As a sushi lover and moving into the neighborhood recently, it made perfect sense to try the popular Toro.
It's BYOB (every Chicagoan's favorite 4-letter word) but they limit the amount you can bring it. I don't doubt if someone once over-did it and ruined it for the rest of us.
I went on a weekday and relatively early (6ish) and still had to wait 45 minutes. They do jot down your number and give you a call when a table is ready. The place is really REALLY tiny and tight. You will bump elbows with someone or step on someone's something on your way in and out. It's just the way it is. The place is not really decorated with anything fancy and the signs are handwritten on notebook pieces of paper. The economy is rough, I get it, but this place is always so packed, I'd figure they could invest a little into sprucing it up.
My date and I shared an edamame, miso soup and the Oh My God and Super White Crunchy rolls which all phenomenal. The Super White literally melts in your mouth and the sauce of the OMG is just ridic. It also comes with 'OMG" written on the side, making it very Instagram-worthy. The service is pretty good and they get you in and out as quickly as they can without being too pushy, which I liked. The overall vibe just seemed a little dry and if I was any slightly bigger, I'd definitely be bumping into people a lot more.
I would suggest this place better as a carry-out option as their food is solid but my issue is more with the actual space of the restaurant. I don't know if I'd go there again, becauase there's a lot of other just as good sushi spots nearby, but I will forever remember Toro
This place is truly a 5 star experience. The service was exceptional...and like said earlier, Mitch really does know everything about fish and creating the freshest sushi available in Chicago.
Our favorite rolls were the Sunny roll, the California Tempura, Oh My God roll, and the crazy horse (which you must like fresh raw fish because it's all raw).
I can't wait to go again to try more!! Loved this place!
Everything people's reviews say is true:
1. Mitch is awesome and unbelievably nice. He fist bumps guys bc he doesn't want to touch people's hands after he's touched all the fish. He "tickles the rock" for girls bc he doesn't believe it's right to hit a girl in any way. (Melt.)
2. This place is SMALL. Come early during the week and be seated, but be prepared for a very long wait on the weekends!
My suggestions for rolls, in order of preference:
Super White Crunchy (probably my 2nd or 3rd favorite roll out of any sushi place in the city)
Crazy Horse
Sunny
Volcano
Southern Galz (wasn't a huge fan of this one, but I'm not a big spicy food eater)
I will update with my other favorites as I frequent Toro more often! Best sushi in Chicago, hands down.
FAVORITE sushi spot in Chicago. Everything is so fresh and delicious.
My favorite roll is the Kamakaze. Other notable rolls include the Big O and the Tipsy Trixie. I always get some salmon nigiri because it is so fresh here and just melts in your mouth.
Make sure to arrive early, as the place gets very long waits. I came in on a Saturday night at 5:30 without a problem. By 6pm, the wait was 1.5 hours! Also a plus that its BYOB.
Maybe it was all the hype that ruined toros for me... Or maybe we just did not order the right items. Regardless, it did not live up to my expectations.
Tried a few of their popular rolls. The boyfriend enjoyed the fried rolls and I had more of the raw items. It was slightly above mediocre for me although he did like the Southern Gals. The raw fish was definitely not fresh (and it was incredibly thin portions.)
I normally loveeee agedashi tofu. I order it at every single Japanese restaurant and I didn't enjoy the stickiness of the one at Toro. It wasn't even crispy!!!!
The service also left something to be desired. We sat at a table and our waitress was pretty vacant.
Toro Sushi is mine and my husband's all time favorite sushi restaurant! Â Mitch, the owner, is very personable and wonderful at remembering his regular customers. Â The fish is always very fresh and the service is great. Â It's always very busy but you don't have to stand outside and wait for a table because they will take your number down and call you when a table is ready. Â My husband and I frequently go have a glass of wine at one of the nearby bars and then we just walk back when our table is ready. Â I would recommend Toro Sushi to anyone!
Review Source:Went here for lunch on a Sunday but was closed. I had a long drive in the cold and a long walk through the snow due to lack of available street parking. Their website and yelp advertises as open but when we got there the door said they were closed. Was really upset because I heard good things about this place so got Molly's cupcakes and Korean food instead. Thank goodness for cupcakes.
Review Source:I don't get the hype. Â The place is decent but not 5 star good. Â Actually the rolls were small for the price. Â The fish was fine, but not blow-your-mind-fresh. Â The BYOB is nice and the place is tiny. Â There are only 3 4-top tables and the rest is 2-top tables, hence the long-arse wait to get in. Â This place is only for dainty eaters. Â Gawd, I miss Tampopo.
