Market Creations Cafe

Market Creations has a very discriminating sign in the window at the 20 N. Wacker Drive Location Lyric Opera Building. They are indeed targeting and discriminating against someone and or group of people. I am asking that the sign be taken down. Please do the same. the sign reads: WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO REFUSE SERVICE TO ANYONE. Why would you have such a sign, unless you are planning to refuse service and discriminate against someone. Please take this offensiive and Harrassing signage down immediately. Take it down!!!

After our first visit here my co-​workers and I couldn’t stop proclaiming «I think we finally found the gold mine!»
Our own building’s cafeteria quickly gets old, so we made the short trek to the Willis Tower and worked our way through the maze of hallways to eventually find Market Creations and man was it worth it.
Right in front of you the sushi chefs are cranking out generous, delicious pieces of fresh sushi at affordable prices. I loaded up on an assortment of nigiri and continued to the hot bar to add a small plate of veggie pad thai and chicken wings. Between a hefty tray of sushi and a small hot plate, my meal came out to a very reasonable $ 19. The sushi alone would have probably cost me $ 30+ at most places.
And the taste did not disappoint. Sushi was of decent quality, irrespective of price. Won’t be the best you’ve ever had by any means, but this will be my go-​to stop for sushi now. The chicken wings were also very impressive.
Given the abundance of boring fast casual restaurants, I will be back here many times for my sushi and hot bar fix.

Basically a Chinese buffet except everything is measured by weight. The buffet and salad bar are around $ 8/​pound and the sushi bar is around $ 12/​pound. You can get stir fry, soup and rice a la carte though.
Overall, it’s a decent lunch option. I like the variety and the food items don’t tasted overly oily or salty. They switch up the food items every once in a while, although they do always keep items like turkey, market wings, etc. What I like to do to get my bang for my buck is to get 8 oz of brown rice in a separate container from my veggies and protein. Keeps me eating relatively healthy! Costs me around $ 6.50 a trip and doesn’t leave me super full or hungry.

Some co-​workers and I came here for lunch and had a very enjoyable time.
Décor: There isn’t much to this place from a looks stand point. It’s pretty average and nothing that you would remember as soon as you step out the front door. But that’s fine, as most seem to come for the food and not for the atmosphere — which is in-​eat-​out (or just grab-​and-​go). There are a bunch of tables around the perimeter so you should be able to find a seat if you want to stay and eat (we did).
Bathroom: Not here, but just outside in the common area there is one (however, I didn’t use it)
Staff: The staff do a great job of being Johnny On the Spot with replenishing the food and making things fresh. Additionally, the cashiers are all friendly as well.
Food: I’ve been here a few times and always get the sushi. It’s what I call «supermarket sushi» in that it isn’t he HIGHEST quality, but it is very good for what it is. There is plenty of variety and everything is pretty tasty. Additionally I had a Miso Soup (tasty) and my friend got the stir fry (which smelled and looked delicious!). Honestly, it doesn’t seem like you can go wrong with any food choice here.
Value: You can get away with eating cheap if you want, as things are priced by weight, but for me I end up spending more than I plan (I eat A LOT). So, it ends up being an expensive lunch but I’m very satisfied when I leave.
It’s a pretty solid go-​to place and I know I’ll be back in the future.

When I first discovered this place it was extremely hard to find. I walked around the entire building before finding it. I think they need to invest in better signs that let you know where to go. I didn’t know I had to walk to the other side to get the other options. So when I saw only one side I thought that was it. I stopped the staff working their about it but the young lady I spoke with was no assistance. I asked a fellow customer and he guided me the right way.
Besides that the quality of the food was really good. I had the sushi, tilapia, and salad they were really good. And I love that it changes everyday. Clean stations on a buffet line is really rare. Overall I found a new lunchtime location close to my job and I’m happy.

