Sublime Sushi
2009 N Damen Ave, Chicago, IL, 60647
Sublime Sushi Menu
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Address :
2009 N Damen Ave
Chicago, IL, 60647 - Phone (773) 772-8744
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Opening Hours
- Mon :4:00 pm - 11:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : Yes
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Dinner
Parking : Street
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : No
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : No
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : Free
Has TV : No
Dogs Allowed : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
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Morganne B.
I'll start by saying any sushi place that serves real crab meat in their rolls instead of imitation "Krab" immediately wins over my fish-allergic boyfriend and by association, me. It not only means we get to eat there, but if they care enough to have real crab, they probably also have some darn good fish options for those of us who don't go into anaphylactic shock at the first sniff of a piece of fish. So we happily sat down and ordered a feast. Don't be fooled by the simplistic and almost run-down appearance of the interior and exterior, because this is solid sushi and they're open super late at night. I ordered the seaweed salad and the sashimi sampler--which could've been bigger. I was too busy salivating over my fish to notice my boyfriends order but he seemed to enjoy his rolls. They are BYOB and there's a 7-11 visible from the window so grab something to wash down your sushi and bring it on in with you. Good little spot that we will keep in mind for late night sushi cravings.
(4)Tira R.
I love sushi and Sublime sushi is the best sushi restaurant in Chicago. Summer roll is my favorite. The fish here is very fresh. I like the way they make sushi here. They don't put too much sauce on any rolls. I wish I lived closer to this place then I'd be at Sublime sushi everyday.
(5)Aninchai P.
Ok so been coming here once a week to get the party tray excellent choices of sushi fresh cut fish and good price too . Some week I take it to go if am alone and get the rice on the side sashimi style so I can warm up the rice later. Love this place, they never they never try to charge me extra for condiments."all their sauce are homemade/love the spicy mayo "
(5)Robert K.
Great place great service. Sushi is same day fresh, not the rubbish one scores elsewhere. Started with chicken gyoza. We ordered theu grub hub, but if we were there we would have doubled maybe tripled our order. Surreal good gyoza. As i said suahi is outstanding. Before we got there , however we tapped the ceviche. Smooth, yes, and perfectly seared. A wonderful marriage of fish, lime, tomatoes and jalapeno. Perfect. Then the sushi. Words do not serve justice. Please try you will not be disapointed. Loved it. Suggest a live visit so u can up order onsite
(5)Beth C.
From the outside, this place doesn't look like much. But once inside, it is small with wood tables and industrial lighting and fixtures. Very modern, very cool. The rolls are great and not over priced. Affordable, fresh, and tasty are a combo I could get used to. It is a BYOB so be sure to hit up the liquor store next door or the 7-11 across the street.
(5)Jesse H.
This place is very inexpensive and so good!! Byob. Love it. Godzilla roll is amazing. Cute little restaurant. Feels homey. I'll be back.
(5)Joey B.
A sushi restaurant open till 2am? What?! Atmosphere: A dainty atmosphere with great smooth tracks playing in the background. Really a comfortable setting you can relax and unwind at nite. I dig the wood accents decorating the restaurant. The tables next to the window can get really chilly in the winter. Service: We had a nice waitress give us the know how on the specials and popular rolls. All of orders came out super fast since we were the only ones there haha. Sushi: Miso soup was really fantastic! I am impressed the quality was so great at 1am. Brothy and simmering with flavor. Did not fully enjoy the Philly Crunch Roll however. The lemon pieces on it was not fresh. It ruined the $12 roll! The Godzilla roll was very edible though. Was not too sweet and had the perfect crunchy texture. My favorite roll of the nite was the Hawaiian roll. The fresh Mango and Pine Nuts blended really well for a sweet earthy flavor. The wasabi Mayo was also tolerably spicy. I usually get wrecked by spicy food! Overall the quality of fish and rice of the sushi is above average. Only one of two Sushi places that is open until 2am in Chicago! Will definitely drop by again when my roommate starts craving for late nite sushi!
(4)Brittney J.
I've ordered take out several times and the food always great. One night I decided to sit in and enjoy a meal. It was great! I had a platter and a few rolls. They gave a complimentary bowl of soup when I were first seated. It's BYOB so I had a nice cocktail with my great meal. The place is small but it's perfect.
(5)Danny W.
It's sushi, it's delivery, it's pretty cheap, and it's open till 2am. So with the above being said you can imagine that they're not going to win any awards for freshness or creativity, but if you're looking for something on the late that isn't half bad it fits the bill. The rolls are pretty basic and they don't really have anything else on the menu besides small platters and some simple makis. What they do have though is decent for being open till the same time as bars are. Overall it is what it is, but for what it is it's not as bad as it could be.
(3)Amber J.
BYOB, yes! Fresh fish, yes! Clean, yes! Better than Coast, heck yes! Love the staff bc they're on top of it and super friendly. Music is always upbeat and fun. When I'm in Bucktown craving fast sushi, this is my go to place.
(5)Stephanie H.
I ordered here from a friend on New Year's Day. We ordered the spider roll, spicy tuna, and two specialty rolls whose names I've forgotten. All of the rolls were decent, nothing special. We also ordered the edamame, but that's pretty hard to mess up. Lastly we ordered the miso ramen, which was also good but nothing special. This place gets the job done, but there are definitely better places to get sushi.
(3)Lati T.
Great place for sushi and it's BYOB! It's a small place and very sweet people work here...I love supporting my local businesses!
(5)Amber K.
Subpar is more like it. Service was bad. We had to flag the waitress down for everything, even after making eye contact on regular bases with the 'wait on you to come over' look. The wait staff was just so very indifferent to taking care of the guests & more obsessed with picking up every empty dish a soon as you set it aside. Not friendly at all. Miso soup was meh, no flavor...just water & 3 tiny cubes of tofu and maybe one tiny piece of seaweed. We had requested it spicy but nothing. Sushi was bland and a really weirdly soft texture. Got the Vanilla Sweet Potato roll and the potatoes weren't cooked throughly. Bad service, bad food,, won't come again. All in all we stopped here to try something new instead of waiting the 1.5 hr wait for Coast and it was a bad choice. Coast is worth the wait.
(1)Elise O.
Sublime is good. It's never great and it's never horrible. There are other places I would rather go to over Sublime but in a pinch it's a good back up. Never too crowded and the sushi is never bad.
(3)NRyan K.
Delicious fresh. We had takeout. Simple order but will return for more. Decent price too.
(4)Irene H.
The maki was average. The Crunchy Spicy Tuna Roll was so spicy I could barely eat it. Ordered two specialty rolls which were just ok. I wouldn't go back here for the sushi, but I would go back for the wings! The Korean BBQ Wings were the best wings I've had in a while - perfectly crispy, big, and juicy. There's a spicy orange flavor I want to try.
(2)Ghostpants X.
good sushi. low price. BYOB. nice atmosphere. hard to argue with that combo. i go here regularly and spend $25 and walk out stuffed. can't say that about most sushi places in the city. rolls to try: hawaiian, crab torched, yuzu salmon, tuna "poke" -- all very good.
(4)Tanya M.
I ordered here to satisfy one of my late night sushi cravings. Food was good.. Nothing spectacular. Delivery took some time though. I ordered a Spicy Tuna Maki, Fried Calamari, and Godzilla Maki. The Calamari was a bit rubbery.. but not awful. No complaints about the sushi, though. I have had better, but also had worse. Perhaps a dine-in experience would have been different, but I cannot rate higher than 3 stars for the delivery.
(3)Melissah L.
The lunch deal is the best! My boyfriend and I split 3 rolls and a miso soup for $20.00, and that included tax and tip! $10/person for sushi in Chicago? Yeah, try and find that deal somewhere else. Our spicy salmon and tuna avocado roll had nice fat chunks of fish that was fresh and totally void of that cheap, fish-y flavor you sometimes get at other sushi joints. One star off for the interior-- it's not all that nice/comfortable, but Sublime is a great place to get your quick fix of fish each week :).
(4)Carl J.
I called and made a simple order for pickup because I was curious about the food. Worst decision I have made in months. When I called and made an order of edamame and 3 sushi rolls I was told ONE HOUR. That's just not right for sushi pickup time.... Then I walked in 1 hour and 10 min after I ordered and they didn't have my food ready... Not only that but the cooks started rolling as cooking my edamame right in front of me. The place was DEAD and they were still so rushed to make my rolls they they were complete slop and the edamame was not cooked all the way.... 15 min later I walked out of the place pissed.... Why would they not cook my food within the one hour wait time they gave me? Oh wait, did I tell you that my bill was $29 and when I paid $30 and waited for my change before I left... Then I realized she didn't plan on giving it to me.... Why would I tip you for giving me a one hour wait time when the place was dead and I watched the sushi cook slop together my rolls.... Coast sushi is right down the street and some of the best sushi in Chicago. Go there if you want good service.
(1)R P.
Huge fan of this place. Unbelievably good sushi here and very polite staff. It doesn't have the usual flashy decor of the 'high end' sushi bars but beats the best when it comes to freshness and taste. It has an extensive menu and they seem to be prepare everything very well. You have to visit these guys.
(5)Esteban L.
THis is really incredible edible sushi at great prices. And they deliver til 2am so dont sleep if youre not sleeping!
(5)Austin N.
We went to this place after seeing how packed Coast was and did not feel like waiting. The server was helpful and informative about the menu so we did try several new sushi I had not eaten before. Summer Dragon was definitely my "GO TO" pick at this place. And they are in a rush to kick you out for the next customers so we managed to finish what we BYOB. The chef rolled and made our order while we are enjoying some appetizer and drinks so food was FRESH. Service was great even though the wait staff speaking with some accent so it take a little time to listen and understand what they were saying. Parking is a little bit challenging on Damen Street and around the area. We will definitely consider riding our bicycles or my motorcycle down here next time to find "suitable' parking spots.
(5)Camila H.
If I could give this place no stars, I would. This place is SHADY. The sushi was decent. We called in for pick up, the total was $25. I paid with two $20 bills. Later, I got home and realized that instead of getting $15 back, the cashier had only given me $3. I called in to try and sort something out, and I was literally told that it was my fault. In the grand scheme of things $12 is nothing but the service is crap and the people working there are shady. I have never had money stolen from me like this. I called back and ask to speak to the owner, and was told he would call me back. Never happened. Stay away.
(1)Andy K.
Yikes. We ended up here because Coast was packed, but I was wishing we had decided on pizza or chicken next door. I was thoroughly disappointed. The crab in the spider roll seemed to be completely overly deep fried (like chicken) and overall everything just kind of tasted watery and bland. We also tried some interesting rolls that used things like cilantro and peanuts but they did not go over well in my opinion. Definitely skip the veg dumplings.
(1)Zach J.
Was tired of Coast so I tried this place. That was about a year ago. I could not be more pleased with that decision - better prices, larger roles, faster service. This place does not get the publicity that it deserves. I would suggest everyone give it a try. Go ahead, Friday night at 7 pm go there. enjoy. And don't forget to bring your own beer.
(4)Keith A.
Sublime Sushi gets a nice solid from me. I've gotten takeout from here a couple of times as I always like adding new place to my radar. I like that the nigiri pieces have a decent hunk of fish put on each of them. This isn't the best nigiri I've had, but I'm certainly not complaining as there was a nice amount of fish on each piece. But, they didn't have that melt in the mouth quality that I was wanting. I did enjoy their maki. While it isn't the best maki I've had, it was still very enjoyable. The summer maki was very tasty and I liked the amount of spice in the crunchy spicy tuna maki. Sublime sushi is a nice alternative in the area when I'm not in the mood for coast. The sushi is very good, but there are some better options around as well. Overall they are very solid and worth a visit.
(3)Jaas D.
I came here for valentines day with my boyfriend and I was so excited to try it because I always see it since I work down the block. The food was okay, the customer service was not. The women kept rushing us with our order, not to mention they weren't even busy. There were two other more tables other than ours. When it came down to paying, we paid in cash and I left the change we got back on the table while I went to the restroom. My boyfriend stayed at the table and was approached by the waitress. She saw our change on the table and told my boyfriend that most people leave a 15-20% tip and what we were leaving was not enough. The money that was on the table was not even a tip, and we weren't even leaving yet. The waitress then walked away and started talking to the rest of the staff in another language and they were looking at our table. I found that extremely rude, I've never experienced anything like this before. Don't think ill ever come back.
(1)Trevor H.
Went to pick up some take-out after a party. The sushi was ok, but seriously nothing special. The lack-of flair and overall quality (as far as freshness goes) leaves much to be desired. The dining area looks deathly bland as well. It also didn't help their case that they messed up my order and gave me something toooootally different from what I ordered. And they don't take AMEX...boo.
(2)dee g.
This place is great-- local, hip, relaxed, and b.y.o.b. So, bring your own and eat good food. Don't come if you're uptight though only if you want to eat sushi and make some new friends with the cook and server.
(4)Merissa L.
I am surprised this place got less stars. We went this place 2 weeks ago because we LOVE sushi and didn't want to go to the overpriced and bad quality neighbor of Sublime, Coast. We popped in and were sat right away. The place was full and has a very authentic vibe. The sushi was great and inexpensive compared to other more high profile joints. I definitely recommend. The only thing I would suggest to the staff is to be a bit more response to requests, but the service was very friendly.
(5)Kelsey K.
We've always had great expereinces here and we just had a really bad one. We went in there on a wekk night when they weren't busy in the dining room at all but had a hoppin takeout thing going on. They greeted us and told us to take any seat that we'd like, then they took FOREVER to come over to the table... like 10 min forever. Then it took them a REALLY long time to make the sushi and bring it over. We had a roll that wasn't good (it was a lox roll with melted mozzarella cheese on it) and shouldn't really be on the menu... then they took days to bring us the check... oh man, it was less than stellar. They acknowledged that it was taking forever, but they didn't DO anything about it. Over and hour and a half and we just wanted to pop in quickly and grab some sushi as we have in the past. I guess it's back to finding another option when Coast is packed...