Review Source:A friend of a friend sent me this place probably...two years ago. No joke. And the email has languished in the bottom of my inbox for that long, before I finally made the trek, fought for parking, and tried it out. Was not disappointed.
This was a while back...and their website's menu hasn't been updated recently...so I can't remember exactly what I had. Sorry. I'll do my best. I started out with very good sunomono, crisp and cold, not overly sweet. Very refreshing. And then on to some crazy mixed spicy seafood roll (ordered before I arrived, so I don't know the name). This was delicious - lots of seafood flavor and good heat. We also had a roll with octopus, which some of us didn't like, but I loved - I enjoy the firm texture of octopus.
We also had two spicy rolls - I think one was the Arizona? And while they were both quite good, the Arizona was outstanding. I Am really liking fresh jalapeno in sushi lately, so when this was recommended to us, I went for it with no problem.
The sushi chefs are very friendly, too, talking to us, explaining what was good and bad, making recommendations. And the prices are reasonable too - 3 of us ate for about $90, and considering I was borderline stuffed, I consider that to be a deal for some great food.
As I'm sure others have mentioned though, you better get here early or you'll be waiting. Not that it isn't worth the wait, but the wait can be huge. The place is tiny - we were lucky enough to get spots at the sushi bar, but a little bit later and we'd have been cooling our heels. There also isn't much room to wait inside, so on a cold night, you might end up outside.
My go to spot for sushi, Â has been for the past 7 years and always will be!
Mitch and the staff are all great!
Some of my fav rolls, Oh My God, MIAMI (melts in your mouth), Tipsy Trixie (comes on  a bed of salad, so delishhh), spicy tuna (always a must), Super white crunch, Southern Gals (deep fried gooddness)
Toro is open for lunch on Fridays and Saturdays. Living and working in the area, I take out lunch just about everyweek! Awesome lunch deals. makes me feel like I'm robbing the place everytime.
They are super busy and always have a wait. But definitely worth the wait.
I had Torro for the first time last weekend. I have heard so many great things. I don't wanna say I was disappointed, but I didn't feel like this place was that much better then many of the other sushi joints I frequent. Maybe I need to try some different rolls next time. There will be an hour+ wait on the weekends. With all that said, its really good. Makes a great date spot.
Review Source:So i invited my friend out for dinner to go to Toro tonight. We both really wanted sushi and wanted to go somewhere that was BYOB since we had this amazing bottle of wine that we wanted to drink.
We arrived around 7:15 and it was busy so we decided to sit at the sushi bar. The waitress was prompt and opened our bottle right away. We browsed over the menu and we picked a few things to start including miso soup and a tempura combo which was delicious! We also ordered a few maki rolls like shrimp tempura, super white tuna crunch and asparagus tempura which was not good....however, we told our waitress that we did not like the asparagus tempura and she was nice and took the asparagus tempura off our bill. We ordered another roll and it was better. Now we were probably there for a about 45 minutes and after we were done eating and sipping on our last few sips of wine we were rudely interrupted by this other server who said " Ladies you must leave we have other people waiting." I looked behind us and there were 2 sets of couples waiting however, there were also 2 tables being bussed at the same time.....I was very offended because 1. we were almost ready to go but we were enjoying ourselves and our wine  2. I work in the industry and under no circumstances are you allowed or suppose to dismiss a guest from their table....no matter how busy it is....my friend was very shocked and it really ruined the dinner for us so I decided to say something....I asked the sushi chef who had served us and spoke to us the entire night who was the manager and he asked why at first...and I said because I need to talk to him/her...and he said it was him....I said I was not happy with the way a server spoke to us....she asked us to leave very rudely and of course he said sorry BUT he was also kind of a jerk and said "you need to leave ....people are waiting, it's cold out...." ......I wanted to say excuse me....you're a manger and you're saying this....? but I was so over it and my friend was in shock...
so we grabbed our things and left very disappointed.....My friend of course suggested a more higher end sushi restaurant called Jellyfish because they would never and i mean never ask you to leave your table in such a rude manner.......done and done. NEXT!
~Jessica,.....johns gf.....and i was with a girl friend of mine ......
It's not like this restaurant needs anymore reviews as it approaches 700...but the Woody Allen narcissist in me cries in a whiny New York accent..."Whhhhyyy would you nooooot??"
Therefore, I commence my (probably not well-accepted) review of Toro.
This is a delayed review from an experience at Toro over a month ago, but hey...better late than never, right? Â
Early in December, I went on a date with a sushi novice, so I took charge. It was busy, crowded, and I felt like the staff's energy made it obvious that they were rushing everything. I'm still getting used to this BYOB thing (having lived in Chicago for only a few months), and I'm not a fan, but I won't complain about it. Not the restaurants fault at all.