I met a friend here for lunch and just went to the sushi buffet, which is charged by the pound. I ordered a massive pile of sushi and rolls (see pic of my massive order of sushi compared to my lame friend’s weak order) that cost $ 22, which I consider to be reasonable. That included the price of a drink.
The rolls and sushi pieces tasted fresh and did not skimp on the fish to rice ratio. The meal left my appetite sated. Really I ate too much, but that isn’t the restaurant’s fault. It was too good and I couldn’t stop.
I might get less sushi next time, but do plan to be back.

To be honest, being a Chinese person working at this neighborhood I never imagined I can have chances to eat authentic Chinese lunches after work. If I’m not with only internship compensation I’ll eat here everyday.
Their entrée bar is just AMAZING, a quarter of it does American food, a quarter of it does American Chinese food, a quarter of it does AUTHENTIC CANTONESE FOOD (only Cantonese but it’s enough for me) and the rest quarter of it does food from else of the world.
The sushi bar is okay, most of the sushi is in American style, sashimi is not so fresh as some famous restaurants, but anyway fresh sashimi won’t be so cheap.
Stir fry is something between Cantonese and American Chinese, or say Cantonese stir-​fry with gravy :) But it tastes quite good and gives a lot of meat to bring home as dinner :)
They say the salad bar is also good but why do a Chinese person have salad when there are authentic Chinese dishes?

Great variety of food, it’s buffet style and they charge by the pound. At one section it’s a salad bar, they have strawberries dipped in chocolate at this part of the buffet. These definitely need to make it in your container! There’s a sushi bar on the side. When you first walk in is the section that has the sides and the meat choices. My favorite, besides the strawberries was the stuffing! Be careful not to over fill your container, my friend spent eleven dollars. They close at three, open Monday through Friday. They have seating overlooking the lobby of the Willis Tower and their on the second floor.

The Lyric Opera deli. This place is GREAT, but it is pricey.
The salad bar is wonderful, so many fresh options. And the turkey dinner served every day? It’s great!
Lunch for two, however, was $ 35.

For a buffet (pay by weight) concept, this place is wonderful! I love having the ability to chose as little or as much of any item. They have American food which is good, but the Chinese food and the Salad Bar is what really keeps me coming back. It’s just soooooo goooooodd. This location has a sushi buffet bar too! I don’t eat a lot of sushi, so being able to have only 1 or 2 pieces is great!

I love it when they have the salt and pepper shrimp! and the walnut shrimp!
I’m one of those people who would take put a bit of every cuisine on their plate. It’s like having the plate of the WORLD… ok less dramatic now. it’s a good place to meet for lunch with friends. Don’t be fooled by the long line… it goes by fast.
There is something for everyone. Soup, stir fry, sushi, buffet… Oh May!
the pay-​by-​the-​pound buffet is fresh and freakin’ tasty. For example there may be turkey and stuffing, empanadas, shrimp pesto pasta, lo mein, crab rangoon and fried rice for the none dieters. Then you have their staple ginger steamed sole with I get every time for a healthier option. there’s also bbq roast pork or teriyaki chicken and beef/​broccoli. The salad bar is there too but I like my hot foods. Their Chinese items are done very well. it’s quite on par with the nice Chinatown places.

We call this place «Sears Tower Sushi»! I kinda feel bad that I never knew the real name– but Market Creations is quite the place.
The sushi bar is wonderful. It is always fresh, clean and nicely presented.
I fill up a tray of my favorites– especially the Tuna nigiri and a selection of the maki.
I really like that when you build your tray. You get to select a piece or two of each maki and nigiri– it is not pre plated by someone else. That way, you can skip the nasty sweet egg nigiri. Sorry Mr Tomago roll, but nobody likes you.
I have been here several times and keep coming back.

Compared with the tastes of food around the Willis Tower. This restaurant here is not so good.
The average of each lunch is $ 10. I think the food doesn’t deserve the price.
1. I am always not full up each lunch time of this restaurant.
2. The restaurant is cold in winter so please not seat near the window.