(2)Lizzy M.
Quaint and low key. Good sushi for the price. I like the red dragon. The less expensive rolls definitely have less fish and more rice so better to try the mid to higher priced items. Staff is pleasant although not extremely attentive. Late night hours are great. BYOB
(4)Mara M.
My favorite sushi place. It is very convenient for me as I only live a block away, but Coast is also a block away and I would pick Sublime over Coast 100% of the time. Sublime: -BYOB -reasonably priced -extremely friendly service -very fresh fish. I suggest the spicy yellowtail roll. Really good, and the cilantro adds a great flavor -There's a great lunch special, I think it's $9 for 2 rolls and miso soup? This is a great place to go on a date. Bring a bottle of wine. It took me a while to write a review because I didn't want this place to be discovered and I was being selfish. However, looking at the reviews, I don't think they are getting the credit they deserve. The food is consistently fresh, and now they have these new skewer things that are good too.
(5)Emily C.
We carry out from here all the time and it's consistently good. Depending on how much you spend, they throw in a free roll, salad, etc. We really like the Crunchy Spicy Tuna Roll, Miso Salmon, Spicy Crab Torched and the BBQ Shrimp Tempura. They have a really great lunch special, but the service is really slow. We've also gone here for dinner and service took forever. We only carry out now. But if you decide to go anyway, it's BYOB - awesome! 18/365
(4)Steve P.
Stumbled upon this place after long lines at Coast. The servers are great and not at all snooty, as they tend to be at the aforementioned sushi restaurant
(4)Stephanie F.
Oy. The 2 stars are for the free soba noodle salad and the crab maki. The salmon and avocado tasted like there was soap in it. Spicy scallop was VERY fishy. Even the edamame was forgettable and unsalted.
(2)David S.
We went here after the first two sushi bars we tried to go to were closed for "cold" weather in Chicago. The Tuna "Poke" and Summer rolls were fantastic with a great combination of jalepeno, cilantro, and added wasabi. I would love to give this place a higher ranking, but the service was unbelievably apathetic and slow as we were the only non-workers/friends eating in the restaurant. In addition to this, the place was cold and not clean. Sublime sushi yes, not sublime service or decor.
(3)Jenny H.
To call their sushi, "sublime" intrigued us to stop in after we decided to skip the asian-fusion fanciness at Takashi. I was quickly taken back to the grandeur and ecstasy-invoking nature of the sublime that I explored through world literature. Could I say SS lived up to its name? SUMMER CATERPILLAR YUZU SALMON There was a fourth roll that we ordered, but the name has escaped me. Out of all of the rolls, I liked the summer the best while the caterpillar and yuzu salmon offered a nice refreshing balance. However, none of these rolls invoked nearly the salivary response. SS is a no frills, friendly neighborhood place to get a fix for sushi. We sat at the bar with a bowl of miso soup. I wished they offered more hot items like udon/soba. Although they have a pretty decent offering from traditional to the creatively outlandish... sake-infused apple or BBQ sauce + vanilla orange mayo? Interesting. Not a place I would go out of my way for, but worth checking out if it's in your 'hood. BYOB!
(3)Desiree M.
This review is not so much about the sushi, but about the bizarre way they have created their menu. A friend and I stopped in because he had a hardcore sushi craving and we were passing by. We weren't starving, just wanted to sample a few things. I picked up one of the paper menus to browse before going in, just to get an idea of what they do. I saw several reasonably priced rolls, and figured we could get a couple to snack on before continuing our day. We get inside, and the place is tiny, and definitely trying super hard to be contemporary. There's not much privacy or dining space, so I would hate to see it when it gets crowded. A woman tells us to grab a seat anywhere, and brings us their regular menu. I look and see that all of the reasonably priced rolls are missing. Now all the rolls seem to carry a $12-$13 price tag. I ask about the rolls listed on their paper menu, and she says they are for delivery or carry out only. What? Why? I've never seen a restaurant offer more options for delivery than for sit down. I decide that I am not willing to part with that much money when I already have a go-to sushi place where I can eat all I want for like $15, and the rolls are phenomenal. *hint* House of Sushi and Noodles *hint*. My friend decides to get a few pieces of sashimi and a miso soup. He was happy with his food, but he was also looking for anything to fulfill his sushi craving, so I can't honestly say that it was outstanding by any means. Overall, not a place I would drop the money to investigate further.
(2)Nick N.
unsanitary. was rudely told they have no restroom, so i told them to cancel my order and left,,, i will be sure to report this to 311
(1)Sergey S.
Sushi for the non-sushi eaters :) Maybe I am biased because I live in NY and have been to Tokyo but this is not a real sushi place. A lot of the items on the menu are inventive, interesting and delicious but Japanese people do not put mozzarella cheese into a sushi roll. Period. Having said that, all the items were well done and tasty which is why I am giving 3 stars and not 2. The BYOB is great too for a local neighborhood joint.
(3)Magda M.
Felt like a hole in a wall place in Tokyo.
(4)Andrea J.
I ordered delivery for the first time this past Friday as I'm new to the Lakeview area. I have really been hoping to find a great sushi spot to replace a few of my favs in the old neighborhood and I think I found it. Ordering over the phone went incredibly smoothly and despite the fact that it was about 5 degrees outside, the food/delivery arrived within the given estimated window.The sushi was fresh and absolutely delicious!
(4)Caity F.
I've been ordering from Sublime for my delivery sushi cravings... a lot cheaper than other places in the area without compromising any quality. I can't order delivery here when I'm ordering for just myself, because I never meet the minimum bill for delivery... Gotta order for 2 or more. The last time I ordered they threw in a TON of free stuff - I figured they confused me with a regular customer, but I see from others' reviews this is a semi-common occurrence. Fun!
(4)Jimmy G.
I have been to all the Sushi places in Chicago. Back when I was single...Coast was the spot because it had some nice ambiance and girls always liked going to Coast. I told myself that the fish was okay and I even wrote a decent review of it on this yelp thing...plus I liked their delivery system because the food always arrived fast and you could do it all online without having to talk to anybody. Now enter Sublime....when it was being built I said to myself...why here? This space has always been cursed. They went with an industrial look and were going to be byob and just down the street from Coast. How is this gonna work I asked myself. So I popped in one early evening to give it a try and I had my answer. The Fish....The Fish...The Fish...that's what Sushi is about and the owners of Sublime get it. They have talented sushi chefs and high quality fish. Their rolls are voluptuous and hand crafted. Not trying to slam Coast in this review but their rolls look like they came off an assembly line. The tuna at Sublime is 3 grades higher and the rest of the fish is up there as well. The people that work there couldn't be friendlier. I wish they had the ability to put your credit card in during an online order without them having to call for it but I'm sure they'll work that out. Some menu items that I recommend are the Seaweed Salad, The Red Dragon Roll, The Summer and The Summer Deluxe and their Rainbow is spectacular too. I never get really crazy...I'm mostly a tuna guy and if you are too then Sublime is a must try. For the quality of the fish...the prices are an incredible value.
(5)Ryan L.
This place has gone through so many incarnations over the years, I'm surprised a sushi place has gone in so close to Coast. I can only say good luck to these guys. Gone are the grills for fast food from previous restaurants. Brought in are hip, exposed light fixtures hanging over the sushi bar, as well as exposed wood tables with a nice finish. The walls are bare, but fits well with the woodwork of the place. It's a small space, and they've tried to maximize the number of tables they can fit. Decent job in that aspect. A limited menu for now, but some innovative choices. The summer roll is perfect for cilantro lovers as its loaded with cilantro as well as avocado. Coupled with Goose Island Summertime Ale, it is a great facsimile for the season. The salmon block is interesting in that it consists of jalapenos, smoked salmon, mozzarella, and other ingredients. It tasted great, but I was disappointed in that it was almost impossible to grab with chopsticks. It just fell apart upon touch and was too big to grasp. Pretty difficult to eat. Friendly staff, and I hope they can make it in a seemingly cursed spot. BYOB for now.
(4)Paul H.
All in all pretty good sushi for the money. Decent service. 3 starts because a salmon sashimi piece had several bones in it ! They comped the piece however this is the only time I have ever had this happen!
(3)Pete V.
Sublime Sushi, why did it take you so long to grace Damen Ave with your presence? I have been longing for a great BYO sushi spot to compete with the hoards of Yellow Tail wine toting, pseudo-sushi lovers who fawn all over Coast Sushi like a 13 year-old debutante at a Miley Cyrus concert. Sublime Sushi has come to my rescue. Super laid back, friendly service, low key atmosphere, awesome sushi, BYOB, and did I mention, no 60 minute waits on Friday night? Can you ask for more? I've been to Sublime on five times so far, in fact a friend of mine and I had dinner there on their grand opening. From the day one to my last visit, the sushi has always been fresh and the service great. I was told on one of our visits that the chef here was a chef at Nomi before coming to Sublime...which definitely explains the quality of the fish here. My only compliant is that they need to expand their appetizer menu. They have a few items available, but they are all cold and sometimes I'm looking for some gyoza or tempura to accompany my nigiri. Regardless, Sublimes is quickly becoming a "go-to" sushi spot for us and I'm already looking forward to my next dinner there as I'm writing this review. Yum!
(5)John J.
Coast was booked and this was amazing and nearby. Unique flavors such as the summer or spicy yellowtail maki and appetizer yellowtail tiradito. Quieter than coast. A hidden gem.
(5)Pavnit K.
Now normally, I'm a Coast fan, and every time I have a sushi fanatic friend visit from out of town, I take them to Coast. My wonderful experience at Sublime, may just change this practice. I was actually surprised that when my friend and I walked in, it was quite empty, but then again, they do open at 5 and we had gotten there around 6..that also on a Sunday evening. We ordered miso soup, their classic(?) ceviche (either way, it was the one with the white tuna, jalepenos, avacado, onion, cilantro and tomatoes), the crunchy spicy tuna roll, regular spicy tuna roll and the summer roll. Now maybe, I don't know what to compare it to since I've never had ceviche, but this was amazing. The tuna was so mild, I didn't even feel like I was eating fish. The combination of flavors offered by the lime, cilantro, avacado, onions, tomato and tuna made such a refershing combination! By far, this would be a perfect dish to have on a hot summer day. The miso soup and the tuna rolls (squared) were good. I think in comparison to other sushi restaurants, the spicy tuna rolls were at par. I would, if anything, suggest a little more spicy. The summer roll was amazing. Maybe it's because I am cilantro fan...but again, what a refreshing combination of flavors in my mouth. Plus, the combination of tuna and yellowtail was AWESOME. The only thing I would want was the low sodium soy sauce option. Unfortunately, they do not yet have low sodium soy sauce. The waitress did assure me that this will be an option soon to be featured. I will definitely be back here. Plus, there wasn't a ridiculous 3 hour wait like Coast!
(5)Natalia M.
Great casual sushi byob! Fast service & attentive female server!
(4)Neha N.
I went on a weeknight and it was completely dead....granted it was around 9'oclock. I had the sweet potato roll, which was okay. I think this place is a little overpriced for "ok" food. Yes this place is BYOB, but there are so many BYO places in Chicago, that I wouldn't go running back here. No corkage fee though :).
(3)Tera D.
Hey you! Yeah, you, discerning Bucktown sushi enthusiast. GREAT NEWS!!!! Sublime sushi is totally what the area needed. It's not a place I'd tell people to travel out of their way to, but if you live in the hood, this place is great. The fish is fresh, the rolls are fun, and the price is right - aka BYOB, no corkage. It's an interesting way of doing a menu. At first glance the prices seemed out of this world low - probably only 1/4 of the rolls top $10, and a number of the sub $10 rolls are specialty rolls. As it turns out, even if it sounds like a crazy specialty roll, if it's under $10 it's likely about the size you'd expect from a more standard roll like spicy tuna or california. But they're still special, with a solid amount of quality fish and fun ingredients and sauces. Frankly, I like this set up because even smaller parties can order lots of rolls and try different things. We had 4 rolls and two bowls of miso soup for $36 and we were satisfied, but still had room for Italian ice on our walk home. Date night perfection ;)
(4)Hoang L.
Despite my roommates reviews of this place, I thought I'd give it a try just because it's so close to my place. My cousin and I stopped by for take out and ordered a bunch of sashami. Nobody was in the restaurant, but it took a good half hour. Shouldn't take that long if there's no cooking involved. Anyway, the pieces were very small and just okay. Spent about $50 and did not satisfy our hunger. I ended up making a sandwich at home.
(3)Alicia K.
AWESOME LUNCH SPECIALS! Had lunch with a girlfriend today here, because most other sushi bars don't open until dinner. I'm so glad we stumbled upon Sublime Sushi. Their lunch special is ridonkulous. $13.95 for 3 maki rolls - and there are about 20 different types of rolls to choose from. We had the spicy scallop, salmon/avo, and ebi tempura. SO GOOD. The scallop was very fresh - even my friend tried it and liked it, despite not being a huge fan of scallop. I would definitely return. Only downside is they don't have any dessert..
(5)Brittani L.
This is my favorite sushi spot. The service is always nice and the sushi is always spot on. It's never too crowded and its byob no corkage fee! I would try the philly crunch for sure, but I have never had anything bad from here. Even their take out is great. yum yum!
(5)CC H.
