber in it which I love. All in all I am an Indie Cafe fan and I will be back to sample many more of the sushi creations that they offer. Side note, I love the funky wooden chopsticks, more places need to have these instead of those splintery pieces of crap that you have to pull apart!
(4)
Heather B.

It saddens me to write a poor review for Indie Cafe because I was really rooting for this place - always recommended it to friends. The service, however, is horrible. We waited at least 15 minutes after being seated for anyone to stop at our table. After that, it was about 20 minutes for any food to arrive and, after we were finished, another 25 minutes to get our check. I eventually had to get up and walk to the other side of the restaurant to find a waitress. The panang curry is fantastic and the sushi very good as well. Don't go though if you're hungry and want to eat soon. Or bring a snack to tide you over.
(2)
Dianne B.

After a few hours of hauling all our worldly possessions up two flights of stairs to our new apartment, I decided that I needed sushi. Unfortunately, it was 9 pm on a Sunday night. Enter Yelp. I narrowed it down to a few contenders in a 5 mile radius, and ultimately went with Indie Cafe, because: 1) they seemed to be the most reasonably priced 2) they had a decent selection 3) their website was the prettiest 4) they delivered We ordered the crab ragoon, wonton soup, the cashew chicken for my anti-sushi boyfriend, sake nigiri, sake maki, an avacado roll, and a philadelphia roll. It arrived in about 40 minutes. The crab ragoon was good, although not as mind-blowing as some posts led me to believe. The wonton soup was a pleasant surprise. There were carrot slices and peas in the broth, and shrimp and chicken in the wonton, instead of the classic "mystery meat." It wasn't the traditional wonton soup that you expect, but rather a healthier spin on it. My boyfriend enjoyed the cashew chicken, but then, he's easy to please. Now, the sushi. ....Eh. It was okay. All the ingredients were fresh, everything was prepared well, but there was just something missing. It was just a little bland. Basically, it was decent sushi at a decent price for a last minute, late night order. But if I want really good sushi, I guess I'll have to look for another place. I will definitely order from them again, just not for sushi. Their appetizers were great, and the Thai menu looks delicious. The next time I want take-out that's healthy and affordable, I'll be giving them a call.
(4)
James M.

Indie is awesome. It's far enough north that it doesn't get swamped and too busy to get a table, they have excelent thai and sushi, and the decor is great too. I'm almost glad I don't live closer, as I would probably eat there too much... but great for a date, or dinner with friends, or even just carry out.
(5)
olivia h.

This place have some really good thai food. :3 ITs not really that filling as Bens Noodles, but they both are good places to eat. Last time I been there was last year on April 23,2008 and I had there Yakisoba and it was good. It taste alot better than the Yakisoba you get at Wallgreens in those packages. I would receonmend this places because if its good food. ^__^
(5)
Larisa M.

CHECK YOUR ORDER BEFORE YOU PAY! We ordered three entrees, Edamame and received a "free" appetizer with our order (Gyoza). Our food was ready on time, but when we opened two of the entrees, the protein was missing. We had asked for the garlic sauce on the side for the Broccoli Lover and the Veggie Delight because we thought it would be too spicy for our kids...so they left off the chicken and tofu as well! The dinner was ruined. Our kids ate only rice/noodles with steamed veggies for dinner :-( The Seafood Madness was delicious, but $38.95 was a bit much for two incomplete entrees!
(2)
Dianne G.

I love the Japanese menu here, the Thai is good but there are other places I'd go first. The seaweed salad is the best I've ever had. It has enough kick without being too spicy. The sushi is also really great and reasonably priced. The decor is creative and fun for a date or other celebration. Everyone has their favorite neighborhood Thai or Sushi joint, I find they get pretty passionate about which is the best. This place will definitely give them a run for their money.
(4)
Maureen S.

Had dinner here last night, I was pretty excited as it is walking distance from my house. The restaurant was busy for a Wednesday night so I took as a good sign. I had the wonton soup, it was delicious. My husband and I shared the Oranger (orange chicken), an unagi and philly roll. The waitress gave me a heads up that our makis might take a while because the sushi guys were busy. I appreciated the fair warning. Our orange chicken took a while to come. While it was tasty, it had a little bit too much sauce for my liking. The other problem was that the table to my left ordered after me, yet they got their sushi order 20 minutes before I did, I mean, what gives? I didn't mind waiting but don't tell me I have to wait while another table who was seated and ordered after me gets their food way ahead of me. Anyway, by the time I got our makis, my husband and I were already in ill humor. The makis turned out to be just ok, it wasn't worth waiting 45 min for. I truly wanted to like this place, maybe I'll have to try it another time. But I probably won't be in a hurry since it's not like there's a shortage of thai/sushi places in edgewater.
(3)
laura p.

Indie Cafe is wonderful. Some of the best sushi that I have had. And since they also serve Thai food, there is something even for those who aren't too keen on raw fish. The atmosphere is great for lunch or dinner. The lighting in the room changes making it feel really bright and laid back for lunch and a bit more elegant and romantic for an evening meal.
(5)
Rick I.

Another good meal. Fresh food, tasty. I had Thai, my date had sushi. Both meals good. Service a tad rushed and some language barriers, but will go back and rec to others.
(4)
Jenelle H.

This place is really good. I have ordered out several times and finally ate in this weekend. The food presentation is really good. I love the spicy sake roll and seaweed salad. Their sushi is just perfect. I tried one of their curry dishes and the chicken was a little tough and there weren't as many veggies as I'm used to. Stick with the Japanese fare and you won't be disappointed!
(4)
Kirstie S.

Great curries, crispy noodles and though I don't eat seafood they seem to have an excellent selection of sushi. Their menu is extensive and the food is consistently good. It's just a touch pricey and I feel a little uncomfortable eating inside the place (I used to live a block away and take out was the best option) as the clientele can be a little uppity and the music is not always the best.
(4)
R. N.

This was possibly the best delivery experience I have had in Chicago. Not only was the person who answered the phone helpful with my order, but extremely patient with me when my phone reception went sour. And to top it off, the food was delivered in the time frame that they gave me, and delicious. Sweet potato maki to die for.
(4)
Mindy S.

They have a salad on the Japanese menu that was amazing. It is seaweed with spicy mayo, masago, cucumber and "k"rab. I would have been happy to have had a whole meal of it. The maki selection is creative and quite good. I did delivery and it was quick. Will so order from here again.
(4)
Craig T.

I'm writing this review for delivery thai only. I was lonely one night, wanted some thai food without having to put on pants (plan foiled when I needed to go answer the door), so I found this place on grubhub. Someone mentioned the crab rangoons already, but I must support this view: the crab rangoons are FANTASTIC. Starch to filling ratio was optimal, and flavoring was perfect. My main dish was the pad see eew, my normal comparison dish. I was impressed with the taste, texture, and amount of vegetables included. Instead of the mush you normally get crammed into the corners of the carton as an afterthought, the vegetables were actually there as a major player in the dish. Chicken was also excellent, not having the little chewy bits you inevitable find in most chinese or thai chicken dishes. Delivery was prompt, and the food was packaged elegantly. Nothing special, but nice paper sack instead of the usual plastic grocery bag dripping brown sauce on the carpet, and nice containers which made for great reheating. Presentation was nice enough for ordering in on a date if you and your significant other are also against putting on pants. Alas, all this comes at a price. Crab rangoon (not terribly large portions), chicken pad see eew and delivery charge put me in the $16 range. It was enough for dinner and a late night snack later, but I would recommend bringing some friends to dilute the delivery charge and to score one of their numerous grubhub coupons (free appetizers for $20 order, etc). Great place if you're willing to pay. Now one of these days I shall don pants and go to the actual location (no pants, no service?)
(5)
Sarah N.

