Had to wait about 30 minutes before being seated on a Saturday evening. This place is pretty difficult to find if you didn't know it exist but once you walk in, the vibe is that of a speakeasy bar for sure. We were sat next to the speakers which was a little bit loud for us but the service was fine either way. We tried the Pear Up, Matcha, and Staycation cocktails which all were very tasty. Also ordered the Takoyaki and Shishito. Shishito was good (Kitchen made an extra order by accident and gave the 2nd order to us for free!) and the takoyaki was lacking in the amount of octopus but still tasted okay. Two people in our group ordered the Ramen which was average, for the price they have it for I felt like there should've been a few more ingredients in it but the broth and pork shoulder tasted alright. Would never crave to come here but its a cool place to take someone out to randomly.
Jenn L.
Super cool bar under a sushi restaurant! We just grab drinks but it was so awesome. I totally recommend entering down the alley, just because that's way more fun. The drinks were really good. We did not make a reservation and we didn't have to wait very long to get chairs at the bar (but don't hold me to that). I have to use the word vibe here, because it was a total vibe. Great spot to grab a drink and chat at the bar! Super cool!
Andrew P.
Okay West Loop! I see you! Let's just say, if you don't have reservations here on the weekend, good luck finding a place to sit. You may get lucky, but I've tried coming here twice without a ressy, and man was that not a great idea. This past weekend on a Saturday night, I was able to grab an 11pm reservation the day before (literally the only thing available). So happy I got the opportunity to finally come here because I've heard great things. You can enter this place from two locations: either from inside Sushi Dokku above through stairs, or, in my opinion the better option, is through the alley-way behind the sushi restaurant. There's a large red illuminated arrow that points right to the entrance in the alley so you will not miss it. The door when you enter looks of something you'd find in Tokyo. Feels like a cool place to show off to friends visiting Chicago for the first time if you can casually take them here (with reservations as a surprise of course, lol). Upon entering, there is a bouncer who asks for ID's, and we had the pleasure of having a really nice hostess who shortly thereafter took us to our table. First off, the music here is lit. The DJs, from my experience of just trying to find a spot at the bar in the past (and not getting any luck) to my actual dine in experience this past weekend, do an amazing job of playing chill hip hop, r&b, some dance hall, and other mixes of great underground bar music. The crowd here tends to be diverse, and the music here creates an overall great vibe to grabbing cocktails and eating some Japanese appetizers. This is not the kind of place I'd come hoping to order a full a** meal. We did order a Takoyaki appetizer, which we both were kind of meh about. It was ok, but it didn't even taste like the typical octopus inside. I don't know, the texture was just different than what I'm used to. They do have plenty of food options and I've seen a lot of sushi being ordered, so if you want to take someone here on a date, this is a great place, just expect it to be on the louder side. I just don't think I'd personally order a lot of food here, but that's just me (maybe if I was upstairs at Sushi Dokku). They have a few of these two seater-two tops towards the back that could really give an intimate vibe if you're able to grab them. They're a bit enclosed and tight, giving it a nice private space. We were given a four-top table in the corner next to some coat hangers which was nice, but I really wish we were given either one of those private two-too tables or just a straight up curvy booth. Anyways, I had a Japanese Manhattan which I loved. Manhattan's can be so strong sometimes, but this one was perfect! Honestly, considering the neighborhood and where we were, I was expecting the drink prices to be a bit higher. I mean $15 for a nice presentable cocktail was pretty average, but knowing how boujee Fulton Market is, I was expecting to maybe pay $17-18 for these drinks Anyways, I will 100% be back to this place and can't wait to get a different table when friends visit me from out of town
Jasmine L.
Ambiance! Moody lighting! Kind service! the menu was really exciting and I'm usually not one for experimental food. Pricey, but honestly worth it. I had some 17$ sake, which i think was actually the cheapest on the menu but it was worth it. The bar downstairs after we ate dinner was lit, I was so surprised, I chose this place to celebrate with friends on a whim and I'm so glad. i had a great time. Great dj, great drinks, phenomenal food for a perfect night
Victor M.
One word. Amazing. Definitely recommend to everyone and anyone who loves sushi. Went with the Omakase option and it was delicious.
Stephanie P.
Everything here is amazing! I came here with some friends recently on our trip to Chicago and I have no regrets. I unfortunately did not get any pictures of the food but everything we had was absolutely delicious. The green tea cheesecake is 10/10. The space is very intimate and makes you feel like you're somewhere hidden. The staff is very friendly and helpful. I recommend it and I will definitely be back when I am in Chicago again!
Maitri S.