This is my go to neighborhood sushi place, and I have tried a few out in Bucktown/Wicker park. Not only is it BYOB, but its quality. Less about the ambiance and more about the sushi. I end up here at least every couple weeks and everyone I have brought has enjoyed the place. I recommend: My favorite roll so far is a salmon roll that is currently the last roll on their menu, but I cant remember what it was called. Delicious. It has little sprouts on top. also Spicy Yellow Tail, recommended by our server. (very little sauce on top and lots of flavor) Summer Tuna Roll...YUM Smoked Salmon, I usually get sashimi (they do it in house) Hawaiian Roll Futo Veggie Roll (Best veggie roll I have had, the tofu is crispy) Service is always good and fish is always fresh, and the prices are great for Chicago.
(4)Lauren B.
Had a terrible experience with my husband at Sublime the other night. We've been wanting to try it for a long time since we always notice it when we go to Takashi. We're always on the lookout for BYOB sushi restaurants and this place seemed to have a neat vibe. Overall the sushi was disappointing - not to mention overcooked rice and seaweed that just stuck to your teeth in a gummy mess. I was really excited to try their cooked skewers (had the short rib, chicken, and sausage) and everything was really fatty and not good. To top it off, as nice as the staff seemed, everything moved at a snail's pace. There were people waiting for tables to become available while other tables begged to get their check (actual quote from the table next to us: "We will leave and give you our table if you just give us our check!"). Turnover rate was awful. Takeaway: If you want good BYO sushi, just walk the 4 doors down to Coast or find another place around town. Sublime Sushi was utterly disappointing. *Note: My husband is angry with me that I'm giving this place more than one star...guess I have a nice bone in my body.
(2)Nicolas H.
If you are looking for some decent sushi at a reasonable price, then this is the place. However, if you are looking for a quiet or somewhat romantic dinner, this is definitely not the place. The music was so loud (pumping bad techno no less) that it was hard to have a conversation. Add to that the small space and the people trying to yell over the music, you've got the makings of a headache. That being said, the sushi combo was pretty good and left me satisfied. It's also BYOB so that works out well if you know it ahead of time. Maybe next time I'll just get it to-go and save myself the headache...
(3)Mike L.
Really good sushi, good variety, a little expensive however. I'm no sushi expert like some of these other people but it got the job done for me
(4)Julie H.
Fresh and tasty sushi. Friendly service and nice decor. I love the Hawaiian Roll and the Caterpillar roll Will definitely come back!
(5)Mich G.
I found Sublime Sushi thru Tasting Table Chicago. My girlfriends and I love eating sushi/sashimi so we decided to try a new place. One word to describe the food - DELICIOUS!!! Everything was perfect - from portion size, plating presentation and most important TASTE! We had the Yellowtail ceviche (must try), Large Sashimi platter, Crunchy Spicy Tuna Maki roll and Wasabi Soft Shell Crab Maki roll. All so very good! We had great service and all the staff were friendly. We will definitely come back for more!! one last thing, it's BYOB .. even better!
(5)Andrew S.
Initially, I didn't have very high expectations due to the small, simple atmosphere. However, the sushi was excellent. Although we didn't try the California roll, all of the rolls we tried were innovative and tasty. The service was excellent. The waitress was very polite and informative. BYOB is great....hope it stays that way. Our favorite was between the warm scallop block, which had a warm wasabi-mayo drizzled on top, and the Philly crunch, which had a beautiful fresh piece of salmon on top and a lemon confite (awesome after taste). Both were outstanding....we will definitely be back.
(5)leyla a.
The food was good, the restaurant is adorable but they MUST do something about the lack of training of their staff on health code issues. Skip to my last point. 1) I liked this place. A nice, local feel. A tiny, cute, sushi spot in Bucktown. 2) BYOB - my brother had just returned from Scotland and brought a nice bottle of scotch that we wanted to crack open and have with some sushi. 3) The rolls are just fine. I was pleased with the menu and I imagine if we sat at the sushi bar, the owner/sushi chef would have made anything we asked for. 4) The service. Was horrible. My brother is a regular and he informed us that they were abnormally busy and that they probably were not ready for the crowd. Understandable. 5) Now the horrific part..... We ordered round 1 of sushi and waited a very long time to receive it. After finishing, we realized we were still hungry, so we ordered round 2 of sushi. 2 more rolls. The server brought us an extra roll. We assumed, she was making up for the fact that we had waited a really long time for our food. We thanked her. We dug into each roll. That is when she realized she had made a mistake. She SAW THAT WE ATE THE ROLL and took it back. I watched her go to the back of the room, (where I assume she rearranged the pieces) and then walk that SAME ROLL out to another table. She served the roll to another table after we had eaten a piece. I almost walked across the room and told the couple eating the roll we had already taken a piece out of. They looked at it funny, likely wondering why it was smaller than they had expected. In her defense, she was very inexperienced. But my greater concern is, this restaurant is NOT training their staff on health code issues - how to properly handle food. What other health code violations are going on here? They are serving raw food here, this is a big concern.
(3)Nicole c.
This is probably the best sushi I've had in Chicago. The chef really seems to be thinking about what ingredients naturally bring out the flavor of the fish rather than feeling compelled (like many sushi chefs) to cater to Americanized taste by smothering perfectly good fish in mayo or cream cheese. We began with the yellowtail tiradito sashimi plate that was served in a delicious yuzu/garlic/truffle oil marinade. It was delicious and made me want to try more. We followed the yellowtail with the Hawaiian roll with tuna, mango, avocado and pine nuts. The pine nuts added a great crunch and complexity to the roll. We also had the Summer Deluxe roll with tuna, yellowtail, lime juice, yellowtail, and cilantro. The cilantro was unusual and added a great bite of flavor. The rainbow roll and wasabi softshell rolls were great as well. Overall, the bf and I were very impressed--especially when the bill was $15 less than we thought it would be. We will definitely be coming back!
(5)Andrea W.
I love this place! I might have a soft spot in my heart for Sublime because it was the first place I came to eat when I moved to Bucktown but I really love it! Their sushi is fresh and yummy. I go there about once a week and the staff is super friendly and always makes you feel welcome. Sublime is amazing!!!
(5)Maura L.
I am writing this review not just for myself, but on behalf of my sushi-loving, Japanophile boyfriend who said that this meal was, quite simply, the worst sushi he has ever had. We live nearby and had high hopes based on the 4 1/2 star yelp reviews and firsthand recommendations. The minimalist, unfinished wood decor was, unfortunately, about the only good thing about the experience. While we weren't expecting anything fancy, both in terms of fish quality and creative rolls, we were hoping for a decent neighborhood take out place to grab a byob meal now and again for a reasonable price. Our order was miso soup, a sushi combo special, several sashimi pieces and the specialty soft shell crab roll. Shit was bad. Like really, really bad. Our first red flag should have gone up when our combo platter came out with various whitefishy looking fish (it was supposed to include unagi and ebi). Sure, okay, maybe it's chef's choice, we figured. When the waitress came by with the rest of our food, we asked her if she could help identify what was what. The verbal tapdance that ensued was confusing and hilarious, as she proceeded to tell us that everything on all of our plates was either hamachi or yellowtail (both the same fish). Honestly, though, all of this would have been fine, if not for the quality of the fish itself. OUR SUSHI WAS SEARED. The first thing that you learn at a good sushi restaurant is that searing fish is a practice used by unsanitary restaurants trying to push old fish on unsuspecting customers. Various pieces of our "yellowtail" sushi was seared on both sides; since there was no grill at the open sushi bar, I can only assume it was done earlier and then refrigerated to be eaten even later. I'm not going to even get into the fact that the specialty roll was rubbery and just okay (apple and avocado with grilled softshell crab and wasabi mayo, I believe). The fish was not fresh. End of story.
(1)Andrea C.
I live near Sublime and have eaten there twice. I won't say it's my favorite sushi in Chicago, but both times have been very good! I'm a huge fan of spicy tuna and both times their tuna has been fresh. I also ordered a piece of super white sushi and it was delicious! I also placed an order in-person (so I expected to wait) but they gave me a complimentary order of edamame because it took 15 mins. for them to make it. Plus, their chefs seem very passionate about making the rolls. I enjoy watching them every time I visit.
(3)Michael M.
My meal at Sublime was disappointing. The waitresses were unhelpful and slow at pretty much everything they did, and were not at all attentive. While I will agree that the menu is a bit different than your typical sushi restaurant, that is because almost everything on it is cooked. You're limited to just a handful of choices if you want raw sushi. I also found the fish to be mushy and generally not very good. The miso soup was quite salty (even for miso soup) and yet still pretty bland. Prices are reasonable, but you can do a lot better. I wouldn't go back.
(2)Kris R.
i aint so keen on this place. i came here a long time ago when they first opened, and i wasn't impressed. yes, their rolls are a bit different, but not in a good way. i remember ordering the wasabi softshell roll: Fried whole softshell crab, wasabi pea crusted, asparagus, avocado, sake-infused apple, wasabi tobiko and eel sauce. the apple didnt work. the wasabi pea-crusted situation wasn't happenin'. i remember not being impressed. however, i wanted to come back one more time before i reviewed - maybe it was an off day. co-workers and i were craving the soosh for lunch, so we ordered takeout from there. my coworker called in the order, and they didnt have a LOT of the items we wanted. we wanted a chicken teriyaki bento box lunch special - they "ran out". as we asked for another item, they didnt have that either. i think they didn't have like 2 or 3 things. ridiculous! and i want to say one of them was tuna! and it was a thursday at like noon. anyway. i ordered the crunch and the spicy scallop. they were okay, nothing spectacular. i did feel REALLY sick after. i had the worst stomach cramps. i almost went home. i held my own for the rest of the day, but i actually had to run to 7-11 to get me some rolaids. what a lady i am. i say go down the street to coast and fork up a bit more cash for some quality soosh.
(2)Susan C.
The boyfriend & I went here with another couple for Valentine's Day. Although this place is incredibly small, the staff was very accommodating and friendly. The sushi? Fantastic. Everything is very fresh, full of flavor and absolutely delicious. The fact that this is BYOB is even better. The calamari is very good as well. Definitely a great spot to hit if you're in the area.
(4)Julie K.
I LOVE THIS PLACE!!!! i love their bento box specials for lunch. my faves are the chicken katsu bento box and the beef teriyaki bento box. the server ladies are super friendly and i love how they notice little things such as: my husband doesn't like the sea weed salad so they substituted that with regular salad. instead of brown rice, you can as for white rice. anyway bottom line: I LOVE THIS PLACE! THank you sublime sushi!
(4)Cathy S.
My friend and I were planning on going to Coast, but it was closed (for remodeling?) and so we stopped in at Sublime. From the outside, it looks pretty run-of-the-mill, although nicely decorated, it was nearly deserted which always worries me a bit with restaurants, especially sushi places. The service was prompt (we were the only ones in the tiny restaurant) and friendly. What amazed me the most, however, was the food. The sushi is extremely fresh. I am usually a little skeptical of "witty" or innovative rolls (trendy?), but everything we tried at Sublime was....well, sublime! We had a roll that had truffle oil in it....my friend ordered it and I was really curious because truffle oil is a very powerful ingrediant and it is easy to go overboard with it. I also never thought to put truffle oil with sushi, but it worked! In fact, it worked so well, we ordered a 2nd one! I really hope this place survives because it is a great alternative to some of the more crowded and uber-trendy sushi places in the area.
(5)Leanne R.
This is the third time I have visited Sublime Sushi and they have yet to disappoint. This time around the menu has been expanded with more options for appetizers and maki rolls, along with a large array of choices if you like to do the assorted sushi/maki thing. The only complaint that I wouldn't even characterize as a complaint is that I think their prices have gone up a bit with the larger menu. I still find their prices very reasonable, but felt it was worth mentioning the change. As for the food, we ordered the crunchy spicy tuna, crunchy shrimp tempura, summer roll, and the california. They were all delicious and everything was super fresh. I love the summer roll, its just spicy enough with jalapeno and the chili oil. They have a great selection of maki rolls that are creative and unique, so you're sure to find something new you haven't seen before. One of my favorite things about coming here is that we have never had to wait, and this isn't just us coming during off peak hours. Its easy to get a table, the staff is very friendly, and the food is always delicious. Love it! And you will too.
(4)Paul W.
Eclectic sushi rolls that buck the typical trend of offering the same crap wrapped in seaweed. The interior design is easy, cozy, stark of all things distracting (compare this to something like the overcrowded, billboard-splashed Zen Sushi farther south on North Ave, and it's a godsend). The roll selection is most welcome, especially the interesting ingredients -- pine nuts, chive, sake-infused apple, wasabi mayo. Good stuff. Definitely recommend the Hawaiian, Wasabi Softshell, Caterpillar, and Summer. They brew a couple teas to go along with your sushi, and the green tea I had came in its own small teapot (love when places provide this). The waitress (possibly owner?) asked how it was, as it was a new brand -- I forget the name, but it was very smooth and full-bodied. Service was also fantastic -- our waitress was attentive and friendly. Only thing disappointing was the edamame -- pieces didn't look the fresh, and a third of the bunch barely had any soy beans in them. But this is certainly forgivable for the rest of the experience.
(5)Kathy L.
I'm a sushi purist, a simple spicy tuna roll is as crazy as I get but Sublime Sushi's hawaiian and wasabi soft shell crab rolls have me converted. The flavors are delicate, delicious and not overpowering. Everything from the size of the rolls, the freshness, to the presentation is great. And the fresh ginger? Amazing. As far as service, the staff is helpful, attentive and not at all pushy. I've found my new favorite sushi restaurant.
(5)Tim W.