Love it! Great atmosphere and great food (sushi and thai). Mostly it was a great price! We went here for a birthday dinner and it was very nice. If you are a sushi connoisseur you will not be blown away but this a lot of bang for your buck sort of place.
(4)
Rachel I.

Great food and great service. The vegetarian egg rolls are fantastic. Excellent sushi and garlic chicken.
(5)
Mrs. F.

In one word: ROACHES.
(1)
Og B.

this has become my favorite thai/japanese restaurant in the edgewater area. best crab rangoon. best curry. best super white sashimi. byob. best delivery phone guy ever. EVER! i get the lunch specials at work. they rock delightful.
(5)
Marjie W.

I like this place! Me and my friend go there, and I love their Caterpillar roll. The service is typical, it's a fast-paced restaurant so it's not anything to write home about. But I love their sushi and miso soup! and the atmosphere is nice too.
(4)
Kristin B.

Wow, I don't know where to start! I had this place recommended to me by a friend, and the four of us headed out one night in April for my first Indie experience. I LOVE that it's BYOB...bring a couple bottles of wine and you're set for the night (no corkage fee). For appetizers, they have the most dee-licious crab rangoon I have ever tried! The edamame is also tasty. I tried the Basil chicken thai entree, which is ground spicy chicken w/peppers and onions over rice...absolutely delicious! On another visit I tried the sushi (now..I was very afraid of sushi and was reluctant to try it, but the boyfriend convinced me because he was such a fan of Indie sushi). I had the 'sunny crunchy', which is perfect for a sushi newbie like myself (and plenty filling!) The green tea ice cream is pretty tasty for dessert and served in a martini glass. The presentation of this food is beautiful and the prices are very reasonable. The decor is very trendy and seating is comfortable....I love you, Indie Cafe!!
(5)
Shreepaad D.

Decent food, not great. They don't quite understand the meaning of making it as spicy as you can. Their drunken noodles were not that great. Spicy basil leaf was good but tooo dry. However, I would still return for their panang curry.
(3)
Ada L.

This message is not for food- I actually really like their food. This is for their online ordering and customer service. I spent all this time on the "online ordering" section of their website ordering the food. The order goes through, it tells me how long the wait will be and I'm super excited. Awhile later, I get a phone call (which gets dropped 3 times by them) only to tell me that their computer system is not set up yet to notice that my address is not within their delivery zone (though I looked hard on their website and couldn't find their delivery zone listed). It's somewhat close to their delivery zone, but not in it. Why would you have an online delivery system set up without that type of filter? And since it's your fault, you can't just go a little out of your way this time? He did say they would be kind enough to void my order, though. Really, thanks.
(1)
Sarah U.

Working nearby this restaurant, we order frequently from here. The lunch special is such a good deal and includes a lot of food. Delivery is very prompt, and we usually put in a large order and it is correct. Staff is very friendly and accommodating. I always get the Pad Thai and it is always satisfying and delicious. I enjoy giving them business.
(4)
Megan R.

I LOVE this place. I have never had a poor experience here. The staff is really nice and the presentation is always fantastic. The food is delicious and fairly priced. I usually cannot eat sushi of any kind but they have a really good mango and avocado roll that I cannot resist. The will also use rice paper by request if you aren't keen on seaweed. I think everyone should go here.
(5)
FM G.

You'd think that trying to do too much wouldn't work well, but Indie does a good job of it. I went there with 3 other people...three of us had Thai and one had sushi. We started by splitting the edamame appetizer, my dinner companions had soups and then I had a mussamun beef curry, one person had pad thai, one had a panang dish and the last person had a variety of sushi rolls. We ALL found our meal to be quite tasty, the presentation was nicer than expected, service was great, and the prices were quite reasonable. The only thing that was annoying is the corkage fee....I find it rediculous that a BYOB place charges to hand over a cork screw....what are they going to do if you bring your own cork. Mini rant over.... I'd thoroughly recommend Indie cafe and I'll surely be back.
(4)
Gen S.

I've only had delivery from here, so I think I need to actually dine in and see how it compares. The delivery is just ok. It takes a while to show up and the sushi is always mediocre. It's not terrible, but I've stopped ordering delivery from there.
(3)
Michelle J.

First try and absolutely no complaints! We wanted a relaxing night "in" and decided on delivery....yes, we were being lazy as it is a neighborhood joint, but we all deserve those days!! They are listed on grubhub with the online ordering option (thumbs up!), which allows you to peruse all options without ordering difficulty and request adjustments without the order-taker messing it up. We tried the crab rangoon, egg rolls, basil chicken, and beef fried rice from the Thai menu. The appetizer portions were small, though perfect to get a taste of what you want and not get overstuffed with the entree portions (e.g. crab rangoon has four small "purses" and the egg rolls had four small egg rolls). The food was light and flavorful. Of course, we shared our entrees....unlike most of our attempts in which we try each others and then continue eating our own entrees, we definitely split both entrees as they were delicious! We will be back for more...
(5)
Roneel S.

Nice place, good food and good potion. Nice servers.
(5)
Felicia Y.

I still haven't been to Indie but order delivery often and have never been disappointed, except once when I received Coke instead of Diet...but that was probably user error. The food is consistently delicious. I'm wary of sushi unless the menu is exclusively sushi but Indie Cafe has fresh salmon that melts in your mouth. Well, maybe not your mouth but definitely mine. I stick with Red Curry and a spicy tuna roll. And the crab rangoon. I need to place an order now.
(5)
Mel R.

best crab rangoon ever. soft shell crab good. great sushi (dragon roll and _) pad see ew was ok. atmosphere classy but comfortable. BYOB reasonable prices.
(5)
Jenny C.

I'm not sure I get this place. I've always seen really enthusiastic reviews about it, but after dining here twice, I'm never that impressed. Everything is decent. I've had a Thai noodle dish and their sushi, and nothing really struck me as particularly awesome.
(3)
B M.

I liked their thai than the japanese. Their sushi were ok.I would recommend house of sushi & noodles for sushi lovers.
(3)
Kaycie M.

Amazing food. I was seriously satisfied with the food when I was a meat eater, but now as a vegan, I can still say it's amazing. They will absolutely accommodate vegetarians or vegans and all ingredients are clearly listed on the menu. And hello, BYOB! Great place, great service, great eats.
(5)
james m.

I have been eating at Indie since they first opened and love the slow evolution from bare bones to a twice the space elegant yet simple setting. I prefer their luncheon specials. You will never find a better bargain for such high quality food. I have enjoyed both the Japanese and Thai selections. The BYOB is great considering you have Dominicks and Thorndale liquors so close. My favorite dish right now is the Pagnang Curry Chicken.
(5)
Molly P.

My new favorite sushi restaurant! Inexpensive, fresh, varied veggie options, delicious and BYOB. Maybe soon they will expand their delivery area. I hope so!
(5)
Adam V.

Always a good meal, except sometimes they don't make it as spicy as I'd like. After trying about 6 thai restaraunts since moving here, this one has been the best.
(5)
Adam S.

