Coast Sushi Bar

Walked in on a Friday night at 9:30pm for a girl’s night dinner with no reservations, after an Art class we took down a couple blocks at #Arts and Spirits. The hostesses asked if we had reservations and we said no, she said they were waiting on a couple of people who did have #reservations and for us to have a seat. If those reservations were not fulfilled we should be seated soon… worry then accompanied my growling stomach. We were hoping this was not a similar ploy, pretentious #Chicago night clubs do by having people wait in line on an empty bar, in hope to perceive popularity.
Since it was my first time there, I took the opportunity to enjoy the #Asian Art on the waiting room walls of beautiful cherry blossom trees, considering we did just come from an art class. Alas, after a short 5 minute wait, a soft calming voice said, please follow me to your table. #Score! Star #1 check!
We were seated at our table with a tall glass of ice water poured to enjoy as we browsed the #menu. My girlfriend had given up drinking a few months back and since this place is #BYOB even a more perfect way to keep the extra sake calories at bay. I saved my would have been #martini calories for the evening’s #sushi specials.
A friendly bearded waiter approach to take our order along with announce the sushi specials of the evening were a summer roll and a the #firecracker #maki. Done, order that up along with the 12 piece #sashimi plate. Star #2 belongs to great wait staff here.
After an #intimate conversation on #life amidst #Coast’s low lit ambience our #culinary master pieces arrive. First thought was wow, second was #yum and third was nom, nom, nom! They serve a very generous portion and more than enough for your belly’s content! Star #3 goes to #food presentation.
After the first #bite of the firecracker roll, the only letter my lips could murmur were mmmmmmm! The firecracker roll is a crisp delight for the raw and cooked #sushi lovers. Second bite went to the #summer roll and can we say refreshing! Highly recommend trying both of these. As for the #sashimi platter, it was a #fresh plate of goodness and wonderfully presented with a #salmon rose and thick slices of #hamachi, #tuna, yellow tail, etc. Star #4 goes for #flavor.
Drum roll, as the 5^th star goes to #CoastSushiBar prices. After receiving the bill, an #amazing dinner for 2 all under $ 90 with tip. In summary, great service, low lit intimate ambiance, fresh /​flavorful fish and affordable no holes in your pocket date night. I think I should skip on the spirits more, as usually most of my bill belongs to my liquid portion of the meal. I will definitely return with a friend I can share a bottle of unfiltered #sake with. Arigato! (Japanese for Thank you)

I would have liked to have eaten at the Coast everyone else has been to because when I was there the sushi was bland and uninspiring. It was almost like the sushi you could get at Jewel.
We went on a Sunday night and it was half full so our service was very prompt and we got our food quickly. It was my first time here and when I saw our 2 sushi orders on the same plate I was surprised. The portions were quite small and well, it looked like it had been made the day before and sitting in the fridge. It tasted fine, but it certainly wasn’t special. My date was embarrassed as he was a big fan of this place. At least I didn’t pay for it.
I had higher expectations given the location and great reviews. I won’t be back.

Fantastic sushi spot! We walked in with our own bottle of sake and our server was kind enough to check if it was best served warm or cold. Upon learning is was cold sake he brought us an ice bucket which was much appreciated. Nothing like a cold glass of sake on a hot day!
We split a couple of rolls to start. The white dragon maki was divine. Great spin on one of my ultimate favorites. But the first round just left us craving more so two more rolls and 2 pieces of sushi were definitely a great second round. Their sake (smoked salmon sushi) is one of my favorites to date.
Service was friendly and knowledgable and I will definitely be back.

I have tried Sushi in many places, but sushi at Coast is simply the best! They have a great selection and everything is very fresh! Every roll that we tried was even better than the last one! I highly recommend this place if you want the best sushi! I also love how this location is BYOB! Must try their specialty rolls!

