I like RA, I truly do. Â Still one of the better sushi chains, in my opinion. Â Â Especially in the Chicago area, where there isn't a lot of quality to choose from.
But I think the quality is starting to slip. Â On my last two visits I noticed the sushi didn't taste as fresh as I remembered. Â And the menu hasn't really changed in the years they've been open. Â Â I'm starting to think that RA is turning into something of an expensive cocktail destination. Â Â If things don't improve, I'm not sure I'll want to brave the crowds.
We went for happy hour, but I of course decided not to order on the happy hour menu. I ordered the Crazy Monkey Roll and it was amazing! Salmon, avocado, cream cheese, tempura pieces, etc. Yum! I also had a Sapporo which is always good. We made a reservation because we had previously thought there were going to be more people in our group. When we got there we tol the waitress and she gave us a snotty look and went to go rearrange the tables. Our waitress seemed a little stuck up and impatient that we didn't want to order right away after we sat down.
The decor was cute, food was good & service was ok. But, I enoyed myself enough that I will probably go back!
I go there frequently when I'm in town for business. Usually for lunch - the lunchtime bartender is awesome, very friendly and helpful with the menu.
I wish they had quail eggs, every time I've been there over the past few months they've been "fresh out". Other than that, can't go wrong with RA Sushi in Yorktowne!
I have only came here for Happy Hour, so I will just base my review off that. The price is average for the most part depending on what you get. Drinks range from $3-$6 and food ranges from $2-$7. The majority of the good rolls are $6-$7. The majority of the rolls are average and didn't really stand out. One roll, the Viva Las Vegas Roll, definitely stands out from the rest and is by far my favorite roll here.
Overall, I will probably come back here with a group. It is a fun environment to be in during Happy Hour. Our service was okay.
I've been to the Chicago location once and both the Glenview and Lombard locations several times. While I like the Glenview location without reservation the Lombard store has seen the last of me, except possibly for drinks, last night. While the service, except for a young lady on one ocassion that either hadn't been trained properly or forgot what she was taught, has always been friendly and pretty efficient, the sushi is another ballgame. Although I like the atmosphere of the tropics, the playful sexual innuendos of their merchandising (that of course are missing in DuPage County), the fact that the place is floor to cieling windows on the perimeter and opens to patio warm weather dining from the bar, their sushi has never made them m a "go to" place for me. What frosted me was the fact that the sushi was dry and flat tasting and this is on a Saturday night which I frankly find inexcusable. I plead guilty to not informing the management at the time but I'm virtually apalled that a sushi chef would allow that type of quality fish out of the sushi bar. I purposely don't eat at sushi houses on Sundays because I know that the last delivery was on Saturday at the latest and unless you're on the water and getting day catch the stuff's got some age on it by the time it gets to the seller let alone the restaurant. This stuff seemed more like Sunday night or Monday lunch before the purveyor shows up. There are other options close by so if you need your sushi fix around Lombard, start Googling "sushi" and leave Ra for the kids.
Review Source:Service is getting worse with every visit. Staff isn't unfriendly just poorly managed. 15 minutes to be greeted and drink orders. Appetizers coming after dinner instead of before. Not bringing refills when they're asked for. C'mon RA you're losing my loyalty.
Gotta try the Viva Las Vegas Roll though. It is to die for!
Decent sushi... Don't expect the best or you will be very dissapointed beer has never been cold the 4 times I have been here and the so called Vegas roll is disgusting I would recommend the sashimi combo and the California roll anything else NOT GOOD i have order plenty of different things to know the difference now ( I keep on coming back because I visit the mall regularly and I just don't see anything else I like )
Review Source:Great sushi, great happy hour, and great ambience! This place fills up quick! The happy hour specials are for drinks as well as certain rolls. I had two rolls and a cosmo for $20 during happy hour, so not super cheap but not awful. If you sign-up for email specials you will get a $20 coupon on your half birthday!
Review Source:This isn't the best sushi I've ever had, but I will continue to go here for the happy hour. The sushi is cheaper before 7pm, and that's the only time it is worth it.