After being a hardcore Bentonara fan (mostly because of their volcano roll) I decided to go outside the box and try this place after reading so many positive reviews from my yelp "friends." Man, this place was fantastic. We had four rolls, tea, edamame, and mochi for dessert. Each roll was beautifully designed and presented on separate plates, the jasmine tea was well brewed, and the edamame had plenty of salt. :) The atmosphere is cool too - small and understated room; it really feels like a local place but it's very clean so you don't leave wondering if you'll be making a visit to the porcelain throne in a few hours from bad fish.
(5)
Dawn B.

Until recently I lived right around the corner from Indie Cafe, so I've been there on several different occasions. All in all this is a decent restaurant with good food, reasonable prices, and dependable service. I'd say the sushi is a little more impressive than the Thai menu, but for the most part everything I've had was good. The place itself is clean and well decorated and you can't go wrong with BYOB. My only complaint is that I've ordered Pad Thai twice and it's been greasy and somewhat tasteless. Considering it's one of the most basic staples of Thai food, I would have expected better from Indie Cafe. If you want to be on the safe side, the sushi or the curry dishes are a solid bet.
(4)
Jeff A.

This is the place...whats crazy is I live walking distance from Indie but have searched far and wide and ate sushi everywhere in this fair town...but Indie delivers a happiness that I can only begin to deliver to you in words...The creativity of the rolls are never ending in addition to many amazing regular rolls on the menu they always have a special roll of the day or week...and they will customize at your request as well...my two favorites rolls on the menu are the metallica and the las vegas roll both out of this world...to top off the already mind blowing sushi is the thai food...The Indie signature curry dish with beef is amazing...the beef is like a juicy beef roast any middle american mom would be proud to call her own- except much different in the flavoring of-course-juicy hearty and complex all at the same time! as if this was not enough the lunch special is grand under 7 dollars for soup appetizer and entree...one last thing and this is huge! You must get the crab rangoon they are the best I have ever had! worthy of a 6th star! oh and BYOB yeah you know me!
(5)
Karmen L.

This is definitely a hidden treasure in Chicago! The sushi is fresh, delicious, presented artistically and isn't pricey! You may have a hard time finding parking but the place is quite romantic, quiet and cozy enough to spend an evening with some good friends. This is a BYOB restaurant, just so you know.
(5)
Cat B.

This is a great find! The decor is very warm and welcoming. The sushi is REALLY good. I cannot attest to the Thai, but I will be going back and to try it...ONLY because I care about the yelp.com readers will I SUFFER and eat good food again and again. (what a martyr!) They are BYOB, which is always nice. I hate the corkscrews they give you to use, but I am picky about that stuff. The menus are really unique. Pages of laminated words and pictures with tabs for Japanese and Thai in tin mini photo albums. They had some good special options as well. The only problem I had was that I felt a bit rushed. We ordered all of our food and it came out appropriately spread out, but we didn't get our ngiri pieces with our rolls. We almost didn't get them altogether. We were giving them the benefit of the doubt, but we had to remind them that we had ordered the ngiri when they brought the bill (They had them listed on the bill, but had not served them to us). They were slightly apologetic, but didn't really offer us any other consolation given that our meal was a bit broken up. Plus they didn't even ask us if we were actually finished. What if we wanted dessert or more food? That was a bit off-putting. The sushi was so good that I am willing to overlook the mishap with the ngiri and the rushed feeling. I will definitely go back. We had the chicago crazy roll, the bangkok, and the Uni-Q maki...all very good. The hamachi ngiri was delicious as was the Unagi. I will update when I taste the thai.
(4)
Ari K.

Indie is a great neighborhood restaurant. With so many options and an incredible steak panang curry. Make sure to order the food spicy as it can be bland (especially the tofu curries). The sushi has great sauces but there are plenty of better sushi joints in the city.
(3)
Kim M.

This is a fun place to go when you're in the mood for a little Asian fix. The sushi here includes your usuals (the rainbow rolls, dragons, californias, etc.), but also has some more creative rolls - I think we had one with mango that was pretty good. My one complaint about their sushi, was they use BBQ sauce in A LOT of their rolls. In one or two it was a fun touch, but A) it's kinda weird, and B) it got old kinda fast, so beware the BBQ sauce rolls. I really like their pad thai. Their sauce has the right amount of sweet/spicy.
(4)
Shannon W.

Yummy, yummy Thai food! Haven't tried the Sushi yet, but my friends tell me that it's wonderful. I greatly recommend the Thai Ice Tea. DELICIOUS!
(5)
Doug S.

Best Thai food in the area. I am told that the sushi is very good as well. Even the presentation of the food is immaculate. Cute, small atmosphere. The perfect place for a date. BYOB of course. Try the Drunken Noodles with tofu!!!
(5)
Yujin A.

3.5 stars... Ok.... so after reading raving reviews, I made my lazy ass up to Edgewater in the brutally cold weather. Good that we went there early(around 6) because by 6 30, the line was out the door. My rating is solely based on dishes we tried. The sashimi platter we had was actually pretty good. They have interesting looking menus, and some items on their menu sound even more interesting. I grew up making and eating sushi, so maybe I'm being too edgy. However, you never, Never use overcooked sushi rice making rolls because the moisture in the rice makes the nori soggy and the texture mushy. In fact, rice should be slightly undercooked for making sushi. They somehow use really overcooked rice in our rolls. I think our rolls would have tasted so much better with properly cooked rice. In decent sushi places, they would probably discard overcooked rice and make a new pot. But I am sure they were under time pressure. Other than the rice, some of the combinations of ingredients in maki rolls just didn't do it for me although they are very original and creative. I haven't tried their Thai dishes yet. I think I will give this place another try and hopefully upgrade the rating. Service here is pretty slow since the place gets so crowded. It's BYOB which is a plus.
(3)
kiley w.

Okay, I never liked this place to much. But I went again yesterday to try the sushi. The sushi was wonderful, very fresh and nicely put together. Had the dragon roll, spider roll and a few others I forgot which, but they were really good. We also ordered the Indie Signature with beef. The curry with it was good, but the beef not so much. I would only come here again to have the sushi.
(4)
Meredith M.

i mean what hasnt been said? this is our go to place for sushi/thai delivery. always fresh and I even have my carb obsessed boy hooked on the fresh spring rolls with their perfect little dipping sauce. and the guilty pleasure crab rangoons? STOP ME.
(5)
Jelly C.

Indie is a great neighborhood spot. At night, this little restaurant can get pretty packed. They serve Thai and Japanese cuisine and do so wonderfully. I usually stop by for lunch to enjoy their specials. You choose from either soup or salad, appetizer, and an entree for 7 bucks (ends at 3:00). They have a lot of great choices on their menu. I tried the curries, sushi, pad thai, soft shell crab salad, grilled shrimp salad, etc. and they're all pretty good. I only had one dish that I absolutely hated. It was a scallop dish with a spicy sauce that completely overwhelmed the scallops (although the presentation for this dish was gorgeous). The service is good and the price is right. What more can you ask for...
(4)
Liza W.

I absolutely love Indie Cafe. In my opinion, it is the best place to get sushi and thai in the neighborhood, and maybe some of the best thai in the city. My absolute favorite is the red curry. I am a huge red curry fan and try it everywhere I go. At Indie Cafe, it is the perfect balance of creamy, thick, and spicy, with yummy vegetables and delicious meat. The sushi rolls are all very good. This is my go-to place for takeout, and a casual meal out. Pleasant atmosphere and friendly staff.
(5)
Rishi R.

Me and my girlfriend went here out of a whim and really enjoyed the meal. I had the monte carlo special she had sweet patato tempura. we also had soups, Tom Ka Kai and mixed veggie miso soup. The place has limited seating so make a reservation.
(4)
Mani M.