This place is solid. I live right down the street, and this is one of my new go to places for late night food (open til 11pm). The service is attentive, the sushi has unique flavor, and the overall atmosphere of the place is hip and lively, without the uppity, club vibe of sushi places in the area. The prices are average, ranging between 7 and 13 a roll. I recommend the crunchy spicy tuna roll. It was delicious. Also, don't forget to grab some beer from the liquor store next door, since this place is BYOB.
(5)Chumby D.
Since I live very close to this place, I've been eagerly anticipating the grand opening on April 29th...and I'm happy to say that it exceeded expectations! We were seated by the host, Luis, who was excited to tell us that we were the first dine-in customers on this day. Quite the honor to be the first patrons! :) First the décor: Considering it had been open only a few hours, we were ok with the fact that the walls were still bare and were painted a minimalistic white...but the woodwork of the sushi bar, tables and benches still created a warm and inviting ambiance. The menu was very enticing...for apps, they have the standard choices for miso, edamame, salads, etc...but what really caught our eye were the two choices of ceviche. Luis suggested we try the yellowtail ceviche - and this was excellent! The menu described the simple ingredients of red onion, ginger & rice vinegar, but the flavors combined with the yellowtail for a very flavorful & refreshing start to the meal. Superb! Next up was the Baked Salmon Blocks, also highly recommended by Luis. We found this one to be quite interesting...formed rice blocks layered with smoked salmon, mozzarella, jalapeno peppers, and fried onion straws. It seemed like a fusion of many cuisines (Asian, Mexican...) all pulled together by the common element of all these cuisines...rice. Pretty good Lastly, we tried the Jumbo Soft Shell maki...very happy with this pick! The presentation was excellent, and it was fun to see the preparation of crab right before our eyes. The flavors and textures were fantastic...highly recommended! I must say that Luis was an excellent host & helped to make the dining experience a joy. We didn't know at the time we were seated that this place is also BYOB!...perfect considering that there's a beer/wine store next door and a 7-Eleven across the street. Bummer that there were no dessert choices on the menu, but hopefully soon. So even though there's that very popular other sushi place just up the coast on Damen Ave, I'd say that Sublime Sushi is a great alternative if you're just interested in good food in a relaxing atmosphere without the long wait for a table. All in all, a wonderful place that I hope continues to do well in Bucktown...I'll certainly be back!
(4)Erin C.
As an avid lover of sushi, there are few sushi places I have been to nationwide that compare in fish quality, roll selection and creativity, price (BYOB) and service. Sublime Sushi always has fresh, "melt in your mouth" sashimi and the rolls vary from unique to traditional. The remaining menu is also delicious, but I usually go for the sushi. I would recommend the yellowtail ceviche, philly crunch, creamy scallop blocks, and the summer deluxe. I have yet to find a roll on their menu I didnt love. The service is friendly, the location is close to the blue line, and the restaurant is clean and modern.
(5)Liz K.
Very fresh and extremely well priced. I live only a few blocks away from here (and Coast) and always find myself ordering out from Sublime instead. Definitely a great spot for a casual, delicious dinner for way cheaper than Coast.
(4)Jessica S.
The vanilla potato tempura maki roll is fabulous! I love seeing a sushi restaurant that is willing to try new things in its rolls, as opposed to offering the same thing that every other place offers. I'll be returning.
(4)Robin F.
Can't believe this place has such mixed reviews! Some guy from NYC said this place sucked but he doesn't know what he is talking about. I am from NYC too and a Sushi lover and this place is not only amazing but as good as my favorite spot in NYC (which is MoMo Sushi Shack and if you think it's anything else, you crazy!). Anyhow, this place has wonderful, friendly service (They brought us some edamame on the house), uniquely inventive rolls, and FRESH FISH. Let me tell you, anything with the super white tuna is so so good (just know super white tuna isn't for lukewarm sushi lovers, you have to really enjoy the taste of fish to like this type of tuna). I love the menu. Of course some things are definitely americanized (mozzarella in sushi? I don't know how I feel about that) but in a very enjoyable and creative way. It's such a cop out for a sushi restaurant to add mayo and cream cheese to everything. It's boring, everyone else does it, and in my opinion it hides the flavor of fish. If you want to make Americanized Sushi at least make it creative and 'fish forward' as I call it. They highlight of their rolls is the fresh fish, not hot sauce or cream cheese. I like Americanized Sushi when it's done well, and they have done it very well. Outside of there fish the BBQ menu is amazing. It sounds simple but the bbq bacon chicken skewer is out of this world tasty and so is the hanger steak skewer (good chefs know that hanger steak is one of the most flavorful yet under appreciated cuts of meat so that impresses me). I also recommend: - Super White Tuna Ceviche- AMAZING. Only get this if you love fish. Close your eyes, take a bite and you'll feel like your on a boat in the ocean. The tuna is so soft & delicate it melts in your mouth. - Hawaiian Roll- Pine nuts and mango and tuna, love it! The pine nuts really accentuate the flavor of the fish. - Izuzu Roll- microgreens, superwhite tuna, fresh herbs, citrus YUM. So fresh, so amazing and so not what you see at the average sushi restaurant. Go here now! Also, take note that the menu they have in house is different than what's online which is probably why there was a complaint on yelp that they were out of everything. Here's a hint if you're a food lover: if a restaurant changes it's menu often thats a GOOD thing. I'd rather be served what they know if fresh and working for them at the moment.
(4)Kate J.
I love this place! I come here on occasion in the evenings for sushi. I always get the salmon and spicy tuna rolls- both are delicious. The fish is fresh, and as it a smaller atmosphere there is always plenty of seating. I absolutely love this place and is definitely a favorite of mine. After trying Coast a couple of times, which service there has sucked; I'm very happy with Sublime and there service, quality, and sushi.
(5)Steven A.
I told them that I'd have to write a review although I'm not much for writing them. Everyone here is just so nice though. They've always greeted me with a smile and occasionally throw in some complimentary items. I really enjoy the summer, hawaiian and the fresh philly rolls. Everything always taste fresh and I'm happy to always return there when I can. It's a very nice neighborhood spot.
(4)Steven P.
This place is half the price of coast and has average to above average sushi.
(3)Kori E.
So, I live across from Coast and its definitely a stand by restaurant for me in terms of dining in and grabbing take out! I didnt feel like spending an arm and a leg the other night, so I ordered Sublime for the first time wanting to check it out, and I am glad I did. The service was amazing. She quoted a time it would be ready and I mentioned that I just lived down the street and would she mind calling me when my order was ready and she said absolutely! The fish was really fresh and the rolls are very inventive. My fave was the yellowtail tiradito plate. There were 4 large pieces of yellowtail and drizzled over the top was truffle oil (amaze) and garlic. The fish was so fresh and the flavor was amazing. She also threw in a free miso soup and I thought that was a very nice touch. I am definitely a fan and will be returning again. The inside is very small, but the atmosphere seemed lively.
(4)Sean B.
Best quality fish in the neighborhood at very good prices. Service can be a little slow.
(4)Yael B.
DO NOT ORDER FROM HERE!!!! This place has the WORST customer service I have EVER experienced. We called in and order for take out, came to pick it up an hour later and they had lost our ticket so never made our meal. Okay, fine, things happen, we assumed they would just make the food while we waited...right? Not this place. The chef/owner REFUSED to make our food. No explanation, no compensation, just refused to help out. Wouldn't even speak to us, and wouldn't listen to the waitress when she tried to get him to make the food. We will NOT be eating at Sublime Sushi again, and you shouldn't either.
(1)Stacy K.
Anyone who lives in the area knows how gutsy it is for Sublime to set up shop a half a block down from Coast. Granted, the atmospheres are extremely different, the sushi rolls at Sublime give their competition a run for their money. I ordered carry out and everything was ready within a half an hour. You really can't beat the quality of the ingredients for the price you pay. I ordered 3 rolls (Spicy Crunchy Tuna, Hawaiian, and Salmon Long Bean) for just over twenty bucks. Since it was my first time there, they even threw in a Vanilla Potato Tempura roll...for FREE! The waitress who took my order was extremely friendly on the phone and recommended the salmon roll, which ended up being very tasty. BYOB. Yummy sushi. Friendly service. Can't wait to go back!
(5)A S.
Just not good. Never been before so I ordered just two simple things. Summer roll and california. Figured that's easy can't be bad. I like grocery store sushi too so its not like my hopes are that high. I love coast but wanted to try something new. Now I'm just hoping I don't get sick...
(1)ashley m.
Went for my first time today for lunch on my own & had a fabulous experience. Tea was sooo good! They offer a bunch of lunch specials that are $7-9 but I went with just ordering maki rolls. Loved the creamy scallop block & crunchy phili roll. Service was great! I will def be back:)
(4)Katiria G.
Extremely friendly waiters, soup and tea on the house almost every time, not dark and crowded like Coast and pretty good sushi!
(4)Sarah D.
I love this place!! My boyfriend and I have went twice now and each time it's gotten better. The last time we went was so perfect... I couldn't ask for a nicer low key date. I love the rolls (especially the rainbow and summer) and the tuna ceviche is delicious. The staff is super nice. It is very small and not very intimate but it's a cool spot and the food is great. The sashimi is fresh and delicious too! Byob though so be sure to bring some alcohol with you!
(5)Natalie G.
I live right down the street and haven't taken the time to actually eat in, but I have now gotten takeout about 5 times I think. I love the Hawaiian Roll and the Caterpillar roll. The Staff is really nice and everything is really good. I was really happy to see that there was a long wait there when i rode by on my bike on Wednesday night- hopefully business is starting to pick up for them!
(4)nick a.
Delicious!! Will be going back. Incredibly inventive dishes and a relaxed atmosphere, I've found my new favorite sushi spot in the city!
(5)katie c.
Some friends and I decided to try this new place out, and I am so glad we did instead of defaulting up the street. The sushi was great, nice flavors and textures. It's very small, but still very inviting. While I was skeptical of the chairs at first, I found them to be very comfortable. I will definitely be going back next time I want some great sushi.
(5)Sean M.
Great small place with excellent food and service. Will definitely go back!
(4)Joanna W.
I'm totally becoming a regular! This place is clearly meant for Bucktown locals who want sushi, but don't want to put up with the crowds at Coast. Viva Sublime!
(5)Art A.
Sublime is a brand new sushi restaurant that reminds me of a small cafe. The woodwork looks decorative. My friend and I had the Yellowtail Seviche and Baked Salmon Blocks for appetizers. For rolls, we had Caterpillar and Hawaiian. The appetizers were delicious and different from the other Japanese restaurants. The rolls were tasty and fulfilling. We had two rolls and we were full. I was satisfied with their food and service and will be back soon.
(5)Wendy G.
Yum! This place is fantastic. I went with a couple of "standard rolls", which were great, and I tried the Hawaiian roll (I was intrigued by the mango), and I highly recommend it. The staff was helpful without being pushy - a huge plus. It's BYOB, so stop by next door for your wine or beer and bring it in.
(5)Georgia G.
Loved it! The atmosphere was laid back, service was great, and the sushi was fresh and deeeeelicious! Def! be back!!!!
(4)Andrew T.
Best Sushi i have had in a long time. Maybe ever!!
(5)K M.
Quite good! We had the Caterpillar, Wasabi soft shell crab, and Hawaiian roll and all were very good. The staff was also very warm and friendly. If you're looking for a sushi place that has a more laid back vibe than Coast, this is it. They're BYOB for now, and I hope they stay that way!
(4)Jane P.
My new favorite sushi place. We come here at least once a week the fish is extremely fresh and the staff is super friendly and helpful. The chef will customize any roll for you. The white tuna ceviche is a must!
(5)Bobo B.
Cramped space, loud music, poor service, and food made with absolutely no love. Opt for Sushi Para if you're in the neighborhood for some tasty sushi and a relaxed dining experience, or Coast if you like to be seen.
(1)brian h.
i came away with mixed feelings on this place. from the menus available outside the place, it has a pretty solid list of basic rolls and specialty ones. we looked it over, and decided we wanted to try it, and came up with some ideas about what we wanted. when we got there, they gave us a menu that had 1/2 the maki advertised, missing all of the basic rolls on the menu we had grabbed (for me, i wanted to supplement some specialities with basic ones, and the better half was interested in a few of the basic veggie rolls, as the specialty rolls have only 1 or 2 options for vegetarians). when we asked, after ordering an appetizer, the waitress said all the basic rolls are for to-go only, so those weren't options for us eating there. huh? i've never heard of this, and there's no mention of this on the paper menu, which reads "dine in. carry out. delivery" on the front. it messed with my normal plan of a mix of richer, more pricey specialty rolls and more pure basic rolls, and it jacked with the vegetarian options a good deal. also, since the basic rolls are much cheaper than the speciality rolls, generally, it felt like some kind of bait-and-switch since the menu essentially changed once we got inside. it left a bad taste in my mouth, and i probably would've left, if we hadn't already ordered an app. instead, we figured we'd just plunge and get something, since i had my heart set on a summer roll. i somewhat wanted to be disappointed and write the place off after that, but the summer roll and long bean roll and yellowtail sushi i had were very good. the GF just doubled up on the vanilla sweet potato tempura roll, and that was also tasty stuff. I'm not sure if the chopped menu is there to try to get people taking up space in the small restaurant to maximally spend or what, but the to-go only rule is annoying, offputting, and weird business. i understand abbreviated to-go menus, to not send out things that don't travel well and make the product look bad. i also understand that it's common practice to have deals for dine-in only, to draw more people in and make a place look more popular (and in a sushi place, to illustrate high fish turn-over, and a fresher product). to put a menu out that shows one thing and then refuse it when you take the time to go there (and the place was empty when we arrived) just is cause for annoyance. knock that off and the place is pretty good. (note the online menupages menu is more representative of the real menu. if you scout the place on grubhub or the paper menu they have, strike the 33 "old style maki" options from your mind.) atmosphere is minimal and not unpleasant. music was clubby music, as seems to be all over this town in 90% of sushi places, but was not loud, so not too bad.