I am still in LOVE with Coast Sushi. This was the second sushi restaurant I ever went to in Chicago and I have been happy with all of their selections ever since 2008. I took a several-​year-​hiatus between visits but went back a few months ago and still absolutely loved the food. The fish is incredibly fresh, the menu is diverse and includes non-​sushi items, and it’s still BYOB.
I recommend the tuna tartare as an appetizer — it’s soft, delicious, and really well plated. The duck entrée is mouth-​watering and is a great go-​to if you don’t feel like having sushi. I don’t really care for single pieces of fish, but all of my friends say they are excellent.
Their signature maki are really great, especially the more «bizarre» combinations that feature deep-​frying or multiple layers of flavors. I recommend the volcano and the white dragon as my personal favorites. Spicy tuna, always a great go-​to.
If you haven’t been, you’ve got to come. Coast takes reservations and is usually busy on weekend nights, so make one if you’re going on a date or don’t want to wait too long.

If Unilocal allowed 6 stars Coast Sushi Bar would have 7. This is must-​go for all sushi lovers and here’s why.
My boyfriend and I were celebrating our anniversary and it was recommended that we try Coast out. The Unilocal reviews seemed awesome, the photos were drool worthy and it was suppose to be a beautiful night so why not?
We made a reservation a day in advance for 6pm on Saturday. This establishment, like many in this Bucktown/​Wicker Park neighborhood, was BYOB which was a-​ok with me. Upon entering the sushi bar, it appeared very modern, clean and there was a mood-​setting dimness throughout. After being seated for only approximately 2 minutes, we were greeted by our waiter who already had a wine holder filled with ice. He had popped our bottle open, poured each of us a hefty glass all while explaining the specials for the evening. Our server was very knowledgable, polite and attentive — excellent for a first timer! Because we were new to Coast, open to suggestions and our server was very convincing we ended up purchasing 3 of the recommended options he talked us into. No regrets.
The food here was absolutely phenomenal. The sushi itself was made so intricately and precisely which is what I was hoping for considering some of the prices of the rolls. Before I make you readers wipe drool off your keyboards, I just have to say that the fish felt like butter in your mouth. Enough said. My date and I ordered an appetizer, two regular maki rolls and a specialty roll (a Coast favorite according to our waiter: The Firecracker) as well as a kick-​ass dessert to top it all off.
Not only was this an excellent choice for a celebratory date night but for their fish, atmosphere and service as well. I’ll be coastin’ back here real soon.

The atmosphere was great for a Wednesday evening. I would probably not come back for casual BYOB sushi dinner. Service was slow, it could be they were under staffed. Sad to say our eating time was shorter than the wait time for our sushi rolls to come out.
The food is on the pricey side and most were good, not great. I’ve had better value and better tasting sushi at close by places (seadog, yuzu, sushi toro) for the same price. The tropical ceviche was a let down.
There are many better sushi places in the city and neighborhood to eat at so again, probably won’t be returning.

My wife and I live a few doors down and it’s such a luxury to be this close to a top notch byob and sushi restaurant. It’s probably our most frequent date spot and we love the service and food here. It’s just legitimately my favorite sushi place and it also happens to let you bring your own bottle of wine. Favorites include Tuna on Top, White Dragon, Spicy Scallop, Rainbow, and it goes on. I’m including pictures of their Tuna on Top and Spring Roll specials, as well as the Uni nagiri (sp?) with a quail egg.

Ok sushi place. Wish they had a bigger selection but overall satisfied with what I ordered. This is a BYOB as well.

First, it’s BYOB and there’s a 5% discount if you pay cash. It gets packed on Friday and Saturday nights but they take reservations. The sushi is very good, a cut above average although not the best you’ve ever had. Service is fast and friendly, and it’s got a cool, fun vibe. Very reasonable prices. One of my favorite sushi places in the city.