My wife and I took dinner with an out of town guest and his pad thai had a really bad taste/odor and upon investigation involving both of the owners it turned out they had used an unclean pan. Instead of saying sorry the owner came by initially after I brought to the attention our waiter and told me "A lot of people order the pad thai and they have never complained". We were reprimanded in front of our guest, which was weird. I used to like this place but the behavior of the owner during that visit was very rude & ignorant and brought obvious the issues with the management of this place. She did not know how to handle a simple situation. I suggest if you do have an incident here do not deal with owner Guen she is very prissy defensive not ideal for dealing with customer service issues but instead ask to talk to the other co-owner who is the cook in the back she will actually listen to what you have to say as she is the one who found out the reason for the taste difference is they used the wrong pan to cook the noodle. The staff always seems overworked and comes across tired, hurried and very unhappy. Do not risk potentially ruining a night out and spend your money at any of the other nearby edgewater restaurants.
(1)
Heather R.

My husband and I went to dinner here last week on a weeknight. I was impressed with the business which means word is getting out about this neighborhood gem. The miso soup is tasty. We shared the egg rolls- delish. I had the sweet potato maki roll. I love it and continue to get it every time we dine here. I wish Indie Cafe was closer as we live in the West Loop/River West neighborhood. The service is always good, the food is consistent and the price point is perfect for budgeters.
(5)
Eliot J.

affordable fare, delicious food, friendly staff and flawless presentation. this is THE best sushi bar in the city. i'm there all the time and take every out of town guest. everyone walks out raving. A+++
(5)
Dave H.

The Tango salad (with soft-shell crabs and two good sauces) is excellent. When I ordered Unagi, it was also plentiful, and nicely packaged, and still warm when it got to the door. One star off for being kind of pricey (I know, sushi, but still...)
(4)
Amar S.

I have to corroborate the story that my girlfriend wrote about this place. We order from there quite a bit since it is close to her place. On numerous occasions they've forgotten the little things like soy sauce and chop sticks. But on one particular night (a night that we were crunched for time and trying to get to the airport...all of which I explained to them) they totally botched the order... and then some. First of all when we got the food delivered, it was someone elses order. Then when the delivery person came back she had only come to pick up the wrong order... BUT failed to bring our correct order. We were starving and on the way to the airport, so we ate what they incorrectly sent us. As we were eating the sushi on the way to the airport, I got a shard of glass in my sushi (I still have the glass for proof). It chipped the back of my tooth. When we called and mentioned all of this they agreed to refund us and give us credit for our standard order for 3 times. They did honor this once. But the second time they completely retracted their offer and said they'd throw in an appetizer. On the day this happened,they told me all of this would be appropriately detailed on my girlfriends and my account. Obviously that was a lie to avoid legal action at the time and to appease us. Furthermore, on the original day when I asked to speak with the owner, I got a girl (Anna) who in retrospect wasn't even the owner. I think this was a very poor/unprofessional way for the restaurant to treat customers that order from them routinely and spend good money there. I was very disappointed in the customer service, follow up and how difficult they (including the owner) made this whole thing for me considering they really screwed up. I almost swallowed a piece of glass! As a physician I'm very aware and have seen some bad consequences of swallowed glass. I guess I'm lucky I only chipped a tooth. But not lucky for the experience I had with management. This left a bad taste (worse than glass) in my and Fiona's mouth. Check out her review if you want corroboration! I'm normally a very patient person and it takes a lot to get me riled up. I never complain and am always nice to the wait staff. So for this to make me upset enough to want to write a review (my first), it must have really pissed me off and made me feel lied to/decieved.
(1)
Kate K.

This restaurant is excellent. It has a large menu of both Japanese and Thai cuisine. The sushi is quite good and the Thai food is excellent (the Green Curry and Pad Thai are my particular favorites). The price is reasonable and the presentation is beautiful. The lunch Thai and Japanese specials are great. The restaurant is small and can get crowded, so get there early. They also deliver, usually w/in 45 minutes. This place has been a regular haunt since I moved to Edgewater in late 2004. Highly recommended!
(5)
EJ F.

One of the best Thai places I've been to. Its much nicer than some of the other Thai places I've been but it's not much more expensive. If you're in the area you should stop into this place.
(5)
Lisa K.

What a great neighborhood byob! The staff is excellent and ready to please. The menu is very extensive with a wide variety of appetizers that go with the sushi/maki options and some that go with the thai options. You can mix and match to get variety. We had the Crazy Chicago roll. Lots of veggies and a mixture of fish. Excellent. For an entree, I got some Thai noodles. The vegetables were very fresh and the sauce was light and not too over powering. The dish was listed as hot but only had one hot pepper so didn't qualify as such in my book. For dessert, I had the muchi ice cream. An unusual, rice covered ice cream. Again, it was delish like the rest of the meal.The bill came and I was in shock at how low the total was for two people for such a good and filling meal. Indie is a great place for a date and still casual enough for friend to hang out for an affordable dinner. Hands down going here again to try some of the other items on the menu.
(5)
Edward G.

I dont even know what I ordered when I went here the one time I did, but I continued to order. Never have I seen such a huge and delectible menu. I could not stop ordering more sushi once I ate what I had. Ended up spending like $50 dollars on me alone and I felt like a glutton, but I was like a kid on christmas morning who could not stop unwrapping.
(5)
Justine O.

This place is the bomb. I recommend the asparagus gold appetizer....sooooo delicious! The sushi is amazing as well, as are their noodle dishes. My bf and I usually share a few rolls, then split the pad thai and find it to be MORE than enough food. BYOB is also a plus
(5)
Josh T.

The sushi is one of the best I have had and was presented very well. You could definitely taste the crab in the crab ragoon, but the portions were small so order two of them if your party is more than two people. The Thai food was also very good. The Thai Ice Tea didn't have the aftertaste that some other Thai places have. The service was a little slow (but it was a Friday night). The table we had was too small. They take reservations, but you have to make them at least a day in advance. I would go back, but probably not on a busy night.
(4)
Fadia k.

it was my first time eating at indie cafe last Thursday and i had a great time. i loved the decor of the restaurant, esp. the lamps. i didn't venture for any Thai food, except for crab Rangoon (my favorite appetizer to get), which was really really good esp. the filing. i like the fact that i can go out for sushi but also get crab Rangoon, so this rest works out really well for me....our service was good and the food was reasonable priced.... i love that it is BYOB, i can enjoy my Sapporo without being overcharged....overall i can't wait to come back.
(4)
PJ C.

The food is acceptable, but not very flavorful. One can do so much better in Chicago, so why bother?
(2)
Cristin M.