Huh. A reasonably priced buffet that actually has decent food. You have several options. You can go to the stir fry counter where they have made-​to-​order stir fry. You can go to the sushi bar where they have trays of 8 – 10 kinds of rolls. They are not Macku or Dokku, and the rolls are a bit heavy on the rice, even still the sushi is very reasonably priced and tastes pretty good. There is a hot food bar with one side being predominantly comfort food (taters, stuffing, mac-​n-​cheese, turkey breast, etc.) and the other is primarily Chinese (and the wings are fantastic). And there is a darn good salad bar. And as someone else mentioned, once you’ve asembled your meal, the cashiers get you out the door right quick.
One of the best things about this place is that it is busy, so the food turns over quickly. Trays/​pans of food are constantly being replaced. Nothing looks as if it has been sitting out too long. Definitely a prime lunch option.

This is some of the best sushi in town. I seriously found out about this place and didn’t tell my coworkers for approx one year. I didn’t want to crowd the place more than it already was.
Here’s the deal– you pay by the pound. The Sushi is amazing, made fresh everyday. If you’re like me and super indecisive then choosing between a rainbow roll and a crazy roll can take 10 min. When you have 40 min to spare for lunch NO ONE wants to waste time.
At Market Creations you can literally get like 2 pieces of each and then 10 pieces of whatever else you want.
It’s so beautiful. I want to cry.
If you love Sushi, go here on payday and just eat like a King/​Queen. Unless you make over 60k. then go away. Just go somewhere else and leave this for us poor folk.

What a great idea for folks to get a quick, healthy (depending on what you chose) lunch. It’s a buffet, but it’s like a salad bar, where you just pay for what you take — salad bar, hot food bar w/​some very tasty Chinese items ($ 7.86/lb), salad bar ($ 7.86/lb), and sushi bar ($ 11.83/lb)!
First time here, so I sampled lots of stuff and came out to $ 14 ($ 4.44 for sushi and the rest for the hot items), but next time, I’m pretty sure I could keep it under $ 10.
Liked: the sushi, Singapore noodles, Hunan chicken ried rice, steamed asparagus.
Decadent, but tasty — the honey walnut shrimp and orange chicken — but you can get just 1 piece each!
Not fan of: the egg roll (too mushy); broccoli beef (way too salty — but maybe just today), and the steamed fish (I don’t know why I thought steamed fish on a buffet would be a good idea, but always looking for healthy options).
But overall, a quick, healthy, tasty lunch. I like it. Wish we had a Market Creations downtown in San Diego!

When I worked in the Aon building, I used to frequent the Market Creations over there. Well when I got a new job in 311 S Wacker, I was so excited to find out there was a Market Creations in the Willis Tower. My review is only for breakfast and the omelette station.
I love stopping in here to grab an omelette, unlike many other places that limit you to two toppings, you can fill your silver bowl up with as many items as you like. I load my bowl up and it has never cost me over 6 bucks. The guy that makes the omelettes is so efficient and quick. After he hands me my breakfast I rush as quick as I can back to my office to devour it.
The ingredients are fresh and they are always willing to accommodate.

Can’t believe I haven’t written a review about this place yet! My ex introduce me to this place years ago and I have fond memories of us going to lunch here. It’s hidden, so I’m assuming they get there business from word of mouth or others that work in the building. It’s on the second floor of the Sears… excuse me Willis tower.
I like that you pay by the pound. So it’s up to you how little or much you want. Remember some items are heavier than others so I don’t waste my time on fruit. The sushi bar is pretty good here, but more often than not I indulge in the hot foods bar. My favorites are the mash potatoes, orange chicken, and vegetarian quesadilla. For a healthier option they also have a salad bar as well.
Pretty decent size seating area, but if you come right at noon it’ll be hard to find a seat. If it’s nice out I opt to take my lunch to go and eat outside on the patio upstairs.