This is some amazing sushi folks. Great selection — we literally had a hard time picking what rolls we wanted cause everything sounded so amazing.
Girls night here not long ago. Started the night off with some edamame and opening bottle #1. In case you haven’t heard, this place is BYOB with no corkage fee. The appetizer is delicious and we were ready to take down some maki. We had so many I can’t even remember them all… we had their valentine roll special, white dragon, volcano… and then we ended the night with the Po Boy. HUUUUUGE pieces and it was insanely good. It was very filling and very rich, so it really put all of us over the edge. Might be better to start the night off with that roll and then order others.
Ambience is like a lot of downtown places — dark and cozy. Our service was good, it was a pretty busy night so I can’t blame her for not always being around to open up our bottles right away.
Now the bill — 4 girls with a lot of sushi and it was only $ 25 per person before tip. How can you beat that?

My BF and I came here last weekend with another couple and we had a really nice time.
It’s BYOB, and they will open your wine for you and they have glasses as well. We came on a Sunday without reservations and we didn’t have to wait more than 10 minutes.
Our server was very attentive and very knowledgeable about the menu. We ordered 2 special rolls, Rainbow Roll, Snowcrab roll and another roll I can’t remember. We took full advantage of BYOB ;)
The sushi was great and we were stuffed after. We’ll totally come back!

I’ve never been a «sushi person,» but I visited Coast Sushi Bar for a friend’s birthday celebration. And thanks to our server, I can now say that I enjoy sushi (and I know what to order, due to his excellent suggestions based on my likes and dislikes.) I don’t remember everything I tried, but the «White Dragon» stood out as being fantastic.
Sushi aside, the appetizers were also very good. We ordered asparagus beef, edamame and gyoza — all delicious and shareable, which was nice.
There was a bit of a wait, which we didn’t mind since we were celebrating and socializing. But, something to keep in mind if you’re hoping for a quicker meal.

Loved this place, the sushi was amazing with lots of variety in it and for me that is very important especially since I’m a bit of a sushi cretic.

Is there actually anything better than a BYOB sushi restaurant? Rhetorical question. there’s not. I have great things to say about Coast. The sushi is great! I have never had a bad roll. I also HIGHLY recommend the gyoza as an appetizer. They are so attentive and great even as a BYOB place. Always filling up our wine glasses, they even chilled champagne that we brought!
Be warned… the wait on a weekend is usually pretty insane. We waited about 2 hours once, but they give you cups to drink your booze… which can be dangerous as you want to REMEMBER there delicious sushi.
Tip: they take call ahead, so call maybe an hour before you want to eat and they will tell you to come in around 15 minutes before to check in, that should help.

We came here for dinner shortly after they opened on a week night around 4pm. The space is huge and obviously at that time it was empty, but I can imagine it really fills up during prime hours.
Warm miso soup was a great way to start off and I would recommend the spicy option! Two of us ordered three rolls: the Rainbow Roll, Sunrise Roll and White Dragon. They were all tasty rolls, with our favorite being the White Dragon. I have been to many Chicago sushi restaurants and I have to say that this restaurant really stands out in my mind for having the best sushi rice, which is obviously a huge part of sushi!
It is byob but we did not take advantage of this… but it should be known.
Downside was that the portions seemed small for the price and we our appetites were completely satisfied

I went for the first time last night and was excited because I have heard great things about this place. Food was ok. Sushi was fishy tasting and not the best that I’ve had in the area. Service was fast but I have to say the servers and front desk people, while kind, just seemed to be going through the motions. I felt rushed and there was no «warmth» from them. Very much a production type of place. I would not recommend this restaurant. There are far better places in Bucktown that go over and above and want your business. Coast felt to me like they could care less and with an attitude like this, you better have exceptional food– and they did not. It’s at the bottom of my recommendation list for sure.

The sushi was good however, the service was pretty slow for a Tuesday night. I was with a mid size group of 6 and it seemed like our server didn’t check on us too much and the rolls took awhile to arrive at the table even though we each only ordered one roll. The atmosphere was nice and quiet and the food decently good for the price.

I really enjoyed this place. They don’t serve alcohol so it’s byob which is kind of nice because you save money and are able to bring what you want. The sushi was excellent as well as the tofu plate. I ordered the firecracker roll which was a special, it was so intricate and tasted amazing.

