Beautiful place, service was good. The waitress was very kind and hospitable. Made a reservation for the downstairs, but upon arrival they only had high tops but we were accommodated upstairs. It was nice and chill upstairs. Food was very bland. Spicy rolls were not spicy. Steak was dry, hard to chew and cut. Had high hopes for the food but appreciated the kind service.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 5
Marcus Gonzalez
Reserved a spot on the roof top patio, atmosphere and decor is great and perfect for a date night. Drinks were amazing, sushi was fantastic, and my girlfriends teriyaki steak was to die for.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Nicholas Irmo (Nick)
Food was good, but not inexpensive. Drinks were good. Service was slower and less attentive than we’d have expected at this price point. Music was very loud, which is the vibe that they’ve intended, so just know that going in. We had a reservation for 2 and was seated at a table for 6 so that was a bit awkward. It was our first time here and while I’d probably eat there again if with friends who recommended, would not be in a rush to rebook a reservation myself.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 3
Robert Bellingham
Almost a fast food restaurant, having too few staff running around , they don’t have time to serve customers, just take orders. Food was average, nothing special , cocktails overpriced. Disappointing
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 3
Gofast Payments
Don’t recommend. Bad experience
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
SLA Carriers LLC
Never go there again . Manager doesn’t care about the clients . Spent a lot of money and received only bad experience. Don’t go there
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
CarGo Logistics
The worst service and food. Never order from them in the future. Didn’t care about the customers
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
GO Fast REPAIR
Did order to go. Paid $174 for full service. Came home and found out the didn’t complete the order. Called them directly ask for delivery rest of the order and manager didn’t agree .
I don’t even know where to start — Shakou Barrington was hands down one of the worst dining experiences I’ve ever had. We ordered sushi, braised short ribs, and fried rice, and every single dish was a complete disaster.
The food took forever to come out, and when it finally arrived, everything was ICE COLD. Not just lukewarm — cold. It honestly felt like our meals had been sitting in the kitchen for a long time before the waitress finally brought them out.
The braised short ribs were awful — completely drowned in an overpowering soy sauce flavor. I understand they’re made with sweet ginger soy, but this was so salty, bitter, and unbalanced that it was hard to even take more than one bite. The sushi tasted old and lacked any freshness, and the fried rice was bland, greasy, and flavorless.
To make things worse, the service was just as bad as the food. Our waitress was nowhere to be found, seemed distracted the entire time, and clearly didn’t care about providing even the bare minimum of customer service. No updates, no apologies, nothing.
The only thing that was even halfway decent was the calamari tempura appetizer and the sauce it came with — but that was the first dish we got, and everything after that went completely downhill.
This was our first time coming to Shakou Barrington, and it will absolutely be the last. For the prices they charge, the quality and service are a complete joke.
⭐ Final Verdict: If I could give ZERO stars, I would. This place was a huge disappointment from start to finish. There are far better Asian restaurants in the area — skip Shakou and go somewhere else.
I was very satisfied with my visit. The atmosphere was welcoming, and the food was fresh and delicious. A great place to enjoy sushi!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
stephanie weil
Great food and service.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Fiona O'gregor
That's the last time I've visited this place. They used to have one of the best old fashioned. I've ordered one as usual with the best whiskey they had and this time it was just horrible. Tasted like at some crappy bar on a road. Poor basement was same some a me. He remade it come times, but what can you do if the base is wrecked. I'd never thought that this place would ever sell some phony alcohol
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 5
Eventivities Miss
Shakou is conveniently located at the downtown intersection of Barrington near the train station, surrounded by walkable shops and restaurants.
We ordered the sushi boat for two, which includes a specialty roll, a house-made roll, and numerous pieces of sashimi and nigiri, such as white tuna, toro, salmon, and hamachi.
To start, the sliders, damage, and tuna wonton nachos are excellent choices. The shrimp tacos were loaded with tiny, sweet rock shrimp and ribbons of crunchy slaw.
We highly recommend the rooftop seating outdoors or the terrace doors for the best experience. The modern dining room features tall ceilings adorned with large crystal chandeliers. The service was solid and friendly, and it was nice to see many patrons greeting our server, as they were repeat diners. This is a great sign that speaks to the quality of both the menu and the service.
Parking is free, ample, and conveniently located nearby.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Daniella Morales
Definitely recommend having dinner on the rooftop. The vibes are awesome. Food is great. Service is great as well! Will be back.