(3)A S.
Just not good. Never been before so I ordered just two simple things. Summer roll and california. Figured that's easy can't be bad. I like grocery store sushi too so its not like my hopes are that high. I love coast but wanted to try something new. Now I'm just hoping I don't get sick...
(1)ashley m.
Went for my first time today for lunch on my own & had a fabulous experience. Tea was sooo good! They offer a bunch of lunch specials that are $7-9 but I went with just ordering maki rolls. Loved the creamy scallop block & crunchy phili roll. Service was great! I will def be back:)
(4)Katiria G.
Extremely friendly waiters, soup and tea on the house almost every time, not dark and crowded like Coast and pretty good sushi!
(4)Mich G.
I found Sublime Sushi thru Tasting Table Chicago. My girlfriends and I love eating sushi/sashimi so we decided to try a new place. One word to describe the food - DELICIOUS!!! Everything was perfect - from portion size, plating presentation and most important TASTE! We had the Yellowtail ceviche (must try), Large Sashimi platter, Crunchy Spicy Tuna Maki roll and Wasabi Soft Shell Crab Maki roll. All so very good! We had great service and all the staff were friendly. We will definitely come back for more!! one last thing, it's BYOB .. even better!
(5)Andrew S.
Initially, I didn't have very high expectations due to the small, simple atmosphere. However, the sushi was excellent. Although we didn't try the California roll, all of the rolls we tried were innovative and tasty. The service was excellent. The waitress was very polite and informative. BYOB is great....hope it stays that way. Our favorite was between the warm scallop block, which had a warm wasabi-mayo drizzled on top, and the Philly crunch, which had a beautiful fresh piece of salmon on top and a lemon confite (awesome after taste). Both were outstanding....we will definitely be back.
(5)Sarah D.
I love this place!! My boyfriend and I have went twice now and each time it's gotten better. The last time we went was so perfect... I couldn't ask for a nicer low key date. I love the rolls (especially the rainbow and summer) and the tuna ceviche is delicious. The staff is super nice. It is very small and not very intimate but it's a cool spot and the food is great. The sashimi is fresh and delicious too! Byob though so be sure to bring some alcohol with you!
(5)Natalie G.
I live right down the street and haven't taken the time to actually eat in, but I have now gotten takeout about 5 times I think. I love the Hawaiian Roll and the Caterpillar roll. The Staff is really nice and everything is really good. I was really happy to see that there was a long wait there when i rode by on my bike on Wednesday night- hopefully business is starting to pick up for them!
(4)nick a.
Delicious!! Will be going back. Incredibly inventive dishes and a relaxed atmosphere, I've found my new favorite sushi spot in the city!
(5)katie c.
Some friends and I decided to try this new place out, and I am so glad we did instead of defaulting up the street. The sushi was great, nice flavors and textures. It's very small, but still very inviting. While I was skeptical of the chairs at first, I found them to be very comfortable. I will definitely be going back next time I want some great sushi.
(5)Sean M.
Great small place with excellent food and service. Will definitely go back!
(4)Joanna W.
I'm totally becoming a regular! This place is clearly meant for Bucktown locals who want sushi, but don't want to put up with the crowds at Coast. Viva Sublime!
(5)Art A.
Sublime is a brand new sushi restaurant that reminds me of a small cafe. The woodwork looks decorative. My friend and I had the Yellowtail Seviche and Baked Salmon Blocks for appetizers. For rolls, we had Caterpillar and Hawaiian. The appetizers were delicious and different from the other Japanese restaurants. The rolls were tasty and fulfilling. We had two rolls and we were full. I was satisfied with their food and service and will be back soon.
(5)Wendy G.
Yum! This place is fantastic. I went with a couple of "standard rolls", which were great, and I tried the Hawaiian roll (I was intrigued by the mango), and I highly recommend it. The staff was helpful without being pushy - a huge plus. It's BYOB, so stop by next door for your wine or beer and bring it in.
(5)Georgia G.
Loved it! The atmosphere was laid back, service was great, and the sushi was fresh and deeeeelicious! Def! be back!!!!
(4)Andrew T.
Best Sushi i have had in a long time. Maybe ever!!
(5)K M.
Quite good! We had the Caterpillar, Wasabi soft shell crab, and Hawaiian roll and all were very good. The staff was also very warm and friendly. If you're looking for a sushi place that has a more laid back vibe than Coast, this is it. They're BYOB for now, and I hope they stay that way!
(4)Jane P.
My new favorite sushi place. We come here at least once a week the fish is extremely fresh and the staff is super friendly and helpful. The chef will customize any roll for you. The white tuna ceviche is a must!
(5)Bobo B.
Cramped space, loud music, poor service, and food made with absolutely no love. Opt for Sushi Para if you're in the neighborhood for some tasty sushi and a relaxed dining experience, or Coast if you like to be seen.
(1)brian h.
i came away with mixed feelings on this place. from the menus available outside the place, it has a pretty solid list of basic rolls and specialty ones. we looked it over, and decided we wanted to try it, and came up with some ideas about what we wanted. when we got there, they gave us a menu that had 1/2 the maki advertised, missing all of the basic rolls on the menu we had grabbed (for me, i wanted to supplement some specialities with basic ones, and the better half was interested in a few of the basic veggie rolls, as the specialty rolls have only 1 or 2 options for vegetarians). when we asked, after ordering an appetizer, the waitress said all the basic rolls are for to-go only, so those weren't options for us eating there. huh? i've never heard of this, and there's no mention of this on the paper menu, which reads "dine in. carry out. delivery" on the front. it messed with my normal plan of a mix of richer, more pricey specialty rolls and more pure basic rolls, and it jacked with the vegetarian options a good deal. also, since the basic rolls are much cheaper than the speciality rolls, generally, it felt like some kind of bait-and-switch since the menu essentially changed once we got inside. it left a bad taste in my mouth, and i probably would've left, if we hadn't already ordered an app. instead, we figured we'd just plunge and get something, since i had my heart set on a summer roll. i somewhat wanted to be disappointed and write the place off after that, but the summer roll and long bean roll and yellowtail sushi i had were very good. the GF just doubled up on the vanilla sweet potato tempura roll, and that was also tasty stuff. I'm not sure if the chopped menu is there to try to get people taking up space in the small restaurant to maximally spend or what, but the to-go only rule is annoying, offputting, and weird business. i understand abbreviated to-go menus, to not send out things that don't travel well and make the product look bad. i also understand that it's common practice to have deals for dine-in only, to draw more people in and make a place look more popular (and in a sushi place, to illustrate high fish turn-over, and a fresher product). to put a menu out that shows one thing and then refuse it when you take the time to go there (and the place was empty when we arrived) just is cause for annoyance. knock that off and the place is pretty good. (note the online menupages menu is more representative of the real menu. if you scout the place on grubhub or the paper menu they have, strike the 33 "old style maki" options from your mind.) atmosphere is minimal and not unpleasant. music was clubby music, as seems to be all over this town in 90% of sushi places, but was not loud, so not too bad.
(3)Morganne B.
I'll start by saying any sushi place that serves real crab meat in their rolls instead of imitation "Krab" immediately wins over my fish-allergic boyfriend and by association, me. It not only means we get to eat there, but if they care enough to have real crab, they probably also have some darn good fish options for those of us who don't go into anaphylactic shock at the first sniff of a piece of fish. So we happily sat down and ordered a feast. Don't be fooled by the simplistic and almost run-down appearance of the interior and exterior, because this is solid sushi and they're open super late at night. I ordered the seaweed salad and the sashimi sampler--which could've been bigger. I was too busy salivating over my fish to notice my boyfriends order but he seemed to enjoy his rolls. They are BYOB and there's a 7-11 visible from the window so grab something to wash down your sushi and bring it on in with you. Good little spot that we will keep in mind for late night sushi cravings.
(4)Tira R.
I love sushi and Sublime sushi is the best sushi restaurant in Chicago. Summer roll is my favorite. The fish here is very fresh. I like the way they make sushi here. They don't put too much sauce on any rolls. I wish I lived closer to this place then I'd be at Sublime sushi everyday.
(5)Aninchai P.
Ok so been coming here once a week to get the party tray excellent choices of sushi fresh cut fish and good price too . Some week I take it to go if am alone and get the rice on the side sashimi style so I can warm up the rice later. Love this place, they never they never try to charge me extra for condiments."all their sauce are homemade/love the spicy mayo "
(5)Robert K.
Great place great service. Sushi is same day fresh, not the rubbish one scores elsewhere. Started with chicken gyoza. We ordered theu grub hub, but if we were there we would have doubled maybe tripled our order. Surreal good gyoza. As i said suahi is outstanding. Before we got there , however we tapped the ceviche. Smooth, yes, and perfectly seared. A wonderful marriage of fish, lime, tomatoes and jalapeno. Perfect. Then the sushi. Words do not serve justice. Please try you will not be disapointed. Loved it. Suggest a live visit so u can up order onsite
(5)Beth C.
From the outside, this place doesn't look like much. But once inside, it is small with wood tables and industrial lighting and fixtures. Very modern, very cool. The rolls are great and not over priced. Affordable, fresh, and tasty are a combo I could get used to. It is a BYOB so be sure to hit up the liquor store next door or the 7-11 across the street.
(5)Jesse H.
This place is very inexpensive and so good!! Byob. Love it. Godzilla roll is amazing. Cute little restaurant. Feels homey. I'll be back.
(5)Joey B.
A sushi restaurant open till 2am? What?! Atmosphere: A dainty atmosphere with great smooth tracks playing in the background. Really a comfortable setting you can relax and unwind at nite. I dig the wood accents decorating the restaurant. The tables next to the window can get really chilly in the winter. Service: We had a nice waitress give us the know how on the specials and popular rolls. All of orders came out super fast since we were the only ones there haha. Sushi: Miso soup was really fantastic! I am impressed the quality was so great at 1am. Brothy and simmering with flavor. Did not fully enjoy the Philly Crunch Roll however. The lemon pieces on it was not fresh. It ruined the $12 roll! The Godzilla roll was very edible though. Was not too sweet and had the perfect crunchy texture. My favorite roll of the nite was the Hawaiian roll. The fresh Mango and Pine Nuts blended really well for a sweet earthy flavor. The wasabi Mayo was also tolerably spicy. I usually get wrecked by spicy food! Overall the quality of fish and rice of the sushi is above average. Only one of two Sushi places that is open until 2am in Chicago! Will definitely drop by again when my roommate starts craving for late nite sushi!
(4)Brittney J.
I've ordered take out several times and the food always great. One night I decided to sit in and enjoy a meal. It was great! I had a platter and a few rolls. They gave a complimentary bowl of soup when I were first seated. It's BYOB so I had a nice cocktail with my great meal. The place is small but it's perfect.
(5)Danny W.
It's sushi, it's delivery, it's pretty cheap, and it's open till 2am. So with the above being said you can imagine that they're not going to win any awards for freshness or creativity, but if you're looking for something on the late that isn't half bad it fits the bill. The rolls are pretty basic and they don't really have anything else on the menu besides small platters and some simple makis. What they do have though is decent for being open till the same time as bars are. Overall it is what it is, but for what it is it's not as bad as it could be.
(3)Amber J.
BYOB, yes! Fresh fish, yes! Clean, yes! Better than Coast, heck yes! Love the staff bc they're on top of it and super friendly. Music is always upbeat and fun. When I'm in Bucktown craving fast sushi, this is my go to place.
(5)Stephanie H.
I ordered here from a friend on New Year's Day. We ordered the spider roll, spicy tuna, and two specialty rolls whose names I've forgotten. All of the rolls were decent, nothing special. We also ordered the edamame, but that's pretty hard to mess up. Lastly we ordered the miso ramen, which was also good but nothing special. This place gets the job done, but there are definitely better places to get sushi.
(3)Lati T.
Great place for sushi and it's BYOB! It's a small place and very sweet people work here...I love supporting my local businesses!
(5)Amber K.
Subpar is more like it. Service was bad. We had to flag the waitress down for everything, even after making eye contact on regular bases with the 'wait on you to come over' look. The wait staff was just so very indifferent to taking care of the guests & more obsessed with picking up every empty dish a soon as you set it aside. Not friendly at all. Miso soup was meh, no flavor...just water & 3 tiny cubes of tofu and maybe one tiny piece of seaweed. We had requested it spicy but nothing. Sushi was bland and a really weirdly soft texture. Got the Vanilla Sweet Potato roll and the potatoes weren't cooked throughly. Bad service, bad food,, won't come again. All in all we stopped here to try something new instead of waiting the 1.5 hr wait for Coast and it was a bad choice. Coast is worth the wait.
(1)Elise O.
Sublime is good. It's never great and it's never horrible. There are other places I would rather go to over Sublime but in a pinch it's a good back up. Never too crowded and the sushi is never bad.
(3)NRyan K.
Delicious fresh. We had takeout. Simple order but will return for more. Decent price too.
(4)Irene H.
The maki was average. The Crunchy Spicy Tuna Roll was so spicy I could barely eat it. Ordered two specialty rolls which were just ok. I wouldn't go back here for the sushi, but I would go back for the wings! The Korean BBQ Wings were the best wings I've had in a while - perfectly crispy, big, and juicy. There's a spicy orange flavor I want to try.
(2)Ghostpants X.
good sushi. low price. BYOB. nice atmosphere. hard to argue with that combo. i go here regularly and spend $25 and walk out stuffed. can't say that about most sushi places in the city. rolls to try: hawaiian, crab torched, yuzu salmon, tuna "poke" -- all very good.