A friend had recommended this place for late night vibes and drinks. We called in the day of and were able to get a reservation for 10 pm. Although we did have to wait some time before getting our table, the staff was so friendly and accommodating. The drinks were delicious and they had multiple vegetarian dishes. Pro tip: they have a late night snack menu available after their dinner one. My favorite thing about this place is the vibes- you really feel like you're in a hidden location.
Cheyenne G.
I've been wanting to check this place out since I moved to Chicago and finally got the opportunity! The atmosphere is something out of a Quentin Tarantino movie. It's dark and intimate and perfect for a date night OR if you're simply treating yourself! We were lucky to snag these bar seats so be sure to put in a reservation... this is a popular spot for obvious reasons! The drinks were extraordinary -- shoutout to the bartenders! As for the food: wow wow wow. The oyster shooters had me shocked, they're so delicious! The Godzilla roll is everything that you're craving in a savory sushi roll and the shrimp nigiri-- geeez. It was so delectable. Everything was pure perfection!
Joshua B.
All of the drinks were excellent. The Something Spicy is no joke. Very hot! The sushi was also excellent as were the mini filet mignons. Amazing service to boot and a great aesthetic. Definitely will be back when we return to Chicago!
Elise K.
I love Booze Box so much. The sushi is delicious, and the atmosphere is always busy and buzzy in the best way. Feels very cool to come here for a late night dinner. The dark lighting makes it perfect for a night on the town, it almost feels like somewhere out of NYC!
Nice spot for sushi and drinks , atmosphere was cool, dim light and good music. I wish I got the bartenders name, he was funny and entertaining. Cool spot to gather with friends or a date
Tim Ritts
Great drinks, great saki selection, and fantastic service in a neat underground space
Jay S.
Second time here in the last two months was yesterday 9/18/21. Sushi is very good here especially the Ecuador roll. Absolutely order this roll and you will not be disappointed. My friend wanted the northern California which was still good but not as tasty as the Ecuador! Absolutely avoid the Tuna microgreens...ordered two rolls the first time here and that was a huge mistake. Had to come back just for drinks with two other friends. Cranes landing is made with tequila and definitely can taste the tequila but very refreshing. Pear up was too much mago flavor for me but if you love mango definitely something that you may be interested in! Overall great vibe and will be back with more friends.
Parham P.Firouzabadi
Drinks are very good. Sushi is not wow but I would go back to try their food.
Jessie L.
Checked this place out for the first time last night. It was very busy for 9:30 PM on a Tuesday. The food and drinks were great but what was better was our server, Reid. Absolutely went above and beyond for us. I will definitely be recommending this place and going back myself!
Had to wait about 30 minutes before being seated on a Saturday evening. This place is pretty difficult to find if you didn't know it exist but once you walk in, the vibe is that of a speakeasy bar for sure. We were sat next to the speakers which was a little bit loud for us but the service was fine either way. We tried the Pear Up, Matcha, and Staycation cocktails which all were very tasty. Also ordered the Takoyaki and Shishito. Shishito was good (Kitchen made an extra order by accident and gave the 2nd order to us for free!) and the takoyaki was lacking in the amount of octopus but still tasted okay. Two people in our group ordered the Ramen which was average, for the price they have it for I felt like there should've been a few more ingredients in it but the broth and pork shoulder tasted alright. Would never crave to come here but its a cool place to take someone out to randomly.
Super cool bar under a sushi restaurant! We just grab drinks but it was so awesome. I totally recommend entering down the alley, just because that's way more fun. The drinks were really good. We did not make a reservation and we didn't have to wait very long to get chairs at the bar (but don't hold me to that). I have to use the word vibe here, because it was a total vibe. Great spot to grab a drink and chat at the bar! Super cool!
