Love this place - but change is not always good. I have been coming here for about 8 years and it has always been by favorite place above ANY other sushi restaurant. I love the freshness of the items, the small cozy feel of the restaurant, and not only the maki rolls but the appetizer options as well. Sadly, I came in recently to realize that with the new ownership has come changes to some of my favorite menu items. I have always gotten the Tako salad and Goma-Ae, which to my dismay have now been changed. The new options still tasted pretty good but are not the same as what I have come to love. Unfortunately I am not sure if I will be coming back here anymore as it is not the same :( .
(4)
Sofiya K.
My family and I have been coming here for years - most of the time every other week. Recently they were bought by new owners so hopefully not a lot changes. It is a casual place. Great prices. They always put a generous portion of fish in every roll and sushi. Everything always tastes fresh. Between the 3 of us we get 4 rolls and always feel very full afterwards. The firecracker roll is a must. My personal favorite is the big salmon - m55. It's simple yet very satisfying. I recommend this place to everyone I know, and is always my go to place when I want to go out for dinner.
(5)
John K.
I can't believe I have missed this place for all this time. That was some of the best Sushi I have had ( in the mid-west ). There Maguro Sushi is so fresh and good. Yum. The best has to be the Firecracker Roll !! This is a must try. So much fresh flavor and just melts in your mouth. If you are in he area and looking for a great Sushi spot this is it. Stop looking. Don't let the little strip mall it is located in fool you. I promise you will not regret it. Enjoy !
(5)
Kate Y.
One of the best sushi places in the neighborhood! Ordered out and dined in many many times over the last decade and never got disappointed- excellent fresh sushi and very friendly and courteous service!
(5)
Paul M.
Great food, great service for an excellent price. I come every week! Located just outside of Vernon hills and Mundelein, Osaka sushi is a great place for authentic Asian cuisine. Open lunch hours only
(5)
Alyssa C.
I have been going to this restaurant for years (like 8-10 years). We went there enough to be known by the owners. Back at the end of 2014, they changed ownership, and I am rather disappointed. The rolls are smaller in size (but still the same price), and the spicy mayo is less flavorful. The rice is a bit more "watery" too, than it used to be. I KNOW my sushi, especially from this place. The fish is still pretty fresh, but I feel like I am now going to be looking for an alternate sushi restaurant in the area as my "go to". Quite sad that my favorite restaurant isn't exactly as it used to be :(
(3)
Seikeun A.
When it comes down to maki.....nobody beats this place.
(5)
Carl F.
The service here is friendly and good. The size of the place is of good size and you could actually fit a good sized crowd here. The menu has a lot of the standard items along with a number of rolls you typically do not see. The wait staff are quick to bring out the drinks and they were very open to making any modifications to the order. When going to sushi places for the first time I do try to order a fairly standard roll so better to compare with others. In this case I kept it to the shrimp & veggie tempura and three rolls. The Philly, Spider and Godzilla. The tempura dish was really nice, the vegetables where nice sized and the shrimp were plump. All three rolls where really good. The fish was fresh and I liked that the cream cheese in the Philly as it was not too soft and held well. The rice and packing of the roll themselves where also very nice. This is definetly a place to come back to and I've since added them to my Places for Sushi in Lake County, IL.
(4)
magic g.
good & affordable. sea crest salad - yay. ps: you should put actual link on the receipt - tiny.cc/osaka
(3)
Chris D.
This is our go to place for sushi but when we went here tonight and found out the original owner has sold the business. Pretty good but does anyone know if the old owners have opened a new place in the area?
(3)
Kathy K.
This is our go-to place for sushi in the north burbs. The sushi is fresh and more fish than rice. The tempura-on-the-side is always served hot and crispy, not oily. They always serve salad and miso soup, whether or not you are ordering a bento box or special. Oh, and it gets crowded on weekends for dinner. Come early. You can always ask if the chef has something special up his sleeve, and you can make adjustments (my kids can't do avocado in the California rolls). The owners are Korean so if you're looking for a Korean-style spicy fish stew, ask if they have in-season fish. It's soooo good. They also have the Korean-style chirashi - same thing but without the vinegary rice. They are generous with the sashimi in this personal favorite. The restaurant is small, and the strip mall it is at always looks like it is on the brink of shutting down. I was afraid after Sushi Kushi opened up in VH that Osaka would take a hit. At least one of Osaka's best servers jumped ship, so there was a few months of Osaka getting back into the groove. If you want circus and noise go to that other place. If you want good sushi, go to Osaka.
(4)
Scott H.
One of the best sushi shops anywhere north of the city. I work within a mile of Osaka and have probably eaten there at least fifty times over the years. NEVER a bad experience and the firecracker roll might be the world's most perfect maki offering! Oh, and since everyone is giving their sushi "pedigree" here, I've enjoyed it on the East Coast, the West Coast and in Japan itself. This is very good sushi.
(4)
Yana G.
One of the best sushi places on the north side, fresh great quality rolls, hand rolls and maki. I have lived in the city for many years and were incredibly impressed with the quality of sushi in osaka. Try tiger roll, madam butterfly, spicy salmon hand roll is also very good. The poor reviews are clearly written by those that frequent Bennihana. We order take out from Osaka at least once a week and never had even a mediocre experience.
(5)
Anthony C.
Three things. Food- its good. I had their shrimp killer maki. Rice was fresh, shrimp was good. Service- I understand that they're busy but they only gave us one cup for a water... maybe it was because i went to restroom to wash my hand, but even after that they didnt even bother to ask or give. So the customer service is 1/5. Cutomer care- ehh... like i mentioned above, ehh... i would be back if i want some sushi and im near by. Food is one thing, but we usually look for more costomer care... if they got both, we would tip well.
(3)
Joe T.
Great sushi for a Greater prize!
(4)
Mike J.
Firecracker roll is amazing. It is like two pieces of sushi in one. The staff is very friendly. This is the place to go for sushi in the area.
(5)
Lawrence Y.
This is a nice Korean-run Sushi restaurant, I think. We stopped in around 7p on a Tuesday for a bite to eat, and were the only ones there at first. However, people piled in shortly thereafter, and lots of people were doing take out. We ordered 4 of their specials (names escape me at the moment, but see photo) - all of which were pretty good. No complaints. Came with miso and a tiny plate of salad (wasn't a traditional ginger dressing - more oil based). Service was fine - our waters were filled when needed. The only serving faux pas I'd comment about is that she brought out the check and didn't even ask if we wanted dessert - which we did. One piece each of strawberry & mango mochi, cut into quarter pieces. Priced fairly I think.
(3)
Art Y.
Food and presentation is great. Prices are affordable. Staff is friendly. I recommend this place to everyone.
(5)
Natalie K.
Hands down the best sushi place in the area. Fish is always super fresh, rolls are yummy and a good size. Prices are very decent. We don't usually dine-in, so I can't comment about the service. Sometimes the wait time might be slightly longer than promised for a take out, but it's totally worth it. My favorite rolls there are fire cracker, chicago, yamamori maki, and red dragon. Miso soup is yummy, edamame is perfectly cooked. Definitely a local gem!
(5)
Vishal B.
Been going here since they first opened! Consistent quality, service and taste. Dining room is warm and comfortable, the place is IMMACULATE clean.
(5)
Eddie K.
I've been here a couple times but haven't had a chance to review it. Every time I've been here the service has been phenomenal and the food is always great and consistent. They are busy most of the time but its worth the wait
(5)
jim s.
took the family here yesterday for a christmas eve lunch and the sushi, squid salad, gomae and everything was fresh and well prepared and awesome!
(5)
Amber M.
I don't know how this place only has 3.5 stars. I've eaten at a lot of sushi places all over the Chicagoland area, and this is by far the best place to get sushi. It's reasonably priced, friendly staff and fast and fresh Some of my favorites are the Fire cracker maki, Ebi tempura maki, osaka maki and three colors sprinkled maki. I've never been dissappointed by anything here. Never had a problem with my order. Never had a problem with how anything tastes. The presentation is beautiful. This is a real gem.
(5)
Jon A.
Greatest little gem in the suburbs!!! I didn't think you could get Chicago quality sushi in the suburbs until I tried this place. The atmosphere is a cozy, family run, neighborhood place. Try the firecracker roll!!
(5)
Tony R.
My single favorite sushi restaurant. Literally every other restaurant pales in comparison. I never grow tired of the spicy tuna hand rolls. I recommend the Firecracker roll if it is your first time here. They are absolutely AMAZING! Very nice to have soup and salad prior to your sushi. My wife and I usually order 5 rolls to share and are completely stuffed when we leave.
(5)
Tracy O.
My husband and I just wanted some soup for dinner and we stopped by here to do a quick pick up. The staff was super friendly and the miso soup was excellent. We will need to go back for some sushi soon.
(3)
Neil M.
Great restaurant! Love their specials, Dragon Roll, Firecracker, King Crab, and much more. There beef bowl is great too. The owner and servers are always friendly and always make you feel that you are their best customer. This is a favorite for the locals. You always see take out being prepared.
(5)
Lauren P.
Ordered 3 different rolls as carryout for dinner last night. The spicy tuna rolls were good, but on the smaller side compared to what I have usually seen. The Crazy Roll and the Spider Roll were both far to big to eat. They were about 2-3 inches in diameter, meaning i had to bite into them rather than eat each piece as a single bite. This caused the sushi to completely fall apart. The flavors were good, but I would have much preferred more reasonably sized pieces. I would have liked to see a narrower roll cut into 6 pieces rather than a huge roll cut into 4. I would return to Osaka, but make sure to ask about the size of the rolls next time while ordering to make sure I get some that are more manageable.
(3)
Scott C.
Saw a lot of low ratings for Chicago-area sushi places. Generally it looks like ChicagoLand folks are tough on their restaurants. OTOH, eating most of my sushi in the east (Boston/NYC) I do agree that sushi in Chicago is just average. Tried take out. Over ordered a bunch to try a few things. Rolls were well formed, fish was average freshness. Not a ton of creativity on the rolls, but certainly not a bad place. Sashimi was cut very thin, but price wasn't that high. Nice service/friendly/fast delivery.
(3)
Mark M.
This is the best Sushi and Maki by far that we have tried anywhere. We have been regulars here for over 6 years and never had a bad experience. The Staff is very friendly and know us when we call and come in. For those that rate this place as 1-3, you must be crazy. BEST PLACE EVER
(5)
Ray F.
Love this place! The waitstaff (and owners) are very friendly and attentive to your needs and the food is excellent. Everything from the various sushi rolls, to the noodle and rice dishes are great. What's even better is the price. Much more reasonable than the recently-opened Sushi Kushi down the road. They also have a special menu of original sushi creations that have not disappointed, so far. As it stands, this is our go-to place for sushi when we get that craving (which seems to be all the time).
(4)
Marty G.
Surprised at the quality of fish in this place, fresh. Except for the tuna, which tasted like mercury and was a bit stringy. The place is small and clean, seating is kind of tight. Ordered a sushi combo (fresh sans the tuna) and the lunch special (bunch of cook/tempura rolls) which were both good. -1 star for the one of the pushy bus girl who kept taking plates without asking if we were done.
(3)
Mike S.
Favorite sushi period. if you're looking for cool and trendy this isn't it. if you're looking for great sushi, friendly service, and an amazing value...you won't find a better place. been going here for 10+ years and it's gotten better with time. The firecracker roll is a must have!
(5)
Fernando M.
IMO the best sushi bar ever, and I've traveled the world. My favorite is their own creation the "fire cracker" maki. I will drive a distance here having sushi bars closer to home.
(5)
Luiza R.
By far my favorite sushi restaurant in the suburbs! I come here all the time. Amazing service, and best quality sushi. Love this place!
(5)
Joel W.
This is one of those reviews you hate to write.... If anyone reads this, and takes my advice, it's going to be *even* harder to get a table here, and the prices might go up, but the fact is... it's great sushi, great service, and a wonderful basic sushi restaurant. The Firecracker Roll is the reason to go and come back, but nearly everything else is fantastic. Take my advice: Try all the other sushi restaurants around, and just trust me--Osaka is the best. They deserve the excellent review.
(5)
Rusty S.
This place has gone down from a 4 star you can grab quick sushi here anytime place to 1 star, must avoid at all costs. I've been coming here for years and didn't realize that the service is deteriorating ever so slowly. Let's see... Last time we were told that they ran out of rice and therefore can't seat us! WHAT? Really? Before that, we asked for sushi to be brought out on individual plates, so our friends sushi is not on our plate! I'm not big into community sushi, I ordered what I want and therefore that's what I want to eat. They keep bickering with you and make you feel like you're the one with unrecognizable accent. They have lost our business for good.
(1)
Kat G.
This place was just as great the second time! There was a small group of us for lunch. We ordered several items and shared everything. The nice thing here is that even if you do not order a lunch special, you still get a salad and miso soup. They have a special roll called the "Firecracker Roll" and it was AWESOME, be careful though, it has a little kick to it!
(5)
Mike D.
I'm a huge fan of Osaka Sushi. This is the best sushi in lake county with a friendly chef & staff. The only sushi that compares is Toro sushi on Clark Street in Chicago. The Fire Cracker Make and the spicy hand rolls are top notch. They serve a very limited amount of liquor. Give it a try!
(4)
Lena S.
I have lunch here pretty much once a week. If they are busy, the service may be a bit slow, but usually pretty good. I like the amount of fish in rolls. I order only sushi, so not sure about other dishes, but rolls are great. it's at the strip mall and doesn't look too glamour-es from outside, but solid place.
(5)
Peter W.
Good food. Above average for Japanese. Restaurant a little small and when they are busy, it's a little hectic, but the prices are a smidge on the high side which is why I'm rating them average overall. Two people can roll over with a $50 bill on a pretty moderate amount of food. That's a little pricey in my book.
(3)
Tony C.
ICK. the goma-ae had ungrounded sesame seeds and the spinach was beyond "old" (overly chewy, overly fibrous, etc.) they did have Hwe Dup Bap (Korean style chirashi minus the vinegary rice), but the rest of the food is horrendously mundane. we had the asparagus app (stir fried in butter, asparagus, again, OLD), the soyed chicken (cuz there was no terriyaki sauce on it), and a few rolls. overall, this place, as a Korean-Japanese restaurant, depresses the heck out of me.
(1)
Justin W.
Great sushi with extremely friendly and helpful servers. I've only gone a few times, but I've never been let down. Unfortunately I haven't tried any of their dishes other than sushi and sides of tempura shimp/veggies, but I'll be back soon!
(4)
Sara P.
Osaka Sushi is one of my favorite local sushi places. The service is always good, I personally love a sushi chef that makes recommendations, and the food is delicious and a great value (no matter what you order you get salad and miso soup...yum!). Make sure you try the Firecracker roll, if you like spicy rolls then this roll is for you. Osaka is a hidden treasure, not to be missed.
(4)
Nick S.
This place is another one of those in the strip mall sushi places that doesn't look like much from the outside. The decor inside is good enough, not thing spectacular and always has some elevator music playing inside.. But the sushi and udon are quite good. Give it a shot. I like it better than the now adjacent Sushi Kushi.
(4)
Mike F.
Very good sushi at reasonable prices. We mostly eat sushi in the Chicagoland area and this is better than most of the more famous restuarants downtown. It was quite a shock that a sushi place in the burbs could do sushi better than Chicago. This is the place to go for sushi in the area!!!!!
(5)
Jamie M.
TERRIBLE Horrible Service. We went there and the servers took 30 minutes to get us a table! But even after waiting a century, we got seated and they failed to get the correct sushi!
(1)
Tony L.
Extremely mediocre or worse. I had a chirashi as the main dish, and added a yellowtail, amaebi, and sake nigiri. 1. The chirashi rice tasted like regular steamed white rice. No vinegar, no taste. The fish served on top lacked any flavor, soft and spongy texture, and had a fishy aftertaste. 2. The nigiri had the same taste and texture issues as the chirashi. The yellowtail was a bit stringy as well. 3. The amaebi head served was heavily battered and you could taste the oil. The wait staff was friendly, but that's all it has going for it.
(1)
Julie D.
I work nearby, and I step by at Osaka for lunch frequently and sometimes for dinner. They have changed the lunch special slightly, and as a person who tried it recently, it was amazing. My not-so-favorite-rolls were replaced with my favs. I am glad that it changed! The staffs are friendly and attentive, and I am satisfied with how quickly the food came out because I have to return to work on time. I strongly recommend going to Osaka and trying the lunch special.
(5)
Bill S.
This restaurant had been our family favorite for over a decade. Unfortunately, under new management, we are having to find somewhere else. Everything has changed, from the service to the quality of the food and, unfortunately, this restaurant has gone downhill. To put this in perspective, our last visit we were greeted by a "Help Wanted" sign, no doubt. After entering the door, the manager/owner on his cell, while seated, told us we could sit anywhere we liked. He proceeded to talk very loudly on his phone for at least another 15 to 20 mins. from a food table across the room, but well within ear's distance. The presentation of the food subpar. From maki rolls that were stuck together, or poorly made, and fell apart, to the taste of the ingredients that we far below what they used to be. I'm sorry, we've tried Osaka three times since the change over the span of about 6 months and its only gotten worse, unfortunately.
(2)
Chet M.
Service sucks here: Did not fill my water glass once Did not give us soy sauce dish Did not give wasabi and ginger for $19 creation Forgot salmon sushi order on check-off slip Had to wave down server frantically to get check Forgot to give spicy salmon roll but charged us
(2)
Esther Y.
I love family owned restaurants because they deliver a wonderful environment and great service, and Osaka delivers exactly that. The servers were kind, attentive, and gave great suggestions. The owner checked up on us to see if we were enjoying our entrees, which we did. The menu was very helpful; it had pictures of every roll with a list of all the ingredients, so you know exactly what you're getting. The alcohol list was very short, but it exists. We had the edamame, sushi combo, and five different rolls (picture included). Our favorite dish was unfortunately an item that doesn't exist in the menu yet; it's called "hika jirashi" (I'm certain I butchered that in some way), and it was a dish made specially for us from the chef as a working and upcoming dish. It was amazing, for a better lack of another word. It is a rice dish made with fish roe topped with different types of greens, sashimi, and octopus. I would go back every day if it meant that item was readily available (please ask for it, it is a must. Picture is included.) The rolls were reasonably priced, and they all tasted very fresh. My favorite roll was the sunshine roll, mostly because I love jalapenos in sushi. Overall, I had a great experience here. I will definitely come back.
(4)
Alice A.
Located in a small plaza, Osaka Sushi is not too bad for the place and location. I wouldnt really recommend it for "date night,' especially if you're on your first date! This place isnt too fancy. (maybe try Sushi Kushi San) And can be kinda crowded and loud once people start to come in for dinner because of the small space. The friendliness is on and off. Some times if they are really busy, you can be ignored for a while. But eventually they will get to you. The many times that i've been there, we usually get either Osaka Bento, Ton Katsu, or different kinds of rolls. Some times the fried items in the Bento can be overly done and have that bitter taste to it which i really hate. The california roll never fails. One of my favorite is their veggie tempura. Some thing about those deep fried sweet potato that gets to me every time. The Ton Katsu some times can be on the oily side. I'm used to having the katsu to be thicker. Their's is sliced so thin... I feel like it's more of the bread crumb toppings than the meat that i'm eating. I like my Katsu to have some thickness to it. So when you fry it, it's juicy and tender. Osaka's on the drier side. The dipping sauce to me is on the more saltier side. Heavy on the soy sauce. Once in awhile if im nearby and craving japanese food, ill stop by and grab take out. It's not the best that i've had before but not bad that ill never go back.
(3)
Rujuta S.
Excellent taste at awesome prices. The staff is friendly and welcoming. We usually order maki and it is outstanding. The firecracker maki and the rainbow maki are a must try! The miso soup is what you dream of having on cold winter days.
(5)
Sei A.
Just walking out of Osaka. It was honestly the best sushi I have ever had. I have a Asian background and know when sushi is fresh. I honestly don't think there can be fish fresher than this. I ordered the sushi and sashimi combo. It was heavenly. Thick cuts of fresh fish and from various sea foods. It was perfect. Don't miss out!
(5)
Victoria W.
I guess you have to come here and order sushi for the food to be good. We came and wanted noodle, and only saw udon on the menu. The Udon is kinda sub par, I've had much bettre noodle in even smaller towns, which is disappointing. Also ordered the Salmon rolls, the salmon seems fresh, but of course the rolls are small, and they are 3.95. Ordered the red bean dessert, it was a tiny piece of mochi, and that was $1.69 or something. I got the veggie Udon, the broth wasn't particularly good. It had like 3 pieces of tofu in it and 1 piece of egg cake. Nothing else was special about it. I think the broth is critical in any Japanese noodle dishes, and this place did not do it right. My mother ordered the chicken udon, and she was also not very fond of it. Not sure we'd come back. There isn't any yakisoba or stir fried noodle either. No bathroom in this restaurant.