Got for delivery and it was 2 hours late. The management was very apologetic and professional, ended up comping our food because of the delay. Sushi was great, fish to rice ratio was perfect and the tuna melted in my mouth. Would order again and recommend to anyone!!!

LOVE it here. BYOB, great sushi, wonderful atmosphere… my go to sushi around my house :-)

Wow. Just wow.
Spicy Miso soup is crack in a cup, order it extra spicy, they do not disappoint! The gyoza is awesome too, definitely light but very flavorful.
All of their sashimi is incredibly fresh and super tasty.
I am a HUUUUGE fan of the smoked salmon and the yellowfish.
The tiramisu/​chocolate cake dessert is heavenly, holy crap I was so sad that it was small. It really wasn’t but I just wanted a huge diner sized dessert in front of me. This isn’t a diner Natalija, damn.
The customer service here has always been very good and efficient.
Overall a great place to bring a date or a group of friends!
P. S. Try to call to make a reservation, this place can get packed!

Nice but a bit pricey for what you get. Food is ok. The atmosphere is good and this a great place to people watch. Love the ability to bring your own beer and wine. Very cool!

Overall it was a decent choice for sushi night. There were only a few stand out rolls. I still don’t understand the hype for this place. I found it hard to pick maki rolls since it didn’t sound interesting or it had cream cheese.
The good:
— BYOB with no corkage fee
— the Coast Crab roll was great and the dragon roll was good too
— The tuna on top special roll was not too really spicy… but it was good.
— the bbq eel nigiri was pretty good.
the meh:
— the food came out slower than expected.
— there were too many rolls with cream cheese on the menu. I guess it made it easy to narrow down.
— The tuna on top special roll was not too memorable… it was ok.
— Ceviche roll was a bit of a let down.
— the salmon and a Hamachi rolls were okay.
— it’s a tad pricey for what you get for certain rolls.

I just came back from Dubai, and you know what, that sushi are the best. But this restaurant can be a good competitor.

Let me start by saying, the food is good. However, never do takeout from this place because the restaurant is not organized and will give your order to someone else and/​or get the contents of your order wrong.
We ordered online and when we went to pick it up, discovered the restaurant gave our order to another customer. We had to wait while the whole order was remade.

A bit on the pricier side for maki, but nonetheless good.
Ambience: Casual. Set up is very similar to many other sushi places. It has the sushi bar and open seating in the dining area. We went for dinner and it was a very «romantic» dim lighting. It wasn’t too loud so you can carry a concersation without yelling at one another.
Food: We started with the asparagus beef as a starter, it was delicious. The sauce was along the lines of teriyaki and the beef was thin and tender, similar to that of bulgogi. As for rolls, I had the Firecracker which was off the menu (kind of expensive was $ 19 for the roll, didn’t know until i received the bill). It had a bit of a kick to it since it had spicy tuna and jalapeños, but very tolerable for those who don’t eat spicy food (I have a very low tolerance for spicy). My cousin had a dragon roll and it was different than most I’ve had, it had more crunch to it which could be due to the seasame seeds in it. Either way, delicious. And for dessert green tea ice cream and mochi, better than store bought but nothing out of the ordinary compared to other japanese restaurants.
Service: Overall, decent. A bit slow on clearing up the table and refilling water.

A bit on the pricier side for maki, but nonetheless good.
Ambiance: Casual. Set up is very similar to many other sushi places. It has the sushi bar and open seating in the dining area. We went for dinner and it was a very «romantic» dim lighting. It wasn’t too loud so you can carry a conversation without yelling at one another.
Food: We started with the asparagus beef as a starter, it was delicious. The sauce was along the lines of teriyaki and the beef was thin and tender, similar to that of bulgogi. As for rolls, I had the Firecracker which was off the menu (kind of expensive was $ 19 for the roll, didn’t know until i received the bill). It had a bit of a kick to it since it had spicy tuna and jalapeños, but very tolerable for those who don’t eat spicy food (I have a very low tolerance for spicy). My cousin had a dragon roll and it was different than most I’ve had, it had more crunch to it which could be due to the seasame seeds in it. Either way, delicious. And for dessert green tea ice cream and mochi, better than store bought but nothing out of the ordinary compared to other Japanese restaurants.
Service: Overall, decent. A bit slow on clearing up the table and refilling water.

