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Sushi 28 Cafe - CLOSED
Categories: Restaurants Sushi Bars Restaurants Vietnamese Sushi Bars, Vietnamese [Edit]
2863 N Clark St(between Surf St & Broadway St)
Chicago, IL 60657
Neighborhood: Lakeview
(773) 868-1250
- Nearest Transit:
-
Diversey (Brown Line, Purple Line)
Wellington (Brown Line, Purple Line)
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch
- Alcohol:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
27 reviews for Sushi 28 Cafe
Review Highlights
"Super cheap, always fresh, BYOB with no corkage fee."
(in 7 reviews)
"...was super good, and the spring rolls ARE AMAZING AND CRISPY."
(in 3 reviews)
"...who doesn't love sharing their maki rolls with loved ones."
(in 5 reviews)
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27 reviews in English
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Review from Sarah E.
3/4/2011 1 Check-in Here
This quaint little sushi cafe appears to be closed, but I'm pretending that they are getting new tables and chairs for a mini face lift instead.
I come here often, since it's around the corner from my condo, and because the prices are so reasonable, the vast variety of teas are delicious, and the service is impeccable.
This is the absolute perfect restaurant to bring your sweetie for a quiet, romantic dinner. The tables are short enough to hold hands across the table, the lighting is a little low, and who doesn't love sharing their maki rolls with loved ones?Listed in: Love Thy Neighbor, No Beuno, My Asian Persuasion, Here, Fishy Fishy...
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Review from J J.
Chicago, IL
1/25/2011
This used to be my favorite under the radar byob sushi place. They knew me by name. They comped me dessert. Many special occasions were spent here.
I'd get edamame
Miso
Maki Platter
Green Tea
and bring a bottle of soju or wine
Truly a wonderful family owned place. -
Review from Susan B.
Chicago, IL
1/14/2008
Wow - Unexpectedly amazing. A friend + I were shopping + stopped in to Sushi 28 Cafe before heading home on a Fri. night around 9pm. We ordered the sushi for 2 + a dragon roll - OMFG - the sushi could not have been better! We had no idea how GOOD this places was + were certainly glad we stopped in! I highly recommend this easily passed over sushi restaurant.
The staff was incredibly nice, the atmosphere is small + cafe feeling w/ BYOB. The prices are very affordable for very LARGE portions, the sushi for 2 was a monster! I was sure to pick up a delivery menu. I can't wait to eat here again! -
Review from Richie D.
6/21/2009 1 photo
Sushi 28 Cafe (still trying to figure out what the 28 means since I didn't see any hints on the menu) doesn't look like anything from the outside but the inside is a cute, ALL FAMILY RUN sushi bar. That's right--brothers in the kitchen, father and daughters waiting tables, mother and other sisters rolling sushi...Now that's "Family Style."
To me, Sushi Cafe 28 is all about the 28 lunch special... You can't beat the little samplings that fill you up oh so quickly at such a bargain. For $6.95 you get Miso soup (with fairly good tofu--and that means a lot coming from a carnivore like myself), edamame, small ginger dressing salad, white rice or California sushi, main entree--breaded chicken or nigri, and fresh fruit for dessert (see business images for a pic of my dish). It comes displayed on a super cute Asian platter or Bento Box where each item sits in its own little hole. Located just next door to the CDPH Lakeview Clinic, get tested for STIs and celebrate a nice outcome with tasty sushi!
My one complaint, the "old people's home" smell when you walk in. It may just be my nose since my friend didn't whiff of anything. -
Review from Aaron S.
Chicago, IL
9/13/2007
In East Lakeview for a doctor's appointment, I was excited to visit the RIce Box and have one of their awesome lunch specials; sadly, they closed since the last time I was over by dere.
Walking around looking for a non-chain to patronize (getting to be quite a task these days in that area), I found myself between what is now Sinbad's, which I always enjoyed in its Emerald City days, and Sushi 28, who touted Pho in addition to Sushi. Hoping they had some other Vietnamese dishes, I stopped in. After perusing their large-two part menu, I found their cold noodle dishes, and ordered a Lemon Grass Beef.
What a wonderful, simple summer dish. Perfectly al dente thick rice vermicelli, with lettuce, bean sprouts, carrots, and freshly grilled beef on top, served with a little cup of nuoc chom to pour on everything. The lettuce is finely cut iceberg, actually the best choice to stand up to the juice without losing its crispness. Of course the real stars are the herbs--mint, lemongrass, and basil add fragrance and subtle flavor combinations to every bite.