(3)
Jeffrey M.
How can a sushi place be this good in Mundelein IL! I discovered this place from other reviews on Yelp and tried it for the first time a month ago. I have been kicking myself for not trying this place sooner. From the time you walk in the restaurant, you are greeted by the chef/owners and treated like family. They start you with always fresh and hot Miso that is some of the best I have ever had. The tuna and salmon are incredibly fresh and prepared beautifully as rolls or sushi. I dream about the spicy tuna hand roll and the firecracker roll. The White Tiger and dragon are also amazing. But what I really enjoy the most is eating fresh tuna on a slab of rice, no need for anything else, it's that good! You gotta try this place. Lunch is $14 and the best sushi value I have ever seen.
Not too shabby for being in a strip mall! The appetizers were probably my favorite part, very creative and I wanted to try them all! I loved the crunch rice tuna, that was delicious, I wish they would give you 4 instead of 3 pieces... I feel like even numbers are always better. The rolls themselves were pretty good as well, you could see that the fish was very fresh. It is a nice addition that they give you miso and salad. The service was great, and the waitress was full of great suggestions. We took off a star because we thought it was a little on the pricey side for a small place like this. The rolls averaged about $12, and same with the aps... If they knocked off a $1 or $2 per roll It would probably become our new go to spot. But throwing down $100 for a dinner for 2 would probably have to reserve this spot as a "special occasion" spot, vs a "lets grab sushi during the week on the way home from work" spot. I did notice that they have a lunch menu, and I would def check this spot out for lunch!
(4)
Megan J.
So disappointed that this place changed ownership. It used to be awesome. Friendly, attentive staff, great food. Now the food takes FOREVER to get to the table and the quality sucks. Really sad, this was my regular sushi joint.
(1)
Julie D.
I work nearby, and I step by at Osaka for lunch frequently and sometimes for dinner. They have changed the lunch special slightly, and as a person who tried it recently, it was amazing. My not-so-favorite-rolls were replaced with my favs. I am glad that it changed! The staffs are friendly and attentive, and I am satisfied with how quickly the food came out because I have to return to work on time. I strongly recommend going to Osaka and trying the lunch special.
(5)
Bill S.
This restaurant had been our family favorite for over a decade. Unfortunately, under new management, we are having to find somewhere else. Everything has changed, from the service to the quality of the food and, unfortunately, this restaurant has gone downhill. To put this in perspective, our last visit we were greeted by a "Help Wanted" sign, no doubt. After entering the door, the manager/owner on his cell, while seated, told us we could sit anywhere we liked. He proceeded to talk very loudly on his phone for at least another 15 to 20 mins. from a food table across the room, but well within ear's distance. The presentation of the food subpar. From maki rolls that were stuck together, or poorly made, and fell apart, to the taste of the ingredients that we far below what they used to be. I'm sorry, we've tried Osaka three times since the change over the span of about 6 months and its only gotten worse, unfortunately.
(2)
Chet M.
Service sucks here: Did not fill my water glass once Did not give us soy sauce dish Did not give wasabi and ginger for $19 creation Forgot salmon sushi order on check-off slip Had to wave down server frantically to get check Forgot to give spicy salmon roll but charged us
(2)
Esther Y.
I love family owned restaurants because they deliver a wonderful environment and great service, and Osaka delivers exactly that. The servers were kind, attentive, and gave great suggestions. The owner checked up on us to see if we were enjoying our entrees, which we did. The menu was very helpful; it had pictures of every roll with a list of all the ingredients, so you know exactly what you're getting. The alcohol list was very short, but it exists. We had the edamame, sushi combo, and five different rolls (picture included). Our favorite dish was unfortunately an item that doesn't exist in the menu yet; it's called "hika jirashi" (I'm certain I butchered that in some way), and it was a dish made specially for us from the chef as a working and upcoming dish. It was amazing, for a better lack of another word. It is a rice dish made with fish roe topped with different types of greens, sashimi, and octopus. I would go back every day if it meant that item was readily available (please ask for it, it is a must. Picture is included.) The rolls were reasonably priced, and they all tasted very fresh. My favorite roll was the sunshine roll, mostly because I love jalapenos in sushi. Overall, I had a great experience here. I will definitely come back.
(4)
Alice A.
Located in a small plaza, Osaka Sushi is not too bad for the place and location. I wouldnt really recommend it for "date night,' especially if you're on your first date! This place isnt too fancy. (maybe try Sushi Kushi San) And can be kinda crowded and loud once people start to come in for dinner because of the small space. The friendliness is on and off. Some times if they are really busy, you can be ignored for a while. But eventually they will get to you. The many times that i've been there, we usually get either Osaka Bento, Ton Katsu, or different kinds of rolls. Some times the fried items in the Bento can be overly done and have that bitter taste to it which i really hate. The california roll never fails. One of my favorite is their veggie tempura. Some thing about those deep fried sweet potato that gets to me every time. The Ton Katsu some times can be on the oily side. I'm used to having the katsu to be thicker. Their's is sliced so thin... I feel like it's more of the bread crumb toppings than the meat that i'm eating. I like my Katsu to have some thickness to it. So when you fry it, it's juicy and tender. Osaka's on the drier side. The dipping sauce to me is on the more saltier side. Heavy on the soy sauce. Once in awhile if im nearby and craving japanese food, ill stop by and grab take out. It's not the best that i've had before but not bad that ill never go back.
(3)
Elina S.
Okay so I've had this local sushi spot on my bookmarks for quite a while and my friends who live in mundelein love this place so I knew that I had to give it a shot when I was in the area. One day we were in a rush but really craving sushi so we decided to place a carryout order from them to save us sometime. It was our first order, the girl on the phone seemed nice and I placed my order getting about 10 different rolls to sample for the first time. Upon arrival, the place has a nice simple cozy feel to it, pretty small so I can't imagine wanting to come on a Saturday night and probably having to wait for a table. Well, that's what carryout is for. Anyways, we got maybe $80 worth of sushi which is not too expensive for 10 rolls if you ask me so I was pleased with that. But upon leaving I asked them to throw in an eel sauce since I don't eat soy sauce and the girl says "that's an extra $1." Okay first of all its not about the fact that you have to charge me for sauce it's the fact that I already placed a $80 order and they gave me a droplet of eel sauce and had to charge for it. Like really? Or at least give a decent amount for it. That threw me off honestly. But the sushi quality made up for it. Every single roll we had were delicious from the simple spicy salmon rolls, to the firecracker roll, to even the no name rolls everything was really good and had a good fish to rice ratio. So overall a good experience but if they didn't charge me for the sauce after they already ran my credit card I would have given them 5 stars. But next time I'll know and will ask them for extra eel sauce since they don't give too much. Hopefully they won't charge $2 for it.
(4)
Mike A.
New owners are running this place into the ground. Fish does not taste as fresh and our staple roll : firecracker has no taste. After 3 tries with this new crew; we are done here.
(2)
Cassie T.
I'm not a huge sushi fan, but this place keeps me coming back. Their king crab roll, spicy tuna roll, and the tempura shrimp with jalapeño are fantastic. Used to stop here on the way to work very often. So friendly and so clean. Just love it here.
(5)
Jamie R.
Not only did we have an unbelievable meal here with a large selection of delicious sushi.. I thought I had lost my sunglasses and simply asked them if they had seen them. I left my name and phone number and they went above and beyond to send me a personal text and the surveillance video from that night showing I had them while walking out. Great sushi & even better service!
(5)
Adam Z.
I couldn't make up my mind for lunch, and ended up here to try a lunch special. It was $15 which is kind of pricy for lunch when comparing to other places, but it was A LOT of food. Overall, the rolls I had were ok. The salad was incredible though. I wish it came with more of that and maybe pass on the cucumber rolls.
(4)
Rujuta S.
Excellent taste at awesome prices. The staff is friendly and welcoming. We usually order maki and it is outstanding. The firecracker maki and the rainbow maki are a must try! The miso soup is what you dream of having on cold winter days.
(5)
Sei A.
Just walking out of Osaka. It was honestly the best sushi I have ever had. I have a Asian background and know when sushi is fresh. I honestly don't think there can be fish fresher than this. I ordered the sushi and sashimi combo. It was heavenly. Thick cuts of fresh fish and from various sea foods. It was perfect. Don't miss out!
(5)
Harry L.
I used to love this place and was a regular. But that was until we went on a not-so-busy weekend night. They sat us and brought us our tea. And then Never returned... No order, no food, no bill. People were available to take our order, they just didn't seem to want to. We got up to leave after 30 minutes of waiting and the hostess then thanked us for coming in. I won't go back until I hear this place has new management...
(1)
Renato P.
To start the review I must note that out of a party of 3 , I was the only one that enjoyed the food here, so the well has been poisoned. This is a smallish clean storefront sushi restaurant. On an early Saturday evening , there were at least 2 other family's with children. The help was efficient and friendly , and the menu was diverse. As for the food , that's where they lost my party's side. We started with the salad and miso soup . I've never been a big fan of miso soup and theirs didn't do anything to change my mind. The salad has some sort of spicy ginger dressing that was pretty good. The appetizers we ordered were the fried Gyoza (I thought it was good , the others weren't so thrilled) and the Terriyaki chicken (none of us were so thrilled , too dry. Every place I get this dish has had the same problem.) . We ordered their spicy tuna roll (common but good) , jumbo spicy tuna roll (pretty much a big spicy tuna roll , I did dig this better although it pretty much tasted the same as the regular sized one , just with more tuna. Very good.) , the tuna roll (done to death but still delivered , very good),the spicy salmon hand roll (I liked the execution , but don't really like the hand roll eating experience, it did taste really good though) and the cooked shrimp sashimi (good). The rest of the sashimi I got was all very fresh and the fish tasty , but the chef decided to put some wasabi under all the fish , I don't really dig on wasabi. That being said , the tuna and red snapper were good, the Yellow tail was very good. Sadly I was distracted but the wasabi tainting the flavor of all the fish sashimi , It would have been much better without it. I can't say this place was bad , like everyone else I ate with , but I have been to better places. The prices here are good , so if you are a fan of wasabi on all your sashimi , you might like this place. I wouldn't go here again on my own , but would have no problem going here if someone else I was with suggested it , it was ok.
(3)
Stephanie M.
Cute place with great sushi. The sashimi rice bowl is good. It is served with a big bottle of hot sauce for you to mix in....like bibimbab. It has a mix of sashimi like tuna, salmon, etc...with lettuce and other vegetables and rice. The maki is good too. Albacore tuna maki is like an inside out california roll with seared slices of albacore and thinly sliced green onion on top with a sauce.
(4)
Tracy O.
My husband and I just wanted some soup for dinner and we stopped by here to do a quick pick up. The staff was super friendly and the miso soup was excellent. We will need to go back for some sushi soon.
(3)
Natalie K.
Hands down the best sushi place in the area. Fish is always super fresh, rolls are yummy and a good size. Prices are very decent. We don't usually dine-in, so I can't comment about the service. Sometimes the wait time might be slightly longer than promised for a take out, but it's totally worth it. My favorite rolls there are fire cracker, chicago, yamamori maki, and red dragon. Miso soup is yummy, edamame is perfectly cooked. Definitely a local gem!
(5)
Vishal B.
Been going here since they first opened! Consistent quality, service and taste. Dining room is warm and comfortable, the place is IMMACULATE clean.
(5)
Elina S.
Okay so I've had this local sushi spot on my bookmarks for quite a while and my friends who live in mundelein love this place so I knew that I had to give it a shot when I was in the area. One day we were in a rush but really craving sushi so we decided to place a carryout order from them to save us sometime. It was our first order, the girl on the phone seemed nice and I placed my order getting about 10 different rolls to sample for the first time. Upon arrival, the place has a nice simple cozy feel to it, pretty small so I can't imagine wanting to come on a Saturday night and probably having to wait for a table. Well, that's what carryout is for. Anyways, we got maybe $80 worth of sushi which is not too expensive for 10 rolls if you ask me so I was pleased with that. But upon leaving I asked them to throw in an eel sauce since I don't eat soy sauce and the girl says "that's an extra $1." Okay first of all its not about the fact that you have to charge me for sauce it's the fact that I already placed a $80 order and they gave me a droplet of eel sauce and had to charge for it. Like really? Or at least give a decent amount for it. That threw me off honestly. But the sushi quality made up for it. Every single roll we had were delicious from the simple spicy salmon rolls, to the firecracker roll, to even the no name rolls everything was really good and had a good fish to rice ratio. So overall a good experience but if they didn't charge me for the sauce after they already ran my credit card I would have given them 5 stars. But next time I'll know and will ask them for extra eel sauce since they don't give too much. Hopefully they won't charge $2 for it.
(4)
Mike A.
New owners are running this place into the ground. Fish does not taste as fresh and our staple roll : firecracker has no taste. After 3 tries with this new crew; we are done here.
(2)
Cassie T.
I'm not a huge sushi fan, but this place keeps me coming back. Their king crab roll, spicy tuna roll, and the tempura shrimp with jalapeño are fantastic. Used to stop here on the way to work very often. So friendly and so clean. Just love it here.
(5)
Harry L.
I used to love this place and was a regular. But that was until we went on a not-so-busy weekend night. They sat us and brought us our tea. And then Never returned... No order, no food, no bill. People were available to take our order, they just didn't seem to want to. We got up to leave after 30 minutes of waiting and the hostess then thanked us for coming in. I won't go back until I hear this place has new management...
(1)
Jamie R.
Not only did we have an unbelievable meal here with a large selection of delicious sushi.. I thought I had lost my sunglasses and simply asked them if they had seen them. I left my name and phone number and they went above and beyond to send me a personal text and the surveillance video from that night showing I had them while walking out. Great sushi & even better service!
(5)
Adam Z.
I couldn't make up my mind for lunch, and ended up here to try a lunch special. It was $15 which is kind of pricy for lunch when comparing to other places, but it was A LOT of food. Overall, the rolls I had were ok. The salad was incredible though. I wish it came with more of that and maybe pass on the cucumber rolls.
(4)
Victoria W.
I guess you have to come here and order sushi for the food to be good. We came and wanted noodle, and only saw udon on the menu. The Udon is kinda sub par, I've had much bettre noodle in even smaller towns, which is disappointing. Also ordered the Salmon rolls, the salmon seems fresh, but of course the rolls are small, and they are 3.95. Ordered the red bean dessert, it was a tiny piece of mochi, and that was $1.69 or something. I got the veggie Udon, the broth wasn't particularly good. It had like 3 pieces of tofu in it and 1 piece of egg cake. Nothing else was special about it. I think the broth is critical in any Japanese noodle dishes, and this place did not do it right. My mother ordered the chicken udon, and she was also not very fond of it. Not sure we'd come back. There isn't any yakisoba or stir fried noodle either. No bathroom in this restaurant.
(3)
Jeffrey M.
How can a sushi place be this good in Mundelein IL! I discovered this place from other reviews on Yelp and tried it for the first time a month ago. I have been kicking myself for not trying this place sooner. From the time you walk in the restaurant, you are greeted by the chef/owners and treated like family. They start you with always fresh and hot Miso that is some of the best I have ever had. The tuna and salmon are incredibly fresh and prepared beautifully as rolls or sushi. I dream about the spicy tuna hand roll and the firecracker roll. The White Tiger and dragon are also amazing. But what I really enjoy the most is eating fresh tuna on a slab of rice, no need for anything else, it's that good! You gotta try this place. Lunch is $14 and the best sushi value I have ever seen.
Not too shabby for being in a strip mall! The appetizers were probably my favorite part, very creative and I wanted to try them all! I loved the crunch rice tuna, that was delicious, I wish they would give you 4 instead of 3 pieces... I feel like even numbers are always better. The rolls themselves were pretty good as well, you could see that the fish was very fresh. It is a nice addition that they give you miso and salad. The service was great, and the waitress was full of great suggestions. We took off a star because we thought it was a little on the pricey side for a small place like this. The rolls averaged about $12, and same with the aps... If they knocked off a $1 or $2 per roll It would probably become our new go to spot. But throwing down $100 for a dinner for 2 would probably have to reserve this spot as a "special occasion" spot, vs a "lets grab sushi during the week on the way home from work" spot. I did notice that they have a lunch menu, and I would def check this spot out for lunch!
(4)
Megan J.
So disappointed that this place changed ownership. It used to be awesome. Friendly, attentive staff, great food. Now the food takes FOREVER to get to the table and the quality sucks. Really sad, this was my regular sushi joint.
(1)
Eddie K.
I've been here a couple times but haven't had a chance to review it. Every time I've been here the service has been phenomenal and the food is always great and consistent. They are busy most of the time but its worth the wait
(5)
Lauren P.
Ordered 3 different rolls as carryout for dinner last night. The spicy tuna rolls were good, but on the smaller side compared to what I have usually seen. The Crazy Roll and the Spider Roll were both far to big to eat. They were about 2-3 inches in diameter, meaning i had to bite into them rather than eat each piece as a single bite. This caused the sushi to completely fall apart. The flavors were good, but I would have much preferred more reasonably sized pieces. I would have liked to see a narrower roll cut into 6 pieces rather than a huge roll cut into 4. I would return to Osaka, but make sure to ask about the size of the rolls next time while ordering to make sure I get some that are more manageable.
(3)
Scott C.
Saw a lot of low ratings for Chicago-area sushi places. Generally it looks like ChicagoLand folks are tough on their restaurants. OTOH, eating most of my sushi in the east (Boston/NYC) I do agree that sushi in Chicago is just average. Tried take out. Over ordered a bunch to try a few things. Rolls were well formed, fish was average freshness. Not a ton of creativity on the rolls, but certainly not a bad place. Sashimi was cut very thin, but price wasn't that high. Nice service/friendly/fast delivery.
(3)
Mark M.
This is the best Sushi and Maki by far that we have tried anywhere. We have been regulars here for over 6 years and never had a bad experience. The Staff is very friendly and know us when we call and come in. For those that rate this place as 1-3, you must be crazy. BEST PLACE EVER
(5)
Ray F.
Love this place! The waitstaff (and owners) are very friendly and attentive to your needs and the food is excellent. Everything from the various sushi rolls, to the noodle and rice dishes are great. What's even better is the price. Much more reasonable than the recently-opened Sushi Kushi down the road. They also have a special menu of original sushi creations that have not disappointed, so far. As it stands, this is our go-to place for sushi when we get that craving (which seems to be all the time).
(4)
Marty G.
Surprised at the quality of fish in this place, fresh. Except for the tuna, which tasted like mercury and was a bit stringy. The place is small and clean, seating is kind of tight. Ordered a sushi combo (fresh sans the tuna) and the lunch special (bunch of cook/tempura rolls) which were both good. -1 star for the one of the pushy bus girl who kept taking plates without asking if we were done.
(3)
Mike S.
Favorite sushi period. if you're looking for cool and trendy this isn't it. if you're looking for great sushi, friendly service, and an amazing value...you won't find a better place. been going here for 10+ years and it's gotten better with time. The firecracker roll is a must have!
(5)
Alexis K.
Love this place - but change is not always good. I have been coming here for about 8 years and it has always been by favorite place above ANY other sushi restaurant. I love the freshness of the items, the small cozy feel of the restaurant, and not only the maki rolls but the appetizer options as well. Sadly, I came in recently to realize that with the new ownership has come changes to some of my favorite menu items. I have always gotten the Tako salad and Goma-Ae, which to my dismay have now been changed. The new options still tasted pretty good but are not the same as what I have come to love. Unfortunately I am not sure if I will be coming back here anymore as it is not the same :( .
(4)
Sofiya K.
My family and I have been coming here for years - most of the time every other week. Recently they were bought by new owners so hopefully not a lot changes. It is a casual place. Great prices. They always put a generous portion of fish in every roll and sushi. Everything always tastes fresh. Between the 3 of us we get 4 rolls and always feel very full afterwards. The firecracker roll is a must. My personal favorite is the big salmon - m55. It's simple yet very satisfying. I recommend this place to everyone I know, and is always my go to place when I want to go out for dinner.
(5)
John K.
I can't believe I have missed this place for all this time. That was some of the best Sushi I have had ( in the mid-west ). There Maguro Sushi is so fresh and good. Yum. The best has to be the Firecracker Roll !! This is a must try. So much fresh flavor and just melts in your mouth. If you are in he area and looking for a great Sushi spot this is it. Stop looking. Don't let the little strip mall it is located in fool you. I promise you will not regret it. Enjoy !