Hi, My name is Sarah and I’m a sushi addict. Complete addict. If you ever ask me what I want for dinner, 9 times out of 10 I will say sushi. And the other time, I’m just trying to be considerate and let you order something you’d prefer instead.
A night played out exactly as noted above with friends asking where we should grab food from. We decided on trying a new sushi spot and went with Coast. Coast has three locations and Bucktown is close to us so that’s what we went with. It’s BYOB which is a great bonus! Loved the atmosphere and cool graffiti on the wall.
Another thing about me and my sushi eating, I must always order a sweet potato roll. I realize it’s not sushi by any stretch of the imagination but it’s my thing. I must get it! The sweet potato roll from Coast is delicious as it has a bit of spice to it and it’s just $ 7. I also ordered a philly roll and was pleased with the freshness of the salmon. Everything my friend and I ordered maki wise was tasty and we really enjoyed Coast! They also ordered a flaming roll which was lit up at our table leading us to Ooooo and Aaaaah all over it. I’d definitely order from them again.

My entire life I have been a sushi hater. The thought of raw fish wrapped in sushi was enough to make my stomach uneasy, let alone was at all appetizing. I have tried, throughout the years, to try sushi each time I am able with the hopes that I might like it that time. However, it’s never worked. Until i tried Coast, that is.
2 friends of mine asked me if I wanted to get sushi with them, and I immediately came up with why I wasn’t able to. They convinced me to at least come and try it out, and knowing I could at least have some sort of noodle soup, I obliged.
I decided to try sushi yet again, hoping this would be the time it clicked for me. I told the server I had never been a sushi eater, but I was willing to try a roll. She recommended the spicy sweet tomato roll with tempura flakes.
Let it be known, I think my experience at Coast could have turned me into a sushi lover. I was blown away by how delicious my roll was. I also tried the California and avocado/​cucumber roll. I am so glad I tried Coast and will be back for more!

I love sushi and japanese food. Despite the 4 star reviews I resisted coming here because I knew it would be mediocre. Most people just don’t know what good sushi is. People like their rolls soaked in spicy mayo sauce and call it delicious. Call me a sushi snob. But I like to taste the fish. For dinner I had:
Seaweed salad: good– perhaps the best thing I had. It was simple and clean.
Sunny side shiitake: it was not impressive. The yolk sauce would probably taste better on a seafood item such as crab or a mussel.
Nama Jalapeño: it was a nice portion of salmon but it was also «okay»
Dragon roll: I get this often every where. I had it without the cream cheese and asked for light on the mayo and eel sauce. I think it made all the difference. It was better than expected considering everything else I had.
This is a sushi restaurant for those that like sushi drenched in sauces and like to say they like sushi. Note: I couldn’t get into Kai Zan or Momotaro thus came here since it was recommended by a friend.
The server was nice and the ambience was nothing special.

Yum! Coast definitely has very very solid sushi.
Between two people, we split the agedashi tofu, spicy scallop roll, salmon avocado, and spider roll.
I really did not enjoy the agedashi tofu too much. One of the most important things about agedashi tofu is getting the texture of the tofu right and being sure to use silky/​silken tofu! Coast definitely did NOT use silky tofu :(It was extremely disappointing.
However! Their rolls are really some of the best rolls that I’ve had in Chicago. The texture of the rice is perfect and the fish is super fresh! I also love that there is avocado instead of cucumber in the spicy scallop! They were a bit skimpy on the rice though.
Overall, 3 stars because as hard as I tried, I cannot get over how terrible the experience of the agedashi tofu was. Fix that please!!!