The place is kind of up it's own @$$ a bit. It has a very clubby vibe, from the cute little servers dressed in black, to the dimly-let atmosphere with tons of uplighting, to the happenin' music they blast. I also get emails from them about their bar specials and events, so I'm confused if this place is supposed to be a sushi restaurant or a nightclub?
Either way, I always like the sushi. The Crispy Spicy Tuna is interesting...I have had it several times, but I'm not sure if I like it. It's a ball of minced tuna mixed with spicy sauce, and it's placed on top of another ball of rice, only the rice has been fried to a crispiness. It has a very unique texture, which is what I like about it. But is has come out cold to me several times, and then its gross. I think I just prefer an oldschool spicy tuna roll over this...it tries really hard to be trendy but fails.
The Viva Las Vegas Roll is very pretty, and tastes great! This is one of those staples here that everyone gets, so you should just go ahead and order it, because otherwise you'll see it go by your table 20 times and regret not getting it. It's not the best roll I've ever had, but it's worth it.
I'm the only one of my friends who liked the Tuna Tataki...it's basically very, VERY thinly sliced rare ahi tuna. It's nothing special, but I like ahi tuna. Just be prepared to be disappointed in how thin the pieces are.
HUGE fan of the Tropical Roll. It is served REALLY cold, so it threw me off at first...but I really liked the flavor. Very sweet and refreshing, more so than any other sushi.
I don't remember what it was called, but we did get a roll with asparagus in it one time. I hated it. Asparagus just does not belong in sushi. It was weird and gross.
So in all, if you are going to go, go during happy hour. The place is generally overpriced, like most sushi places. And since this place is a chain, they feel justified in charging way too much. So save yourself a few dollars and get there before 7pm. My friend and I went there once, each had a mango margarita, and shared 4 rolls...our bill was $42. Not bad for sushi!
My first mistake was to walk in the door. I've never had anywhere near decent service here, I should've known better...
I ordered a glass of the red zinfandel they have listed on the menu. I then watched the bartender pour my glass from a different bottle. When I asked her about it she said they're now pouring what she gave me instead of what's listed. Wouldn't she say something about it first? It's not the same wine and I know for a fact that it doesn't taste like what I ordered. After putting it down in front of me, she goes to tell the manager who kept looking at me and yet does nothing.
When bartender finally came back near me, I told her I really didn't want the glass (that I hadn't even touched) because it wasn't what I ordered. Â She took the glass and makes a show of pouring it out right in front of me. Again talks to the manager and nothing. Horrible people skills/customer service (ha). Never again.
I do really like the place!
I love the interior, that is probably my favorite haha. Huge modern, red lanterns everywhere and bamboos adds a whimsical yet edgy feel to the place.
The witty cartoons and taglines on the menus always keep my company amused.
I like the waitstaff. There is a Filipino guy bartender that is always great fun! The waitstaff are always laidback and not pushing us to rush to order, yet I always felt like they were attentive. Nothing annoys me more than a a forced, overly peppy waitress that is checking up on me every five minutes.
I have only every gone during happy hour. I would say my bill was perfectly average for a sushi joint. The last time I went, a friend and I split an appetizer, 3 rolls, 2 "tapas", and 2 sake for 45 USD. I thought that was reasonable for all our food.
I do not know what the average food price is when not a happy hour so I can't comment on that.
My friend loves the Viva Las Vegas. I like it, but too much meat for me. There are other rolls that I think are better at least.
I love the crunchy calimari roll, it is a MUST!
The tappas are essentially shashimi without the rice. There is a salmon, citris, garlic one that is so refreshing!
Typically the biggest mistake is ordering the calimari tempura appetizer. It tastes good and even though I am the biggest fan of thickly cut calimari, it is still quite yummy... But it is so heavy! It won't leave much room for anything else.
It definitely isn't authentic sushi, more creative and innovative. There are other sushi places in the suburbs I would choose over this, like Raku in Naperville. RA is still a strong competitior and it is good!
I really want to try their sushi lessons sometime!
I like the ambiance of the restaurant and the staff are attentive. The happy hour prices are decent, but it's limited to only certain menu items and rolls.
I got the soft shell crab roll with soy paper, which wasn't really what I expected. I thought it would be more like a spider roll, but then I was pretty disappointed when I got my order.