(5)
Kate Y.
One of the best sushi places in the neighborhood! Ordered out and dined in many many times over the last decade and never got disappointed- excellent fresh sushi and very friendly and courteous service!
(5)
Paul M.
Great food, great service for an excellent price. I come every week! Located just outside of Vernon hills and Mundelein, Osaka sushi is a great place for authentic Asian cuisine. Open lunch hours only
(5)
Alyssa C.
I have been going to this restaurant for years (like 8-10 years). We went there enough to be known by the owners. Back at the end of 2014, they changed ownership, and I am rather disappointed. The rolls are smaller in size (but still the same price), and the spicy mayo is less flavorful. The rice is a bit more "watery" too, than it used to be. I KNOW my sushi, especially from this place. The fish is still pretty fresh, but I feel like I am now going to be looking for an alternate sushi restaurant in the area as my "go to". Quite sad that my favorite restaurant isn't exactly as it used to be :(
(3)
Seikeun A.
When it comes down to maki.....nobody beats this place.
(5)
Carl F.
The service here is friendly and good. The size of the place is of good size and you could actually fit a good sized crowd here. The menu has a lot of the standard items along with a number of rolls you typically do not see. The wait staff are quick to bring out the drinks and they were very open to making any modifications to the order. When going to sushi places for the first time I do try to order a fairly standard roll so better to compare with others. In this case I kept it to the shrimp & veggie tempura and three rolls. The Philly, Spider and Godzilla. The tempura dish was really nice, the vegetables where nice sized and the shrimp were plump. All three rolls where really good. The fish was fresh and I liked that the cream cheese in the Philly as it was not too soft and held well. The rice and packing of the roll themselves where also very nice. This is definetly a place to come back to and I've since added them to my Places for Sushi in Lake County, IL.
(4)
magic g.
good & affordable. sea crest salad - yay. ps: you should put actual link on the receipt - tiny.cc/osaka
(3)
Chris D.
This is our go to place for sushi but when we went here tonight and found out the original owner has sold the business. Pretty good but does anyone know if the old owners have opened a new place in the area?
(3)
Kathy K.
This is our go-to place for sushi in the north burbs. The sushi is fresh and more fish than rice. The tempura-on-the-side is always served hot and crispy, not oily. They always serve salad and miso soup, whether or not you are ordering a bento box or special. Oh, and it gets crowded on weekends for dinner. Come early. You can always ask if the chef has something special up his sleeve, and you can make adjustments (my kids can't do avocado in the California rolls). The owners are Korean so if you're looking for a Korean-style spicy fish stew, ask if they have in-season fish. It's soooo good. They also have the Korean-style chirashi - same thing but without the vinegary rice. They are generous with the sashimi in this personal favorite. The restaurant is small, and the strip mall it is at always looks like it is on the brink of shutting down. I was afraid after Sushi Kushi opened up in VH that Osaka would take a hit. At least one of Osaka's best servers jumped ship, so there was a few months of Osaka getting back into the groove. If you want circus and noise go to that other place. If you want good sushi, go to Osaka.
(4)
Lawrence Y.
This is a nice Korean-run Sushi restaurant, I think. We stopped in around 7p on a Tuesday for a bite to eat, and were the only ones there at first. However, people piled in shortly thereafter, and lots of people were doing take out. We ordered 4 of their specials (names escape me at the moment, but see photo) - all of which were pretty good. No complaints. Came with miso and a tiny plate of salad (wasn't a traditional ginger dressing - more oil based). Service was fine - our waters were filled when needed. The only serving faux pas I'd comment about is that she brought out the check and didn't even ask if we wanted dessert - which we did. One piece each of strawberry & mango mochi, cut into quarter pieces. Priced fairly I think.
(3)
Art Y.
Food and presentation is great. Prices are affordable. Staff is friendly. I recommend this place to everyone.
(5)
Scott H.
One of the best sushi shops anywhere north of the city. I work within a mile of Osaka and have probably eaten there at least fifty times over the years. NEVER a bad experience and the firecracker roll might be the world's most perfect maki offering! Oh, and since everyone is giving their sushi "pedigree" here, I've enjoyed it on the East Coast, the West Coast and in Japan itself. This is very good sushi.
(4)
Yana G.
One of the best sushi places on the north side, fresh great quality rolls, hand rolls and maki. I have lived in the city for many years and were incredibly impressed with the quality of sushi in osaka. Try tiger roll, madam butterfly, spicy salmon hand roll is also very good. The poor reviews are clearly written by those that frequent Bennihana. We order take out from Osaka at least once a week and never had even a mediocre experience.
(5)
jim s.
took the family here yesterday for a christmas eve lunch and the sushi, squid salad, gomae and everything was fresh and well prepared and awesome!
(5)
Amber M.
I don't know how this place only has 3.5 stars. I've eaten at a lot of sushi places all over the Chicagoland area, and this is by far the best place to get sushi. It's reasonably priced, friendly staff and fast and fresh Some of my favorites are the Fire cracker maki, Ebi tempura maki, osaka maki and three colors sprinkled maki. I've never been dissappointed by anything here. Never had a problem with my order. Never had a problem with how anything tastes. The presentation is beautiful. This is a real gem.
(5)
Jon A.
Greatest little gem in the suburbs!!! I didn't think you could get Chicago quality sushi in the suburbs until I tried this place. The atmosphere is a cozy, family run, neighborhood place. Try the firecracker roll!!
(5)
Anthony C.
Three things. Food- its good. I had their shrimp killer maki. Rice was fresh, shrimp was good. Service- I understand that they're busy but they only gave us one cup for a water... maybe it was because i went to restroom to wash my hand, but even after that they didnt even bother to ask or give. So the customer service is 1/5. Cutomer care- ehh... like i mentioned above, ehh... i would be back if i want some sushi and im near by. Food is one thing, but we usually look for more costomer care... if they got both, we would tip well.
(3)
Joe T.
Great sushi for a Greater prize!
(4)
Tony L.
Extremely mediocre or worse. I had a chirashi as the main dish, and added a yellowtail, amaebi, and sake nigiri. 1. The chirashi rice tasted like regular steamed white rice. No vinegar, no taste. The fish served on top lacked any flavor, soft and spongy texture, and had a fishy aftertaste. 2. The nigiri had the same taste and texture issues as the chirashi. The yellowtail was a bit stringy as well. 3. The amaebi head served was heavily battered and you could taste the oil. The wait staff was friendly, but that's all it has going for it.
(1)
Tony R.
My single favorite sushi restaurant. Literally every other restaurant pales in comparison. I never grow tired of the spicy tuna hand rolls. I recommend the Firecracker roll if it is your first time here. They are absolutely AMAZING! Very nice to have soup and salad prior to your sushi. My wife and I usually order 5 rolls to share and are completely stuffed when we leave.
(5)
Fernando M.
IMO the best sushi bar ever, and I've traveled the world. My favorite is their own creation the "fire cracker" maki. I will drive a distance here having sushi bars closer to home.
(5)
Neil M.
Great restaurant! Love their specials, Dragon Roll, Firecracker, King Crab, and much more. There beef bowl is great too. The owner and servers are always friendly and always make you feel that you are their best customer. This is a favorite for the locals. You always see take out being prepared.
(5)
Luiza R.
By far my favorite sushi restaurant in the suburbs! I come here all the time. Amazing service, and best quality sushi. Love this place!
(5)
Joel W.
This is one of those reviews you hate to write.... If anyone reads this, and takes my advice, it's going to be *even* harder to get a table here, and the prices might go up, but the fact is... it's great sushi, great service, and a wonderful basic sushi restaurant. The Firecracker Roll is the reason to go and come back, but nearly everything else is fantastic. Take my advice: Try all the other sushi restaurants around, and just trust me--Osaka is the best. They deserve the excellent review.
(5)
Rusty S.
This place has gone down from a 4 star you can grab quick sushi here anytime place to 1 star, must avoid at all costs. I've been coming here for years and didn't realize that the service is deteriorating ever so slowly. Let's see... Last time we were told that they ran out of rice and therefore can't seat us! WHAT? Really? Before that, we asked for sushi to be brought out on individual plates, so our friends sushi is not on our plate! I'm not big into community sushi, I ordered what I want and therefore that's what I want to eat. They keep bickering with you and make you feel like you're the one with unrecognizable accent. They have lost our business for good.
(1)
Mike J.
Firecracker roll is amazing. It is like two pieces of sushi in one. The staff is very friendly. This is the place to go for sushi in the area.
(5)
Kat G.
This place was just as great the second time! There was a small group of us for lunch. We ordered several items and shared everything. The nice thing here is that even if you do not order a lunch special, you still get a salad and miso soup. They have a special roll called the "Firecracker Roll" and it was AWESOME, be careful though, it has a little kick to it!
(5)
Mike D.
I'm a huge fan of Osaka Sushi. This is the best sushi in lake county with a friendly chef & staff. The only sushi that compares is Toro sushi on Clark Street in Chicago. The Fire Cracker Make and the spicy hand rolls are top notch. They serve a very limited amount of liquor. Give it a try!
(4)
Lena S.
I have lunch here pretty much once a week. If they are busy, the service may be a bit slow, but usually pretty good. I like the amount of fish in rolls. I order only sushi, so not sure about other dishes, but rolls are great. it's at the strip mall and doesn't look too glamour-es from outside, but solid place.
(5)
Peter W.
Good food. Above average for Japanese. Restaurant a little small and when they are busy, it's a little hectic, but the prices are a smidge on the high side which is why I'm rating them average overall. Two people can roll over with a $50 bill on a pretty moderate amount of food. That's a little pricey in my book.
(3)
Tony C.
ICK. the goma-ae had ungrounded sesame seeds and the spinach was beyond "old" (overly chewy, overly fibrous, etc.) they did have Hwe Dup Bap (Korean style chirashi minus the vinegary rice), but the rest of the food is horrendously mundane. we had the asparagus app (stir fried in butter, asparagus, again, OLD), the soyed chicken (cuz there was no terriyaki sauce on it), and a few rolls. overall, this place, as a Korean-Japanese restaurant, depresses the heck out of me.
(1)
Justin W.
Great sushi with extremely friendly and helpful servers. I've only gone a few times, but I've never been let down. Unfortunately I haven't tried any of their dishes other than sushi and sides of tempura shimp/veggies, but I'll be back soon!
(4)
Sara P.
Osaka Sushi is one of my favorite local sushi places. The service is always good, I personally love a sushi chef that makes recommendations, and the food is delicious and a great value (no matter what you order you get salad and miso soup...yum!). Make sure you try the Firecracker roll, if you like spicy rolls then this roll is for you. Osaka is a hidden treasure, not to be missed.
(4)
Nick S.
This place is another one of those in the strip mall sushi places that doesn't look like much from the outside. The decor inside is good enough, not thing spectacular and always has some elevator music playing inside.. But the sushi and udon are quite good. Give it a shot. I like it better than the now adjacent Sushi Kushi.
(4)
Mike F.
Very good sushi at reasonable prices. We mostly eat sushi in the Chicagoland area and this is better than most of the more famous restuarants downtown. It was quite a shock that a sushi place in the burbs could do sushi better than Chicago. This is the place to go for sushi in the area!!!!!
(5)
Jamie M.
TERRIBLE Horrible Service. We went there and the servers took 30 minutes to get us a table! But even after waiting a century, we got seated and they failed to get the correct sushi!
(1)
Renato P.
To start the review I must note that out of a party of 3 , I was the only one that enjoyed the food here, so the well has been poisoned. This is a smallish clean storefront sushi restaurant. On an early Saturday evening , there were at least 2 other family's with children. The help was efficient and friendly , and the menu was diverse. As for the food , that's where they lost my party's side. We started with the salad and miso soup . I've never been a big fan of miso soup and theirs didn't do anything to change my mind. The salad has some sort of spicy ginger dressing that was pretty good. The appetizers we ordered were the fried Gyoza (I thought it was good , the others weren't so thrilled) and the Terriyaki chicken (none of us were so thrilled , too dry. Every place I get this dish has had the same problem.) . We ordered their spicy tuna roll (common but good) , jumbo spicy tuna roll (pretty much a big spicy tuna roll , I did dig this better although it pretty much tasted the same as the regular sized one , just with more tuna. Very good.) , the tuna roll (done to death but still delivered , very good),the spicy salmon hand roll (I liked the execution , but don't really like the hand roll eating experience, it did taste really good though) and the cooked shrimp sashimi (good). The rest of the sashimi I got was all very fresh and the fish tasty , but the chef decided to put some wasabi under all the fish , I don't really dig on wasabi. That being said , the tuna and red snapper were good, the Yellow tail was very good. Sadly I was distracted but the wasabi tainting the flavor of all the fish sashimi , It would have been much better without it. I can't say this place was bad , like everyone else I ate with , but I have been to better places. The prices here are good , so if you are a fan of wasabi on all your sashimi , you might like this place. I wouldn't go here again on my own , but would have no problem going here if someone else I was with suggested it , it was ok.
(3)
Stephanie M.
Cute place with great sushi. The sashimi rice bowl is good. It is served with a big bottle of hot sauce for you to mix in....like bibimbab. It has a mix of sashimi like tuna, salmon, etc...with lettuce and other vegetables and rice. The maki is good too. Albacore tuna maki is like an inside out california roll with seared slices of albacore and thinly sliced green onion on top with a sauce.
(4)
Chris D.
This is our go to place for sushi but when we went here tonight and found out the original owner has sold the business. Pretty good but does anyone know if the old owners have opened a new place in the area?
(3)
Amber M.
I don't know how this place only has 3.5 stars. I've eaten at a lot of sushi places all over the Chicagoland area, and this is by far the best place to get sushi. It's reasonably priced, friendly staff and fast and fresh Some of my favorites are the Fire cracker maki, Ebi tempura maki, osaka maki and three colors sprinkled maki. I've never been dissappointed by anything here. Never had a problem with my order. Never had a problem with how anything tastes. The presentation is beautiful. This is a real gem.
(5)
Kathy K.
This is our go-to place for sushi in the north burbs. The sushi is fresh and more fish than rice. The tempura-on-the-side is always served hot and crispy, not oily. They always serve salad and miso soup, whether or not you are ordering a bento box or special. Oh, and it gets crowded on weekends for dinner. Come early. You can always ask if the chef has something special up his sleeve, and you can make adjustments (my kids can't do avocado in the California rolls). The owners are Korean so if you're looking for a Korean-style spicy fish stew, ask if they have in-season fish. It's soooo good. They also have the Korean-style chirashi - same thing but without the vinegary rice. They are generous with the sashimi in this personal favorite. The restaurant is small, and the strip mall it is at always looks like it is on the brink of shutting down. I was afraid after Sushi Kushi opened up in VH that Osaka would take a hit. At least one of Osaka's best servers jumped ship, so there was a few months of Osaka getting back into the groove. If you want circus and noise go to that other place. If you want good sushi, go to Osaka.
(4)
Lawrence Y.
This is a nice Korean-run Sushi restaurant, I think. We stopped in around 7p on a Tuesday for a bite to eat, and were the only ones there at first. However, people piled in shortly thereafter, and lots of people were doing take out. We ordered 4 of their specials (names escape me at the moment, but see photo) - all of which were pretty good. No complaints. Came with miso and a tiny plate of salad (wasn't a traditional ginger dressing - more oil based). Service was fine - our waters were filled when needed. The only serving faux pas I'd comment about is that she brought out the check and didn't even ask if we wanted dessert - which we did. One piece each of strawberry & mango mochi, cut into quarter pieces. Priced fairly I think.
(3)
Art Y.
Food and presentation is great. Prices are affordable. Staff is friendly. I recommend this place to everyone.
(5)
Natalie K.
Hands down the best sushi place in the area. Fish is always super fresh, rolls are yummy and a good size. Prices are very decent. We don't usually dine-in, so I can't comment about the service. Sometimes the wait time might be slightly longer than promised for a take out, but it's totally worth it. My favorite rolls there are fire cracker, chicago, yamamori maki, and red dragon. Miso soup is yummy, edamame is perfectly cooked. Definitely a local gem!
(5)
Vishal B.
Been going here since they first opened! Consistent quality, service and taste. Dining room is warm and comfortable, the place is IMMACULATE clean.
(5)
Eddie K.
I've been here a couple times but haven't had a chance to review it. Every time I've been here the service has been phenomenal and the food is always great and consistent. They are busy most of the time but its worth the wait
(5)
jim s.
took the family here yesterday for a christmas eve lunch and the sushi, squid salad, gomae and everything was fresh and well prepared and awesome!
(5)
Jon A.
Greatest little gem in the suburbs!!! I didn't think you could get Chicago quality sushi in the suburbs until I tried this place. The atmosphere is a cozy, family run, neighborhood place. Try the firecracker roll!!
(5)
Scott H.
One of the best sushi shops anywhere north of the city. I work within a mile of Osaka and have probably eaten there at least fifty times over the years. NEVER a bad experience and the firecracker roll might be the world's most perfect maki offering! Oh, and since everyone is giving their sushi "pedigree" here, I've enjoyed it on the East Coast, the West Coast and in Japan itself. This is very good sushi.
(4)
Yana G.
One of the best sushi places on the north side, fresh great quality rolls, hand rolls and maki. I have lived in the city for many years and were incredibly impressed with the quality of sushi in osaka. Try tiger roll, madam butterfly, spicy salmon hand roll is also very good. The poor reviews are clearly written by those that frequent Bennihana. We order take out from Osaka at least once a week and never had even a mediocre experience.
(5)
Anthony C.
Three things. Food- its good. I had their shrimp killer maki. Rice was fresh, shrimp was good. Service- I understand that they're busy but they only gave us one cup for a water... maybe it was because i went to restroom to wash my hand, but even after that they didnt even bother to ask or give. So the customer service is 1/5. Cutomer care- ehh... like i mentioned above, ehh... i would be back if i want some sushi and im near by. Food is one thing, but we usually look for more costomer care... if they got both, we would tip well.
(3)
Joe T.
Great sushi for a Greater prize!
(4)
Tony L.
Extremely mediocre or worse. I had a chirashi as the main dish, and added a yellowtail, amaebi, and sake nigiri. 1. The chirashi rice tasted like regular steamed white rice. No vinegar, no taste. The fish served on top lacked any flavor, soft and spongy texture, and had a fishy aftertaste. 2. The nigiri had the same taste and texture issues as the chirashi. The yellowtail was a bit stringy as well. 3. The amaebi head served was heavily battered and you could taste the oil. The wait staff was friendly, but that's all it has going for it.
(1)
Tony R.
My single favorite sushi restaurant. Literally every other restaurant pales in comparison. I never grow tired of the spicy tuna hand rolls. I recommend the Firecracker roll if it is your first time here. They are absolutely AMAZING! Very nice to have soup and salad prior to your sushi. My wife and I usually order 5 rolls to share and are completely stuffed when we leave.
(5)
Tracy O.
My husband and I just wanted some soup for dinner and we stopped by here to do a quick pick up. The staff was super friendly and the miso soup was excellent. We will need to go back for some sushi soon.
(3)
Neil M.
Great restaurant! Love their specials, Dragon Roll, Firecracker, King Crab, and much more. There beef bowl is great too. The owner and servers are always friendly and always make you feel that you are their best customer. This is a favorite for the locals. You always see take out being prepared.
(5)
Lauren P.
Ordered 3 different rolls as carryout for dinner last night. The spicy tuna rolls were good, but on the smaller side compared to what I have usually seen. The Crazy Roll and the Spider Roll were both far to big to eat. They were about 2-3 inches in diameter, meaning i had to bite into them rather than eat each piece as a single bite. This caused the sushi to completely fall apart. The flavors were good, but I would have much preferred more reasonably sized pieces. I would have liked to see a narrower roll cut into 6 pieces rather than a huge roll cut into 4. I would return to Osaka, but make sure to ask about the size of the rolls next time while ordering to make sure I get some that are more manageable.
(3)
Scott C.
Saw a lot of low ratings for Chicago-area sushi places. Generally it looks like ChicagoLand folks are tough on their restaurants. OTOH, eating most of my sushi in the east (Boston/NYC) I do agree that sushi in Chicago is just average. Tried take out. Over ordered a bunch to try a few things. Rolls were well formed, fish was average freshness. Not a ton of creativity on the rolls, but certainly not a bad place. Sashimi was cut very thin, but price wasn't that high. Nice service/friendly/fast delivery.