I haven't tried the Japanese selection at Indie Cafe, but from what I've seen, it looks top notch. They do excellent presentation even for delivery orders! The Thai food is really good. I had the Indie Signature beef curry, and it was super tasty. It comes with giant chunk of beef, which turned me off at first, but I was instantly pleased when I discovered that it was like stew meat, and fell apart into tender pieces at the touch of my fork! The curry itself is perfectly spicy and flavorful, and they add cashews instead of peanuts! My only suggestion would be to throw some peas in there alongside the squash and potatoes. I also had the crab rangoon. They are beautiful little purses, with visible pieces of "crab". My only complaint was that they were a little too peppery for my taste. I would have enjoyed a bit more creamy flavor from the cream cheese. It's somewhat on the expensive side, especially with the $2 delivery charge, but that doesn't mean that I won't stop eating there! Updated: I take back any negative comments about the crab rangoon. I've had them a few more times now, and they are tasty, tasty little purses. I also tried some sushi, which was really fresh and well presented, and the cucumber salad and pad see eiw. They also have great, I mean, GREAT, lunch specials. You get three "courses" for a little over $6, including the weekend!! You really can't go wrong. Everything that I have tasted from this place is top notch. I would give them five stars, except for the fact that every time I have ordered for delivery, they are late...
(4)
Jen J.

this place is 2 blocks from my house so we order indie for take out all the time. people are not lying about the crab rangoon. i do not even like crab rangoon, but i love indie's. the curries are flavorful; the sushi is creative and fresh; the service is quick and responsive. they even gave me a free appetizer the next time, the one time they left something off my delivery order. a great neighborhood pan-asian place.
(4)
Frank E.

holy crap. delicious and affordable. indie curry was amazing!
(5)
Sarah S.

As a newbie in town, I was excited to find Indie right around the corner. I was drawn in by the twinkle lights in the window, but stayed in for the food. Excellent red curry and the sushi selection is great. I also love that you can customize your dish with your meat of choice or with tofu for us veg-heads.
(4)
Lee C.

The most incredible curry I've ever had. Everything else I've tried was great too. They're lunch specials are generous, including a cucumber salad and crab rangoon with your meal. And it's right around the corner from the Thorndale Red Line stop for all you car-free Chicagoans!
(5)
peggy h.

this place rocks. they have a large selection and do everything well. since they expanded the restaurant the level of service has declined a bit but is still okay. for the price this is probably the best restaurant in the area.
(5)
Elizabeth H.

very yummy. large selection (which may actually overwhelm at times). The service is very friendly, the dishes always taste fresh, and it's byob... what more do you want...?
(5)
A T.

I have ordered delivery from this place for over two years. Recently the quality has plummeted. The soup that I ordered had, maybe, one baby corn and one carrot. Five times they have forgotten to include soy sauce and/or wasabi with the Sushi. I will never order from this place again. You can get something from Argyle Street for much cheaper and much better. This place sucks. Completely. Don't bother. At all. Try Hamamatsu, on Clark, though they do not deliver. Again, the place is completely over-rtated. So done with it.
(1)
Rebecca C.

This time we ordered a spider roll (OK) and the Summer Passion roll (good!) I love the free crab rangoon when you order online through GrubHub! :) Again, they were 15-20 minutes earlier than promised - Indie is definitely becoming one of my go-to places.
(3)
Devon S.

This place has become increasingly popular and has expanded to a second store front. I've been coming here since it's opening several years ago when it received rave reviews. Unfortunately, with success, came attitude. As the place becomes more popular, the ego(s) of the the wait staff has increased correspondingly. The "manager," who doubles as the sushi staff member has become increasingly incapable of handling the increased volume. Staff members also can't be bothered to take phone orders or even forward a message to the owner when a long-time faithful customers has concerns about the way business is being handled. Like so many place, this place has become a victim of its own success. Poor service and increasingly indifferent food. It won't surivive long if Edgewater ever acquires some class.
(1)
Megan B.

Indie is a great addition to the neighborhood. I don't eat sushi, but my husband does and says Indie's is excellent! I usually get the golden triangle (fried tofu with yummy sauce), and the broccoli chicken. Even such boring dishes are delish at Indie. The atmosphere is nice, too. They have comfy pillows in all the booths. Another great thing is that it's BYOB.
(4)
G G.

This is a nice addition to the Edgewater Community. Very good sushi and thai dishes in a contemporary (yet small) setting. You are likely to encounter a lengthy wait on the weekend with no real place to actually wait.
(4)
dan b.

this place is great! I get delivery from them a fair amount, and have been in the restaurant a few times as well. The restaurant is classy and the food is delicious. I recommend the pad thai as well as their penang curry.
(4)
Rebecca B.

This is the only place in the city that I'll eat sushi! Sushi scares me, but my husband loves it, so I humor him every once in awhile and will go here. I've tried sushi and 2 other places and did not like it at all. Since I can only eat about 2 rolls max., we have to go to a place that also offers tasty noodle dishes. They have these! It's also BYOB, which I always enjoy.
(3)
Ann Y.

I found this place when I visited St. Andrews and had to return the next day. See, the decor was stunning and the place was packed. I ran in and grabbed a to go menu when I noticed that they had lunch specials which included soup and an appetizer for $7. We returned the next day for lunch. I had the miso soup, which was ok. It was kinda creamy, which I am not used to and there was some seasoning that just didn't agree with me. The crab rangoon was amazing. I had the basil chicken fried rice which was quite tasty and some jasmine tea. The service was good. I don't eat sushi, but did think it was cool that they offered some fish-less entrees. My husband said that if wanted to take someone to a thai restaraunt to impress them, this is where he would go. I tried some of his pad thai which was good, but he felt that there was not enough chicken and too much tofu. I would go back cause of the atmosphere and decent food, but it was by far not the best thai food I have had. I was torn between 3 and 4 stars, so I am rounding up.
(4)
s. j.

this place is a gem! outstanding food (esp. the sweet potato maki and the signature curry!!), excellent service (even on the busy nights), and a great atmosphere. i travel clear across the city to eat here!
(5)
Leigh K.

This is where we ended up going for our friend's birthday when Amitabul was closed today (Sunday) even though the profile on Yelp said it was open. I am glad I made it here though since I've been meaning to try it for ages. I had an avocado maki and the vegetable tempura maki (asparagus and sweet potato). I know that tempura rolls tend to be a bit more pricey, but $12 for 6 rather small pieces always seems a bit steep for vegetables only. The vegetarian dragon roll at Sushi Wabi was at least 1/4 bigger for the same price. The presentation was gorgeous here. Everything looked super tasty on everyone else's place. They have a roll called Metallica which kind of cracks me up. The thing that really sealed the deal for me though was how nice the chefs and the wait staff was here. For Sei Jin's birthday, they brought out green tea ice cream with a candle stuck in it and started singing Happy Birthday. Just precious. I know I'm a bit stingy when it comes to paying that price for vegetables, but I will come back here again for sure because of the quality of the food and service.
(5)
Elisabeth A.

This place is great. The food is really nice, beautifully presented and creative and the prices are not to be believed. I've had sushi, various curries, some noodle dishes and a couple of different salads here and I've always been very happy. I need to start branching out because they do have some unusual things on the menu. Recently my friend ordered some kind of beef salad that was fantastic, and their signature seafood salad is also very very good. The service is a little bit unreliable, but with the great food, cheap prices and BYO option, it hardly matters.
(5)
Stephanie M.

This place is easy to miss while driving by...but inside is very cute, clean, and comfy. Lunch here is good...they have thai lunch specials. We opted for sushi though. The presentation is artistic and attractive. Even the cups for green tea are unusual and artsy! I had Las Vegas maki which I haven't seen anywhere else.
(4)
Pavithra M.

We often get take out from here and do a mix of rolls and Thai. My favorites - the crazy basil fried rice and the smoked chilli combo (chicken and shrimp), especially the second, which we discovered by accident. The flavors are really good and the serving size is pretty generous too. For the sushi - the blue crab roll, the santana, shrimp tempura and the spicy tuna are pretty good. I gave this place four stars over three because we keep going back for more. I would have given it three stars for eating in though as it is a bit too packed for my liking.
(4)
Daphne D.