Overall, I wouldn't come here on my own. If a group of friends was coming here, then I wouldn't mind tagging along.
I would give RA Sushi 4 stars had they not had a happy hour menu. The food here can definitely be pricey unless you make it in time for the happy hour menu. Half price Viva Las  Vegas rolls? Amazing. I have never tried anything bad here. I definitely recommend this place to anyone who is a sushi fan.
Review Source:I've gone here a few times only because I was new to sushi and hasn't tried very many places. But after trying different restaurants I realized the other places had better sushi, selections and servers for a cheaper price!
The service is always slow and the waiters barely care you're there. The sushi is over priced and mediocre. The drinks are okay but not something I'd go out of my way for.
Don't just go here! There are better sushi places out there!
I went to RA a couple of times expecting great sushi and what I got each time was mediocre. Â The restaurant is pretty chic and all but the food just isn't up to par. Â None of the appetizers were memorable. Â The spicy tuna tartare was flavorless and tempura a greasy mess. Â The sushi rolls were similarly unremarkable. Â Barely edible with a weird chewy texture, not melt-in-your-mouth the way that fresh sushi is supposed to be. Â Most of the rolls on the menu are the same old, same old you'll find at every other sushi place. Â Even with the half off happy hour specials, I won't be returning here. Â Life is simply too short for bad sushi.
Review Source:My food savvy cousin brought me here, and this place is right next to where I live! I was just afraid to try sushi as I am a vegetarian.. and I had never eaten sushi.. We fear that which we do not understand. Having a sushi expert helped. I tried like 6 different items and loved them all! If only I could remember their names, the California roll was very nice.. Everything is light and fresh, but filling at the same time.. They serve Goose Island Sofie, which is hard to find at restaurants in the burbs. I would come back here because its a cool trendy place to eat, but it does not make my favorites list by any means.. I felt a bit out of place here.. even though I do know how to use chopsticks... It was definitely worth trying once.
Review Source:LOVED EVERY BITE!!!
I love a place where I can just simply eat and enjoooooy good company. Had the crispy calamari roll, omg, loved it!! Also, Â spicy tuna rolls, avacado rolls [my counterpart had the avacado] and since I am a self proclaimed dessert connoisseur, we shared the cinnamon tempura, which you MUST share, its about 6(?) slices of damn goodness where have you been all my life?-ness. (i ordered for the chocoraspberry sauce to be on the side, I like my food sans berry sauces, my friend prefers sauces.)
p.s. the drink, the Blushing Geisha is greeeeat!!
I agree with the first review of this place. Â You know you're definitely not getting authentic sushi when you come here; you're getting innovative, designer sushi. Â Regardless, they have a very tasty menu and a young, fun environment. Â Just know that if you're looking for authentic Japanese food, this place isn't it.
Review Source:Came here on a Sunday for lunch with 2 of my friends. We ate in the bar area and were served by Nate. He was really attentive and answered all our questions, we had A LOT. We ordered A LOT. for 3 girls, we ordered quite a bit of food.
Appetizers:
Kalbi - tender, great flavor and enough for 3 to share
Dynamite scallop - not my thing, my friend loves it. It's scallops, with cheese, baked with spices. It's too spicy for me and I'm not a fan of mayo.
Rolls:
Soft shell crab roll - very good
Shrimp tempura roll - very good and loved how it had more tempura batter on the outside.
Lobster roll - this was my favorite, it had a great sauce and a mango on top. Really summery.
Salad:
Seaweed salad - my first time trying. Interesting texture, good flavor.
Special salad - I loved this, this was my entree. It had watermelon, tangerine, shrimp and lychee. Perfect to cool off on a hot summer day. The dressing complimented it. It was light.
Entrees:
Salmon bento box - my friend got this. I took a bite of her salmon, good, nicely grilled.
Beef bento box - my friend got this and enjoyed it.
All this food, with tip was $120. Well worth it. Good food, good service and good company! Will be back!
I go here for lunch, dinner and happy hour and have never been disappointed. The happy hour deals are awesome, and if you go before 3 the lunch menu is a good value too. I always get the lunch sashimi assortment, which comes with 12 pieces of fresh sashimi, a bowl of sushi rice, miso soup AND a little salad with the amazing ginger dressing, for $12. i have never seen this great of a deal elsewhere that has the same quality.