Sorry about the gushing--it was a great meal! The owner lady was very nice too, asking me how I liked it and listening to me ramble about I used to live by Argyle and tried to make it at home and blah blah blah. -
Review from Susan F.
4/6/2009
3.33333 repeating.
This is a great location, and great for people watching. The atmosphere is nothing to scream up and down about but it's BYOB...niiiice.
The rolls are nothing special, but the prices are decent to higher.
The service however, was super slow for the food. We were the only ones in there and no one seemed to be picking up or delivering that much, so that was strange.
If you're in the neighborhood, I would stop by, and let the food guide you to your own decision. Hence only the 3.3333 -
Review from Natalie S.
Chicago, IL
4/23/2007
Found this place by accident last summer and have been coming back 3 times a week since. Super cheap, always fresh, BYOB with no corkage fee. Adorable family that owns the place. Sally (the sushi chef) will attempt to talk to you to work on her English. The way she explained it to me was she was working for corporate America for too long and never got to see her family, but she loved to cook so she opened up her own place. Her husband takes orders and their 8 year old daughter has a little desk set up in the back of the restaurant where she does her homework. Super cute when she brings you your check.
I would rather give my business to Sally over snobby Japanias any day. GO HERE, you won't regret it. -
Review from Brenna O.
Chicago, IL
11/19/2007
This was a solid three stars visit to Sushi 28. Although this place wasn't as sleek and sophisticated as other sushi restaurants in the area, the couple running it are friendly and the prices are great. We were able to get a California roll and Salmon roll for $4 each! I agree that they still seem to be in the apprentice stage with the art of rolling sushi, as ours tended to fall apart easily. We also shared a BBQ pork bao to start off with, and it was huge - at least twice the size of something we would get at Wow Bao. Unfortunately it was mostly dough and not that much pork.
If you're a cheapskate like me and want some decent sushi at a place where you don't have to wait for a table and can wear whatever ratty jeans you want, come to Sushi 28. -
Review from Vickie L.
Chicago, IL
5/11/2009
Went this Saturday night with 9 other ladies as part of a bachelorette party. We picked it because it is byob (!!) with no corkage fee, and they offered cooked noodles and entrees in case someone didn't want sushi. Luckily, everyone did!
Our waitress was very sweet and patient with us. Everyone ordered 1-3 rolls to pass around. Everything crunch tasted good. But after a few cocktails, unfortunately everything started to taste the same, but I blame it on the numbed taste buds, and not the food.
I was pleased with the service, our waitress was very nice, they kept our water glasses full. The rolls came out a lot faster than expected.
The bill ended up being $21 per person for all 9 of us - incredibly reasonable! If I lived in the area I'd come all the time. Definitely recommended for groups - but make a reservation first. Not really recommended for a date, just the place is so small, if there's a large group, you wouldn't be able to hear each other across the table. -
Review from Jenna l.
Chicago, IL
10/7/2007
I'm always skeptical of places with huge menus. There is no way they can get everything right, and this is the down fall of Sushi 28.
Hearing the beep-beep of the microwave made us all wiggle in our seats a little. I am one of the philosophy that no person of respectable cooking ability ought to have one in his/her kitchen.
My dinning companion said the pho broth was too salty, which i believe since he didn't even finish his bowl. I only got a california roll, with the real crab meat, and it was just mediocre.
Two stars for the really nice lady who worked there. It was all our faults for being new to Chicago and not knowing where to eat in the area. -
Review from Liz M.
Chicago, IL
3/24/2008
We needed a quick lunch due to time restraints and this was one of the closest restaurants. The neon "Sushi" sign caught my eye.
Looking even closer they also offered Pho (Vietnamese soup) okay, bonus points.
As mentioned by other reviewers their menu was huge. Vietnamese, Japanese and even some Chinese offerings.
We ordered the Beef Pho and a "Bento" (combination) box. Lunch arrived quickly.
The Pho: just so-so flavor, the meat fatty.
The Bento, good flavor, nothing to complain or rave about.
The price decent. The service good.
There was a young girl next to us who was eating something that looked really good...I asked...a "Sashimi Martini"...interesting.
Will I go back? I doubt it.Listed in: One Fish...Two Fish...Red…
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Review from Nessie V.
