Itto Sushi

Absolutely love this place! One of the best real Japanese food in town.

It’s not worth it.
Compared to the sushi quality in the West Coast, this place didn’t have good quality sushi– which was expected, honestly. But what I’m more concerned about was the service. As a server in my home state, I try to tip at least 20% if the service is decent, but I decided to pay below the standard 15% today for the first time because the employees were just so terrible.
My friend and I knew this place is popular amongst the locals and there was no stop to walk-​ins. We were expecting at least a nice, friendly, Japanese customer service but none of those were there. These employees were rude or seemed pretty nonchalant, including the sushi chef. I know he is popular with the regular customers but that’s no excuse. This restaurant has been operating for the last 30 years but it just seems so unprofessional and chaotic. I’m not going to go back.

I ordered the sushi for delivery on Monday night and had the best experience. The food came on time and we had the most pleasant delivery man named pat. He was a real treat to talk to about sushi and he made some reccomendations for next time. I’ll be ordering again soon and getting the yasi tame — thanks Pat!

The waitress is really nice. Very good service. I strongly recommend chicken wing appetizer that is crispy and tasty. Katsudon is another my favorite dish. I will definitely go back to try sashimi!

Great sushi! Came here because it was on a «best ramen» list, but sadly I’d have to disagree about that part.

Great for the price and they have A LOT of appetizer options! We got grilled scallop and they use the shell as a little serving plate — totally cute lol

One day while driving down Halstead Street, I saw Japanese men in suits coming out of a restaurant… this is the hallmark of a good Japanese restaurant. I’m so happy that I found Itto! Its my favorite sushi restaurant!
The staff is friendly and bring you a hot towel when you arrive. The sushi bar is the hot place to sit! The fish is fresh — I’ve never had a bad piece. I am a huge fan of traditional sushi, so if you like traditional (no goey sauces) you can’t go wrong here. Additionally, the appetizer list is extensive. Hot saki and cold Asahi too.
They also have free valet parking right behind the restaurant.
Chicago’s oldest Japanese restaurant is Chicago’s best Japanese restaurant!

Servers dont care you are waiting or not. There were 2 groups in front of us (4 and 2). We knew that there were empty seats at the bar but after waiting 20 min a server brought us those seats. We were like wtf (and other guys too) but ok… we ordered Tantan men and chef’s choice sushi and sashimi. We waited 20 min for the Tantan men (noodles were not cooked enough but we said ok here is a sushi restaurant) and another 20 min for the sushi combo after the Tantan men. The sushi combo was a really disappointing. It is the most expensive combo of the restaurant but comes with really cheap rolls (8pc, you can buy a same thing at walgreens about $ 4) 4pc sushi and 9pc sashimi. And I saw that the sushi chef touched a TV remote controller during making our sushi and he didnt wash his hands after that. And he kept making other sushi for us and others.

While visiting family in Chicago, I was able to go to a Chicago favorite neighborhood gem, Itto Sushi. Service was excellent, its always nice to be a regular where everyone seems to know you. The Sushi was fresh the appetizers excellent, now I know why this place is so popular.

いらっしゃいませ!
Itto Sushi is one of my favourite Japanese restaurants in Chicago that actually serves authentic Japanese food and not over-​sauced, deep fried, maki sushi (although there are some non-​traditional rolls). I have had the toro and uni here and although it’s not the best, it’s pretty good for Chicago standards.
What I normally get:
–Tan tan ramen
–Katsudon
–Ten-​zaru soba
–Nabeyaki udon
–Hotate Isobeyaki (comes served in its shell and a nice broth over a FIRE!!!)
I have had their other ramens, donburis, and udons and they were pretty good too.
If you’re feeling adventurous and not sure what to get, ask for the omakase which comes in two forms: sushi omakase or entrée omakase. Omakase is chef’s choice and here, the minimum is $ 50 but they will ask you if you would like a specific budget.
Itto gets pretty busy during the weekends, so be sure to get a reservation in!

Good service and the quality of food is incredible, good selection of japanese alcohol as well. Opens late and thats why my friends and I came here. Would recommend — and not just the sushi but the meat over rice as well.

Very cozy family own sushi shop with decent Japanese bento box and some home style cooking like katsu curry and Yakima soba. Serve uni nigiri for $ 4.5, good price