I went here the other night because our originally planned destination Broadway Cellars was closed for a private event. Ridiculous trendy decor aside the food here was pretty "meh". I had the red curry (which I admit is a boring choice) which was like soupy water. Neither of my two friends were very impressed either. But the service was the real reason I am writing this review. I have never been so rushed at a restaurant in my life. We were asked constantly if we were done, even when it was clear we all had just begun to eat our food! Maybe next time it will be take out.
(3)
Christos K.

This place is my absolute favorite sushi restaurant on the north side. period. They have amazing crab rangoon; even though i often dislike crab rangoon this place's is totally different, light crispy bags of deliciousness. They have my favorite signature rolls, offering new fresh and delicious rolls (my fav is the sex on the moon) Definitely give this place a try
(5)
Chris W.

I love sushi and this place. I took my girlfriend here on our first date even though she had never had sushi before and now she begs me to go here. Its a BYOB which makes it an awesome place to have a romantic place to have a fantastic meal and a bottle of wine. Or if you prefer the man date and just like sushi, I have even seen some bachelors sling a 24 pack in here and bro it up. Hey, I can't hate on em when I'm there because they know good food. It's a combination of mostly Sushi and Thai food that leaves you wanting more. So don't worry if you don't like raw fish, there are plenty of choices on the Thai side that will help you out. For starters, get some rolls of your choosing (I suggest the Philly or vegas rolls). move on to the main dishes and go for some curry plates is my reccommendation. Hot n Spicy is always done nicely for me. I have never tried any of their desserts so I can't give an honest opinion on what it would taste like. The atmosphere is what you would expect it to be like...trendy. I saw the movie Lost in Translation and thought about going to Indie. I never thought I would say watching a Bill Murray movie would make me want raw fish, but when you think about it they do both stink if you wait too long to consume. The music they play makes you feel like you sat through one long song that reminds you of swimming underwater. The atmosphere relies heavily on uncomfortable looking furniture and dark mysterious lighting. The wait staff is usually very nice and happy, but sometimes takes a long time to bring out your order because they have a small kitchen and smaller staff. Be patient though, the food is awesome. The 20 bucks a full meal and tip, you can't go wrong with trying this place out. Once you have this, you will pull a Jeremy Piven and eat way too much of it.
(5)
Steven W.

I LOVE this place! I have never had a bad experience with either dining in or ordering delivery. The BYO is great and they are very accomodating with wine glasses. Service has always been prompt and accurate and the servers always know the answers to my qeuestions. The crab Rangoon and cucumber salad are things I order every time and they are always wonderful. My fiancÃ©e claims the sushi is fresh and well prepared, but since I'm not a sushi lover, I can't say for sure, but I trust her! The multiple items from the Thai menu I have tried have been great - green curry, basil fried rice, cashew chicken are all delicious an well seasoned. The prices couldn't be better either - it's very affordable and a great value!
(5)
Brad B.

I've been twice now. First time, strictly adhering to nothing from the japanese menu. It was really good. A highly enjoyable, low key Friday night after a long week. The soft shell crab was brilliant. Two bottles of wine were consumed so I don't really recall EXACTLY what we ate but, it was all very good. Service was friendly, relaxed and everything was well timed. Total bill = $35 [which induced a healthy amount of questions but, it was correct] The second time, the entire menu was fair game and the sushi won the day. Of course we did go back to the soft shell crab appetizer. All lovely. Total bill was about $55 this time round which was more than reasonable for the amount of food....and prolly quite cheap for the taste / quality.
(4)
Shannon K.

I am a sushi addict and cannot ever get enough! My friend lives up in Edgewater and turned me onto this BYOB sushi restaurant about 2 years ago. Now I live in the Ukrainian Village, so getting up there does not happen as often as it should. What this place becomes to me is a fun adventure with a great end result! It takes me a good hour to get up there from where I live, but the jaunt is SO worth it. By far this is my favorite BYOB sushi restaurant in the city. Indie's specialty Maki is to die for. There are generally 1-2 special Maki rolls that do not appear in the menu and from what I've been told, those rolls are being beta tested before adding them to their regular menu. Alongside the tasty Maki rolls, their wait staff is very attentive to everyone's needs. I am never left waiting long and that speaks volumes to me as a customer. It means that everyone gets the attention they deserve to make this restaurant one of the best in our fine city. The dim lighting and atmosphere are also strengths behind a dining experience at Indie Cafe. The mood is seductive, so this place is great for dates. Plus, the whole notion of this restaurant being BYOB is just smashing from the date angle. I've never been here for lunch. Maybe one of these days... I also have never tried their Thai food. Seriously...the sushi is to die for and it takes me a good hour to get up there. I am generally on a sushi mission. Maybe some day I'll try the Thai. For now the sushi is some of the best inside Chicago that I've ever had!!
(5)
April F.

At first I was skeptical of this place because it has japanese and thai, which is kind of like places that serve tacos with spaghetti. My friend wouldn't stop raving so I gave it a try, and I'm glad I did. Their crab rangoon is some of the best I've had. They are smaller little bite sized ones. I always get their veggie tempura maki rolls- they come in either asparagus tempura or sweet potato tempura. Yummy and delicious! Other cool thing is that they deliver pretty quickly. Last time I got my order within a half hour. I agree that it is a little expensive but it is worth it.
(5)
Bonkzilla Z.

This place is one of the worst sushi places in the city. If Gordon Ramsey stepped foot into Indie Cafe he'd go on about how unsanitary the place is. Then tell you how bad the sushi quality is. Let's start with the tables being so close together that you're literally within the conversations of the people seated next to you. The wooden sushi utensils/sticks you eat your food with are not new. They actually rewash them each and every time. See this for yourselves when you notice that the wood is rubbed off and shredded in several places. GROSS!!! There is clutter everywhere around the kitchen, sushi bar, and food serving areas. WHY? Really dirty looking and disgusting. And, there's something about a Mexican guy making Japanese sushi that just doesn't seem right. Oh, I know...because last time I checked Mexican cuisine didn't include sushi stuffed tamales. All this is even more notifiable when the expensive rolls you ordered smell fishy. PEOPLE, REALLY FRESH SEAFOOD DOES NOT, I REPEAT, DOES NOT SMELL OF FISHY ANYTHING! They cut corners at your expense. I was there with three other people, that's four total, we each ordered our own roll, making it clear with the waitress. She brings one very small saucer with wasabi and ginger on it or all of us to share. Completely cheap and disrespectful when you're paying $15 + bucks for one stinky fish roll. When the waitress dropped the food off we didn't see her again, and we went for a weekday lunch with only a handful of people there. We had to hunt her down for the check. We had the credit card ready for her to take, but instead of running the card right away, she's carrying it while serving food and tea to other costumers. This whole "check issue" time she never says "thank you" or anything, just acts like a mime. Well, honey I hope you enjoyed your $2 dollar tip, because in poor America, where you now have to save and look forward to a $20 dollar sushi lunch, you best do your job well and work hard for your earnings like the rest of us do.
(1)
Bryson B.

I love this place! Where else can you get such a huge plate of delicious sushi for only $16?! Great place for a date too!
(5)
Philip K.