5/16/2009
I really wanted to like this place
I had lemongrass tofu and an inari maki, with veg egg rolls and edamame, so I think got a good range. The tofu was bland, not very Vietnamesey. When you get it over rie, it's just the seasoned tofu over rice. No veggies. The inari was not the rice-filled tofuskin pouches, but those in rice and nori with greens. It was very inventive and should have been good but The rice was a little dry or something. The spring rolls were also not Vietnamesey, being fried and skinny. The edamame was ok. Hard to screw that up.
Staff was very friendly and accommodating. That's the saving grace. I wouldn't avoid this place, It's maybe worth a try because others in my party were happy with their food. -
Review from Michelle C.
Chicago, IL
7/29/2007
I was skeptical of Sushi 28 when I walked in, and it never won me over. The rolls taste ok, but they fall apart if you try to bite one in half. I didn't find the fish particularly fresh, but I didn't fall ill from eating it either. There are other restaurants in the city with much fresher fish (Toro, which is in the same neighborhood as Sushi 28, and Oysy, which is at Grand and Wabash). The bento boxes make for a good value - plenty of food for the amount of money you pay.
The place was empty when I visited, and everytime I've walked by there are only a few tables occupied. The atmosphere is ok, it's got a bit of an eclectic decorating theme going on. Most importantly, however, is the fact that the service is friendly and attentive. My cup of green tea never went empty. -
Review from Erin C.
Chicago, IL
5/4/2009
Its really fast for a sushi place. They are very accommodating for large indecisive groups as well. We loved the lobster roll!
The woman who works behind the bar is so sweet and always come to ask how everything tastes and loves to hear us gush about our favorites. I wouldn't go for the atmosphere, its not exactly romantic ambiance. -
Review from Aubrey G.
Chicago, IL
3/29/2010
Just ordered delivery from here. Would give it 2 stars for food and 1 star for service.
Service - We tried ordering online, but there is a $5 delivery charge, so we decided to call the order instead. My boyfriend calls, places the order and has to repeat several times. He asks for a total and she says around $25. He said, you can't give me a price, how much for delivery? She said, I don't know. What is your zip? Really? You don't have a flat delivery charge? You wing it? So he says 60613, she says, $3. Then he asks for extra cilantro for the pho.
Food - We ordered the gyoza, spider roll maki and pho. Pho with extra cilantro. Ya, so we get the food, gyoza is suppose to be pan fried, wasn't really pan fried, could have used an extra couple minutes in the pan. Then the sauce that it came with, they couldn't even fill the small container all the way, so we didn't get enough sauce with it. The spider maki, mostly rice and not enough crab meat. Pho, oh boy. It didn't come with sriracha and hoisin sauce, no extra cilantro, the lime that came with was the end and dried out. It didn't even smell like pho. We really wanted to order from Simply It, but they are closed on Mondays. My boyfriend said it tasted plain, like a chicken noodle soup with beef.
Whoever packed the order didn't even give us chopsticks or napkins. What a terrible experience. We will not be ordering from here again. -
Review from Gabe L.
Chicago, IL
2/1/2010
A is for average
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O is for ordinary
K is for umm...
hmmm.... c'mon gabe you can do this. just think of a synonym with K and this review will be over. Kentucky? no! stop that. a real word. this is going to drive you crazy. your neighbors will start wondering what the scratching on the walls is. your coworkers will be afraid to approach you for computer help. it's like "Pi", but in color. there's only one thing you can do. make something up. nobody will know right? it'll be our little secret ...
K is for knormal (but it's silent, like in "knife").
* whew * *sigh of relief * -
Review from Daniel Y.
Chicago, IL
5/5/2008
The food is pretty good (I had sushi and some vietnamese pho), but the service is SLOW. I was in a party of six friends, and we were the first customers at the restaurant on a Saturday at 6:30p. We didn't start getting our orders until 7:45p, and even then it was just trickling in. Needless to say, I think they need more help. Three people (married couple and their young adolescent daughter) working this place just doesn't cut it.
Prices were very reasonable, but the wait is just not worth it. Unfortunately, I can't come back to a place this takes this long. -
Review from Rocky B.
3/24/2008
What to say, what to say about Sushi 28? I think the vote still might be out on this. Sushi was okay. The beef in the Pho was a bit on the tough side. We never did get the steamed buns we ordered and the ambience was definitely lacking. Not sure I would come back to Sushi 28 only because there are quite a few better sushi options in the area but I will definitely keep this place in mind if umm...well...I will keep this place in mind.
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Review from Cristin M.