(4)Tanya M.
I ordered here to satisfy one of my late night sushi cravings. Food was good.. Nothing spectacular. Delivery took some time though. I ordered a Spicy Tuna Maki, Fried Calamari, and Godzilla Maki. The Calamari was a bit rubbery.. but not awful. No complaints about the sushi, though. I have had better, but also had worse. Perhaps a dine-in experience would have been different, but I cannot rate higher than 3 stars for the delivery.
(3)Melissah L.
The lunch deal is the best! My boyfriend and I split 3 rolls and a miso soup for $20.00, and that included tax and tip! $10/person for sushi in Chicago? Yeah, try and find that deal somewhere else. Our spicy salmon and tuna avocado roll had nice fat chunks of fish that was fresh and totally void of that cheap, fish-y flavor you sometimes get at other sushi joints. One star off for the interior-- it's not all that nice/comfortable, but Sublime is a great place to get your quick fix of fish each week :).
(4)Carl J.
I called and made a simple order for pickup because I was curious about the food. Worst decision I have made in months. When I called and made an order of edamame and 3 sushi rolls I was told ONE HOUR. That's just not right for sushi pickup time.... Then I walked in 1 hour and 10 min after I ordered and they didn't have my food ready... Not only that but the cooks started rolling as cooking my edamame right in front of me. The place was DEAD and they were still so rushed to make my rolls they they were complete slop and the edamame was not cooked all the way.... 15 min later I walked out of the place pissed.... Why would they not cook my food within the one hour wait time they gave me? Oh wait, did I tell you that my bill was $29 and when I paid $30 and waited for my change before I left... Then I realized she didn't plan on giving it to me.... Why would I tip you for giving me a one hour wait time when the place was dead and I watched the sushi cook slop together my rolls.... Coast sushi is right down the street and some of the best sushi in Chicago. Go there if you want good service.
(1)R P.
Huge fan of this place. Unbelievably good sushi here and very polite staff. It doesn't have the usual flashy decor of the 'high end' sushi bars but beats the best when it comes to freshness and taste. It has an extensive menu and they seem to be prepare everything very well. You have to visit these guys.
(5)Esteban L.
THis is really incredible edible sushi at great prices. And they deliver til 2am so dont sleep if youre not sleeping!
(5)Austin N.
We went to this place after seeing how packed Coast was and did not feel like waiting. The server was helpful and informative about the menu so we did try several new sushi I had not eaten before. Summer Dragon was definitely my "GO TO" pick at this place. And they are in a rush to kick you out for the next customers so we managed to finish what we BYOB. The chef rolled and made our order while we are enjoying some appetizer and drinks so food was FRESH. Service was great even though the wait staff speaking with some accent so it take a little time to listen and understand what they were saying. Parking is a little bit challenging on Damen Street and around the area. We will definitely consider riding our bicycles or my motorcycle down here next time to find "suitable' parking spots.
(5)Camila H.
If I could give this place no stars, I would. This place is SHADY. The sushi was decent. We called in for pick up, the total was $25. I paid with two $20 bills. Later, I got home and realized that instead of getting $15 back, the cashier had only given me $3. I called in to try and sort something out, and I was literally told that it was my fault. In the grand scheme of things $12 is nothing but the service is crap and the people working there are shady. I have never had money stolen from me like this. I called back and ask to speak to the owner, and was told he would call me back. Never happened. Stay away.
(1)Andy K.
Yikes. We ended up here because Coast was packed, but I was wishing we had decided on pizza or chicken next door. I was thoroughly disappointed. The crab in the spider roll seemed to be completely overly deep fried (like chicken) and overall everything just kind of tasted watery and bland. We also tried some interesting rolls that used things like cilantro and peanuts but they did not go over well in my opinion. Definitely skip the veg dumplings.
(1)Zach J.
Was tired of Coast so I tried this place. That was about a year ago. I could not be more pleased with that decision - better prices, larger roles, faster service. This place does not get the publicity that it deserves. I would suggest everyone give it a try. Go ahead, Friday night at 7 pm go there. enjoy. And don't forget to bring your own beer.
(4)Keith A.
Sublime Sushi gets a nice solid from me. I've gotten takeout from here a couple of times as I always like adding new place to my radar. I like that the nigiri pieces have a decent hunk of fish put on each of them. This isn't the best nigiri I've had, but I'm certainly not complaining as there was a nice amount of fish on each piece. But, they didn't have that melt in the mouth quality that I was wanting. I did enjoy their maki. While it isn't the best maki I've had, it was still very enjoyable. The summer maki was very tasty and I liked the amount of spice in the crunchy spicy tuna maki. Sublime sushi is a nice alternative in the area when I'm not in the mood for coast. The sushi is very good, but there are some better options around as well. Overall they are very solid and worth a visit.
(3)Jaas D.
I came here for valentines day with my boyfriend and I was so excited to try it because I always see it since I work down the block. The food was okay, the customer service was not. The women kept rushing us with our order, not to mention they weren't even busy. There were two other more tables other than ours. When it came down to paying, we paid in cash and I left the change we got back on the table while I went to the restroom. My boyfriend stayed at the table and was approached by the waitress. She saw our change on the table and told my boyfriend that most people leave a 15-20% tip and what we were leaving was not enough. The money that was on the table was not even a tip, and we weren't even leaving yet. The waitress then walked away and started talking to the rest of the staff in another language and they were looking at our table. I found that extremely rude, I've never experienced anything like this before. Don't think ill ever come back.
(1)Trevor H.
Went to pick up some take-out after a party. The sushi was ok, but seriously nothing special. The lack-of flair and overall quality (as far as freshness goes) leaves much to be desired. The dining area looks deathly bland as well. It also didn't help their case that they messed up my order and gave me something toooootally different from what I ordered. And they don't take AMEX...boo.
(2)dee g.
This place is great-- local, hip, relaxed, and b.y.o.b. So, bring your own and eat good food. Don't come if you're uptight though only if you want to eat sushi and make some new friends with the cook and server.
(4)Merissa L.
I am surprised this place got less stars. We went this place 2 weeks ago because we LOVE sushi and didn't want to go to the overpriced and bad quality neighbor of Sublime, Coast. We popped in and were sat right away. The place was full and has a very authentic vibe. The sushi was great and inexpensive compared to other more high profile joints. I definitely recommend. The only thing I would suggest to the staff is to be a bit more response to requests, but the service was very friendly.
(5)Kelsey K.
We've always had great expereinces here and we just had a really bad one. We went in there on a wekk night when they weren't busy in the dining room at all but had a hoppin takeout thing going on. They greeted us and told us to take any seat that we'd like, then they took FOREVER to come over to the table... like 10 min forever. Then it took them a REALLY long time to make the sushi and bring it over. We had a roll that wasn't good (it was a lox roll with melted mozzarella cheese on it) and shouldn't really be on the menu... then they took days to bring us the check... oh man, it was less than stellar. They acknowledged that it was taking forever, but they didn't DO anything about it. Over and hour and a half and we just wanted to pop in quickly and grab some sushi as we have in the past. I guess it's back to finding another option when Coast is packed...
(2)Lizzy M.
Quaint and low key. Good sushi for the price. I like the red dragon. The less expensive rolls definitely have less fish and more rice so better to try the mid to higher priced items. Staff is pleasant although not extremely attentive. Late night hours are great. BYOB
(4)Mara M.
My favorite sushi place. It is very convenient for me as I only live a block away, but Coast is also a block away and I would pick Sublime over Coast 100% of the time. Sublime: -BYOB -reasonably priced -extremely friendly service -very fresh fish. I suggest the spicy yellowtail roll. Really good, and the cilantro adds a great flavor -There's a great lunch special, I think it's $9 for 2 rolls and miso soup? This is a great place to go on a date. Bring a bottle of wine. It took me a while to write a review because I didn't want this place to be discovered and I was being selfish. However, looking at the reviews, I don't think they are getting the credit they deserve. The food is consistently fresh, and now they have these new skewer things that are good too.
(5)Emily C.
We carry out from here all the time and it's consistently good. Depending on how much you spend, they throw in a free roll, salad, etc. We really like the Crunchy Spicy Tuna Roll, Miso Salmon, Spicy Crab Torched and the BBQ Shrimp Tempura. They have a really great lunch special, but the service is really slow. We've also gone here for dinner and service took forever. We only carry out now. But if you decide to go anyway, it's BYOB - awesome! 18/365
(4)Steve P.
Stumbled upon this place after long lines at Coast. The servers are great and not at all snooty, as they tend to be at the aforementioned sushi restaurant
(4)Stephanie F.
Oy. The 2 stars are for the free soba noodle salad and the crab maki. The salmon and avocado tasted like there was soap in it. Spicy scallop was VERY fishy. Even the edamame was forgettable and unsalted.
(2)Jenny H.
To call their sushi, "sublime" intrigued us to stop in after we decided to skip the asian-fusion fanciness at Takashi. I was quickly taken back to the grandeur and ecstasy-invoking nature of the sublime that I explored through world literature. Could I say SS lived up to its name? SUMMER CATERPILLAR YUZU SALMON There was a fourth roll that we ordered, but the name has escaped me. Out of all of the rolls, I liked the summer the best while the caterpillar and yuzu salmon offered a nice refreshing balance. However, none of these rolls invoked nearly the salivary response. SS is a no frills, friendly neighborhood place to get a fix for sushi. We sat at the bar with a bowl of miso soup. I wished they offered more hot items like udon/soba. Although they have a pretty decent offering from traditional to the creatively outlandish... sake-infused apple or BBQ sauce + vanilla orange mayo? Interesting. Not a place I would go out of my way for, but worth checking out if it's in your 'hood. BYOB!
(3)David S.
We went here after the first two sushi bars we tried to go to were closed for "cold" weather in Chicago. The Tuna "Poke" and Summer rolls were fantastic with a great combination of jalepeno, cilantro, and added wasabi. I would love to give this place a higher ranking, but the service was unbelievably apathetic and slow as we were the only non-workers/friends eating in the restaurant. In addition to this, the place was cold and not clean. Sublime sushi yes, not sublime service or decor.
(3)Desiree M.
This review is not so much about the sushi, but about the bizarre way they have created their menu. A friend and I stopped in because he had a hardcore sushi craving and we were passing by. We weren't starving, just wanted to sample a few things. I picked up one of the paper menus to browse before going in, just to get an idea of what they do. I saw several reasonably priced rolls, and figured we could get a couple to snack on before continuing our day. We get inside, and the place is tiny, and definitely trying super hard to be contemporary. There's not much privacy or dining space, so I would hate to see it when it gets crowded. A woman tells us to grab a seat anywhere, and brings us their regular menu. I look and see that all of the reasonably priced rolls are missing. Now all the rolls seem to carry a $12-$13 price tag. I ask about the rolls listed on their paper menu, and she says they are for delivery or carry out only. What? Why? I've never seen a restaurant offer more options for delivery than for sit down. I decide that I am not willing to part with that much money when I already have a go-to sushi place where I can eat all I want for like $15, and the rolls are phenomenal. *hint* House of Sushi and Noodles *hint*. My friend decides to get a few pieces of sashimi and a miso soup. He was happy with his food, but he was also looking for anything to fulfill his sushi craving, so I can't honestly say that it was outstanding by any means. Overall, not a place I would drop the money to investigate further.
(2)Nick N.
unsanitary. was rudely told they have no restroom, so i told them to cancel my order and left,,, i will be sure to report this to 311
(1)Sergey S.
Sushi for the non-sushi eaters :) Maybe I am biased because I live in NY and have been to Tokyo but this is not a real sushi place. A lot of the items on the menu are inventive, interesting and delicious but Japanese people do not put mozzarella cheese into a sushi roll. Period. Having said that, all the items were well done and tasty which is why I am giving 3 stars and not 2. The BYOB is great too for a local neighborhood joint.
(3)Magda M.
Felt like a hole in a wall place in Tokyo.
(4)Andrea J.
I ordered delivery for the first time this past Friday as I'm new to the Lakeview area. I have really been hoping to find a great sushi spot to replace a few of my favs in the old neighborhood and I think I found it. Ordering over the phone went incredibly smoothly and despite the fact that it was about 5 degrees outside, the food/delivery arrived within the given estimated window.The sushi was fresh and absolutely delicious!
(4)Caity F.
I've been ordering from Sublime for my delivery sushi cravings... a lot cheaper than other places in the area without compromising any quality. I can't order delivery here when I'm ordering for just myself, because I never meet the minimum bill for delivery... Gotta order for 2 or more. The last time I ordered they threw in a TON of free stuff - I figured they confused me with a regular customer, but I see from others' reviews this is a semi-common occurrence. Fun!
(4)Jimmy G.
I have been to all the Sushi places in Chicago. Back when I was single...Coast was the spot because it had some nice ambiance and girls always liked going to Coast. I told myself that the fish was okay and I even wrote a decent review of it on this yelp thing...plus I liked their delivery system because the food always arrived fast and you could do it all online without having to talk to anybody. Now enter Sublime....when it was being built I said to myself...why here? This space has always been cursed. They went with an industrial look and were going to be byob and just down the street from Coast. How is this gonna work I asked myself. So I popped in one early evening to give it a try and I had my answer. The Fish....The Fish...The Fish...that's what Sushi is about and the owners of Sublime get it. They have talented sushi chefs and high quality fish. Their rolls are voluptuous and hand crafted. Not trying to slam Coast in this review but their rolls look like they came off an assembly line. The tuna at Sublime is 3 grades higher and the rest of the fish is up there as well. The people that work there couldn't be friendlier. I wish they had the ability to put your credit card in during an online order without them having to call for it but I'm sure they'll work that out. Some menu items that I recommend are the Seaweed Salad, The Red Dragon Roll, The Summer and The Summer Deluxe and their Rainbow is spectacular too. I never get really crazy...I'm mostly a tuna guy and if you are too then Sublime is a must try. For the quality of the fish...the prices are an incredible value.