I dined here a while back and vividly remember the wonderfully creative menu--half Thai, half Japanese. I ordered a maki roll and some sushi pieces which arrived beautifully plated, making it a feast for my eyes as well as my taste buds. The combination of taste, presentation and atmosphere make the dining price tag seem almost too reasonable. This is definitely on my try-again list. ---Update, July 2008--- I now live within a few blocks of Indie and it's one of our favorite neighborhood spots. Delicious food every time with a broad menu. You can bring pretty much anyone here--order a Thai noodle dish if they aren't into sushi. We often order a maki roll to share as an appetizer and then go Thai for a main dish. But is also great to just order a whole bunch of maki and sushi to share as a table. They've decorated nicely, but it's not too self-conscious at all. They're not trying to be anything they're not. Some of the seating isn't the most comfortable and they've got some wobbly tables. But it's easy to overlook.
(5)
kim b.

Great neighborhood Thai place. Must have the signature curry...yum! The curry is so tasty. Crab rangoon is my favorite in the city...actually, my #1 compared to all I've ever had from the east coast to the west coast! Sushi is good. Finally a decent restaurant in Edgewater/Rogers Park. Delivery and eat-in food quality are the same, so they are consistent.
(4)
Tristin M.

While my client was getting fitted by Brandie T. ( yelp.com/biz/beyond-the-â€¦ ) earlier today, Brandie mentioned crab rangoon from "Indie" so I went to check them out for dinner. Now how awesome was it that while I was waiting for my to go order, I was asked, "Would you like some water while you're waiting?" by 3 different servers?! Now that's service at it's best. The crab rangoon smelled so good that I couldn't wait til home and ate it all within 6 blocks!!! Yikes! Eh... I guess I can play the pregnancy card on that one? Ha!
(4)
Evan L.

never ordered out, can BYOB, but they have liquor now. Great service. I love this place for both Thai and Sushi. My favorite in Chicago.
(4)
Jeffrey S.

Just love this place! I had gotten take-out/delivery from them in the past but a group of us decided to check it out in the restaurant when one of our favorites had too long a wait last night. Even though they were super crowded, they had a perfect table for us and our waiter, Winston, was a hoot. The food was exactly what we wanted, a little of everything across the Asian slide and all of it was prepared to our taste. The sushi was great, soups, and the curries were exquisite. Love having a new place to frequent!
(4)
Angela A.

I've been searching for a Thai resturant (been to a few that were just not good) that makes drunken noodles as good as my favorite Thai resturant in Southern California. My search is over!! This place is the one, the bonus is they also serve sushi (which my boyfriend loves). The service was not the best (waitress hardly came to the table to see if we needed anything), had to flag her down a couple of times. Maybe once I become a regular service will get better : )
(4)
Andrea C.

I just thought it was okay. A friend and I went on a Friday Night and its was crowded with no real waiting area so we sorta hovered over diners until we were seated after a few minutes of waiting. Narrow seating is typical in many chicago restaurants but the bar in the main room made it feel smaller. While the prices seemed slightly higher than the location or the food dictated. Basil Chicken and it was just okay. Drinks from the bar get a thimbs up. But considering all the Thai choices in the area., I confess, I was a little disappointed. Won't be going back any time soon.
(2)
Ro A.

Best sushi and good prices. I have been going here for many years and the sushi is always fresh and delicious. If you dine in, it is BYOB!
(5)
Steve F.

Never disappoints. The indie signature curry is our favorite dish, and when we put "extra spicy please" in the comments section, they usually follow through. Sushi is also good quality. The appetizers we have had have all been good, though the crab Rangoon are very delicate and not the big fried triangles you may expect from most places. Get the spicy sweet potato maki!
(5)
Rae R.

I feel a little bad writing this review for what may have been a unique experience, but I hope to forewarn others just in case. I went to Indie Cafe with a friend on her recommendation. The maki sushi I had there (Quebec and Spider) was the worst I have ever eaten. I don't know exactly why that was, but it tasted off and felt strange in my mouth. The fish kind of glistened and looked puffy. Secondary to the awful maki, the staff was awkward, like they didn't know how to serve around guests at a table. They kept refilling my water glass, though, which I really appreciate. Not a big deal, but it bothered me. I thought it was kind of pricey and "a lot of cute" with little substance. The crab rangoon, however, was absolutely delicious.
(2)
Alan P.

Wrote a review last night about BAD food. Make it worse FOOD POISONING per emergency room doc. Kept feeling worse and worse and throwing up. Went to ER. Since this was the only food I'd had all day it had to come from here. Had a sushi and a rice dish. BEWARE!!! This place is rhe worst.
(1)
Mark P.

Indie hands down cooks up the the best green and panang curry in the city. The sushi is not too shabby either but the real reason to go is for the curry. I lived in the neighborhood and my wife and I would eat and indie once a week. It's very affordable, BYOB, great service and they deliver too if you don't feel like leaving the house!
(5)
Jackie S.

i've found that i don't care much for ethiopian food and authentic indian is usually too spicy for this lady, so my choices in edgewater were sort of limited during my tenure there. luckily, when i go out i almost always want japanese or thai food. its just a thing. i can't make sushi or pad thai myself (my homemade pad thai experiment didn't turn out well), and i want someone else to make it for me. dominicks sushi, while a guilty pleasure, doesn't always cut the mustard, especially when i'm eating with someone else instead of sitting alone on my couch watching law&order reruns. with this in mind, know that i was a frequent patron of indie cafe when i lived in edgewater. the thing i liked about indie, and what could make me overlook the stupid skinny tie printed tshirts the employees have to wear, was that the food was just... pretty. everything i ate was presented well, which adds a ton to the dining experience for me. all of my sushi meals were good, with the exception of the broccoli roll, which i really wanted to like because i loves some broccoli, but kept falling apart. not graceful. the noodle and rice dishes were great too. but the stand out at indie is, and listen to my words here: the crab rangoon. i'm a vegetarian, save for crab rangoon and gefilte fish at passover, so i've had crab rangoon in many forms. these, kids, are the cutest little rangoons i have ever laid eyes on. when i was little, i remember going to a wedding where they put rice (i know, i know) into little twisted sachets, like tiny sandbags, to be broken into and rained down upon the bride and groom during their exit. the crab rangoon at indie cafe is pretty much exactly like that, except the outside is a wonton wrapper and the inside doesn't make bird stomachs explode (to my knowledge. the internet told me that cheese is acceptable for some birds). bliss.
(4)
Olive G.

My dinner was very sub-par. After reading the great reviews on yelp I had my expectations up accordingly. For starters we had miso soup which was good. Then 3 rolls - Spider - which was nice. A little dry but nice and soft. Not spicy though. Dragon - was not very good. I love eel, but the broiled shrimp that tasted like bland rubber didn't do justice to the eel. Summer Passion - was the worst. The salmon didn't taste fresh, and overall it was very plain. If the fish (tuna and salmon) were high quality it would have been enjoyable, but in this case i had to use soy sauce to make it edible. Instead of desert we chose to try another roll Spicy blue crab - which was decent. Not spicy. Overall I can see how the decor, coupled with byob and cheaper prices would be an attraction. But it's impossible to compare Indie with places like Kaze - both of them have 4 stars on yelp. I would recommend it as a cheap sushi craving fix and to people who like cooked fish (eel, shrimp, crab etc) with cream cheese, tempura. Definitely not for fresh fish lovers
(2)
Meg R.

Just hits it on every level. The food is delicious and always looks so pretty when it comes to you. The staff is really friendly and quick. The management is delightful. And when you come with your kid, they'll kindly give you those cool kid-friendly chopsticks. I love this restaurant.
(5)
Stephen F.

Right by my place I have eaten here once and grabbed takeout a few times. I love the curries, spicy and priced well. The sushi is very good but I did find that almost every roll has avocado which I like but I like a little more variety in my rolls. Wine list is nice and low priced thou they poor a bit conservatively.
(4)
Jamie J.