(3)
Mark M.
This is the best Sushi and Maki by far that we have tried anywhere. We have been regulars here for over 6 years and never had a bad experience. The Staff is very friendly and know us when we call and come in. For those that rate this place as 1-3, you must be crazy. BEST PLACE EVER
(5)
Ray F.
Love this place! The waitstaff (and owners) are very friendly and attentive to your needs and the food is excellent. Everything from the various sushi rolls, to the noodle and rice dishes are great. What's even better is the price. Much more reasonable than the recently-opened Sushi Kushi down the road. They also have a special menu of original sushi creations that have not disappointed, so far. As it stands, this is our go-to place for sushi when we get that craving (which seems to be all the time).
(4)
Mike D.
I'm a huge fan of Osaka Sushi. This is the best sushi in lake county with a friendly chef & staff. The only sushi that compares is Toro sushi on Clark Street in Chicago. The Fire Cracker Make and the spicy hand rolls are top notch. They serve a very limited amount of liquor. Give it a try!
(4)
Lena S.
I have lunch here pretty much once a week. If they are busy, the service may be a bit slow, but usually pretty good. I like the amount of fish in rolls. I order only sushi, so not sure about other dishes, but rolls are great. it's at the strip mall and doesn't look too glamour-es from outside, but solid place.
(5)
Peter W.
Good food. Above average for Japanese. Restaurant a little small and when they are busy, it's a little hectic, but the prices are a smidge on the high side which is why I'm rating them average overall. Two people can roll over with a $50 bill on a pretty moderate amount of food. That's a little pricey in my book.
(3)
Tony C.
ICK. the goma-ae had ungrounded sesame seeds and the spinach was beyond "old" (overly chewy, overly fibrous, etc.) they did have Hwe Dup Bap (Korean style chirashi minus the vinegary rice), but the rest of the food is horrendously mundane. we had the asparagus app (stir fried in butter, asparagus, again, OLD), the soyed chicken (cuz there was no terriyaki sauce on it), and a few rolls. overall, this place, as a Korean-Japanese restaurant, depresses the heck out of me.
(1)
Justin W.
Great sushi with extremely friendly and helpful servers. I've only gone a few times, but I've never been let down. Unfortunately I haven't tried any of their dishes other than sushi and sides of tempura shimp/veggies, but I'll be back soon!
(4)
Sara P.
Osaka Sushi is one of my favorite local sushi places. The service is always good, I personally love a sushi chef that makes recommendations, and the food is delicious and a great value (no matter what you order you get salad and miso soup...yum!). Make sure you try the Firecracker roll, if you like spicy rolls then this roll is for you. Osaka is a hidden treasure, not to be missed.
(4)
Nick S.
This place is another one of those in the strip mall sushi places that doesn't look like much from the outside. The decor inside is good enough, not thing spectacular and always has some elevator music playing inside.. But the sushi and udon are quite good. Give it a shot. I like it better than the now adjacent Sushi Kushi.
(4)
Mike F.
Very good sushi at reasonable prices. We mostly eat sushi in the Chicagoland area and this is better than most of the more famous restuarants downtown. It was quite a shock that a sushi place in the burbs could do sushi better than Chicago. This is the place to go for sushi in the area!!!!!
(5)
Jamie M.
TERRIBLE Horrible Service. We went there and the servers took 30 minutes to get us a table! But even after waiting a century, we got seated and they failed to get the correct sushi!
(1)
Julie D.
I work nearby, and I step by at Osaka for lunch frequently and sometimes for dinner. They have changed the lunch special slightly, and as a person who tried it recently, it was amazing. My not-so-favorite-rolls were replaced with my favs. I am glad that it changed! The staffs are friendly and attentive, and I am satisfied with how quickly the food came out because I have to return to work on time. I strongly recommend going to Osaka and trying the lunch special.
(5)
Bill S.
This restaurant had been our family favorite for over a decade. Unfortunately, under new management, we are having to find somewhere else. Everything has changed, from the service to the quality of the food and, unfortunately, this restaurant has gone downhill. To put this in perspective, our last visit we were greeted by a "Help Wanted" sign, no doubt. After entering the door, the manager/owner on his cell, while seated, told us we could sit anywhere we liked. He proceeded to talk very loudly on his phone for at least another 15 to 20 mins. from a food table across the room, but well within ear's distance. The presentation of the food subpar. From maki rolls that were stuck together, or poorly made, and fell apart, to the taste of the ingredients that we far below what they used to be. I'm sorry, we've tried Osaka three times since the change over the span of about 6 months and its only gotten worse, unfortunately.
(2)
Marty G.
Surprised at the quality of fish in this place, fresh. Except for the tuna, which tasted like mercury and was a bit stringy. The place is small and clean, seating is kind of tight. Ordered a sushi combo (fresh sans the tuna) and the lunch special (bunch of cook/tempura rolls) which were both good. -1 star for the one of the pushy bus girl who kept taking plates without asking if we were done.
(3)
Mike S.
Favorite sushi period. if you're looking for cool and trendy this isn't it. if you're looking for great sushi, friendly service, and an amazing value...you won't find a better place. been going here for 10+ years and it's gotten better with time. The firecracker roll is a must have!
(5)
Fernando M.
IMO the best sushi bar ever, and I've traveled the world. My favorite is their own creation the "fire cracker" maki. I will drive a distance here having sushi bars closer to home.
(5)
Luiza R.
By far my favorite sushi restaurant in the suburbs! I come here all the time. Amazing service, and best quality sushi. Love this place!
(5)
Joel W.
This is one of those reviews you hate to write.... If anyone reads this, and takes my advice, it's going to be *even* harder to get a table here, and the prices might go up, but the fact is... it's great sushi, great service, and a wonderful basic sushi restaurant. The Firecracker Roll is the reason to go and come back, but nearly everything else is fantastic. Take my advice: Try all the other sushi restaurants around, and just trust me--Osaka is the best. They deserve the excellent review.
(5)
Rusty S.
This place has gone down from a 4 star you can grab quick sushi here anytime place to 1 star, must avoid at all costs. I've been coming here for years and didn't realize that the service is deteriorating ever so slowly. Let's see... Last time we were told that they ran out of rice and therefore can't seat us! WHAT? Really? Before that, we asked for sushi to be brought out on individual plates, so our friends sushi is not on our plate! I'm not big into community sushi, I ordered what I want and therefore that's what I want to eat. They keep bickering with you and make you feel like you're the one with unrecognizable accent. They have lost our business for good.
(1)
Mike J.
Firecracker roll is amazing. It is like two pieces of sushi in one. The staff is very friendly. This is the place to go for sushi in the area.
(5)
Kat G.
This place was just as great the second time! There was a small group of us for lunch. We ordered several items and shared everything. The nice thing here is that even if you do not order a lunch special, you still get a salad and miso soup. They have a special roll called the "Firecracker Roll" and it was AWESOME, be careful though, it has a little kick to it!
(5)
Renato P.
To start the review I must note that out of a party of 3 , I was the only one that enjoyed the food here, so the well has been poisoned. This is a smallish clean storefront sushi restaurant. On an early Saturday evening , there were at least 2 other family's with children. The help was efficient and friendly , and the menu was diverse. As for the food , that's where they lost my party's side. We started with the salad and miso soup . I've never been a big fan of miso soup and theirs didn't do anything to change my mind. The salad has some sort of spicy ginger dressing that was pretty good. The appetizers we ordered were the fried Gyoza (I thought it was good , the others weren't so thrilled) and the Terriyaki chicken (none of us were so thrilled , too dry. Every place I get this dish has had the same problem.) . We ordered their spicy tuna roll (common but good) , jumbo spicy tuna roll (pretty much a big spicy tuna roll , I did dig this better although it pretty much tasted the same as the regular sized one , just with more tuna. Very good.) , the tuna roll (done to death but still delivered , very good),the spicy salmon hand roll (I liked the execution , but don't really like the hand roll eating experience, it did taste really good though) and the cooked shrimp sashimi (good). The rest of the sashimi I got was all very fresh and the fish tasty , but the chef decided to put some wasabi under all the fish , I don't really dig on wasabi. That being said , the tuna and red snapper were good, the Yellow tail was very good. Sadly I was distracted but the wasabi tainting the flavor of all the fish sashimi , It would have been much better without it. I can't say this place was bad , like everyone else I ate with , but I have been to better places. The prices here are good , so if you are a fan of wasabi on all your sashimi , you might like this place. I wouldn't go here again on my own , but would have no problem going here if someone else I was with suggested it , it was ok.
(3)
Stephanie M.
Cute place with great sushi. The sashimi rice bowl is good. It is served with a big bottle of hot sauce for you to mix in....like bibimbab. It has a mix of sashimi like tuna, salmon, etc...with lettuce and other vegetables and rice. The maki is good too. Albacore tuna maki is like an inside out california roll with seared slices of albacore and thinly sliced green onion on top with a sauce.
(4)
Rujuta S.
Excellent taste at awesome prices. The staff is friendly and welcoming. We usually order maki and it is outstanding. The firecracker maki and the rainbow maki are a must try! The miso soup is what you dream of having on cold winter days.
(5)
Sei A.
Just walking out of Osaka. It was honestly the best sushi I have ever had. I have a Asian background and know when sushi is fresh. I honestly don't think there can be fish fresher than this. I ordered the sushi and sashimi combo. It was heavenly. Thick cuts of fresh fish and from various sea foods. It was perfect. Don't miss out!
(5)
Chet M.
Service sucks here: Did not fill my water glass once Did not give us soy sauce dish Did not give wasabi and ginger for $19 creation Forgot salmon sushi order on check-off slip Had to wave down server frantically to get check Forgot to give spicy salmon roll but charged us
(2)
Esther Y.
I love family owned restaurants because they deliver a wonderful environment and great service, and Osaka delivers exactly that. The servers were kind, attentive, and gave great suggestions. The owner checked up on us to see if we were enjoying our entrees, which we did. The menu was very helpful; it had pictures of every roll with a list of all the ingredients, so you know exactly what you're getting. The alcohol list was very short, but it exists. We had the edamame, sushi combo, and five different rolls (picture included). Our favorite dish was unfortunately an item that doesn't exist in the menu yet; it's called "hika jirashi" (I'm certain I butchered that in some way), and it was a dish made specially for us from the chef as a working and upcoming dish. It was amazing, for a better lack of another word. It is a rice dish made with fish roe topped with different types of greens, sashimi, and octopus. I would go back every day if it meant that item was readily available (please ask for it, it is a must. Picture is included.) The rolls were reasonably priced, and they all tasted very fresh. My favorite roll was the sunshine roll, mostly because I love jalapenos in sushi. Overall, I had a great experience here. I will definitely come back.
(4)
Alice A.
Located in a small plaza, Osaka Sushi is not too bad for the place and location. I wouldnt really recommend it for "date night,' especially if you're on your first date! This place isnt too fancy. (maybe try Sushi Kushi San) And can be kinda crowded and loud once people start to come in for dinner because of the small space. The friendliness is on and off. Some times if they are really busy, you can be ignored for a while. But eventually they will get to you. The many times that i've been there, we usually get either Osaka Bento, Ton Katsu, or different kinds of rolls. Some times the fried items in the Bento can be overly done and have that bitter taste to it which i really hate. The california roll never fails. One of my favorite is their veggie tempura. Some thing about those deep fried sweet potato that gets to me every time. The Ton Katsu some times can be on the oily side. I'm used to having the katsu to be thicker. Their's is sliced so thin... I feel like it's more of the bread crumb toppings than the meat that i'm eating. I like my Katsu to have some thickness to it. So when you fry it, it's juicy and tender. Osaka's on the drier side. The dipping sauce to me is on the more saltier side. Heavy on the soy sauce. Once in awhile if im nearby and craving japanese food, ill stop by and grab take out. It's not the best that i've had before but not bad that ill never go back.
(3)
Elina S.
Okay so I've had this local sushi spot on my bookmarks for quite a while and my friends who live in mundelein love this place so I knew that I had to give it a shot when I was in the area. One day we were in a rush but really craving sushi so we decided to place a carryout order from them to save us sometime. It was our first order, the girl on the phone seemed nice and I placed my order getting about 10 different rolls to sample for the first time. Upon arrival, the place has a nice simple cozy feel to it, pretty small so I can't imagine wanting to come on a Saturday night and probably having to wait for a table. Well, that's what carryout is for. Anyways, we got maybe $80 worth of sushi which is not too expensive for 10 rolls if you ask me so I was pleased with that. But upon leaving I asked them to throw in an eel sauce since I don't eat soy sauce and the girl says "that's an extra $1." Okay first of all its not about the fact that you have to charge me for sauce it's the fact that I already placed a $80 order and they gave me a droplet of eel sauce and had to charge for it. Like really? Or at least give a decent amount for it. That threw me off honestly. But the sushi quality made up for it. Every single roll we had were delicious from the simple spicy salmon rolls, to the firecracker roll, to even the no name rolls everything was really good and had a good fish to rice ratio. So overall a good experience but if they didn't charge me for the sauce after they already ran my credit card I would have given them 5 stars. But next time I'll know and will ask them for extra eel sauce since they don't give too much. Hopefully they won't charge $2 for it.
(4)
Mike A.
New owners are running this place into the ground. Fish does not taste as fresh and our staple roll : firecracker has no taste. After 3 tries with this new crew; we are done here.
(2)
Cassie T.
I'm not a huge sushi fan, but this place keeps me coming back. Their king crab roll, spicy tuna roll, and the tempura shrimp with jalapeño are fantastic. Used to stop here on the way to work very often. So friendly and so clean. Just love it here.
(5)
Harry L.
I used to love this place and was a regular. But that was until we went on a not-so-busy weekend night. They sat us and brought us our tea. And then Never returned... No order, no food, no bill. People were available to take our order, they just didn't seem to want to. We got up to leave after 30 minutes of waiting and the hostess then thanked us for coming in. I won't go back until I hear this place has new management...
(1)
Jamie R.
Not only did we have an unbelievable meal here with a large selection of delicious sushi.. I thought I had lost my sunglasses and simply asked them if they had seen them. I left my name and phone number and they went above and beyond to send me a personal text and the surveillance video from that night showing I had them while walking out. Great sushi & even better service!
(5)
Adam Z.
I couldn't make up my mind for lunch, and ended up here to try a lunch special. It was $15 which is kind of pricy for lunch when comparing to other places, but it was A LOT of food. Overall, the rolls I had were ok. The salad was incredible though. I wish it came with more of that and maybe pass on the cucumber rolls.
(4)
Victoria W.
I guess you have to come here and order sushi for the food to be good. We came and wanted noodle, and only saw udon on the menu. The Udon is kinda sub par, I've had much bettre noodle in even smaller towns, which is disappointing. Also ordered the Salmon rolls, the salmon seems fresh, but of course the rolls are small, and they are 3.95. Ordered the red bean dessert, it was a tiny piece of mochi, and that was $1.69 or something. I got the veggie Udon, the broth wasn't particularly good. It had like 3 pieces of tofu in it and 1 piece of egg cake. Nothing else was special about it. I think the broth is critical in any Japanese noodle dishes, and this place did not do it right. My mother ordered the chicken udon, and she was also not very fond of it. Not sure we'd come back. There isn't any yakisoba or stir fried noodle either. No bathroom in this restaurant.
(3)
Jeffrey M.
How can a sushi place be this good in Mundelein IL! I discovered this place from other reviews on Yelp and tried it for the first time a month ago. I have been kicking myself for not trying this place sooner. From the time you walk in the restaurant, you are greeted by the chef/owners and treated like family. They start you with always fresh and hot Miso that is some of the best I have ever had. The tuna and salmon are incredibly fresh and prepared beautifully as rolls or sushi. I dream about the spicy tuna hand roll and the firecracker roll. The White Tiger and dragon are also amazing. But what I really enjoy the most is eating fresh tuna on a slab of rice, no need for anything else, it's that good! You gotta try this place. Lunch is $14 and the best sushi value I have ever seen.
Not too shabby for being in a strip mall! The appetizers were probably my favorite part, very creative and I wanted to try them all! I loved the crunch rice tuna, that was delicious, I wish they would give you 4 instead of 3 pieces... I feel like even numbers are always better. The rolls themselves were pretty good as well, you could see that the fish was very fresh. It is a nice addition that they give you miso and salad. The service was great, and the waitress was full of great suggestions. We took off a star because we thought it was a little on the pricey side for a small place like this. The rolls averaged about $12, and same with the aps... If they knocked off a $1 or $2 per roll It would probably become our new go to spot. But throwing down $100 for a dinner for 2 would probably have to reserve this spot as a "special occasion" spot, vs a "lets grab sushi during the week on the way home from work" spot. I did notice that they have a lunch menu, and I would def check this spot out for lunch!
(4)
Megan J.
So disappointed that this place changed ownership. It used to be awesome. Friendly, attentive staff, great food. Now the food takes FOREVER to get to the table and the quality sucks. Really sad, this was my regular sushi joint.
(1)
Alexis K.
Love this place - but change is not always good. I have been coming here for about 8 years and it has always been by favorite place above ANY other sushi restaurant. I love the freshness of the items, the small cozy feel of the restaurant, and not only the maki rolls but the appetizer options as well. Sadly, I came in recently to realize that with the new ownership has come changes to some of my favorite menu items. I have always gotten the Tako salad and Goma-Ae, which to my dismay have now been changed. The new options still tasted pretty good but are not the same as what I have come to love. Unfortunately I am not sure if I will be coming back here anymore as it is not the same :( .
(4)
Sofiya K.
My family and I have been coming here for years - most of the time every other week. Recently they were bought by new owners so hopefully not a lot changes. It is a casual place. Great prices. They always put a generous portion of fish in every roll and sushi. Everything always tastes fresh. Between the 3 of us we get 4 rolls and always feel very full afterwards. The firecracker roll is a must. My personal favorite is the big salmon - m55. It's simple yet very satisfying. I recommend this place to everyone I know, and is always my go to place when I want to go out for dinner.
(5)
John K.
I can't believe I have missed this place for all this time. That was some of the best Sushi I have had ( in the mid-west ). There Maguro Sushi is so fresh and good. Yum. The best has to be the Firecracker Roll !! This is a must try. So much fresh flavor and just melts in your mouth. If you are in he area and looking for a great Sushi spot this is it. Stop looking. Don't let the little strip mall it is located in fool you. I promise you will not regret it. Enjoy !
(5)
Kate Y.
One of the best sushi places in the neighborhood! Ordered out and dined in many many times over the last decade and never got disappointed- excellent fresh sushi and very friendly and courteous service!
(5)
Paul M.
Great food, great service for an excellent price. I come every week! Located just outside of Vernon hills and Mundelein, Osaka sushi is a great place for authentic Asian cuisine. Open lunch hours only
(5)
Alyssa C.
I have been going to this restaurant for years (like 8-10 years). We went there enough to be known by the owners. Back at the end of 2014, they changed ownership, and I am rather disappointed. The rolls are smaller in size (but still the same price), and the spicy mayo is less flavorful. The rice is a bit more "watery" too, than it used to be. I KNOW my sushi, especially from this place. The fish is still pretty fresh, but I feel like I am now going to be looking for an alternate sushi restaurant in the area as my "go to". Quite sad that my favorite restaurant isn't exactly as it used to be :(
(3)
Seikeun A.
When it comes down to maki.....nobody beats this place.
(5)
Carl F.
The service here is friendly and good. The size of the place is of good size and you could actually fit a good sized crowd here. The menu has a lot of the standard items along with a number of rolls you typically do not see. The wait staff are quick to bring out the drinks and they were very open to making any modifications to the order. When going to sushi places for the first time I do try to order a fairly standard roll so better to compare with others. In this case I kept it to the shrimp & veggie tempura and three rolls. The Philly, Spider and Godzilla. The tempura dish was really nice, the vegetables where nice sized and the shrimp were plump. All three rolls where really good. The fish was fresh and I liked that the cream cheese in the Philly as it was not too soft and held well. The rice and packing of the roll themselves where also very nice. This is definetly a place to come back to and I've since added them to my Places for Sushi in Lake County, IL.
(4)
magic g.
good & affordable. sea crest salad - yay. ps: you should put actual link on the receipt - tiny.cc/osaka
(3)
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Address :1452 S Butterfield Rd
Mundelein, IL, 60060
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : No Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Alexis K.
Love this place - but change is not always good. I have been coming here for about 8 years and it has always been by favorite place above ANY other sushi restaurant. I love the freshness of the items, the small cozy feel of the restaurant, and not only the maki rolls but the appetizer options as well. Sadly, I came in recently to realize that with the new ownership has come changes to some of my favorite menu items. I have always gotten the Tako salad and Goma-Ae, which to my dismay have now been changed. The new options still tasted pretty good but are not the same as what I have come to love. Unfortunately I am not sure if I will be coming back here anymore as it is not the same :( .