Service here is always spot-on. The bartenders are especially friendly. Servers are great too; once when I was sick, my roommate came home with a big container of miso soup. She said the server (Erin, who has waited on us several times and is always amazing) sent her home with it for me and also said I should eat some ginger to soothe my tummy. Service is still awesome when I'm not even there!
Most recently, I was there for lunch today. The server we had today, Stephanie (I think), I had never seen before but she was fantastic. She explained some of the new menu items; we tried the new mussels which are AMAZING! She was friendly but not obtrusive, and stayed on top of refills, which is hard to do when my boyfriend can down his diet coke in under a minute. My lunch sashimi assortment was perfect as usual.
Overall, this is probably my favorite place to go for any occasion.
I love this place. Especially for its happy hour. Two people can eat a couple of rolls and get drinks for under $25. Everything is fresh and the combinations are really great. You have to try the Vegas and pacific roll. Beyond good.
Service is a hit or miss here though and the rolls come out really inconsistently but that isn't enough to make me not want to come back in. I'll be back a lot.
What a disappointing experience.
Food: 4 stars
Service: 2 stars
Prices: 2 stars
Atmosphere: 3 stars
The only reason I would ever come back to Ra is for the happy hour specials. That's about it. I've been to Ra Sushi in the past and had decent experiences. My most recent experience left a lot to be desired.
I think my poor attitude started upon walking in the door. The one hostess checking in guests had a serious 'tude. She was cold, nasty, and rude. At 5:30pm, I was quoted a 25 minute wait for a table in the dining area. Let me note, no one was waiting before us. I said I would take the first table in the dining area or the bar. So a good ten minutes pass, and a table in the bar clears up. So what happens you ask? The very next people who walked in the door were offered it. Are you f'ing kidding me?! I was sitting right there waiting. My sis and I were so irritated we were considering leaving and dining next door. Luckily, our pager went off a few minutes later and we were seated.
Our waitress was very friendly, but very unknowledgeable about what was in specific menu items. Each time I asked a question she would have to go check and get back to me. Annoying.
The prices are ridiculous. There's no way in hell I would have ever paid $4 for literally a cup of miso soup. I expected a bowl for that price. Especially since it had about a half an ounce of tofu and a few pieces of seaweed. Regular menu prices were equally overpriced, considering portion size and quality. We chose to eat off the happy hour menu ((from 3pm to 7pm only)) in order to eat more and spend less. I wouldn't complain if the food was worth it, but it wasn't. I settled on my miso soup, a veggie roll, and the Dengaku Tofu. They were good. They weren't great, and certainly not worth the 20 bucks it would have cost if it hadn't been happy hour. My sis seemed pleased. She had the spicy salmon roll, spicy yellowtail roll, and a cucumber sunomono salad. Then again, it was her first time having sushi since being pregnant, so I'm sure anything would have tasted great.
As for the atmosphere, the restaurant is very beautifully decorated. I definitely dig the Asian bistro feel. However, as much as I love jammin' out to Rihanna and Jay-Z when out dancing in the bars, I prefer it not blasting over the stereo system over dinner. It was mildly annoying when attempting to have a conversation.
Overall, I almost feel like 3 stars is a little generous. I'm thinking more like 2.5 stars. Ra Sushi needs to get it together. ((Starting with getting their hostess in check with good customer service)). Although my meal was fairly good, my overall happy hour experience wasn't a very happy one. Boo.
Underwhelming. Â I came here for their Happy Hour special, and none of the appetizers stood out. Â The calamari tempura was huge, but I'm not a fan of thick-cut calamari. Â I was expecting small rings of calamari. Â They use wide strips of larger calamari. Â At least they were tender. Â The Dengaku Tofu would've been better if the tofu had a crispier exterior. Â The hoisin-type sauce drizzled on it was too thick and sweet; it didn't need it. Â The grilled short ribs were ok, cooked to medium-rare. Â But the sauce on it was unnecessary and too sweet. Â The Kaisen Ceviche, though loaded with shrimp, scallops, and avocado, had a bitterness to it. Â I couldn't figure out why it was bitter. Â Plus, it definitely needed more citrus to it.