Love this place. Ambiance is very tasteful and relaxing and they have great service. Also have ordered for delivery many times. Fresh and delicious. Plum wine was so good. Have had many items from the menu. All very tasty. Best crab rangoon.
(5)
Nicole C.

I've been going to Indie Cafe since they opened and absolutely love their food! You can get such high quality food anywhere in the city at such a reasonable cost. The miso soup is $1.75, the cucumber salad is $3.25 and the entrees are affordable as well. The menu is huge - a Japanese menu and a Thai menu - and everything I've had has been delicious. My favorites include the crab rangoon, panang curry, and any of the maki. This is a perfect date spot. It's a very hip, romantic atmosphere. I'd highly recommend making a reservation. It may not be an ideal spot for a large group. I went for a friend's birthday dinner, there were about 12 of us altogether, and the food didn't come out at the same time...it took a long time, maybe 20-30 minutes, before everyone had their entree.
(5)
Jeff G.

i'd probably give a 3.5 here. only been once and it was carry out. my red curry was nice, Gfried had broccoli chicken which was kind of tasteless but fresh. would probably go back, maybe dine in there
(3)
Lisa H.

Had lunch here the other day. Thought food was good and well priced. Staff was friendly and helpful. I look forward to going back again soon.
(4)
David S.

Bad taste. Greasy dishes. And odd flavored Service was bad. And food was sloooooow
(2)
Sarah C.

I have never eaten in at Indie Cafe, but when I'm home I order in from them a lot. Their sushi is awesome, even delivered. The spicy tuna rolls are always perfect and they include a ton of extras in the bag every time I get them delivered-- lots of extra soy sauce, wasabi, and chopsticks-- which is a huge plus since i usually order a ton of stuff and graze over it for a day or so. As with many Chicago joints, I hope to make it over there to eat someday, but the delivery is always fast and good...
(4)
Marc M.

Ill start with saying i would have given indie 4 stars if i had reviewed it before they switched to serving instead of being byob no fee. im sure some people will like the new alcohol menu better but not i, spent one friday night there with the girlfriend, brought a bottle of wine ate 60$ worth of sushi, walked next door to dominicks and grabbed a second bottle to continue and round it off to a nice 100$ sushi meal. It was an expensive meal but we were there for almost 2 hours. The food is great and the sushi is well above average. They have large windows lining the walls that face the street, so if you go in the winter be prepared and have a sweater.
(3)
Mike P.

The lunch special pushes Indie to a 5-star. Great value, great food. Try the basil fried rice, with crab rangoon and organic green salad with ginger dressing. Extremely good. Great staff and a cool mellow vibe for a Saturday afternoon lunch.
(5)
Kim J.

Oh, Indie. I didn't realize just how much I missed you until I went back for the first time in awhile on Saturday night. There's ok sushi near my new home, but nothing tops the delectable rolls you always give me. It was my birthday, and you handled my group of 8 easily. The crab rangoon was a hit, as were all the thai dishes my non-sushi eating friends ordered. And the rolls I had? SCRUMPTIOUS. The caterpillar roll is the best, and the popeye roll ain't bad either. Your BYOB-ness allowed us all to leave with a nice buzz. What a wonderful way to start out a birthday celebration. Damnit, now I'm depressed. WHY CANT YOU BE CLOSER TO ME? *single tear*
(5)
Gabrielle S.

Great service. Wonderful peeople. Byob if you want but also they carry their own. Sushi was great. Fancy rolls super tasty. Extremely far North. Brown rice option for sushi!! That always makes me happy:) HUGE seaweed salads A GREAT VALUE!!!
(3)
Alee B.

Had dinner here on date night and it was a good choice. We were there a little early and the place was empty, but by the time we left around 8, it was full- on a week night. The food is unquestionably the reason my rating is so high. I ordered pad se ewe and my date ordered red curry (both with chicken). We each ate some of both and we both thoroughly enjoyed both dishes. Wish I has seen so many positive reviews of the crab rangoon, we might have tried it. Service was fine. I did feel a little like we were being pushed to leave after we paid, but we were in a discussion that wasn't finished and the server seemed annoyed. Tables were a little close for my comfort, but otherwise I liked the decor. Go for the food!
(4)
Danny W.

I would classiy Indie cafe as a neighborhood gem. It is a BYOB Sushi and Thai restaurant. Dominicks is less than a block away so it is really easy to grab some Sopporo and Sake before heading in. The food is excellent including the Green Curry which is my favorite. They have a great lunch special during the day where you get an entree an appitizer and a seaweed salad for $7 bucks. This is my favorite restaurant in Edgewater.
(4)
heidi a.

I went recently and had to wait for a friend(an hour)due to my cellphone not working.The owner brought me complimentary edamame and the waitress made me feel very comfortable.I ordered the sushi platter and it was very fresh.The atmopshere is lively and colorful,food tasty and the service was attentive.So grateful to have you in hood!
(5)
Justin N.

I love this place. Great combination of Japanese and Thai food. I must admit my guilt pleasure is complimentary food. I occasionally get cravings for different types of food at the same time. (For example, Tacos and Pizza, Wings and Sushi, - Call me weird for that one) Back to the review...their special Maki is great, their soft shell crab maki fantastic. All the traditional Thai dishes are fantastic too. Their Drunken Noodle has a nice spice to it. My wallet slim because of Indie Cafe Thai & Sushi.
(5)
Colin U.

One of my favorites in Chicago, certainly for Asian. Great mix of Japanese/sushi and Thai which offers a lot of flexibility in tastes. The Golden Triangles and Crab Rangoon are amazing appetizers and it is tough to find something on the menu that isn't good for a main dish. Their basil or garlic chicken are good Thai options along with the Drunken Noodle or Pad See Ew. Reservations not necessary, but it can get busy on Friday and Saturday nights. And perhaps most importantly, it is BYOB.
(4)
John W.

So far, 4 stars. I have only been there once but will definitely go back again. The Caterpillar was probably the best roll of sushi I have ever eaten. We only got 4 servings of Sushi; one was great, one was really good and spicy, one was good (crab) but I probably wont order the Metallica again. It's definitely worth trying and I will definitely go back again. It is BYOB so bring something to drink.
(4)
Matt M.

Going to have to agree with Katie W. on this one. Place was pretty good but verrrry loud (tables are packed in there). Some of the decor and lighting was very pleasing to the eyeballs and the food was good. Overall though any place that is BYOB gets a bump up in my book! Couldn't shake the feeling of infidelity with Thai Grill though......
(4)
Rachael B.

The sushi was amazing! The atmosphere is great, too. Except, there was the lady who "shushed" our group. Probably because she was jealous we were having so much fun! The only problem I had with the place was that it was loud and our servers didn't speak the best English-- so there was some trouble with communication.
(4)

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Address : 5951 N Broadway St
Chicago, IL, 60660
Phone (773) 561-5577
Website https://www.indiesushi.com/
Click To Get Directions

Opening Hours

Mon :11:30 am - 10

Specialities

Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : Yes
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Dinner
Parking : Street
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : No
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Trendy
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : Free
Has TV : No
Dogs Allowed : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes

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Indie Cafe

5951 N Broadway St, Chicago, IL, 60660

Indie Cafe Menu

Thai

Sushi

Signature Maki

Healthy Meal suggestions for Indie Cafe

Thai

Sushi

Signature Maki

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