(4)Sofiya K.
My family and I have been coming here for years - most of the time every other week. Recently they were bought by new owners so hopefully not a lot changes. It is a casual place. Great prices. They always put a generous portion of fish in every roll and sushi. Everything always tastes fresh. Between the 3 of us we get 4 rolls and always feel very full afterwards. The firecracker roll is a must. My personal favorite is the big salmon - m55. It's simple yet very satisfying. I recommend this place to everyone I know, and is always my go to place when I want to go out for dinner.
(5)John K.
I can't believe I have missed this place for all this time. That was some of the best Sushi I have had ( in the mid-west ). There Maguro Sushi is so fresh and good. Yum. The best has to be the Firecracker Roll !! This is a must try. So much fresh flavor and just melts in your mouth. If you are in he area and looking for a great Sushi spot this is it. Stop looking. Don't let the little strip mall it is located in fool you. I promise you will not regret it. Enjoy !
(5)Kate Y.
One of the best sushi places in the neighborhood! Ordered out and dined in many many times over the last decade and never got disappointed- excellent fresh sushi and very friendly and courteous service!
(5)Paul M.
Great food, great service for an excellent price. I come every week! Located just outside of Vernon hills and Mundelein, Osaka sushi is a great place for authentic Asian cuisine. Open lunch hours only
(5)Alyssa C.
I have been going to this restaurant for years (like 8-10 years). We went there enough to be known by the owners. Back at the end of 2014, they changed ownership, and I am rather disappointed. The rolls are smaller in size (but still the same price), and the spicy mayo is less flavorful. The rice is a bit more "watery" too, than it used to be. I KNOW my sushi, especially from this place. The fish is still pretty fresh, but I feel like I am now going to be looking for an alternate sushi restaurant in the area as my "go to". Quite sad that my favorite restaurant isn't exactly as it used to be :(
(3)Seikeun A.
When it comes down to maki.....nobody beats this place.
(5)Carl F.
The service here is friendly and good. The size of the place is of good size and you could actually fit a good sized crowd here. The menu has a lot of the standard items along with a number of rolls you typically do not see. The wait staff are quick to bring out the drinks and they were very open to making any modifications to the order. When going to sushi places for the first time I do try to order a fairly standard roll so better to compare with others. In this case I kept it to the shrimp & veggie tempura and three rolls. The Philly, Spider and Godzilla. The tempura dish was really nice, the vegetables where nice sized and the shrimp were plump. All three rolls where really good. The fish was fresh and I liked that the cream cheese in the Philly as it was not too soft and held well. The rice and packing of the roll themselves where also very nice. This is definetly a place to come back to and I've since added them to my Places for Sushi in Lake County, IL.
(4)magic g.
good & affordable. sea crest salad - yay. ps: you should put actual link on the receipt - tiny.cc/osaka
(3)Chris D.
This is our go to place for sushi but when we went here tonight and found out the original owner has sold the business. Pretty good but does anyone know if the old owners have opened a new place in the area?
(3)Kathy K.
This is our go-to place for sushi in the north burbs. The sushi is fresh and more fish than rice. The tempura-on-the-side is always served hot and crispy, not oily. They always serve salad and miso soup, whether or not you are ordering a bento box or special. Oh, and it gets crowded on weekends for dinner. Come early. You can always ask if the chef has something special up his sleeve, and you can make adjustments (my kids can't do avocado in the California rolls). The owners are Korean so if you're looking for a Korean-style spicy fish stew, ask if they have in-season fish. It's soooo good. They also have the Korean-style chirashi - same thing but without the vinegary rice. They are generous with the sashimi in this personal favorite. The restaurant is small, and the strip mall it is at always looks like it is on the brink of shutting down. I was afraid after Sushi Kushi opened up in VH that Osaka would take a hit. At least one of Osaka's best servers jumped ship, so there was a few months of Osaka getting back into the groove. If you want circus and noise go to that other place. If you want good sushi, go to Osaka.
(4)Scott H.
One of the best sushi shops anywhere north of the city. I work within a mile of Osaka and have probably eaten there at least fifty times over the years. NEVER a bad experience and the firecracker roll might be the world's most perfect maki offering! Oh, and since everyone is giving their sushi "pedigree" here, I've enjoyed it on the East Coast, the West Coast and in Japan itself. This is very good sushi.
(4)Yana G.
One of the best sushi places on the north side, fresh great quality rolls, hand rolls and maki. I have lived in the city for many years and were incredibly impressed with the quality of sushi in osaka. Try tiger roll, madam butterfly, spicy salmon hand roll is also very good. The poor reviews are clearly written by those that frequent Bennihana. We order take out from Osaka at least once a week and never had even a mediocre experience.
(5)Anthony C.
Three things. Food- its good. I had their shrimp killer maki. Rice was fresh, shrimp was good. Service- I understand that they're busy but they only gave us one cup for a water... maybe it was because i went to restroom to wash my hand, but even after that they didnt even bother to ask or give. So the customer service is 1/5. Cutomer care- ehh... like i mentioned above, ehh... i would be back if i want some sushi and im near by. Food is one thing, but we usually look for more costomer care... if they got both, we would tip well.
(3)Joe T.
Great sushi for a Greater prize!
(4)Mike J.
Firecracker roll is amazing. It is like two pieces of sushi in one. The staff is very friendly. This is the place to go for sushi in the area.
(5)Lawrence Y.
This is a nice Korean-run Sushi restaurant, I think. We stopped in around 7p on a Tuesday for a bite to eat, and were the only ones there at first. However, people piled in shortly thereafter, and lots of people were doing take out. We ordered 4 of their specials (names escape me at the moment, but see photo) - all of which were pretty good. No complaints. Came with miso and a tiny plate of salad (wasn't a traditional ginger dressing - more oil based). Service was fine - our waters were filled when needed. The only serving faux pas I'd comment about is that she brought out the check and didn't even ask if we wanted dessert - which we did. One piece each of strawberry & mango mochi, cut into quarter pieces. Priced fairly I think.
(3)Art Y.
Food and presentation is great. Prices are affordable. Staff is friendly. I recommend this place to everyone.
(5)Natalie K.
Hands down the best sushi place in the area. Fish is always super fresh, rolls are yummy and a good size. Prices are very decent. We don't usually dine-in, so I can't comment about the service. Sometimes the wait time might be slightly longer than promised for a take out, but it's totally worth it. My favorite rolls there are fire cracker, chicago, yamamori maki, and red dragon. Miso soup is yummy, edamame is perfectly cooked. Definitely a local gem!
(5)Vishal B.
Been going here since they first opened! Consistent quality, service and taste. Dining room is warm and comfortable, the place is IMMACULATE clean.
(5)Eddie K.
I've been here a couple times but haven't had a chance to review it. Every time I've been here the service has been phenomenal and the food is always great and consistent. They are busy most of the time but its worth the wait
(5)jim s.
took the family here yesterday for a christmas eve lunch and the sushi, squid salad, gomae and everything was fresh and well prepared and awesome!
(5)Amber M.
I don't know how this place only has 3.5 stars. I've eaten at a lot of sushi places all over the Chicagoland area, and this is by far the best place to get sushi. It's reasonably priced, friendly staff and fast and fresh Some of my favorites are the Fire cracker maki, Ebi tempura maki, osaka maki and three colors sprinkled maki. I've never been dissappointed by anything here. Never had a problem with my order. Never had a problem with how anything tastes. The presentation is beautiful. This is a real gem.
(5)Jon A.
Greatest little gem in the suburbs!!! I didn't think you could get Chicago quality sushi in the suburbs until I tried this place. The atmosphere is a cozy, family run, neighborhood place. Try the firecracker roll!!
(5)Tony R.
My single favorite sushi restaurant. Literally every other restaurant pales in comparison. I never grow tired of the spicy tuna hand rolls. I recommend the Firecracker roll if it is your first time here. They are absolutely AMAZING! Very nice to have soup and salad prior to your sushi. My wife and I usually order 5 rolls to share and are completely stuffed when we leave.
(5)Tracy O.
My husband and I just wanted some soup for dinner and we stopped by here to do a quick pick up. The staff was super friendly and the miso soup was excellent. We will need to go back for some sushi soon.
(3)Neil M.
Great restaurant! Love their specials, Dragon Roll, Firecracker, King Crab, and much more. There beef bowl is great too. The owner and servers are always friendly and always make you feel that you are their best customer. This is a favorite for the locals. You always see take out being prepared.
(5)Lauren P.
Ordered 3 different rolls as carryout for dinner last night. The spicy tuna rolls were good, but on the smaller side compared to what I have usually seen. The Crazy Roll and the Spider Roll were both far to big to eat. They were about 2-3 inches in diameter, meaning i had to bite into them rather than eat each piece as a single bite. This caused the sushi to completely fall apart. The flavors were good, but I would have much preferred more reasonably sized pieces. I would have liked to see a narrower roll cut into 6 pieces rather than a huge roll cut into 4. I would return to Osaka, but make sure to ask about the size of the rolls next time while ordering to make sure I get some that are more manageable.
(3)Scott C.
Saw a lot of low ratings for Chicago-area sushi places. Generally it looks like ChicagoLand folks are tough on their restaurants. OTOH, eating most of my sushi in the east (Boston/NYC) I do agree that sushi in Chicago is just average. Tried take out. Over ordered a bunch to try a few things. Rolls were well formed, fish was average freshness. Not a ton of creativity on the rolls, but certainly not a bad place. Sashimi was cut very thin, but price wasn't that high. Nice service/friendly/fast delivery.
(3)Mark M.
This is the best Sushi and Maki by far that we have tried anywhere. We have been regulars here for over 6 years and never had a bad experience. The Staff is very friendly and know us when we call and come in. For those that rate this place as 1-3, you must be crazy. BEST PLACE EVER
(5)Ray F.
Love this place! The waitstaff (and owners) are very friendly and attentive to your needs and the food is excellent. Everything from the various sushi rolls, to the noodle and rice dishes are great. What's even better is the price. Much more reasonable than the recently-opened Sushi Kushi down the road. They also have a special menu of original sushi creations that have not disappointed, so far. As it stands, this is our go-to place for sushi when we get that craving (which seems to be all the time).
(4)Marty G.
Surprised at the quality of fish in this place, fresh. Except for the tuna, which tasted like mercury and was a bit stringy. The place is small and clean, seating is kind of tight. Ordered a sushi combo (fresh sans the tuna) and the lunch special (bunch of cook/tempura rolls) which were both good. -1 star for the one of the pushy bus girl who kept taking plates without asking if we were done.
(3)Mike S.
Favorite sushi period. if you're looking for cool and trendy this isn't it. if you're looking for great sushi, friendly service, and an amazing value...you won't find a better place. been going here for 10+ years and it's gotten better with time. The firecracker roll is a must have!
(5)Fernando M.
IMO the best sushi bar ever, and I've traveled the world. My favorite is their own creation the "fire cracker" maki. I will drive a distance here having sushi bars closer to home.
(5)Luiza R.
By far my favorite sushi restaurant in the suburbs! I come here all the time. Amazing service, and best quality sushi. Love this place!
(5)Joel W.
This is one of those reviews you hate to write.... If anyone reads this, and takes my advice, it's going to be *even* harder to get a table here, and the prices might go up, but the fact is... it's great sushi, great service, and a wonderful basic sushi restaurant. The Firecracker Roll is the reason to go and come back, but nearly everything else is fantastic. Take my advice: Try all the other sushi restaurants around, and just trust me--Osaka is the best. They deserve the excellent review.
(5)Rusty S.
This place has gone down from a 4 star you can grab quick sushi here anytime place to 1 star, must avoid at all costs. I've been coming here for years and didn't realize that the service is deteriorating ever so slowly. Let's see... Last time we were told that they ran out of rice and therefore can't seat us! WHAT? Really? Before that, we asked for sushi to be brought out on individual plates, so our friends sushi is not on our plate! I'm not big into community sushi, I ordered what I want and therefore that's what I want to eat. They keep bickering with you and make you feel like you're the one with unrecognizable accent. They have lost our business for good.
(1)Kat G.
This place was just as great the second time! There was a small group of us for lunch. We ordered several items and shared everything. The nice thing here is that even if you do not order a lunch special, you still get a salad and miso soup. They have a special roll called the "Firecracker Roll" and it was AWESOME, be careful though, it has a little kick to it!
(5)Mike D.
I'm a huge fan of Osaka Sushi. This is the best sushi in lake county with a friendly chef & staff. The only sushi that compares is Toro sushi on Clark Street in Chicago. The Fire Cracker Make and the spicy hand rolls are top notch. They serve a very limited amount of liquor. Give it a try!
(4)Lena S.
I have lunch here pretty much once a week. If they are busy, the service may be a bit slow, but usually pretty good. I like the amount of fish in rolls. I order only sushi, so not sure about other dishes, but rolls are great. it's at the strip mall and doesn't look too glamour-es from outside, but solid place.
(5)Peter W.
Good food. Above average for Japanese. Restaurant a little small and when they are busy, it's a little hectic, but the prices are a smidge on the high side which is why I'm rating them average overall. Two people can roll over with a $50 bill on a pretty moderate amount of food. That's a little pricey in my book.
(3)Tony C.
ICK. the goma-ae had ungrounded sesame seeds and the spinach was beyond "old" (overly chewy, overly fibrous, etc.) they did have Hwe Dup Bap (Korean style chirashi minus the vinegary rice), but the rest of the food is horrendously mundane. we had the asparagus app (stir fried in butter, asparagus, again, OLD), the soyed chicken (cuz there was no terriyaki sauce on it), and a few rolls. overall, this place, as a Korean-Japanese restaurant, depresses the heck out of me.
(1)Justin W.
Great sushi with extremely friendly and helpful servers. I've only gone a few times, but I've never been let down. Unfortunately I haven't tried any of their dishes other than sushi and sides of tempura shimp/veggies, but I'll be back soon!
(4)Sara P.
Osaka Sushi is one of my favorite local sushi places. The service is always good, I personally love a sushi chef that makes recommendations, and the food is delicious and a great value (no matter what you order you get salad and miso soup...yum!). Make sure you try the Firecracker roll, if you like spicy rolls then this roll is for you. Osaka is a hidden treasure, not to be missed.
(4)Nick S.
This place is another one of those in the strip mall sushi places that doesn't look like much from the outside. The decor inside is good enough, not thing spectacular and always has some elevator music playing inside.. But the sushi and udon are quite good. Give it a shot. I like it better than the now adjacent Sushi Kushi.
(4)Mike F.
Very good sushi at reasonable prices. We mostly eat sushi in the Chicagoland area and this is better than most of the more famous restuarants downtown. It was quite a shock that a sushi place in the burbs could do sushi better than Chicago. This is the place to go for sushi in the area!!!!!
(5)Jamie M.
TERRIBLE Horrible Service. We went there and the servers took 30 minutes to get us a table! But even after waiting a century, we got seated and they failed to get the correct sushi!
(1)Tony L.
Extremely mediocre or worse. I had a chirashi as the main dish, and added a yellowtail, amaebi, and sake nigiri. 1. The chirashi rice tasted like regular steamed white rice. No vinegar, no taste. The fish served on top lacked any flavor, soft and spongy texture, and had a fishy aftertaste. 2. The nigiri had the same taste and texture issues as the chirashi. The yellowtail was a bit stringy as well. 3. The amaebi head served was heavily battered and you could taste the oil. The wait staff was friendly, but that's all it has going for it.
(1)Julie D.
I work nearby, and I step by at Osaka for lunch frequently and sometimes for dinner. They have changed the lunch special slightly, and as a person who tried it recently, it was amazing. My not-so-favorite-rolls were replaced with my favs. I am glad that it changed! The staffs are friendly and attentive, and I am satisfied with how quickly the food came out because I have to return to work on time. I strongly recommend going to Osaka and trying the lunch special.
(5)Bill S.
This restaurant had been our family favorite for over a decade. Unfortunately, under new management, we are having to find somewhere else. Everything has changed, from the service to the quality of the food and, unfortunately, this restaurant has gone downhill. To put this in perspective, our last visit we were greeted by a "Help Wanted" sign, no doubt. After entering the door, the manager/owner on his cell, while seated, told us we could sit anywhere we liked. He proceeded to talk very loudly on his phone for at least another 15 to 20 mins. from a food table across the room, but well within ear's distance. The presentation of the food subpar. From maki rolls that were stuck together, or poorly made, and fell apart, to the taste of the ingredients that we far below what they used to be. I'm sorry, we've tried Osaka three times since the change over the span of about 6 months and its only gotten worse, unfortunately.
(2)Chet M.
Service sucks here: Did not fill my water glass once Did not give us soy sauce dish Did not give wasabi and ginger for $19 creation Forgot salmon sushi order on check-off slip Had to wave down server frantically to get check Forgot to give spicy salmon roll but charged us
(2)Esther Y.
I love family owned restaurants because they deliver a wonderful environment and great service, and Osaka delivers exactly that. The servers were kind, attentive, and gave great suggestions. The owner checked up on us to see if we were enjoying our entrees, which we did. The menu was very helpful; it had pictures of every roll with a list of all the ingredients, so you know exactly what you're getting. The alcohol list was very short, but it exists. We had the edamame, sushi combo, and five different rolls (picture included). Our favorite dish was unfortunately an item that doesn't exist in the menu yet; it's called "hika jirashi" (I'm certain I butchered that in some way), and it was a dish made specially for us from the chef as a working and upcoming dish. It was amazing, for a better lack of another word. It is a rice dish made with fish roe topped with different types of greens, sashimi, and octopus. I would go back every day if it meant that item was readily available (please ask for it, it is a must. Picture is included.) The rolls were reasonably priced, and they all tasted very fresh. My favorite roll was the sunshine roll, mostly because I love jalapenos in sushi. Overall, I had a great experience here. I will definitely come back.
(4)Alice A.
Located in a small plaza, Osaka Sushi is not too bad for the place and location. I wouldnt really recommend it for "date night,' especially if you're on your first date! This place isnt too fancy. (maybe try Sushi Kushi San) And can be kinda crowded and loud once people start to come in for dinner because of the small space. The friendliness is on and off. Some times if they are really busy, you can be ignored for a while. But eventually they will get to you. The many times that i've been there, we usually get either Osaka Bento, Ton Katsu, or different kinds of rolls. Some times the fried items in the Bento can be overly done and have that bitter taste to it which i really hate. The california roll never fails. One of my favorite is their veggie tempura. Some thing about those deep fried sweet potato that gets to me every time. The Ton Katsu some times can be on the oily side. I'm used to having the katsu to be thicker. Their's is sliced so thin... I feel like it's more of the bread crumb toppings than the meat that i'm eating. I like my Katsu to have some thickness to it. So when you fry it, it's juicy and tender. Osaka's on the drier side. The dipping sauce to me is on the more saltier side. Heavy on the soy sauce. Once in awhile if im nearby and craving japanese food, ill stop by and grab take out. It's not the best that i've had before but not bad that ill never go back.
(3)Rujuta S.
Excellent taste at awesome prices. The staff is friendly and welcoming. We usually order maki and it is outstanding. The firecracker maki and the rainbow maki are a must try! The miso soup is what you dream of having on cold winter days.
(5)Sei A.
Just walking out of Osaka. It was honestly the best sushi I have ever had. I have a Asian background and know when sushi is fresh. I honestly don't think there can be fish fresher than this. I ordered the sushi and sashimi combo. It was heavenly. Thick cuts of fresh fish and from various sea foods. It was perfect. Don't miss out!
(5)Victoria W.
I guess you have to come here and order sushi for the food to be good. We came and wanted noodle, and only saw udon on the menu. The Udon is kinda sub par, I've had much bettre noodle in even smaller towns, which is disappointing. Also ordered the Salmon rolls, the salmon seems fresh, but of course the rolls are small, and they are 3.95. Ordered the red bean dessert, it was a tiny piece of mochi, and that was $1.69 or something. I got the veggie Udon, the broth wasn't particularly good. It had like 3 pieces of tofu in it and 1 piece of egg cake. Nothing else was special about it. I think the broth is critical in any Japanese noodle dishes, and this place did not do it right. My mother ordered the chicken udon, and she was also not very fond of it. Not sure we'd come back. There isn't any yakisoba or stir fried noodle either. No bathroom in this restaurant.
(3)Jeffrey M.