Okay West Loop! I see you! Let's just say, if you don't have reservations here on the weekend, good luck finding a place to sit. You may get lucky, but I've tried coming here twice without a ressy, and man was that not a great idea. This past weekend on a Saturday night, I was able to grab an 11pm reservation the day before (literally the only thing available). So happy I got the opportunity to finally come here because I've heard great things. You can enter this place from two locations: either from inside Sushi Dokku above through stairs, or, in my opinion the better option, is through the alley-way behind the sushi restaurant. There's a large red illuminated arrow that points right to the entrance in the alley so you will not miss it. The door when you enter looks of something you'd find in Tokyo. Feels like a cool place to show off to friends visiting Chicago for the first time if you can casually take them here (with reservations as a surprise of course, lol). Upon entering, there is a bouncer who asks for ID's, and we had the pleasure of having a really nice hostess who shortly thereafter took us to our table. First off, the music here is lit. The DJs, from my experience of just trying to find a spot at the bar in the past (and not getting any luck) to my actual dine in experience this past weekend, do an amazing job of playing chill hip hop, r&b, some dance hall, and other mixes of great underground bar music. The crowd here tends to be diverse, and the music here creates an overall great vibe to grabbing cocktails and eating some Japanese appetizers. This is not the kind of place I'd come hoping to order a full a** meal. We did order a Takoyaki appetizer, which we both were kind of meh about. It was ok, but it didn't even taste like the typical octopus inside. I don't know, the texture was just different than what I'm used to. They do have plenty of food options and I've seen a lot of sushi being ordered, so if you want to take someone here on a date, this is a great place, just expect it to be on the louder side. I just don't think I'd personally order a lot of food here, but that's just me (maybe if I was upstairs at Sushi Dokku). They have a few of these two seater-two tops towards the back that could really give an intimate vibe if you're able to grab them. They're a bit enclosed and tight, giving it a nice private space. We were given a four-top table in the corner next to some coat hangers which was nice, but I really wish we were given either one of those private two-too tables or just a straight up curvy booth. Anyways, I had a Japanese Manhattan which I loved. Manhattan's can be so strong sometimes, but this one was perfect! Honestly, considering the neighborhood and where we were, I was expecting the drink prices to be a bit higher. I mean $15 for a nice presentable cocktail was pretty average, but knowing how boujee Fulton Market is, I was expecting to maybe pay $17-18 for these drinks Anyways, I will 100% be back to this place and can't wait to get a different table when friends visit me from out of town
Ambiance! Moody lighting! Kind service! the menu was really exciting and I'm usually not one for experimental food. Pricey, but honestly worth it. I had some 17$ sake, which i think was actually the cheapest on the menu but it was worth it. The bar downstairs after we ate dinner was lit, I was so surprised, I chose this place to celebrate with friends on a whim and I'm so glad. i had a great time. Great dj, great drinks, phenomenal food for a perfect night
One word. Amazing. Definitely recommend to everyone and anyone who loves sushi. Went with the Omakase option and it was delicious.
Everything here is amazing! I came here with some friends recently on our trip to Chicago and I have no regrets. I unfortunately did not get any pictures of the food but everything we had was absolutely delicious. The green tea cheesecake is 10/10. The space is very intimate and makes you feel like you're somewhere hidden. The staff is very friendly and helpful. I recommend it and I will definitely be back when I am in Chicago again!
A friend had recommended this place for late night vibes and drinks. We called in the day of and were able to get a reservation for 10 pm. Although we did have to wait some time before getting our table, the staff was so friendly and accommodating. The drinks were delicious and they had multiple vegetarian dishes. Pro tip: they have a late night snack menu available after their dinner one. My favorite thing about this place is the vibes- you really feel like you're in a hidden location.
I've been wanting to check this place out since I moved to Chicago and finally got the opportunity! The atmosphere is something out of a Quentin Tarantino movie. It's dark and intimate and perfect for a date night OR if you're simply treating yourself! We were lucky to snag these bar seats so be sure to put in a reservation... this is a popular spot for obvious reasons! The drinks were extraordinary -- shoutout to the bartenders! As for the food: wow wow wow. The oyster shooters had me shocked, they're so delicious! The Godzilla roll is everything that you're craving in a savory sushi roll and the shrimp nigiri-- geeez. It was so delectable. Everything was pure perfection!
All of the drinks were excellent. The Something Spicy is no joke. Very hot! The sushi was also excellent as were the mini filet mignons. Amazing service to boot and a great aesthetic. Definitely will be back when we return to Chicago!
I love Booze Box so much. The sushi is delicious, and the atmosphere is always busy and buzzy in the best way. Feels very cool to come here for a late night dinner. The dark lighting makes it perfect for a night on the town, it almost feels like somewhere out of NYC!
Restaurantji Recommends
Nice spot for sushi and drinks , atmosphere was cool, dim light and good music. I wish I got the bartenders name, he was funny and entertaining. Cool spot to gather with friends or a date
Great drinks, great saki selection, and fantastic service in a neat underground space
Second time here in the last two months was yesterday 9/18/21. Sushi is very good here especially the Ecuador roll. Absolutely order this roll and you will not be disappointed. My friend wanted the northern California which was still good but not as tasty as the Ecuador! Absolutely avoid the Tuna microgreens...ordered two rolls the first time here and that was a huge mistake. Had to come back just for drinks with two other friends. Cranes landing is made with tequila and definitely can taste the tequila but very refreshing. Pear up was too much mago flavor for me but if you love mango definitely something that you may be interested in! Overall great vibe and will be back with more friends.
Drinks are very good. Sushi is not wow but I would go back to try their food.
Checked this place out for the first time last night. It was very busy for 9:30 PM on a Tuesday. The food and drinks were great but what was better was our server, Reid. Absolutely went above and beyond for us. I will definitely be recommending this place and going back myself!