The food: 2.5÷5. I went about a year and a half ago for the first time and liked it, but it seems the quality of food has gone downhill since then. As a rule of thumb, I usually get one roll and a variety of sashimi at sushi restaurants, but at Coast I was still hungry after two rolls and sashimi. I have no complaints about sashimi, it was fresh and good quality. Rolls, on the other hand, were disappointing, very small and short on fish.
The service: 3.5÷5. We called and were told the wait would be 45 minutes to an hour. We showed up 10 minutes later and there was no wait at all. In fact, the restaurant was half-​empty on a Friday night. It’s a good place for groups, so there were a lot of loud tables, which made it nearly impossible to hold a conversation with someone across the table. It’s not a good place for a date night. Our waitress was pretty friendly though.
Overall: 2.5÷5. Good sashimi, but average rolls and service. I’m unlikely to go back

Coast will forever remain as one of my favorite sushi spots in Chicago. The sushi is delicious and consistent every time. PLUS it’s BYOB… What’s not to love?
I’ve been to Coast more times than I can count but the tried and true rolls always remain: the volcano, the white dragon, tuna on top, and the crunchy spicy tuna. Yum yum yummayyyy. Also, they offer a special maki of the night which is always innovative and delicious. With all of this maki talk, don’t forget about the apps, which are equally tasty. Some of my favs include the tropical ceviche, edamame, gyoza, and the seaweed salad. Basically it’s safe to say any dish you order at Coast is going to be bomb.
My girlfriend and I came here last Friday at 7pm and it never fails, always a crowd. Don’t make the mistake and think you will be able to just COAST in and grab a table, make a Rez! That way you will secure yourself a seat and buckle up for a delightful ride. Don’t forget to bring along your favorite bottle of wine:)

Came here for dinner with a friend — when we arrived the restaurant was nearly empty but the hostess told us that if we wanted a table, there would be about a 20 minute wait… which was kind of confusing, since there were literally only three tables seated in the whole restaurant. We opted to sit at the sushi bar, and she set down two place mats for us. My friend actually ended up sitting one seat over, and the host came back and corrected us… so overall the seating situation was kind of uncomfortable and a little strange. I get not leaving one seat open at the end of the bar, but the hostess was not particularly friendly during her interactions with us. Oh well.
The food! We got an assortment of rolls (sorry I don’t remember the names), a couple spicy miso soups, and an order of seaweed salad (a must for me when I go for sushi). Overall the rolls were fresh and tasty — put together well (I remember there were a lotta tempura crumbs which were yummy if not very healthy) although a bit on the smaller side. The spicy miso soups were actually really good (never had a spicy version before) and the seaweed salad paired well with the rolls. Also BYOB which was definitely a plus and helped our wallets out.

Arnie and I had dinner here on a Saturday this winter. The waitstaff were quite polite and attentive given the packed night and we were very satisfied with the service. The food was mostly great with the exception of one dish which I think they could have done a better job on.
We started off by ordering the uni shooters, which came out way too vinegary (Arnie nearly choked on his shooter and I had difficulty holding mine down).
That being said the next two courses were great — the Bluefin sashimi and the omakase were prepped really well and the fish was fresh.
The final course we got — the spicy creamy maki — was sublime. Easily the best dish of the night. Lots of fish and filling, not a lot of rice, plus cheaper than most maki you can get elsewhere.
My recommendation — skip the shooters and funky appetizers and go for the maki. The sashimi is comparable to other sushi places and worth getting if you’re in the mood for it.

Great customer service. Loved the waiter’s fav which was the Firecracker roll. It was packed on a Wednesday night so reservations are a must. Definitely will return.

Pretty average. The rolls are lacking and for the price point I would expect more. The sashimi (tuna, salmon, yellowtail) was all really good.
The spider roll at $ 9 was 4 pieces in total with a measly amount of soft shell crab. The seaweed salad was a complete joke at $ 5. Our total was over $ 100 for to-​go food and I think Whole Foods is better.