How can a sushi place be this good in Mundelein IL! I discovered this place from other reviews on Yelp and tried it for the first time a month ago. I have been kicking myself for not trying this place sooner. From the time you walk in the restaurant, you are greeted by the chef/owners and treated like family. They start you with always fresh and hot Miso that is some of the best I have ever had. The tuna and salmon are incredibly fresh and prepared beautifully as rolls or sushi. I dream about the spicy tuna hand roll and the firecracker roll. The White Tiger and dragon are also amazing. But what I really enjoy the most is eating fresh tuna on a slab of rice, no need for anything else, it's that good! You gotta try this place. Lunch is $14 and the best sushi value I have ever seen.
(5)Kelly F.
We love Osaka! I dream about their Firecracker roll! My fiancé and I moved to Mundelein in April and can't get enough. We went twice just in the past week! We've dined in a couple of times with friends, small place but excellent service and you get soup and salad with dinner. But most of the time we order to go, which we've done probably 5 times so far. It's soooo yummy! I promise you won't be disappointed.
(5)Sofiya C.
Not too shabby for being in a strip mall! The appetizers were probably my favorite part, very creative and I wanted to try them all! I loved the crunch rice tuna, that was delicious, I wish they would give you 4 instead of 3 pieces... I feel like even numbers are always better. The rolls themselves were pretty good as well, you could see that the fish was very fresh. It is a nice addition that they give you miso and salad. The service was great, and the waitress was full of great suggestions. We took off a star because we thought it was a little on the pricey side for a small place like this. The rolls averaged about $12, and same with the aps... If they knocked off a $1 or $2 per roll It would probably become our new go to spot. But throwing down $100 for a dinner for 2 would probably have to reserve this spot as a "special occasion" spot, vs a "lets grab sushi during the week on the way home from work" spot. I did notice that they have a lunch menu, and I would def check this spot out for lunch!
(4)Megan J.
So disappointed that this place changed ownership. It used to be awesome. Friendly, attentive staff, great food. Now the food takes FOREVER to get to the table and the quality sucks. Really sad, this was my regular sushi joint.
(1)Julie D.
I work nearby, and I step by at Osaka for lunch frequently and sometimes for dinner. They have changed the lunch special slightly, and as a person who tried it recently, it was amazing. My not-so-favorite-rolls were replaced with my favs. I am glad that it changed! The staffs are friendly and attentive, and I am satisfied with how quickly the food came out because I have to return to work on time. I strongly recommend going to Osaka and trying the lunch special.
(5)Bill S.
This restaurant had been our family favorite for over a decade. Unfortunately, under new management, we are having to find somewhere else. Everything has changed, from the service to the quality of the food and, unfortunately, this restaurant has gone downhill. To put this in perspective, our last visit we were greeted by a "Help Wanted" sign, no doubt. After entering the door, the manager/owner on his cell, while seated, told us we could sit anywhere we liked. He proceeded to talk very loudly on his phone for at least another 15 to 20 mins. from a food table across the room, but well within ear's distance. The presentation of the food subpar. From maki rolls that were stuck together, or poorly made, and fell apart, to the taste of the ingredients that we far below what they used to be. I'm sorry, we've tried Osaka three times since the change over the span of about 6 months and its only gotten worse, unfortunately.
(2)Chet M.
Service sucks here: Did not fill my water glass once Did not give us soy sauce dish Did not give wasabi and ginger for $19 creation Forgot salmon sushi order on check-off slip Had to wave down server frantically to get check Forgot to give spicy salmon roll but charged us
(2)Esther Y.
I love family owned restaurants because they deliver a wonderful environment and great service, and Osaka delivers exactly that. The servers were kind, attentive, and gave great suggestions. The owner checked up on us to see if we were enjoying our entrees, which we did. The menu was very helpful; it had pictures of every roll with a list of all the ingredients, so you know exactly what you're getting. The alcohol list was very short, but it exists. We had the edamame, sushi combo, and five different rolls (picture included). Our favorite dish was unfortunately an item that doesn't exist in the menu yet; it's called "hika jirashi" (I'm certain I butchered that in some way), and it was a dish made specially for us from the chef as a working and upcoming dish. It was amazing, for a better lack of another word. It is a rice dish made with fish roe topped with different types of greens, sashimi, and octopus. I would go back every day if it meant that item was readily available (please ask for it, it is a must. Picture is included.) The rolls were reasonably priced, and they all tasted very fresh. My favorite roll was the sunshine roll, mostly because I love jalapenos in sushi. Overall, I had a great experience here. I will definitely come back.
(4)Alice A.
Located in a small plaza, Osaka Sushi is not too bad for the place and location. I wouldnt really recommend it for "date night,' especially if you're on your first date! This place isnt too fancy. (maybe try Sushi Kushi San) And can be kinda crowded and loud once people start to come in for dinner because of the small space. The friendliness is on and off. Some times if they are really busy, you can be ignored for a while. But eventually they will get to you. The many times that i've been there, we usually get either Osaka Bento, Ton Katsu, or different kinds of rolls. Some times the fried items in the Bento can be overly done and have that bitter taste to it which i really hate. The california roll never fails. One of my favorite is their veggie tempura. Some thing about those deep fried sweet potato that gets to me every time. The Ton Katsu some times can be on the oily side. I'm used to having the katsu to be thicker. Their's is sliced so thin... I feel like it's more of the bread crumb toppings than the meat that i'm eating. I like my Katsu to have some thickness to it. So when you fry it, it's juicy and tender. Osaka's on the drier side. The dipping sauce to me is on the more saltier side. Heavy on the soy sauce. Once in awhile if im nearby and craving japanese food, ill stop by and grab take out. It's not the best that i've had before but not bad that ill never go back.
(3)Elina S.
Okay so I've had this local sushi spot on my bookmarks for quite a while and my friends who live in mundelein love this place so I knew that I had to give it a shot when I was in the area. One day we were in a rush but really craving sushi so we decided to place a carryout order from them to save us sometime. It was our first order, the girl on the phone seemed nice and I placed my order getting about 10 different rolls to sample for the first time. Upon arrival, the place has a nice simple cozy feel to it, pretty small so I can't imagine wanting to come on a Saturday night and probably having to wait for a table. Well, that's what carryout is for. Anyways, we got maybe $80 worth of sushi which is not too expensive for 10 rolls if you ask me so I was pleased with that. But upon leaving I asked them to throw in an eel sauce since I don't eat soy sauce and the girl says "that's an extra $1." Okay first of all its not about the fact that you have to charge me for sauce it's the fact that I already placed a $80 order and they gave me a droplet of eel sauce and had to charge for it. Like really? Or at least give a decent amount for it. That threw me off honestly. But the sushi quality made up for it. Every single roll we had were delicious from the simple spicy salmon rolls, to the firecracker roll, to even the no name rolls everything was really good and had a good fish to rice ratio. So overall a good experience but if they didn't charge me for the sauce after they already ran my credit card I would have given them 5 stars. But next time I'll know and will ask them for extra eel sauce since they don't give too much. Hopefully they won't charge $2 for it.
(4)Mike A.
New owners are running this place into the ground. Fish does not taste as fresh and our staple roll : firecracker has no taste. After 3 tries with this new crew; we are done here.
(2)Cassie T.
I'm not a huge sushi fan, but this place keeps me coming back. Their king crab roll, spicy tuna roll, and the tempura shrimp with jalapeño are fantastic. Used to stop here on the way to work very often. So friendly and so clean. Just love it here.
(5)Jamie R.
Not only did we have an unbelievable meal here with a large selection of delicious sushi.. I thought I had lost my sunglasses and simply asked them if they had seen them. I left my name and phone number and they went above and beyond to send me a personal text and the surveillance video from that night showing I had them while walking out. Great sushi & even better service!
(5)Adam Z.
I couldn't make up my mind for lunch, and ended up here to try a lunch special. It was $15 which is kind of pricy for lunch when comparing to other places, but it was A LOT of food. Overall, the rolls I had were ok. The salad was incredible though. I wish it came with more of that and maybe pass on the cucumber rolls.
(4)Rujuta S.
Excellent taste at awesome prices. The staff is friendly and welcoming. We usually order maki and it is outstanding. The firecracker maki and the rainbow maki are a must try! The miso soup is what you dream of having on cold winter days.
(5)Sei A.
Just walking out of Osaka. It was honestly the best sushi I have ever had. I have a Asian background and know when sushi is fresh. I honestly don't think there can be fish fresher than this. I ordered the sushi and sashimi combo. It was heavenly. Thick cuts of fresh fish and from various sea foods. It was perfect. Don't miss out!
(5)Harry L.
I used to love this place and was a regular. But that was until we went on a not-so-busy weekend night. They sat us and brought us our tea. And then Never returned... No order, no food, no bill. People were available to take our order, they just didn't seem to want to. We got up to leave after 30 minutes of waiting and the hostess then thanked us for coming in. I won't go back until I hear this place has new management...
(1)Renato P.
To start the review I must note that out of a party of 3 , I was the only one that enjoyed the food here, so the well has been poisoned. This is a smallish clean storefront sushi restaurant. On an early Saturday evening , there were at least 2 other family's with children. The help was efficient and friendly , and the menu was diverse. As for the food , that's where they lost my party's side. We started with the salad and miso soup . I've never been a big fan of miso soup and theirs didn't do anything to change my mind. The salad has some sort of spicy ginger dressing that was pretty good. The appetizers we ordered were the fried Gyoza (I thought it was good , the others weren't so thrilled) and the Terriyaki chicken (none of us were so thrilled , too dry. Every place I get this dish has had the same problem.) . We ordered their spicy tuna roll (common but good) , jumbo spicy tuna roll (pretty much a big spicy tuna roll , I did dig this better although it pretty much tasted the same as the regular sized one , just with more tuna. Very good.) , the tuna roll (done to death but still delivered , very good),the spicy salmon hand roll (I liked the execution , but don't really like the hand roll eating experience, it did taste really good though) and the cooked shrimp sashimi (good). The rest of the sashimi I got was all very fresh and the fish tasty , but the chef decided to put some wasabi under all the fish , I don't really dig on wasabi. That being said , the tuna and red snapper were good, the Yellow tail was very good. Sadly I was distracted but the wasabi tainting the flavor of all the fish sashimi , It would have been much better without it. I can't say this place was bad , like everyone else I ate with , but I have been to better places. The prices here are good , so if you are a fan of wasabi on all your sashimi , you might like this place. I wouldn't go here again on my own , but would have no problem going here if someone else I was with suggested it , it was ok.
(3)Stephanie M.
Cute place with great sushi. The sashimi rice bowl is good. It is served with a big bottle of hot sauce for you to mix in....like bibimbab. It has a mix of sashimi like tuna, salmon, etc...with lettuce and other vegetables and rice. The maki is good too. Albacore tuna maki is like an inside out california roll with seared slices of albacore and thinly sliced green onion on top with a sauce.
(4)Tracy O.
My husband and I just wanted some soup for dinner and we stopped by here to do a quick pick up. The staff was super friendly and the miso soup was excellent. We will need to go back for some sushi soon.
(3)Natalie K.
Hands down the best sushi place in the area. Fish is always super fresh, rolls are yummy and a good size. Prices are very decent. We don't usually dine-in, so I can't comment about the service. Sometimes the wait time might be slightly longer than promised for a take out, but it's totally worth it. My favorite rolls there are fire cracker, chicago, yamamori maki, and red dragon. Miso soup is yummy, edamame is perfectly cooked. Definitely a local gem!
(5)Vishal B.
Been going here since they first opened! Consistent quality, service and taste. Dining room is warm and comfortable, the place is IMMACULATE clean.
(5)Elina S.
Okay so I've had this local sushi spot on my bookmarks for quite a while and my friends who live in mundelein love this place so I knew that I had to give it a shot when I was in the area. One day we were in a rush but really craving sushi so we decided to place a carryout order from them to save us sometime. It was our first order, the girl on the phone seemed nice and I placed my order getting about 10 different rolls to sample for the first time. Upon arrival, the place has a nice simple cozy feel to it, pretty small so I can't imagine wanting to come on a Saturday night and probably having to wait for a table. Well, that's what carryout is for. Anyways, we got maybe $80 worth of sushi which is not too expensive for 10 rolls if you ask me so I was pleased with that. But upon leaving I asked them to throw in an eel sauce since I don't eat soy sauce and the girl says "that's an extra $1." Okay first of all its not about the fact that you have to charge me for sauce it's the fact that I already placed a $80 order and they gave me a droplet of eel sauce and had to charge for it. Like really? Or at least give a decent amount for it. That threw me off honestly. But the sushi quality made up for it. Every single roll we had were delicious from the simple spicy salmon rolls, to the firecracker roll, to even the no name rolls everything was really good and had a good fish to rice ratio. So overall a good experience but if they didn't charge me for the sauce after they already ran my credit card I would have given them 5 stars. But next time I'll know and will ask them for extra eel sauce since they don't give too much. Hopefully they won't charge $2 for it.
(4)Mike A.
New owners are running this place into the ground. Fish does not taste as fresh and our staple roll : firecracker has no taste. After 3 tries with this new crew; we are done here.
(2)Cassie T.
I'm not a huge sushi fan, but this place keeps me coming back. Their king crab roll, spicy tuna roll, and the tempura shrimp with jalapeño are fantastic. Used to stop here on the way to work very often. So friendly and so clean. Just love it here.
(5)Harry L.
I used to love this place and was a regular. But that was until we went on a not-so-busy weekend night. They sat us and brought us our tea. And then Never returned... No order, no food, no bill. People were available to take our order, they just didn't seem to want to. We got up to leave after 30 minutes of waiting and the hostess then thanked us for coming in. I won't go back until I hear this place has new management...
(1)Jamie R.
Not only did we have an unbelievable meal here with a large selection of delicious sushi.. I thought I had lost my sunglasses and simply asked them if they had seen them. I left my name and phone number and they went above and beyond to send me a personal text and the surveillance video from that night showing I had them while walking out. Great sushi & even better service!
(5)Adam Z.
I couldn't make up my mind for lunch, and ended up here to try a lunch special. It was $15 which is kind of pricy for lunch when comparing to other places, but it was A LOT of food. Overall, the rolls I had were ok. The salad was incredible though. I wish it came with more of that and maybe pass on the cucumber rolls.
(4)Victoria W.
I guess you have to come here and order sushi for the food to be good. We came and wanted noodle, and only saw udon on the menu. The Udon is kinda sub par, I've had much bettre noodle in even smaller towns, which is disappointing. Also ordered the Salmon rolls, the salmon seems fresh, but of course the rolls are small, and they are 3.95. Ordered the red bean dessert, it was a tiny piece of mochi, and that was $1.69 or something. I got the veggie Udon, the broth wasn't particularly good. It had like 3 pieces of tofu in it and 1 piece of egg cake. Nothing else was special about it. I think the broth is critical in any Japanese noodle dishes, and this place did not do it right. My mother ordered the chicken udon, and she was also not very fond of it. Not sure we'd come back. There isn't any yakisoba or stir fried noodle either. No bathroom in this restaurant.
(3)Jeffrey M.
How can a sushi place be this good in Mundelein IL! I discovered this place from other reviews on Yelp and tried it for the first time a month ago. I have been kicking myself for not trying this place sooner. From the time you walk in the restaurant, you are greeted by the chef/owners and treated like family. They start you with always fresh and hot Miso that is some of the best I have ever had. The tuna and salmon are incredibly fresh and prepared beautifully as rolls or sushi. I dream about the spicy tuna hand roll and the firecracker roll. The White Tiger and dragon are also amazing. But what I really enjoy the most is eating fresh tuna on a slab of rice, no need for anything else, it's that good! You gotta try this place. Lunch is $14 and the best sushi value I have ever seen.
(5)Kelly F.
We love Osaka! I dream about their Firecracker roll! My fiancé and I moved to Mundelein in April and can't get enough. We went twice just in the past week! We've dined in a couple of times with friends, small place but excellent service and you get soup and salad with dinner. But most of the time we order to go, which we've done probably 5 times so far. It's soooo yummy! I promise you won't be disappointed.
(5)Sofiya C.
Not too shabby for being in a strip mall! The appetizers were probably my favorite part, very creative and I wanted to try them all! I loved the crunch rice tuna, that was delicious, I wish they would give you 4 instead of 3 pieces... I feel like even numbers are always better. The rolls themselves were pretty good as well, you could see that the fish was very fresh. It is a nice addition that they give you miso and salad. The service was great, and the waitress was full of great suggestions. We took off a star because we thought it was a little on the pricey side for a small place like this. The rolls averaged about $12, and same with the aps... If they knocked off a $1 or $2 per roll It would probably become our new go to spot. But throwing down $100 for a dinner for 2 would probably have to reserve this spot as a "special occasion" spot, vs a "lets grab sushi during the week on the way home from work" spot. I did notice that they have a lunch menu, and I would def check this spot out for lunch!
(4)Megan J.
So disappointed that this place changed ownership. It used to be awesome. Friendly, attentive staff, great food. Now the food takes FOREVER to get to the table and the quality sucks. Really sad, this was my regular sushi joint.
(1)Eddie K.
I've been here a couple times but haven't had a chance to review it. Every time I've been here the service has been phenomenal and the food is always great and consistent. They are busy most of the time but its worth the wait
(5)Lauren P.
Ordered 3 different rolls as carryout for dinner last night. The spicy tuna rolls were good, but on the smaller side compared to what I have usually seen. The Crazy Roll and the Spider Roll were both far to big to eat. They were about 2-3 inches in diameter, meaning i had to bite into them rather than eat each piece as a single bite. This caused the sushi to completely fall apart. The flavors were good, but I would have much preferred more reasonably sized pieces. I would have liked to see a narrower roll cut into 6 pieces rather than a huge roll cut into 4. I would return to Osaka, but make sure to ask about the size of the rolls next time while ordering to make sure I get some that are more manageable.
(3)Scott C.
Saw a lot of low ratings for Chicago-area sushi places. Generally it looks like ChicagoLand folks are tough on their restaurants. OTOH, eating most of my sushi in the east (Boston/NYC) I do agree that sushi in Chicago is just average. Tried take out. Over ordered a bunch to try a few things. Rolls were well formed, fish was average freshness. Not a ton of creativity on the rolls, but certainly not a bad place. Sashimi was cut very thin, but price wasn't that high. Nice service/friendly/fast delivery.
(3)Mark M.
This is the best Sushi and Maki by far that we have tried anywhere. We have been regulars here for over 6 years and never had a bad experience. The Staff is very friendly and know us when we call and come in. For those that rate this place as 1-3, you must be crazy. BEST PLACE EVER
(5)Ray F.
Love this place! The waitstaff (and owners) are very friendly and attentive to your needs and the food is excellent. Everything from the various sushi rolls, to the noodle and rice dishes are great. What's even better is the price. Much more reasonable than the recently-opened Sushi Kushi down the road. They also have a special menu of original sushi creations that have not disappointed, so far. As it stands, this is our go-to place for sushi when we get that craving (which seems to be all the time).
(4)Marty G.
Surprised at the quality of fish in this place, fresh. Except for the tuna, which tasted like mercury and was a bit stringy. The place is small and clean, seating is kind of tight. Ordered a sushi combo (fresh sans the tuna) and the lunch special (bunch of cook/tempura rolls) which were both good. -1 star for the one of the pushy bus girl who kept taking plates without asking if we were done.
(3)Mike S.
Favorite sushi period. if you're looking for cool and trendy this isn't it. if you're looking for great sushi, friendly service, and an amazing value...you won't find a better place. been going here for 10+ years and it's gotten better with time. The firecracker roll is a must have!
(5)Alexis K.
Love this place - but change is not always good. I have been coming here for about 8 years and it has always been by favorite place above ANY other sushi restaurant. I love the freshness of the items, the small cozy feel of the restaurant, and not only the maki rolls but the appetizer options as well. Sadly, I came in recently to realize that with the new ownership has come changes to some of my favorite menu items. I have always gotten the Tako salad and Goma-Ae, which to my dismay have now been changed. The new options still tasted pretty good but are not the same as what I have come to love. Unfortunately I am not sure if I will be coming back here anymore as it is not the same :( .
(4)Sofiya K.
My family and I have been coming here for years - most of the time every other week. Recently they were bought by new owners so hopefully not a lot changes. It is a casual place. Great prices. They always put a generous portion of fish in every roll and sushi. Everything always tastes fresh. Between the 3 of us we get 4 rolls and always feel very full afterwards. The firecracker roll is a must. My personal favorite is the big salmon - m55. It's simple yet very satisfying. I recommend this place to everyone I know, and is always my go to place when I want to go out for dinner.