Will not return.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 3
Beautiful place, service was good. The waitress was very kind and hospitable. Made a reservation for the downstairs, but upon arrival they only had high tops but we were accommodated upstairs. It was nice and chill upstairs. Food was very bland. Spicy rolls were not spicy. Steak was dry, hard to chew and cut. Had high hopes for the food but appreciated the kind service.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 5
Reserved a spot on the roof top patio, atmosphere and decor is great and perfect for a date night. Drinks were amazing, sushi was fantastic, and my girlfriends teriyaki steak was to die for.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Food was good, but not inexpensive. Drinks were good. Service was slower and less attentive than we’d have expected at this price point. Music was very loud, which is the vibe that they’ve intended, so just know that going in. We had a reservation for 2 and was seated at a table for 6 so that was a bit awkward. It was our first time here and while I’d probably eat there again if with friends who recommended, would not be in a rush to rebook a reservation myself.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 3
Almost a fast food restaurant, having too few staff running around , they don’t have time to serve customers, just take orders. Food was average, nothing special , cocktails overpriced. Disappointing
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 3
Don’t recommend. Bad experience
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Never go there again . Manager doesn’t care about the clients . Spent a lot of money and received only bad experience. Don’t go there
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
The worst service and food. Never order from them in the future. Didn’t care about the customers
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Did order to go. Paid $174 for full service. Came home and found out the didn’t complete the order. Called them directly ask for delivery rest of the order and manager didn’t agree .
Atmosphere: 1
Service: 1
Shakou – Barrington, IL
🚨 WARNING: Don’t Waste Your Time or Money Here! 🚨
Review Title: Absolutely Terrible – Worst Experience Ever!
I don’t even know where to start — Shakou Barrington was hands down one of the worst dining experiences I’ve ever had. We ordered sushi, braised short ribs, and fried rice, and every single dish was a complete disaster.
The food took forever to come out, and when it finally arrived, everything was ICE COLD. Not just lukewarm — cold. It honestly felt like our meals had been sitting in the kitchen for a long time before the waitress finally brought them out.
The braised short ribs were awful — completely drowned in an overpowering soy sauce flavor. I understand they’re made with sweet ginger soy, but this was so salty, bitter, and unbalanced that it was hard to even take more than one bite. The sushi tasted old and lacked any freshness, and the fried rice was bland, greasy, and flavorless.
To make things worse, the service was just as bad as the food. Our waitress was nowhere to be found, seemed distracted the entire time, and clearly didn’t care about providing even the bare minimum of customer service. No updates, no apologies, nothing.
The only thing that was even halfway decent was the calamari tempura appetizer and the sauce it came with — but that was the first dish we got, and everything after that went completely downhill.
This was our first time coming to Shakou Barrington, and it will absolutely be the last. For the prices they charge, the quality and service are a complete joke.
⭐ Final Verdict: If I could give ZERO stars, I would.
This place was a huge disappointment from start to finish. There are far better Asian restaurants in the area — skip Shakou and go somewhere else.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 1
Restaurantji Recommends
I was very satisfied with my visit. The atmosphere was welcoming, and the food was fresh and delicious. A great place to enjoy sushi!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great food and service.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
That's the last time I've visited this place. They used to have one of the best old fashioned. I've ordered one as usual with the best whiskey they had and this time it was just horrible. Tasted like at some crappy bar on a road. Poor basement was same some a me. He remade it come times, but what can you do if the base is wrecked. I'd never thought that this place would ever sell some phony alcohol
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 5
Shakou is conveniently located at the downtown intersection of Barrington near the train station, surrounded by walkable shops and restaurants.
We ordered the sushi boat for two, which includes a specialty roll, a house-made roll, and numerous pieces of sashimi and nigiri, such as white tuna, toro, salmon, and hamachi.
To start, the sliders, damage, and tuna wonton nachos are excellent choices. The shrimp tacos were loaded with tiny, sweet rock shrimp and ribbons of crunchy slaw.
We highly recommend the rooftop seating outdoors or the terrace doors for the best experience. The modern dining room features tall ceilings adorned with large crystal chandeliers. The service was solid and friendly, and it was nice to see many patrons greeting our server, as they were repeat diners. This is a great sign that speaks to the quality of both the menu and the service.
Parking is free, ample, and conveniently located nearby.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Definitely recommend having dinner on the rooftop. The vibes are awesome. Food is great. Service is great as well! Will be back.
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