Finally was able to come here for Friday dinner around 8:30pm. Haven’t been able to find a go-​to spot that was authentic, fresh, and affordable, but Itto easily filled that spot. So many sushi spots in the city are just mediocre and forgettable, but Itto is where it’s at.
There is a parking lot in the back. I found it odd as we nearly parked in a spot in the rather small lot before the valet guy approaches us. Felt like valet there is unnecessary, but it is free. Just tip the guy. We entered through the back and were seated promptly while the place was nearly at capacity. We were given hot towels which I enjoy.
The space is actually bigger than it appears on the outside. There is a center bar with tables around both sides with another bar on the side. Def a no-​frills type of place but it was comfortable and definitely not a hole in the wall. The ambiance added to the authenticity of the place. In addition, all the staff I saw were actually Japanese.
Boo and I got one uni nigiri (sea urchin), negi maki (beef scallion rolls), tantan ramen, hot tuna maki, spider roll, chef’s special roll, and a winter roll.
The negi maki came out at a decent time. These were so delicious! Definitely recommend getting these. The beef was so tender and nearly melted in my mouth. The scallion paired perfectly with it and the sauce sealed the deal. It wasn’t too sweet and actually kinda light which shows that it is a legit teriyaki.
After this dish, the rest of our orders took a very long time to come. We actually waited about an hour and having not even inquired about the status on our food, our waiter brings us some complimentary tuna dishes and apologizes for the wait, which was nice. Most of the time, the restaurant rarely initiates or recognizes their faults first. During this wait though, our waters were constantly refilled, which is a definite plus.
The rest of our dishes eventually comes. The ramen was quite satisfying. Noodles were cooked well and broth was light and savory, but not spicy like it was supposed to be. The piece of pork was very dry. The uni nigiri was delightful. The hot tuna maki looked super fresh and had quite the kick to it. While I am a spicy addict, there was some flavor in there that did not suit my taste. I was a little skeptical of selecting the surprise chef’s roll, but this was a great idea, as the chef is really on point here. We received a salmon avocado roll with salmon roe scattered and it was great. The spider roll was also very solid. The winter roll was delicious and very unique. I’ve never had hot or cooked maki rolls before, but this worked well. I could taste each component separately but it all came together at the same time.
Overall, all their rolls were made very well. Each piece had much more fish than rice. Fish seemed very fresh. You’re not going to find crazy concocted maki rolls with gross amounts of mayo and cream cheese here, so move along if what you really want is «fusion.» They do have a few creative dishes here (seasonal rolls) which are tasty. Not only is this place authentic but the prices are definitely at least a couple bucks cheaper than most other places and their sushi is as good if not better than some of the higher end places. Service was top notch. I watched the staff constantly hustle back and forth around the restaurant. They were well staffed and everyone was super friendly.

Most authentic I’ve had in the city. Been to Japan many times, and this was very comparable. Super impressed! Great service as well.

I have been coming here for a long long time. This’s in my humble opinion. The best sushi place. Good quality and inexpensive. Most sushi roll taste so clean and light without all those mayo and bread crumbs. This the sushi how we like it. And thank you Ito San and your wife. Have been working so hard for so many years to prepare the best Japanese food in Chicago. Kudus to you and see you soon.

The portion is quite small for its price. However, the sashimi is quite fresh and good!

Very good sushi, excellent service, nice place. Best sushi I have had in Chicago. Note that when you open the outside door, you do not go up the stairs. The entrance is a little confusing.

I had my very first sushi experience at Itto, so did Mom for that matter. I used to pick up my former mentors lunch here back in the late 90’s. I’ve picked up xmas eve dinner here (we are Italian, feast of the 7 fishs) my point being is I have history with this place. Today nearly 20 years later I had a bowl of ramen here. Now, it’s been awhile since I had the sushi here (which was always excellent) the ramen didn’t disappoint. I went with the Tan Tan Spicy Miso ramen, it came with a half hardboiled egg (I prefer soft or poached in my ramen) green onion, bamboo and. Bean sprouts, crushed nuts and chasu pork that was a little over cooked but still tasty. The broth had good flavor (I added spicy via crushed red pepper and a paste Guco my new sushi chef friend offered, he’s been here 40 years) in that note the service was outstanding and I really appreciated thier hospitality. I’ll definitely be back and for my money this is the place to have the best sushi and a solid bowl of ramen in the Windy City that won’t break the bank.

I’ve been here three times.
All three times have been amazing. Fresh fish, great atmosphere, friendly service, and most importantly, the attribute that is missing in most sushi places in the states– the SKILL is there.
It’s run by an actual chef who went through training in Japan and hands down the best sushi place in the Chicagoland area, city, suburbs, all included.
Its a sad reality nowadays that most owners of Japanese restaurants are Chinese and Koreans but the difference in taste becomes a hundred times more apparent when you taste the authentic– and Itto sushi is just that– the authentic.

Itto is a pretty standard sushi place, nothing too fancy. Rolls were good, but I prefer a bit more creative rolls on my sushi menu. 4 stars because the staff and service were great.

Super legit Japanese restaurant. I didn’t think anything like this existed in Chicago. The food is authentic and delicious. I ordered the chef’s special sushi roll and the spicy ramen. My boyfriend ordered chicken katsu. We both got ice cream (green tea and red bean) at the end of our meal. Everything was amazing, and I’m so happy I found this place. This restaurant is run by Japanese people and they have a lot of repeat Japanese customers, so you know it’s the real deal. It’s a little more pricy than some other places, but way more worth your time and money. Come check it out and you’ll never want to go anywhere else.

Sushi wasn’t as fresh as I’d like. Maki options are limited, not very creative. Service was fast and friendly, but I wouldn’t return.