(5)Ryan L.
This place has gone through so many incarnations over the years, I'm surprised a sushi place has gone in so close to Coast. I can only say good luck to these guys. Gone are the grills for fast food from previous restaurants. Brought in are hip, exposed light fixtures hanging over the sushi bar, as well as exposed wood tables with a nice finish. The walls are bare, but fits well with the woodwork of the place. It's a small space, and they've tried to maximize the number of tables they can fit. Decent job in that aspect. A limited menu for now, but some innovative choices. The summer roll is perfect for cilantro lovers as its loaded with cilantro as well as avocado. Coupled with Goose Island Summertime Ale, it is a great facsimile for the season. The salmon block is interesting in that it consists of jalapenos, smoked salmon, mozzarella, and other ingredients. It tasted great, but I was disappointed in that it was almost impossible to grab with chopsticks. It just fell apart upon touch and was too big to grasp. Pretty difficult to eat. Friendly staff, and I hope they can make it in a seemingly cursed spot. BYOB for now.
(4)Paul H.
All in all pretty good sushi for the money. Decent service. 3 starts because a salmon sashimi piece had several bones in it ! They comped the piece however this is the only time I have ever had this happen!
(3)Pete V.
Sublime Sushi, why did it take you so long to grace Damen Ave with your presence? I have been longing for a great BYO sushi spot to compete with the hoards of Yellow Tail wine toting, pseudo-sushi lovers who fawn all over Coast Sushi like a 13 year-old debutante at a Miley Cyrus concert. Sublime Sushi has come to my rescue. Super laid back, friendly service, low key atmosphere, awesome sushi, BYOB, and did I mention, no 60 minute waits on Friday night? Can you ask for more? I've been to Sublime on five times so far, in fact a friend of mine and I had dinner there on their grand opening. From the day one to my last visit, the sushi has always been fresh and the service great. I was told on one of our visits that the chef here was a chef at Nomi before coming to Sublime...which definitely explains the quality of the fish here. My only compliant is that they need to expand their appetizer menu. They have a few items available, but they are all cold and sometimes I'm looking for some gyoza or tempura to accompany my nigiri. Regardless, Sublimes is quickly becoming a "go-to" sushi spot for us and I'm already looking forward to my next dinner there as I'm writing this review. Yum!
(5)John J.
Coast was booked and this was amazing and nearby. Unique flavors such as the summer or spicy yellowtail maki and appetizer yellowtail tiradito. Quieter than coast. A hidden gem.
(5)Hoang L.
Despite my roommates reviews of this place, I thought I'd give it a try just because it's so close to my place. My cousin and I stopped by for take out and ordered a bunch of sashami. Nobody was in the restaurant, but it took a good half hour. Shouldn't take that long if there's no cooking involved. Anyway, the pieces were very small and just okay. Spent about $50 and did not satisfy our hunger. I ended up making a sandwich at home.
(3)Pavnit K.
Now normally, I'm a Coast fan, and every time I have a sushi fanatic friend visit from out of town, I take them to Coast. My wonderful experience at Sublime, may just change this practice. I was actually surprised that when my friend and I walked in, it was quite empty, but then again, they do open at 5 and we had gotten there around 6..that also on a Sunday evening. We ordered miso soup, their classic(?) ceviche (either way, it was the one with the white tuna, jalepenos, avacado, onion, cilantro and tomatoes), the crunchy spicy tuna roll, regular spicy tuna roll and the summer roll. Now maybe, I don't know what to compare it to since I've never had ceviche, but this was amazing. The tuna was so mild, I didn't even feel like I was eating fish. The combination of flavors offered by the lime, cilantro, avacado, onions, tomato and tuna made such a refershing combination! By far, this would be a perfect dish to have on a hot summer day. The miso soup and the tuna rolls (squared) were good. I think in comparison to other sushi restaurants, the spicy tuna rolls were at par. I would, if anything, suggest a little more spicy. The summer roll was amazing. Maybe it's because I am cilantro fan...but again, what a refreshing combination of flavors in my mouth. Plus, the combination of tuna and yellowtail was AWESOME. The only thing I would want was the low sodium soy sauce option. Unfortunately, they do not yet have low sodium soy sauce. The waitress did assure me that this will be an option soon to be featured. I will definitely be back here. Plus, there wasn't a ridiculous 3 hour wait like Coast!
(5)Natalia M.
Great casual sushi byob! Fast service & attentive female server!
(4)Neha N.
I went on a weeknight and it was completely dead....granted it was around 9'oclock. I had the sweet potato roll, which was okay. I think this place is a little overpriced for "ok" food. Yes this place is BYOB, but there are so many BYO places in Chicago, that I wouldn't go running back here. No corkage fee though :).
(3)Tera D.
Hey you! Yeah, you, discerning Bucktown sushi enthusiast. GREAT NEWS!!!! Sublime sushi is totally what the area needed. It's not a place I'd tell people to travel out of their way to, but if you live in the hood, this place is great. The fish is fresh, the rolls are fun, and the price is right - aka BYOB, no corkage. It's an interesting way of doing a menu. At first glance the prices seemed out of this world low - probably only 1/4 of the rolls top $10, and a number of the sub $10 rolls are specialty rolls. As it turns out, even if it sounds like a crazy specialty roll, if it's under $10 it's likely about the size you'd expect from a more standard roll like spicy tuna or california. But they're still special, with a solid amount of quality fish and fun ingredients and sauces. Frankly, I like this set up because even smaller parties can order lots of rolls and try different things. We had 4 rolls and two bowls of miso soup for $36 and we were satisfied, but still had room for Italian ice on our walk home. Date night perfection ;)
(4)Alicia K.
AWESOME LUNCH SPECIALS! Had lunch with a girlfriend today here, because most other sushi bars don't open until dinner. I'm so glad we stumbled upon Sublime Sushi. Their lunch special is ridonkulous. $13.95 for 3 maki rolls - and there are about 20 different types of rolls to choose from. We had the spicy scallop, salmon/avo, and ebi tempura. SO GOOD. The scallop was very fresh - even my friend tried it and liked it, despite not being a huge fan of scallop. I would definitely return. Only downside is they don't have any dessert..
(5)Brittani L.
This is my favorite sushi spot. The service is always nice and the sushi is always spot on. It's never too crowded and its byob no corkage fee! I would try the philly crunch for sure, but I have never had anything bad from here. Even their take out is great. yum yum!
(5)CC H.
This is my go to neighborhood sushi place, and I have tried a few out in Bucktown/Wicker park. Not only is it BYOB, but its quality. Less about the ambiance and more about the sushi. I end up here at least every couple weeks and everyone I have brought has enjoyed the place. I recommend: My favorite roll so far is a salmon roll that is currently the last roll on their menu, but I cant remember what it was called. Delicious. It has little sprouts on top. also Spicy Yellow Tail, recommended by our server. (very little sauce on top and lots of flavor) Summer Tuna Roll...YUM Smoked Salmon, I usually get sashimi (they do it in house) Hawaiian Roll Futo Veggie Roll (Best veggie roll I have had, the tofu is crispy) Service is always good and fish is always fresh, and the prices are great for Chicago.
(4)Lauren B.
Had a terrible experience with my husband at Sublime the other night. We've been wanting to try it for a long time since we always notice it when we go to Takashi. We're always on the lookout for BYOB sushi restaurants and this place seemed to have a neat vibe. Overall the sushi was disappointing - not to mention overcooked rice and seaweed that just stuck to your teeth in a gummy mess. I was really excited to try their cooked skewers (had the short rib, chicken, and sausage) and everything was really fatty and not good. To top it off, as nice as the staff seemed, everything moved at a snail's pace. There were people waiting for tables to become available while other tables begged to get their check (actual quote from the table next to us: "We will leave and give you our table if you just give us our check!"). Turnover rate was awful. Takeaway: If you want good BYO sushi, just walk the 4 doors down to Coast or find another place around town. Sublime Sushi was utterly disappointing. *Note: My husband is angry with me that I'm giving this place more than one star...guess I have a nice bone in my body.
(2)Nicolas H.
If you are looking for some decent sushi at a reasonable price, then this is the place. However, if you are looking for a quiet or somewhat romantic dinner, this is definitely not the place. The music was so loud (pumping bad techno no less) that it was hard to have a conversation. Add to that the small space and the people trying to yell over the music, you've got the makings of a headache. That being said, the sushi combo was pretty good and left me satisfied. It's also BYOB so that works out well if you know it ahead of time. Maybe next time I'll just get it to-go and save myself the headache...
(3)Mike L.
Really good sushi, good variety, a little expensive however. I'm no sushi expert like some of these other people but it got the job done for me
(4)Julie H.
Fresh and tasty sushi. Friendly service and nice decor. I love the Hawaiian Roll and the Caterpillar roll Will definitely come back!
(5)leyla a.
The food was good, the restaurant is adorable but they MUST do something about the lack of training of their staff on health code issues. Skip to my last point. 1) I liked this place. A nice, local feel. A tiny, cute, sushi spot in Bucktown. 2) BYOB - my brother had just returned from Scotland and brought a nice bottle of scotch that we wanted to crack open and have with some sushi. 3) The rolls are just fine. I was pleased with the menu and I imagine if we sat at the sushi bar, the owner/sushi chef would have made anything we asked for. 4) The service. Was horrible. My brother is a regular and he informed us that they were abnormally busy and that they probably were not ready for the crowd. Understandable. 5) Now the horrific part..... We ordered round 1 of sushi and waited a very long time to receive it. After finishing, we realized we were still hungry, so we ordered round 2 of sushi. 2 more rolls. The server brought us an extra roll. We assumed, she was making up for the fact that we had waited a really long time for our food. We thanked her. We dug into each roll. That is when she realized she had made a mistake. She SAW THAT WE ATE THE ROLL and took it back. I watched her go to the back of the room, (where I assume she rearranged the pieces) and then walk that SAME ROLL out to another table. She served the roll to another table after we had eaten a piece. I almost walked across the room and told the couple eating the roll we had already taken a piece out of. They looked at it funny, likely wondering why it was smaller than they had expected. In her defense, she was very inexperienced. But my greater concern is, this restaurant is NOT training their staff on health code issues - how to properly handle food. What other health code violations are going on here? They are serving raw food here, this is a big concern.
(3)Andrea C.
I live near Sublime and have eaten there twice. I won't say it's my favorite sushi in Chicago, but both times have been very good! I'm a huge fan of spicy tuna and both times their tuna has been fresh. I also ordered a piece of super white sushi and it was delicious! I also placed an order in-person (so I expected to wait) but they gave me a complimentary order of edamame because it took 15 mins. for them to make it. Plus, their chefs seem very passionate about making the rolls. I enjoy watching them every time I visit.
(3)Erin C.
As an avid lover of sushi, there are few sushi places I have been to nationwide that compare in fish quality, roll selection and creativity, price (BYOB) and service. Sublime Sushi always has fresh, "melt in your mouth" sashimi and the rolls vary from unique to traditional. The remaining menu is also delicious, but I usually go for the sushi. I would recommend the yellowtail ceviche, philly crunch, creamy scallop blocks, and the summer deluxe. I have yet to find a roll on their menu I didnt love. The service is friendly, the location is close to the blue line, and the restaurant is clean and modern.
(5)Nicole c.
This is probably the best sushi I've had in Chicago. The chef really seems to be thinking about what ingredients naturally bring out the flavor of the fish rather than feeling compelled (like many sushi chefs) to cater to Americanized taste by smothering perfectly good fish in mayo or cream cheese. We began with the yellowtail tiradito sashimi plate that was served in a delicious yuzu/garlic/truffle oil marinade. It was delicious and made me want to try more. We followed the yellowtail with the Hawaiian roll with tuna, mango, avocado and pine nuts. The pine nuts added a great crunch and complexity to the roll. We also had the Summer Deluxe roll with tuna, yellowtail, lime juice, yellowtail, and cilantro. The cilantro was unusual and added a great bite of flavor. The rainbow roll and wasabi softshell rolls were great as well. Overall, the bf and I were very impressed--especially when the bill was $15 less than we thought it would be. We will definitely be coming back!
(5)Maura L.
I am writing this review not just for myself, but on behalf of my sushi-loving, Japanophile boyfriend who said that this meal was, quite simply, the worst sushi he has ever had. We live nearby and had high hopes based on the 4 1/2 star yelp reviews and firsthand recommendations. The minimalist, unfinished wood decor was, unfortunately, about the only good thing about the experience. While we weren't expecting anything fancy, both in terms of fish quality and creative rolls, we were hoping for a decent neighborhood take out place to grab a byob meal now and again for a reasonable price. Our order was miso soup, a sushi combo special, several sashimi pieces and the specialty soft shell crab roll. Shit was bad. Like really, really bad. Our first red flag should have gone up when our combo platter came out with various whitefishy looking fish (it was supposed to include unagi and ebi). Sure, okay, maybe it's chef's choice, we figured. When the waitress came by with the rest of our food, we asked her if she could help identify what was what. The verbal tapdance that ensued was confusing and hilarious, as she proceeded to tell us that everything on all of our plates was either hamachi or yellowtail (both the same fish). Honestly, though, all of this would have been fine, if not for the quality of the fish itself. OUR SUSHI WAS SEARED. The first thing that you learn at a good sushi restaurant is that searing fish is a practice used by unsanitary restaurants trying to push old fish on unsuspecting customers. Various pieces of our "yellowtail" sushi was seared on both sides; since there was no grill at the open sushi bar, I can only assume it was done earlier and then refrigerated to be eaten even later. I'm not going to even get into the fact that the specialty roll was rubbery and just okay (apple and avocado with grilled softshell crab and wasabi mayo, I believe). The fish was not fresh. End of story.