The saving grace of the meal was the Jade Lotus cocktail, which has lychee in it. Â Sweet and refreshing. Â The place is a chain, which explains the generic blandness of the food. There are better sushi options elsewhere in the 'burbs (Arlington Heights, for example). I guess that leaves you with getting cocktails here, which isn't such a bad thing.
When prices are high, I think I subconsciously look for reasons to hate the restaurant. In this cases, kudos to RA, because despite its high prices, I really couldn't find much to hate.
We knew we couldn't get full on sushi alone, so we ordered a plate of chicken yakisoba - 3.5/5.
We also ordered the tunacado - 4/5.
The spicy crispy tuna - 3.5/5 (- 0.5 for being just 4 unfulfilling pieces).
Some forgettable roll - 3/5.
Anyway, walked away full, and with a bill under $60, definitely a pleasant experience that beckons for seconds.
Seriously why can't I ever get good service here? Every, single time!!!!
And then I ask myself why i keep going back?
Well it's because I love the sushi and the atmosphere there.
Get it together or Ill really try no to come back. Probably not. But get your staff retrained to pay attention to there patrons. The bartenders are to busy flirting and texting to make money I guess.
I couldn't figure out why I wasn't the biggest fan of Ra. Mom and some family friends wanted to go here for dinner, and I wasn't as excited as I would have been if it were Lu's or Kyoto. I've been here several times and the sushi is pretty fresh.
After perusing the menu, I realized what my deal was. Almost all of the rolls are either loaded with imitation crab, deep-fried, or soaked in spicy mayo. The nigiri is what I prefer, but when you go out to sushi with the ladies, everyone wants to split rolls. Which is cool. I can dig the maki. Â
The main ingredients of the maki at Ra is boring and covered up with bells and whistles that do not a good sushi roll make. Where's the super white tuna? The colorful rainbow of fresh salmon, tuna, and more? I want the special stuff to be special because of the fish, not the mangoes and spicy mayo and specialty sauces and garnishes.
I'm just saying. This place is good for the sushi beginners, or dining on your own for some maki or tunacado, but for the unique specialty rolls that are actually worth the $12-$15, check out some of my faves.
Alright, look. Â If you grew up in the Lombard area like I did, you know full well that this burb is lacking (to put it lightly) in anything that vaguely resembles a trendy restaurant. So when a place like RA pops up... hot damn, I'll take what I can get.
So, four stars for the trendiness factor alone. This place lures in couples and 20-somethings rather than stressed-out parents with screaming kids, which makes it feel more like a downtown restaurant and less like, well, Lombard.
The girlfriends and I sat at the sushi bar and shared a few of the spicy rolls - they're on the pricey side at $9 and up, but they were yummy. RA also has happy hour drink specials, which ensure that you can get sufficiently boozed up for far less than what it'd cost you in Chicago.
Service is on the slow end and the average age of a waitress here is probably 17 - that's my only complaint.
Overall? It's a win, and definitely a welcome addition to the area.
I never realized how hard it is to find a nice sushi place in the suburbs, especially one that isn't located in a strip mall. When I discovered RA, I knew it was a keeper!
The environment is really nice, especially in the warmer months when they open up the windows and the patio. They have great Happy Hour specials and the food is delicious. Some of my favorites are the Viva Las Vegas Roll and the Crazy Monkey Roll, definitelyyy recommend both! The service can be hit or miss, but as far as my experiences went, they were hits. Maybe just keep that in mind when dining.
I just recently found out they also have a location in the city, so I can't wait to check it out!
The 5 best restaurants in the 2015 Denver Restaurant Week
3,611 Views | Category: Denver
The complete list of 2015 Denver Restaurant Week businesses
1,972 Views | Category: Denver
The tourists' guide to Portillos: 5 must have dishes
3,318 Views | Category: Chicago
Pho = Pronounced "fuh" not "foe" for pho-king sake
2,915 Views | Category: Denver
Indulgery selected to exhibit at Collision Conference
2,987 Views | Category: Press Releases
Not Logged In
BUSINESSES
Local Businesses
Near Me
My Favorites
SOCIAL
Blog & News
MY ACCOUNT
Login
Register
Contact Us
Add Your Business