Salad-Salad-Salad…it’s what I’ve been noshing on for lunch… for the past several months. I used to not be a salad lover, then I became a salad-​liker, and now a salad-​enjoyer. It is easier when there is a huge salad bar to choose from.
The salad bar here is plentiful. It runs around $ 7.50 a pound, and things can add up. It is my goal in life to keep my salad under $ 8.00 on a daily basis.
This salad bar is pretty large with a ton of options. They start out with cut up fruit, then the different lettuces, then the salad dressings (so oddly placed), then the other side holds the toppings. Lastly is the pre-​made salads. There is always a good variety of toppings and everything is pretty fresh and nicely stocked.
I will say that the protein option, chicken, is diced up and usually dry. I think it is chicken left over from the night before. It is not very good.
Overall, a good salad bar. They do have a hot buffet bar, a sushi bar, and a stir fry bar. I haven’t had any of these, but I think they would be considered average.
The cashiers that work here are the fastest you’ve ever seen. Even if the line is 20 deep, they will have you rung out in like 2 minutes.

With Lent in full force, I decided that i needed to find a few places that would not only be paleo, but also allow for Friday meals (no meat) in the loop. Sushi comes quickly to mind (white rice in limited quantities), and so on the first above 30 degree day in Chicago for 2014, I made the trek over to the Sears Tower to check out the sushi at Market Creations.
Finding it: When you get to the Willis/​Sears Tower, it’s on the 2^nd floor. There are signs that give you a general idea where Market Creations is, but there’s a lot of other food options here, so pay attention. Once you find it, you’ll likely see a line forming to the right — that’s the sushi bar.
There are plenty of rolls, with all sorts of fillings, creams, sauces… but I was here just to enjoy some simple nigiri. (As you’ll see in the picture). Here’s what I got
3x Tuna: Tuna was my least favorite, as it had a somewhat off taste… yes, it was a bit fishy. The rice was a undercooked a bit as well, but far better than overcooked overworked mushy rice, which I’ve had at some buffets.
3x White Tuna: Not bad. This came in 2^nd place out of three, as the flavor wasn’t as clean/​crisp as truly fresh white tuna, but it was tasty here. Would benefit from a small squeeze of lemon on top possibly.
3x Salmon: This was actually quite acceptable! (Notice I don’t say good). The salmon wasn’t fishy, and was fairly smooth with just the right amounts of fat (though that’s based on the pieces you select really… pay attention to the pieces you grab!)
Total price: $ 12 and change. Yes, 9 pieces of nigiri for $ 12 and change. Great value, right? It’s based on the weight of what you order, so this fell just in line for me.
Verdict: This place is A-​OK. If you’re craving sushi and don’t need the highest of qualities, and the budget is more important right now, this is a massive step above your Jewel/Dominick’s sushi at the grocery store, and likely more affordable as well. I’d stick to just white tuna and salmon next time, as the tuna was acceptable, but not enjoyable. At $ 1.30 per nigiri, the value proposition here is hard to beat. Get some rolls if you like, which may mask the fish a bit better. but I’m quite content with my nigiri.
Side note: I’ll have swing back and try the hot buffet/​cold salad area sometime, which is actually far cheaper than the sushi ($ 11.85/lb). Buffet was $ 7.85 per lb I believe…

I am right across the street so this place has tempted me.
Warning– items are by the lb so your heavier items will cost ya.
I’ve been maybe 5x now. Always kept clean and dont be put off by the line being to the back of the restaurant as the line moves FAST since all they are doing is weighing.
A few standouts from what I have tried.
Beef fried rice– delicious, well seasoned and not crispy dry as you may expect from a buffet setting
Turkey, cranberry sauce and, mashed– who doesnt like fresh carved turkey? Oh my my delicious redskin mashed potatoes. I could make a meal out of that but it’d be expensive!
Orange chicken– nice! Actual more CHICKEN than breading and good flavor.
There is a whole other room with sushi (I do not eat). The fresh fruit bar was good but not great. (Nitpick– dont like when grapes are comingling= green and red grapes do not belong together~~)
Will update as I try more, I know I will be back.