(1)Michael M.
My meal at Sublime was disappointing. The waitresses were unhelpful and slow at pretty much everything they did, and were not at all attentive. While I will agree that the menu is a bit different than your typical sushi restaurant, that is because almost everything on it is cooked. You're limited to just a handful of choices if you want raw sushi. I also found the fish to be mushy and generally not very good. The miso soup was quite salty (even for miso soup) and yet still pretty bland. Prices are reasonable, but you can do a lot better. I wouldn't go back.
(2)Kris R.
i aint so keen on this place. i came here a long time ago when they first opened, and i wasn't impressed. yes, their rolls are a bit different, but not in a good way. i remember ordering the wasabi softshell roll: Fried whole softshell crab, wasabi pea crusted, asparagus, avocado, sake-infused apple, wasabi tobiko and eel sauce. the apple didnt work. the wasabi pea-crusted situation wasn't happenin'. i remember not being impressed. however, i wanted to come back one more time before i reviewed - maybe it was an off day. co-workers and i were craving the soosh for lunch, so we ordered takeout from there. my coworker called in the order, and they didnt have a LOT of the items we wanted. we wanted a chicken teriyaki bento box lunch special - they "ran out". as we asked for another item, they didnt have that either. i think they didn't have like 2 or 3 things. ridiculous! and i want to say one of them was tuna! and it was a thursday at like noon. anyway. i ordered the crunch and the spicy scallop. they were okay, nothing spectacular. i did feel REALLY sick after. i had the worst stomach cramps. i almost went home. i held my own for the rest of the day, but i actually had to run to 7-11 to get me some rolaids. what a lady i am. i say go down the street to coast and fork up a bit more cash for some quality soosh.
(2)Susan C.
The boyfriend & I went here with another couple for Valentine's Day. Although this place is incredibly small, the staff was very accommodating and friendly. The sushi? Fantastic. Everything is very fresh, full of flavor and absolutely delicious. The fact that this is BYOB is even better. The calamari is very good as well. Definitely a great spot to hit if you're in the area.
(4)Julie K.
I LOVE THIS PLACE!!!! i love their bento box specials for lunch. my faves are the chicken katsu bento box and the beef teriyaki bento box. the server ladies are super friendly and i love how they notice little things such as: my husband doesn't like the sea weed salad so they substituted that with regular salad. instead of brown rice, you can as for white rice. anyway bottom line: I LOVE THIS PLACE! THank you sublime sushi!
(4)Cathy S.
My friend and I were planning on going to Coast, but it was closed (for remodeling?) and so we stopped in at Sublime. From the outside, it looks pretty run-of-the-mill, although nicely decorated, it was nearly deserted which always worries me a bit with restaurants, especially sushi places. The service was prompt (we were the only ones in the tiny restaurant) and friendly. What amazed me the most, however, was the food. The sushi is extremely fresh. I am usually a little skeptical of "witty" or innovative rolls (trendy?), but everything we tried at Sublime was....well, sublime! We had a roll that had truffle oil in it....my friend ordered it and I was really curious because truffle oil is a very powerful ingrediant and it is easy to go overboard with it. I also never thought to put truffle oil with sushi, but it worked! In fact, it worked so well, we ordered a 2nd one! I really hope this place survives because it is a great alternative to some of the more crowded and uber-trendy sushi places in the area.
(5)Leanne R.
This is the third time I have visited Sublime Sushi and they have yet to disappoint. This time around the menu has been expanded with more options for appetizers and maki rolls, along with a large array of choices if you like to do the assorted sushi/maki thing. The only complaint that I wouldn't even characterize as a complaint is that I think their prices have gone up a bit with the larger menu. I still find their prices very reasonable, but felt it was worth mentioning the change. As for the food, we ordered the crunchy spicy tuna, crunchy shrimp tempura, summer roll, and the california. They were all delicious and everything was super fresh. I love the summer roll, its just spicy enough with jalapeno and the chili oil. They have a great selection of maki rolls that are creative and unique, so you're sure to find something new you haven't seen before. One of my favorite things about coming here is that we have never had to wait, and this isn't just us coming during off peak hours. Its easy to get a table, the staff is very friendly, and the food is always delicious. Love it! And you will too.
(4)Paul W.
Eclectic sushi rolls that buck the typical trend of offering the same crap wrapped in seaweed. The interior design is easy, cozy, stark of all things distracting (compare this to something like the overcrowded, billboard-splashed Zen Sushi farther south on North Ave, and it's a godsend). The roll selection is most welcome, especially the interesting ingredients -- pine nuts, chive, sake-infused apple, wasabi mayo. Good stuff. Definitely recommend the Hawaiian, Wasabi Softshell, Caterpillar, and Summer. They brew a couple teas to go along with your sushi, and the green tea I had came in its own small teapot (love when places provide this). The waitress (possibly owner?) asked how it was, as it was a new brand -- I forget the name, but it was very smooth and full-bodied. Service was also fantastic -- our waitress was attentive and friendly. Only thing disappointing was the edamame -- pieces didn't look the fresh, and a third of the bunch barely had any soy beans in them. But this is certainly forgivable for the rest of the experience.
(5)Kathy L.
I'm a sushi purist, a simple spicy tuna roll is as crazy as I get but Sublime Sushi's hawaiian and wasabi soft shell crab rolls have me converted. The flavors are delicate, delicious and not overpowering. Everything from the size of the rolls, the freshness, to the presentation is great. And the fresh ginger? Amazing. As far as service, the staff is helpful, attentive and not at all pushy. I've found my new favorite sushi restaurant.
(5)Tim W.
This place is solid. I live right down the street, and this is one of my new go to places for late night food (open til 11pm). The service is attentive, the sushi has unique flavor, and the overall atmosphere of the place is hip and lively, without the uppity, club vibe of sushi places in the area. The prices are average, ranging between 7 and 13 a roll. I recommend the crunchy spicy tuna roll. It was delicious. Also, don't forget to grab some beer from the liquor store next door, since this place is BYOB.
(5)Chumby D.
Since I live very close to this place, I've been eagerly anticipating the grand opening on April 29th...and I'm happy to say that it exceeded expectations! We were seated by the host, Luis, who was excited to tell us that we were the first dine-in customers on this day. Quite the honor to be the first patrons! :) First the décor: Considering it had been open only a few hours, we were ok with the fact that the walls were still bare and were painted a minimalistic white...but the woodwork of the sushi bar, tables and benches still created a warm and inviting ambiance. The menu was very enticing...for apps, they have the standard choices for miso, edamame, salads, etc...but what really caught our eye were the two choices of ceviche. Luis suggested we try the yellowtail ceviche - and this was excellent! The menu described the simple ingredients of red onion, ginger & rice vinegar, but the flavors combined with the yellowtail for a very flavorful & refreshing start to the meal. Superb! Next up was the Baked Salmon Blocks, also highly recommended by Luis. We found this one to be quite interesting...formed rice blocks layered with smoked salmon, mozzarella, jalapeno peppers, and fried onion straws. It seemed like a fusion of many cuisines (Asian, Mexican...) all pulled together by the common element of all these cuisines...rice. Pretty good Lastly, we tried the Jumbo Soft Shell maki...very happy with this pick! The presentation was excellent, and it was fun to see the preparation of crab right before our eyes. The flavors and textures were fantastic...highly recommended! I must say that Luis was an excellent host & helped to make the dining experience a joy. We didn't know at the time we were seated that this place is also BYOB!...perfect considering that there's a beer/wine store next door and a 7-Eleven across the street. Bummer that there were no dessert choices on the menu, but hopefully soon. So even though there's that very popular other sushi place just up the coast on Damen Ave, I'd say that Sublime Sushi is a great alternative if you're just interested in good food in a relaxing atmosphere without the long wait for a table. All in all, a wonderful place that I hope continues to do well in Bucktown...I'll certainly be back!
(4)Liz K.
Very fresh and extremely well priced. I live only a few blocks away from here (and Coast) and always find myself ordering out from Sublime instead. Definitely a great spot for a casual, delicious dinner for way cheaper than Coast.
(4)Jessica S.
The vanilla potato tempura maki roll is fabulous! I love seeing a sushi restaurant that is willing to try new things in its rolls, as opposed to offering the same thing that every other place offers. I'll be returning.
(4)Andrea W.
I love this place! I might have a soft spot in my heart for Sublime because it was the first place I came to eat when I moved to Bucktown but I really love it! Their sushi is fresh and yummy. I go there about once a week and the staff is super friendly and always makes you feel welcome. Sublime is amazing!!!
(5)Robin F.
Can't believe this place has such mixed reviews! Some guy from NYC said this place sucked but he doesn't know what he is talking about. I am from NYC too and a Sushi lover and this place is not only amazing but as good as my favorite spot in NYC (which is MoMo Sushi Shack and if you think it's anything else, you crazy!). Anyhow, this place has wonderful, friendly service (They brought us some edamame on the house), uniquely inventive rolls, and FRESH FISH. Let me tell you, anything with the super white tuna is so so good (just know super white tuna isn't for lukewarm sushi lovers, you have to really enjoy the taste of fish to like this type of tuna). I love the menu. Of course some things are definitely americanized (mozzarella in sushi? I don't know how I feel about that) but in a very enjoyable and creative way. It's such a cop out for a sushi restaurant to add mayo and cream cheese to everything. It's boring, everyone else does it, and in my opinion it hides the flavor of fish. If you want to make Americanized Sushi at least make it creative and 'fish forward' as I call it. They highlight of their rolls is the fresh fish, not hot sauce or cream cheese. I like Americanized Sushi when it's done well, and they have done it very well. Outside of there fish the BBQ menu is amazing. It sounds simple but the bbq bacon chicken skewer is out of this world tasty and so is the hanger steak skewer (good chefs know that hanger steak is one of the most flavorful yet under appreciated cuts of meat so that impresses me). I also recommend: - Super White Tuna Ceviche- AMAZING. Only get this if you love fish. Close your eyes, take a bite and you'll feel like your on a boat in the ocean. The tuna is so soft & delicate it melts in your mouth. - Hawaiian Roll- Pine nuts and mango and tuna, love it! The pine nuts really accentuate the flavor of the fish. - Izuzu Roll- microgreens, superwhite tuna, fresh herbs, citrus YUM. So fresh, so amazing and so not what you see at the average sushi restaurant. Go here now! Also, take note that the menu they have in house is different than what's online which is probably why there was a complaint on yelp that they were out of everything. Here's a hint if you're a food lover: if a restaurant changes it's menu often thats a GOOD thing. I'd rather be served what they know if fresh and working for them at the moment.
(4)Kate J.
I love this place! I come here on occasion in the evenings for sushi. I always get the salmon and spicy tuna rolls- both are delicious. The fish is fresh, and as it a smaller atmosphere there is always plenty of seating. I absolutely love this place and is definitely a favorite of mine. After trying Coast a couple of times, which service there has sucked; I'm very happy with Sublime and there service, quality, and sushi.
(5)Steven A.
I told them that I'd have to write a review although I'm not much for writing them. Everyone here is just so nice though. They've always greeted me with a smile and occasionally throw in some complimentary items. I really enjoy the summer, hawaiian and the fresh philly rolls. Everything always taste fresh and I'm happy to always return there when I can. It's a very nice neighborhood spot.
(4)Steven P.
This place is half the price of coast and has average to above average sushi.
(3)Kori E.
So, I live across from Coast and its definitely a stand by restaurant for me in terms of dining in and grabbing take out! I didnt feel like spending an arm and a leg the other night, so I ordered Sublime for the first time wanting to check it out, and I am glad I did. The service was amazing. She quoted a time it would be ready and I mentioned that I just lived down the street and would she mind calling me when my order was ready and she said absolutely! The fish was really fresh and the rolls are very inventive. My fave was the yellowtail tiradito plate. There were 4 large pieces of yellowtail and drizzled over the top was truffle oil (amaze) and garlic. The fish was so fresh and the flavor was amazing. She also threw in a free miso soup and I thought that was a very nice touch. I am definitely a fan and will be returning again. The inside is very small, but the atmosphere seemed lively.
(4)Sean B.
Best quality fish in the neighborhood at very good prices. Service can be a little slow.
(4)Yael B.
DO NOT ORDER FROM HERE!!!! This place has the WORST customer service I have EVER experienced. We called in and order for take out, came to pick it up an hour later and they had lost our ticket so never made our meal. Okay, fine, things happen, we assumed they would just make the food while we waited...right? Not this place. The chef/owner REFUSED to make our food. No explanation, no compensation, just refused to help out. Wouldn't even speak to us, and wouldn't listen to the waitress when she tried to get him to make the food. We will NOT be eating at Sublime Sushi again, and you shouldn't either.
(1)Stacy K.
Anyone who lives in the area knows how gutsy it is for Sublime to set up shop a half a block down from Coast. Granted, the atmospheres are extremely different, the sushi rolls at Sublime give their competition a run for their money. I ordered carry out and everything was ready within a half an hour. You really can't beat the quality of the ingredients for the price you pay. I ordered 3 rolls (Spicy Crunchy Tuna, Hawaiian, and Salmon Long Bean) for just over twenty bucks. Since it was my first time there, they even threw in a Vanilla Potato Tempura roll...for FREE! The waitress who took my order was extremely friendly on the phone and recommended the salmon roll, which ended up being very tasty. BYOB. Yummy sushi. Friendly service. Can't wait to go back!
(5)