(5)John K.
I can't believe I have missed this place for all this time. That was some of the best Sushi I have had ( in the mid-west ). There Maguro Sushi is so fresh and good. Yum. The best has to be the Firecracker Roll !! This is a must try. So much fresh flavor and just melts in your mouth. If you are in he area and looking for a great Sushi spot this is it. Stop looking. Don't let the little strip mall it is located in fool you. I promise you will not regret it. Enjoy !
(5)Kate Y.
One of the best sushi places in the neighborhood! Ordered out and dined in many many times over the last decade and never got disappointed- excellent fresh sushi and very friendly and courteous service!
(5)Paul M.
Great food, great service for an excellent price. I come every week! Located just outside of Vernon hills and Mundelein, Osaka sushi is a great place for authentic Asian cuisine. Open lunch hours only
(5)Alyssa C.
I have been going to this restaurant for years (like 8-10 years). We went there enough to be known by the owners. Back at the end of 2014, they changed ownership, and I am rather disappointed. The rolls are smaller in size (but still the same price), and the spicy mayo is less flavorful. The rice is a bit more "watery" too, than it used to be. I KNOW my sushi, especially from this place. The fish is still pretty fresh, but I feel like I am now going to be looking for an alternate sushi restaurant in the area as my "go to". Quite sad that my favorite restaurant isn't exactly as it used to be :(
(3)Seikeun A.
When it comes down to maki.....nobody beats this place.
(5)Carl F.
The service here is friendly and good. The size of the place is of good size and you could actually fit a good sized crowd here. The menu has a lot of the standard items along with a number of rolls you typically do not see. The wait staff are quick to bring out the drinks and they were very open to making any modifications to the order. When going to sushi places for the first time I do try to order a fairly standard roll so better to compare with others. In this case I kept it to the shrimp & veggie tempura and three rolls. The Philly, Spider and Godzilla. The tempura dish was really nice, the vegetables where nice sized and the shrimp were plump. All three rolls where really good. The fish was fresh and I liked that the cream cheese in the Philly as it was not too soft and held well. The rice and packing of the roll themselves where also very nice. This is definetly a place to come back to and I've since added them to my Places for Sushi in Lake County, IL.
(4)magic g.
good & affordable. sea crest salad - yay. ps: you should put actual link on the receipt - tiny.cc/osaka
(3)Chris D.
This is our go to place for sushi but when we went here tonight and found out the original owner has sold the business. Pretty good but does anyone know if the old owners have opened a new place in the area?
(3)Kathy K.
This is our go-to place for sushi in the north burbs. The sushi is fresh and more fish than rice. The tempura-on-the-side is always served hot and crispy, not oily. They always serve salad and miso soup, whether or not you are ordering a bento box or special. Oh, and it gets crowded on weekends for dinner. Come early. You can always ask if the chef has something special up his sleeve, and you can make adjustments (my kids can't do avocado in the California rolls). The owners are Korean so if you're looking for a Korean-style spicy fish stew, ask if they have in-season fish. It's soooo good. They also have the Korean-style chirashi - same thing but without the vinegary rice. They are generous with the sashimi in this personal favorite. The restaurant is small, and the strip mall it is at always looks like it is on the brink of shutting down. I was afraid after Sushi Kushi opened up in VH that Osaka would take a hit. At least one of Osaka's best servers jumped ship, so there was a few months of Osaka getting back into the groove. If you want circus and noise go to that other place. If you want good sushi, go to Osaka.
(4)Lawrence Y.
This is a nice Korean-run Sushi restaurant, I think. We stopped in around 7p on a Tuesday for a bite to eat, and were the only ones there at first. However, people piled in shortly thereafter, and lots of people were doing take out. We ordered 4 of their specials (names escape me at the moment, but see photo) - all of which were pretty good. No complaints. Came with miso and a tiny plate of salad (wasn't a traditional ginger dressing - more oil based). Service was fine - our waters were filled when needed. The only serving faux pas I'd comment about is that she brought out the check and didn't even ask if we wanted dessert - which we did. One piece each of strawberry & mango mochi, cut into quarter pieces. Priced fairly I think.
(3)Art Y.
Food and presentation is great. Prices are affordable. Staff is friendly. I recommend this place to everyone.
(5)Scott H.
One of the best sushi shops anywhere north of the city. I work within a mile of Osaka and have probably eaten there at least fifty times over the years. NEVER a bad experience and the firecracker roll might be the world's most perfect maki offering! Oh, and since everyone is giving their sushi "pedigree" here, I've enjoyed it on the East Coast, the West Coast and in Japan itself. This is very good sushi.
(4)Yana G.
One of the best sushi places on the north side, fresh great quality rolls, hand rolls and maki. I have lived in the city for many years and were incredibly impressed with the quality of sushi in osaka. Try tiger roll, madam butterfly, spicy salmon hand roll is also very good. The poor reviews are clearly written by those that frequent Bennihana. We order take out from Osaka at least once a week and never had even a mediocre experience.
(5)jim s.
took the family here yesterday for a christmas eve lunch and the sushi, squid salad, gomae and everything was fresh and well prepared and awesome!
(5)Amber M.
I don't know how this place only has 3.5 stars. I've eaten at a lot of sushi places all over the Chicagoland area, and this is by far the best place to get sushi. It's reasonably priced, friendly staff and fast and fresh Some of my favorites are the Fire cracker maki, Ebi tempura maki, osaka maki and three colors sprinkled maki. I've never been dissappointed by anything here. Never had a problem with my order. Never had a problem with how anything tastes. The presentation is beautiful. This is a real gem.
(5)Jon A.
Greatest little gem in the suburbs!!! I didn't think you could get Chicago quality sushi in the suburbs until I tried this place. The atmosphere is a cozy, family run, neighborhood place. Try the firecracker roll!!
(5)Anthony C.
Three things. Food- its good. I had their shrimp killer maki. Rice was fresh, shrimp was good. Service- I understand that they're busy but they only gave us one cup for a water... maybe it was because i went to restroom to wash my hand, but even after that they didnt even bother to ask or give. So the customer service is 1/5. Cutomer care- ehh... like i mentioned above, ehh... i would be back if i want some sushi and im near by. Food is one thing, but we usually look for more costomer care... if they got both, we would tip well.
(3)Joe T.
Great sushi for a Greater prize!
(4)Tony L.
Extremely mediocre or worse. I had a chirashi as the main dish, and added a yellowtail, amaebi, and sake nigiri. 1. The chirashi rice tasted like regular steamed white rice. No vinegar, no taste. The fish served on top lacked any flavor, soft and spongy texture, and had a fishy aftertaste. 2. The nigiri had the same taste and texture issues as the chirashi. The yellowtail was a bit stringy as well. 3. The amaebi head served was heavily battered and you could taste the oil. The wait staff was friendly, but that's all it has going for it.
(1)Tony R.
My single favorite sushi restaurant. Literally every other restaurant pales in comparison. I never grow tired of the spicy tuna hand rolls. I recommend the Firecracker roll if it is your first time here. They are absolutely AMAZING! Very nice to have soup and salad prior to your sushi. My wife and I usually order 5 rolls to share and are completely stuffed when we leave.
(5)Fernando M.
IMO the best sushi bar ever, and I've traveled the world. My favorite is their own creation the "fire cracker" maki. I will drive a distance here having sushi bars closer to home.
(5)Neil M.
Great restaurant! Love their specials, Dragon Roll, Firecracker, King Crab, and much more. There beef bowl is great too. The owner and servers are always friendly and always make you feel that you are their best customer. This is a favorite for the locals. You always see take out being prepared.
(5)Luiza R.
By far my favorite sushi restaurant in the suburbs! I come here all the time. Amazing service, and best quality sushi. Love this place!
(5)Joel W.
This is one of those reviews you hate to write.... If anyone reads this, and takes my advice, it's going to be *even* harder to get a table here, and the prices might go up, but the fact is... it's great sushi, great service, and a wonderful basic sushi restaurant. The Firecracker Roll is the reason to go and come back, but nearly everything else is fantastic. Take my advice: Try all the other sushi restaurants around, and just trust me--Osaka is the best. They deserve the excellent review.
(5)Rusty S.
This place has gone down from a 4 star you can grab quick sushi here anytime place to 1 star, must avoid at all costs. I've been coming here for years and didn't realize that the service is deteriorating ever so slowly. Let's see... Last time we were told that they ran out of rice and therefore can't seat us! WHAT? Really? Before that, we asked for sushi to be brought out on individual plates, so our friends sushi is not on our plate! I'm not big into community sushi, I ordered what I want and therefore that's what I want to eat. They keep bickering with you and make you feel like you're the one with unrecognizable accent. They have lost our business for good.
(1)Mike J.
Firecracker roll is amazing. It is like two pieces of sushi in one. The staff is very friendly. This is the place to go for sushi in the area.
(5)Kat G.
This place was just as great the second time! There was a small group of us for lunch. We ordered several items and shared everything. The nice thing here is that even if you do not order a lunch special, you still get a salad and miso soup. They have a special roll called the "Firecracker Roll" and it was AWESOME, be careful though, it has a little kick to it!
(5)Mike D.
I'm a huge fan of Osaka Sushi. This is the best sushi in lake county with a friendly chef & staff. The only sushi that compares is Toro sushi on Clark Street in Chicago. The Fire Cracker Make and the spicy hand rolls are top notch. They serve a very limited amount of liquor. Give it a try!
(4)Lena S.
I have lunch here pretty much once a week. If they are busy, the service may be a bit slow, but usually pretty good. I like the amount of fish in rolls. I order only sushi, so not sure about other dishes, but rolls are great. it's at the strip mall and doesn't look too glamour-es from outside, but solid place.
(5)Peter W.
Good food. Above average for Japanese. Restaurant a little small and when they are busy, it's a little hectic, but the prices are a smidge on the high side which is why I'm rating them average overall. Two people can roll over with a $50 bill on a pretty moderate amount of food. That's a little pricey in my book.
(3)Tony C.
ICK. the goma-ae had ungrounded sesame seeds and the spinach was beyond "old" (overly chewy, overly fibrous, etc.) they did have Hwe Dup Bap (Korean style chirashi minus the vinegary rice), but the rest of the food is horrendously mundane. we had the asparagus app (stir fried in butter, asparagus, again, OLD), the soyed chicken (cuz there was no terriyaki sauce on it), and a few rolls. overall, this place, as a Korean-Japanese restaurant, depresses the heck out of me.
(1)Justin W.
Great sushi with extremely friendly and helpful servers. I've only gone a few times, but I've never been let down. Unfortunately I haven't tried any of their dishes other than sushi and sides of tempura shimp/veggies, but I'll be back soon!
(4)Sara P.
Osaka Sushi is one of my favorite local sushi places. The service is always good, I personally love a sushi chef that makes recommendations, and the food is delicious and a great value (no matter what you order you get salad and miso soup...yum!). Make sure you try the Firecracker roll, if you like spicy rolls then this roll is for you. Osaka is a hidden treasure, not to be missed.
(4)Nick S.
This place is another one of those in the strip mall sushi places that doesn't look like much from the outside. The decor inside is good enough, not thing spectacular and always has some elevator music playing inside.. But the sushi and udon are quite good. Give it a shot. I like it better than the now adjacent Sushi Kushi.
(4)Mike F.
Very good sushi at reasonable prices. We mostly eat sushi in the Chicagoland area and this is better than most of the more famous restuarants downtown. It was quite a shock that a sushi place in the burbs could do sushi better than Chicago. This is the place to go for sushi in the area!!!!!
(5)Jamie M.
TERRIBLE Horrible Service. We went there and the servers took 30 minutes to get us a table! But even after waiting a century, we got seated and they failed to get the correct sushi!
(1)Renato P.
To start the review I must note that out of a party of 3 , I was the only one that enjoyed the food here, so the well has been poisoned. This is a smallish clean storefront sushi restaurant. On an early Saturday evening , there were at least 2 other family's with children. The help was efficient and friendly , and the menu was diverse. As for the food , that's where they lost my party's side. We started with the salad and miso soup . I've never been a big fan of miso soup and theirs didn't do anything to change my mind. The salad has some sort of spicy ginger dressing that was pretty good. The appetizers we ordered were the fried Gyoza (I thought it was good , the others weren't so thrilled) and the Terriyaki chicken (none of us were so thrilled , too dry. Every place I get this dish has had the same problem.) . We ordered their spicy tuna roll (common but good) , jumbo spicy tuna roll (pretty much a big spicy tuna roll , I did dig this better although it pretty much tasted the same as the regular sized one , just with more tuna. Very good.) , the tuna roll (done to death but still delivered , very good),the spicy salmon hand roll (I liked the execution , but don't really like the hand roll eating experience, it did taste really good though) and the cooked shrimp sashimi (good). The rest of the sashimi I got was all very fresh and the fish tasty , but the chef decided to put some wasabi under all the fish , I don't really dig on wasabi. That being said , the tuna and red snapper were good, the Yellow tail was very good. Sadly I was distracted but the wasabi tainting the flavor of all the fish sashimi , It would have been much better without it. I can't say this place was bad , like everyone else I ate with , but I have been to better places. The prices here are good , so if you are a fan of wasabi on all your sashimi , you might like this place. I wouldn't go here again on my own , but would have no problem going here if someone else I was with suggested it , it was ok.
(3)Stephanie M.
Cute place with great sushi. The sashimi rice bowl is good. It is served with a big bottle of hot sauce for you to mix in....like bibimbab. It has a mix of sashimi like tuna, salmon, etc...with lettuce and other vegetables and rice. The maki is good too. Albacore tuna maki is like an inside out california roll with seared slices of albacore and thinly sliced green onion on top with a sauce.
(4)Chris D.
This is our go to place for sushi but when we went here tonight and found out the original owner has sold the business. Pretty good but does anyone know if the old owners have opened a new place in the area?
(3)Amber M.
I don't know how this place only has 3.5 stars. I've eaten at a lot of sushi places all over the Chicagoland area, and this is by far the best place to get sushi. It's reasonably priced, friendly staff and fast and fresh Some of my favorites are the Fire cracker maki, Ebi tempura maki, osaka maki and three colors sprinkled maki. I've never been dissappointed by anything here. Never had a problem with my order. Never had a problem with how anything tastes. The presentation is beautiful. This is a real gem.
(5)Kathy K.
This is our go-to place for sushi in the north burbs. The sushi is fresh and more fish than rice. The tempura-on-the-side is always served hot and crispy, not oily. They always serve salad and miso soup, whether or not you are ordering a bento box or special. Oh, and it gets crowded on weekends for dinner. Come early. You can always ask if the chef has something special up his sleeve, and you can make adjustments (my kids can't do avocado in the California rolls). The owners are Korean so if you're looking for a Korean-style spicy fish stew, ask if they have in-season fish. It's soooo good. They also have the Korean-style chirashi - same thing but without the vinegary rice. They are generous with the sashimi in this personal favorite. The restaurant is small, and the strip mall it is at always looks like it is on the brink of shutting down. I was afraid after Sushi Kushi opened up in VH that Osaka would take a hit. At least one of Osaka's best servers jumped ship, so there was a few months of Osaka getting back into the groove. If you want circus and noise go to that other place. If you want good sushi, go to Osaka.
(4)Lawrence Y.
This is a nice Korean-run Sushi restaurant, I think. We stopped in around 7p on a Tuesday for a bite to eat, and were the only ones there at first. However, people piled in shortly thereafter, and lots of people were doing take out. We ordered 4 of their specials (names escape me at the moment, but see photo) - all of which were pretty good. No complaints. Came with miso and a tiny plate of salad (wasn't a traditional ginger dressing - more oil based). Service was fine - our waters were filled when needed. The only serving faux pas I'd comment about is that she brought out the check and didn't even ask if we wanted dessert - which we did. One piece each of strawberry & mango mochi, cut into quarter pieces. Priced fairly I think.
(3)Art Y.
Food and presentation is great. Prices are affordable. Staff is friendly. I recommend this place to everyone.
(5)Natalie K.
Hands down the best sushi place in the area. Fish is always super fresh, rolls are yummy and a good size. Prices are very decent. We don't usually dine-in, so I can't comment about the service. Sometimes the wait time might be slightly longer than promised for a take out, but it's totally worth it. My favorite rolls there are fire cracker, chicago, yamamori maki, and red dragon. Miso soup is yummy, edamame is perfectly cooked. Definitely a local gem!
(5)Vishal B.
Been going here since they first opened! Consistent quality, service and taste. Dining room is warm and comfortable, the place is IMMACULATE clean.
(5)Eddie K.
I've been here a couple times but haven't had a chance to review it. Every time I've been here the service has been phenomenal and the food is always great and consistent. They are busy most of the time but its worth the wait
(5)jim s.
took the family here yesterday for a christmas eve lunch and the sushi, squid salad, gomae and everything was fresh and well prepared and awesome!
(5)Jon A.
Greatest little gem in the suburbs!!! I didn't think you could get Chicago quality sushi in the suburbs until I tried this place. The atmosphere is a cozy, family run, neighborhood place. Try the firecracker roll!!
(5)Scott H.
One of the best sushi shops anywhere north of the city. I work within a mile of Osaka and have probably eaten there at least fifty times over the years. NEVER a bad experience and the firecracker roll might be the world's most perfect maki offering! Oh, and since everyone is giving their sushi "pedigree" here, I've enjoyed it on the East Coast, the West Coast and in Japan itself. This is very good sushi.
(4)Yana G.
One of the best sushi places on the north side, fresh great quality rolls, hand rolls and maki. I have lived in the city for many years and were incredibly impressed with the quality of sushi in osaka. Try tiger roll, madam butterfly, spicy salmon hand roll is also very good. The poor reviews are clearly written by those that frequent Bennihana. We order take out from Osaka at least once a week and never had even a mediocre experience.
(5)Anthony C.
Three things. Food- its good. I had their shrimp killer maki. Rice was fresh, shrimp was good. Service- I understand that they're busy but they only gave us one cup for a water... maybe it was because i went to restroom to wash my hand, but even after that they didnt even bother to ask or give. So the customer service is 1/5. Cutomer care- ehh... like i mentioned above, ehh... i would be back if i want some sushi and im near by. Food is one thing, but we usually look for more costomer care... if they got both, we would tip well.
(3)Joe T.
Great sushi for a Greater prize!
(4)Tony L.
Extremely mediocre or worse. I had a chirashi as the main dish, and added a yellowtail, amaebi, and sake nigiri. 1. The chirashi rice tasted like regular steamed white rice. No vinegar, no taste. The fish served on top lacked any flavor, soft and spongy texture, and had a fishy aftertaste. 2. The nigiri had the same taste and texture issues as the chirashi. The yellowtail was a bit stringy as well. 3. The amaebi head served was heavily battered and you could taste the oil. The wait staff was friendly, but that's all it has going for it.
(1)Tony R.
My single favorite sushi restaurant. Literally every other restaurant pales in comparison. I never grow tired of the spicy tuna hand rolls. I recommend the Firecracker roll if it is your first time here. They are absolutely AMAZING! Very nice to have soup and salad prior to your sushi. My wife and I usually order 5 rolls to share and are completely stuffed when we leave.
(5)Tracy O.
My husband and I just wanted some soup for dinner and we stopped by here to do a quick pick up. The staff was super friendly and the miso soup was excellent. We will need to go back for some sushi soon.
(3)Neil M.
Great restaurant! Love their specials, Dragon Roll, Firecracker, King Crab, and much more. There beef bowl is great too. The owner and servers are always friendly and always make you feel that you are their best customer. This is a favorite for the locals. You always see take out being prepared.
(5)Lauren P.
Ordered 3 different rolls as carryout for dinner last night. The spicy tuna rolls were good, but on the smaller side compared to what I have usually seen. The Crazy Roll and the Spider Roll were both far to big to eat. They were about 2-3 inches in diameter, meaning i had to bite into them rather than eat each piece as a single bite. This caused the sushi to completely fall apart. The flavors were good, but I would have much preferred more reasonably sized pieces. I would have liked to see a narrower roll cut into 6 pieces rather than a huge roll cut into 4. I would return to Osaka, but make sure to ask about the size of the rolls next time while ordering to make sure I get some that are more manageable.
(3)Scott C.
Saw a lot of low ratings for Chicago-area sushi places. Generally it looks like ChicagoLand folks are tough on their restaurants. OTOH, eating most of my sushi in the east (Boston/NYC) I do agree that sushi in Chicago is just average. Tried take out. Over ordered a bunch to try a few things. Rolls were well formed, fish was average freshness. Not a ton of creativity on the rolls, but certainly not a bad place. Sashimi was cut very thin, but price wasn't that high. Nice service/friendly/fast delivery.