Chicago, IL
11/30/2008
Blah. Sushi 28 did nothing for me. We ordered delivery from there, and while they arrived in a timely manner, I can't say that I liked anything that I ordered, and my roommate felt the same way. I ordered the combo maki (veg) that came with a kappa roll, shiitaki mushroom roll, inari maki, and omelet maki. We also ordered some of the mini spring rolls. Everything was really bland and half of my california roll pieces didn't have any discernible filling other than the rice. My roommate wasn't very enthusiastic about the fish, and was a little weirded out by the taste. Needless to say, I won't be trying it again.
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Review from Derek W.
Chicago, IL
11/12/2010
Randomly happened upon this place while randomly carrying a bottle of wine and might I say it was a great find. This place has fantastic rolls and the staff was helpful and friendly. A great BYOB sushi venue in Lakeview. Make sure you sign your bottle of wine and leave in the front window.
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Review from Christian R.
Chicago, IL
11/6/2007
honestly this place is mad cheap and the portions are mad big. BYOB and the super friendly staff bends over backwards for your dining pleasure. the thing i like about this place is that its a chinese owned and operated sushi place.
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Review from Alex G.
Chicago, IL
9/20/2009
The only reason I'm giving this place 2 stars, is because the people that run this joint are adorable, but its seriously the worst sushi I've ever had.
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Review from Jinna H.
Chicago, IL
9/15/2008
During a rainy and not-so-great date, I went to Sushi 28 for some good food. While the service is slow (empty restaurant and it took a while for my food), I could care less. The tofu sushi I had was super good, and the spring rolls ARE AMAZING AND CRISPY! Best stuff I've had in a while (I starve on the weekends, lol).
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Review from M H.
Arlington, VA
7/4/2009
Awful pho. They water down the sauces. Gross. Two bites and done! Yuck.
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Review from Lisa M.
Chicago, IL
10/21/2008
LOVED IT! Can't say enough about what a surprise Sushi 28 is. Stopped in on a whim one night with a friend. The quiet, family owned look and feel caused me a little bit of uncertainty, but they won us over with the food and friendliness. They manage to take the most mundane of sushi rolls and make them spectacular. Had the Crunchy, Lobster and Tiger rolls and they were all equally delicious. Will definitely be stopping back in soon.
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Review from Kris C.
Eden Prairie, MN
2/22/2009
This is the best place for sushi rolls in all of Chicago. My wife and I love it and you can not touch the prices. I still can not believe it is so cheap not to mention the BYOB!!!! We usually order the California, Double Crunch, Rainbow, Philly, Dragon and different one each time to try something new. We have taken many many friends there for the first time and everyone we bring here loves it. I can not believe some of the previous reviews and I am wondering if they are going to the same place I am. Can't beat the value, bring a couple bottles of wine and have fun. I love Sushi 28.
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Review from Roxanna L.
Manhattan, NY
10/31/2009
First things first: I only went here for the pho, so I wouldn't have a clue what the sushi tastes like. As such, the stars are representative of what I ordered, not the sushi. Second, I've made pho at home before by simmering beef bones from scratch for 4 hours to make the broth and I currently have pho noodles squatting in the pantry as I'm typing this. I know my noodles. I have to admit I didn't think it was very promising when I first crossed the dinky SUSHI storefront, but thanks to the wind nipping at my butt I went inside anyways instead of trotting down the street to Hai Yen or trekking over to Pho and i to see if they had opened yet. Surprisingly, the pho was very good. I ordered mine with brisket, steak slices, and meatballs. They only gave me ONE meatball, but the quantity and quality of the steak slices and brisket were good. Some reviewers commented about the "fattiness" of the meat, but I'll bet that's because they ordered brisket or tendon with their soup. Those particular cuts are supposed to be covered in fat. (Imagine ordering a hefty pork chop at a grill and having it arrive on your plate with serrated knife marks encircling it where the fat rim used to be.) If you like leaner meat, I'd suggest just ordering with steak slices or meatballs. The broth was also very reminiscent of home-made (although I'm fairly certain it wasn't, as most restaurants don't have the time and money for this). Although it was a tad salty, I thought it balanced out well when the accompanying plate of bland bean sprouts and thai basil was added. If you're not a halophile or despise your veggies, ask for low sodium. Overall, great tasting soup. I've had countless bowls in Argyle (Chicago's little Saigon) that pale in comparison. Price was also cheap ($5.50 for a "small" and $6.50 for a large that can feed an army). Definitely beats fast food hands down. I will be coming again.