(3)Mark M.
This is the best Sushi and Maki by far that we have tried anywhere. We have been regulars here for over 6 years and never had a bad experience. The Staff is very friendly and know us when we call and come in. For those that rate this place as 1-3, you must be crazy. BEST PLACE EVER
(5)Ray F.
Love this place! The waitstaff (and owners) are very friendly and attentive to your needs and the food is excellent. Everything from the various sushi rolls, to the noodle and rice dishes are great. What's even better is the price. Much more reasonable than the recently-opened Sushi Kushi down the road. They also have a special menu of original sushi creations that have not disappointed, so far. As it stands, this is our go-to place for sushi when we get that craving (which seems to be all the time).
(4)Mike D.
I'm a huge fan of Osaka Sushi. This is the best sushi in lake county with a friendly chef & staff. The only sushi that compares is Toro sushi on Clark Street in Chicago. The Fire Cracker Make and the spicy hand rolls are top notch. They serve a very limited amount of liquor. Give it a try!
(4)Lena S.
I have lunch here pretty much once a week. If they are busy, the service may be a bit slow, but usually pretty good. I like the amount of fish in rolls. I order only sushi, so not sure about other dishes, but rolls are great. it's at the strip mall and doesn't look too glamour-es from outside, but solid place.
(5)Peter W.
Good food. Above average for Japanese. Restaurant a little small and when they are busy, it's a little hectic, but the prices are a smidge on the high side which is why I'm rating them average overall. Two people can roll over with a $50 bill on a pretty moderate amount of food. That's a little pricey in my book.
(3)Tony C.
ICK. the goma-ae had ungrounded sesame seeds and the spinach was beyond "old" (overly chewy, overly fibrous, etc.) they did have Hwe Dup Bap (Korean style chirashi minus the vinegary rice), but the rest of the food is horrendously mundane. we had the asparagus app (stir fried in butter, asparagus, again, OLD), the soyed chicken (cuz there was no terriyaki sauce on it), and a few rolls. overall, this place, as a Korean-Japanese restaurant, depresses the heck out of me.
(1)Justin W.
Great sushi with extremely friendly and helpful servers. I've only gone a few times, but I've never been let down. Unfortunately I haven't tried any of their dishes other than sushi and sides of tempura shimp/veggies, but I'll be back soon!
(4)Sara P.
Osaka Sushi is one of my favorite local sushi places. The service is always good, I personally love a sushi chef that makes recommendations, and the food is delicious and a great value (no matter what you order you get salad and miso soup...yum!). Make sure you try the Firecracker roll, if you like spicy rolls then this roll is for you. Osaka is a hidden treasure, not to be missed.
(4)Nick S.
This place is another one of those in the strip mall sushi places that doesn't look like much from the outside. The decor inside is good enough, not thing spectacular and always has some elevator music playing inside.. But the sushi and udon are quite good. Give it a shot. I like it better than the now adjacent Sushi Kushi.
(4)Mike F.
Very good sushi at reasonable prices. We mostly eat sushi in the Chicagoland area and this is better than most of the more famous restuarants downtown. It was quite a shock that a sushi place in the burbs could do sushi better than Chicago. This is the place to go for sushi in the area!!!!!
(5)Jamie M.
TERRIBLE Horrible Service. We went there and the servers took 30 minutes to get us a table! But even after waiting a century, we got seated and they failed to get the correct sushi!
(1)Julie D.
I work nearby, and I step by at Osaka for lunch frequently and sometimes for dinner. They have changed the lunch special slightly, and as a person who tried it recently, it was amazing. My not-so-favorite-rolls were replaced with my favs. I am glad that it changed! The staffs are friendly and attentive, and I am satisfied with how quickly the food came out because I have to return to work on time. I strongly recommend going to Osaka and trying the lunch special.
(5)Bill S.
This restaurant had been our family favorite for over a decade. Unfortunately, under new management, we are having to find somewhere else. Everything has changed, from the service to the quality of the food and, unfortunately, this restaurant has gone downhill. To put this in perspective, our last visit we were greeted by a "Help Wanted" sign, no doubt. After entering the door, the manager/owner on his cell, while seated, told us we could sit anywhere we liked. He proceeded to talk very loudly on his phone for at least another 15 to 20 mins. from a food table across the room, but well within ear's distance. The presentation of the food subpar. From maki rolls that were stuck together, or poorly made, and fell apart, to the taste of the ingredients that we far below what they used to be. I'm sorry, we've tried Osaka three times since the change over the span of about 6 months and its only gotten worse, unfortunately.
(2)Marty G.
Surprised at the quality of fish in this place, fresh. Except for the tuna, which tasted like mercury and was a bit stringy. The place is small and clean, seating is kind of tight. Ordered a sushi combo (fresh sans the tuna) and the lunch special (bunch of cook/tempura rolls) which were both good. -1 star for the one of the pushy bus girl who kept taking plates without asking if we were done.
(3)Mike S.
Favorite sushi period. if you're looking for cool and trendy this isn't it. if you're looking for great sushi, friendly service, and an amazing value...you won't find a better place. been going here for 10+ years and it's gotten better with time. The firecracker roll is a must have!
(5)Fernando M.
IMO the best sushi bar ever, and I've traveled the world. My favorite is their own creation the "fire cracker" maki. I will drive a distance here having sushi bars closer to home.
(5)Luiza R.
By far my favorite sushi restaurant in the suburbs! I come here all the time. Amazing service, and best quality sushi. Love this place!
(5)Joel W.
This is one of those reviews you hate to write.... If anyone reads this, and takes my advice, it's going to be *even* harder to get a table here, and the prices might go up, but the fact is... it's great sushi, great service, and a wonderful basic sushi restaurant. The Firecracker Roll is the reason to go and come back, but nearly everything else is fantastic. Take my advice: Try all the other sushi restaurants around, and just trust me--Osaka is the best. They deserve the excellent review.
(5)Rusty S.
This place has gone down from a 4 star you can grab quick sushi here anytime place to 1 star, must avoid at all costs. I've been coming here for years and didn't realize that the service is deteriorating ever so slowly. Let's see... Last time we were told that they ran out of rice and therefore can't seat us! WHAT? Really? Before that, we asked for sushi to be brought out on individual plates, so our friends sushi is not on our plate! I'm not big into community sushi, I ordered what I want and therefore that's what I want to eat. They keep bickering with you and make you feel like you're the one with unrecognizable accent. They have lost our business for good.
(1)Mike J.
Firecracker roll is amazing. It is like two pieces of sushi in one. The staff is very friendly. This is the place to go for sushi in the area.
(5)Kat G.
This place was just as great the second time! There was a small group of us for lunch. We ordered several items and shared everything. The nice thing here is that even if you do not order a lunch special, you still get a salad and miso soup. They have a special roll called the "Firecracker Roll" and it was AWESOME, be careful though, it has a little kick to it!
(5)Renato P.
To start the review I must note that out of a party of 3 , I was the only one that enjoyed the food here, so the well has been poisoned. This is a smallish clean storefront sushi restaurant. On an early Saturday evening , there were at least 2 other family's with children. The help was efficient and friendly , and the menu was diverse. As for the food , that's where they lost my party's side. We started with the salad and miso soup . I've never been a big fan of miso soup and theirs didn't do anything to change my mind. The salad has some sort of spicy ginger dressing that was pretty good. The appetizers we ordered were the fried Gyoza (I thought it was good , the others weren't so thrilled) and the Terriyaki chicken (none of us were so thrilled , too dry. Every place I get this dish has had the same problem.) . We ordered their spicy tuna roll (common but good) , jumbo spicy tuna roll (pretty much a big spicy tuna roll , I did dig this better although it pretty much tasted the same as the regular sized one , just with more tuna. Very good.) , the tuna roll (done to death but still delivered , very good),the spicy salmon hand roll (I liked the execution , but don't really like the hand roll eating experience, it did taste really good though) and the cooked shrimp sashimi (good). The rest of the sashimi I got was all very fresh and the fish tasty , but the chef decided to put some wasabi under all the fish , I don't really dig on wasabi. That being said , the tuna and red snapper were good, the Yellow tail was very good. Sadly I was distracted but the wasabi tainting the flavor of all the fish sashimi , It would have been much better without it. I can't say this place was bad , like everyone else I ate with , but I have been to better places. The prices here are good , so if you are a fan of wasabi on all your sashimi , you might like this place. I wouldn't go here again on my own , but would have no problem going here if someone else I was with suggested it , it was ok.
(3)Stephanie M.
Cute place with great sushi. The sashimi rice bowl is good. It is served with a big bottle of hot sauce for you to mix in....like bibimbab. It has a mix of sashimi like tuna, salmon, etc...with lettuce and other vegetables and rice. The maki is good too. Albacore tuna maki is like an inside out california roll with seared slices of albacore and thinly sliced green onion on top with a sauce.
(4)Rujuta S.
Excellent taste at awesome prices. The staff is friendly and welcoming. We usually order maki and it is outstanding. The firecracker maki and the rainbow maki are a must try! The miso soup is what you dream of having on cold winter days.
(5)Sei A.
Just walking out of Osaka. It was honestly the best sushi I have ever had. I have a Asian background and know when sushi is fresh. I honestly don't think there can be fish fresher than this. I ordered the sushi and sashimi combo. It was heavenly. Thick cuts of fresh fish and from various sea foods. It was perfect. Don't miss out!
(5)Chet M.
Service sucks here: Did not fill my water glass once Did not give us soy sauce dish Did not give wasabi and ginger for $19 creation Forgot salmon sushi order on check-off slip Had to wave down server frantically to get check Forgot to give spicy salmon roll but charged us
(2)Esther Y.
I love family owned restaurants because they deliver a wonderful environment and great service, and Osaka delivers exactly that. The servers were kind, attentive, and gave great suggestions. The owner checked up on us to see if we were enjoying our entrees, which we did. The menu was very helpful; it had pictures of every roll with a list of all the ingredients, so you know exactly what you're getting. The alcohol list was very short, but it exists. We had the edamame, sushi combo, and five different rolls (picture included). Our favorite dish was unfortunately an item that doesn't exist in the menu yet; it's called "hika jirashi" (I'm certain I butchered that in some way), and it was a dish made specially for us from the chef as a working and upcoming dish. It was amazing, for a better lack of another word. It is a rice dish made with fish roe topped with different types of greens, sashimi, and octopus. I would go back every day if it meant that item was readily available (please ask for it, it is a must. Picture is included.) The rolls were reasonably priced, and they all tasted very fresh. My favorite roll was the sunshine roll, mostly because I love jalapenos in sushi. Overall, I had a great experience here. I will definitely come back.
(4)Alice A.
Located in a small plaza, Osaka Sushi is not too bad for the place and location. I wouldnt really recommend it for "date night,' especially if you're on your first date! This place isnt too fancy. (maybe try Sushi Kushi San) And can be kinda crowded and loud once people start to come in for dinner because of the small space. The friendliness is on and off. Some times if they are really busy, you can be ignored for a while. But eventually they will get to you. The many times that i've been there, we usually get either Osaka Bento, Ton Katsu, or different kinds of rolls. Some times the fried items in the Bento can be overly done and have that bitter taste to it which i really hate. The california roll never fails. One of my favorite is their veggie tempura. Some thing about those deep fried sweet potato that gets to me every time. The Ton Katsu some times can be on the oily side. I'm used to having the katsu to be thicker. Their's is sliced so thin... I feel like it's more of the bread crumb toppings than the meat that i'm eating. I like my Katsu to have some thickness to it. So when you fry it, it's juicy and tender. Osaka's on the drier side. The dipping sauce to me is on the more saltier side. Heavy on the soy sauce. Once in awhile if im nearby and craving japanese food, ill stop by and grab take out. It's not the best that i've had before but not bad that ill never go back.
(3)Elina S.
Okay so I've had this local sushi spot on my bookmarks for quite a while and my friends who live in mundelein love this place so I knew that I had to give it a shot when I was in the area. One day we were in a rush but really craving sushi so we decided to place a carryout order from them to save us sometime. It was our first order, the girl on the phone seemed nice and I placed my order getting about 10 different rolls to sample for the first time. Upon arrival, the place has a nice simple cozy feel to it, pretty small so I can't imagine wanting to come on a Saturday night and probably having to wait for a table. Well, that's what carryout is for. Anyways, we got maybe $80 worth of sushi which is not too expensive for 10 rolls if you ask me so I was pleased with that. But upon leaving I asked them to throw in an eel sauce since I don't eat soy sauce and the girl says "that's an extra $1." Okay first of all its not about the fact that you have to charge me for sauce it's the fact that I already placed a $80 order and they gave me a droplet of eel sauce and had to charge for it. Like really? Or at least give a decent amount for it. That threw me off honestly. But the sushi quality made up for it. Every single roll we had were delicious from the simple spicy salmon rolls, to the firecracker roll, to even the no name rolls everything was really good and had a good fish to rice ratio. So overall a good experience but if they didn't charge me for the sauce after they already ran my credit card I would have given them 5 stars. But next time I'll know and will ask them for extra eel sauce since they don't give too much. Hopefully they won't charge $2 for it.
(4)Mike A.
New owners are running this place into the ground. Fish does not taste as fresh and our staple roll : firecracker has no taste. After 3 tries with this new crew; we are done here.
(2)Cassie T.
I'm not a huge sushi fan, but this place keeps me coming back. Their king crab roll, spicy tuna roll, and the tempura shrimp with jalapeño are fantastic. Used to stop here on the way to work very often. So friendly and so clean. Just love it here.
(5)Harry L.
I used to love this place and was a regular. But that was until we went on a not-so-busy weekend night. They sat us and brought us our tea. And then Never returned... No order, no food, no bill. People were available to take our order, they just didn't seem to want to. We got up to leave after 30 minutes of waiting and the hostess then thanked us for coming in. I won't go back until I hear this place has new management...
(1)Jamie R.
Not only did we have an unbelievable meal here with a large selection of delicious sushi.. I thought I had lost my sunglasses and simply asked them if they had seen them. I left my name and phone number and they went above and beyond to send me a personal text and the surveillance video from that night showing I had them while walking out. Great sushi & even better service!
(5)Adam Z.
I couldn't make up my mind for lunch, and ended up here to try a lunch special. It was $15 which is kind of pricy for lunch when comparing to other places, but it was A LOT of food. Overall, the rolls I had were ok. The salad was incredible though. I wish it came with more of that and maybe pass on the cucumber rolls.
(4)Victoria W.
I guess you have to come here and order sushi for the food to be good. We came and wanted noodle, and only saw udon on the menu. The Udon is kinda sub par, I've had much bettre noodle in even smaller towns, which is disappointing. Also ordered the Salmon rolls, the salmon seems fresh, but of course the rolls are small, and they are 3.95. Ordered the red bean dessert, it was a tiny piece of mochi, and that was $1.69 or something. I got the veggie Udon, the broth wasn't particularly good. It had like 3 pieces of tofu in it and 1 piece of egg cake. Nothing else was special about it. I think the broth is critical in any Japanese noodle dishes, and this place did not do it right. My mother ordered the chicken udon, and she was also not very fond of it. Not sure we'd come back. There isn't any yakisoba or stir fried noodle either. No bathroom in this restaurant.
(3)Jeffrey M.
How can a sushi place be this good in Mundelein IL! I discovered this place from other reviews on Yelp and tried it for the first time a month ago. I have been kicking myself for not trying this place sooner. From the time you walk in the restaurant, you are greeted by the chef/owners and treated like family. They start you with always fresh and hot Miso that is some of the best I have ever had. The tuna and salmon are incredibly fresh and prepared beautifully as rolls or sushi. I dream about the spicy tuna hand roll and the firecracker roll. The White Tiger and dragon are also amazing. But what I really enjoy the most is eating fresh tuna on a slab of rice, no need for anything else, it's that good! You gotta try this place. Lunch is $14 and the best sushi value I have ever seen.
(5)Kelly F.
We love Osaka! I dream about their Firecracker roll! My fiancé and I moved to Mundelein in April and can't get enough. We went twice just in the past week! We've dined in a couple of times with friends, small place but excellent service and you get soup and salad with dinner. But most of the time we order to go, which we've done probably 5 times so far. It's soooo yummy! I promise you won't be disappointed.
(5)Sofiya C.
Not too shabby for being in a strip mall! The appetizers were probably my favorite part, very creative and I wanted to try them all! I loved the crunch rice tuna, that was delicious, I wish they would give you 4 instead of 3 pieces... I feel like even numbers are always better. The rolls themselves were pretty good as well, you could see that the fish was very fresh. It is a nice addition that they give you miso and salad. The service was great, and the waitress was full of great suggestions. We took off a star because we thought it was a little on the pricey side for a small place like this. The rolls averaged about $12, and same with the aps... If they knocked off a $1 or $2 per roll It would probably become our new go to spot. But throwing down $100 for a dinner for 2 would probably have to reserve this spot as a "special occasion" spot, vs a "lets grab sushi during the week on the way home from work" spot. I did notice that they have a lunch menu, and I would def check this spot out for lunch!
(4)Megan J.
So disappointed that this place changed ownership. It used to be awesome. Friendly, attentive staff, great food. Now the food takes FOREVER to get to the table and the quality sucks. Really sad, this was my regular sushi joint.
(1)Alexis K.
Love this place - but change is not always good. I have been coming here for about 8 years and it has always been by favorite place above ANY other sushi restaurant. I love the freshness of the items, the small cozy feel of the restaurant, and not only the maki rolls but the appetizer options as well. Sadly, I came in recently to realize that with the new ownership has come changes to some of my favorite menu items. I have always gotten the Tako salad and Goma-Ae, which to my dismay have now been changed. The new options still tasted pretty good but are not the same as what I have come to love. Unfortunately I am not sure if I will be coming back here anymore as it is not the same :( .
(4)Sofiya K.
My family and I have been coming here for years - most of the time every other week. Recently they were bought by new owners so hopefully not a lot changes. It is a casual place. Great prices. They always put a generous portion of fish in every roll and sushi. Everything always tastes fresh. Between the 3 of us we get 4 rolls and always feel very full afterwards. The firecracker roll is a must. My personal favorite is the big salmon - m55. It's simple yet very satisfying. I recommend this place to everyone I know, and is always my go to place when I want to go out for dinner.
(5)John K.
I can't believe I have missed this place for all this time. That was some of the best Sushi I have had ( in the mid-west ). There Maguro Sushi is so fresh and good. Yum. The best has to be the Firecracker Roll !! This is a must try. So much fresh flavor and just melts in your mouth. If you are in he area and looking for a great Sushi spot this is it. Stop looking. Don't let the little strip mall it is located in fool you. I promise you will not regret it. Enjoy !
(5)Kate Y.
One of the best sushi places in the neighborhood! Ordered out and dined in many many times over the last decade and never got disappointed- excellent fresh sushi and very friendly and courteous service!
(5)Paul M.
Great food, great service for an excellent price. I come every week! Located just outside of Vernon hills and Mundelein, Osaka sushi is a great place for authentic Asian cuisine. Open lunch hours only
(5)Alyssa C.
I have been going to this restaurant for years (like 8-10 years). We went there enough to be known by the owners. Back at the end of 2014, they changed ownership, and I am rather disappointed. The rolls are smaller in size (but still the same price), and the spicy mayo is less flavorful. The rice is a bit more "watery" too, than it used to be. I KNOW my sushi, especially from this place. The fish is still pretty fresh, but I feel like I am now going to be looking for an alternate sushi restaurant in the area as my "go to". Quite sad that my favorite restaurant isn't exactly as it used to be :(
(3)Seikeun A.
When it comes down to maki.....nobody beats this place.
(5)Carl F.
The service here is friendly and good. The size of the place is of good size and you could actually fit a good sized crowd here. The menu has a lot of the standard items along with a number of rolls you typically do not see. The wait staff are quick to bring out the drinks and they were very open to making any modifications to the order. When going to sushi places for the first time I do try to order a fairly standard roll so better to compare with others. In this case I kept it to the shrimp & veggie tempura and three rolls. The Philly, Spider and Godzilla. The tempura dish was really nice, the vegetables where nice sized and the shrimp were plump. All three rolls where really good. The fish was fresh and I liked that the cream cheese in the Philly as it was not too soft and held well. The rice and packing of the roll themselves where also very nice. This is definetly a place to come back to and I've since added them to my Places for Sushi in Lake County, IL.
(4)magic g.
good & affordable. sea crest salad - yay. ps: you should put actual link on the receipt - tiny.cc/osaka
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