I took fellow Yelpers' advice on the white tuna crunch roll and another roll for my date because I'm not one for rolls, in particular. I have a lot of rolls, but Toro's rolls were...honestly...just OKAY.
I like my fish Tom Hanks style in Cast Away, where he simply gnaws on a live fish...mmmm. I ordered my "go-to" Chirashi to test out the Chef's skills, as I always do.
I hate to rain on everyone's parade who loves this place, but that evening, a sashimi "no-no" was committed. A big no-no. Ready for this? Here it is: I could still tell that my sashimi was frozen. Oh, the horror...the humanity!!!! Â I couldn't believe it. If I wanted a fish popsicle, I'd hit up some weird italian ice place....come on....
I understand that in the Midwest, fish has to be frozen to keep its freshness. However, if you are a well-known, well-liked sushi establishment in a busy part of town...well, don't skip the important steps. The crucial steps. The steps that keep (self-claimed) sushi connoisseurs such as myself coming back for more. AKA: thaw thoroughly and to perfection.
I would have given this place a one star, but I believe that if Toro would like to redeem itself, I'd be willing to give it another shot. Â I suppose I need some serious convincing, though...and that's unlike me.
Hopefully, the Toro gang will at least take the time to read this review and make sure that certain sushi "no-no's" do not happen again. Not for me, in particular, but for the sake of other sashimi lovers like me, and for Toro's reputation in general.
I feel like the wet blanket in this discussion, but I'm a pretty terrible liar. If tomatoes are thrown at me for my honest opinion, I will make tomato sauce...or something like that...you know...
Until we eat again,
Jill
I'd say this is a solid 3 star joint.
You can get out of here for under $50 and that's largely helped by the fact that it is BYOB. They always chill your drinks for you (especially nice when there is a long wait, they'll stick your stuff in the fridge) and they are very friendly.
My main problem is I feel that the quality has gone down in the last year. We ordered our usual favorites and just found them to be really inconsistent on recent trips. Other main problem is some of the rolls start tasting really similar due to heavy saucing. However, that being said, we still find ourselves here if we are in the area craving sushi and I second the people who say to get the super white crunch roll, its tasty.
Rock and roll: decent but not very much eel or sauce.
Super white crunch: interesting but way too much rice for the filling. Apparently it had mango but didn't taste it. If it didn't have the spicy mayo it would've had no taste.
Shrimp tempura: not tempura only fried shrimp. And the smallest damn shrimps I've ever seen in shrimp tempura.
Soft shell crab: decent I suppose? Not worth $9 that's for sure.
Wouldn't get any of the above again. Overrated for all the talk about it.
On a side note, the hot water tasted like soap.
Absolute favorite sushi spot in Chicago if not in the world! Â It's the freshest sushi and every single time we've been there our meal has been stellar. Â The rolls are creative and delicious. Â It's a hole in the wall and even though we've been there a million times we've walked by it and not realized it...numerous times. Â The owner is personable, funny and a genius. Â He's down to Earth and all of the staff is equally friendly. Â
We try to get there right at 5pm when it opens to avoid a way BUT even when it is busy the wait ends up being shorter than quoted. Â They take your phone number and name down so that you can go for a walk versus standing around awkwardly watching the people at their tables enjoying their meals...so thoughtful and easy to do! More restaurants should follow suit. Â Either way it is WELL worth the wait!
We love that it's BYOB so we can go crazy with sushi and not break the bank with drinks. Â There's a great/cheap liquor store across the street at Wrightwood and Clark...convenient.
A MUST is the sashimi appetizer...delicate, cold and a treat! Â The Oh My God really does make you say OMG out loud, also something we get every time. Â
After moving back to my home town, I miss this place the most!
Should have read the reviews before ordering take-out, because everyone seems to love their fancy rolls. (I'm amused with all the reviews that rave about the freshness of their rolls. I love rolls too, but there's only so much "freshness of the fish" you can taste if its coated with sauce or fried lol) We ordered the chirashi and a spider roll for take-out and it was alright. The fish on the chirashi were decent cuts and fresh, but wasn't quite 100% satisfying for the $23 it cost me. Take out process was efficient- order was ready in 20 minutes.
I'd like to try their rolls next time, but I don't think I would wait for 2 hours to dine in.
This is by far the best sushi i have ever had.... in fact if i venture off and try other sushi I'm usually disappointed and I feel as though I got scammed, then for hours I sit and beat myself over the head for not spending my money at toro. Ill wait 2 hours at Molly's cupcakes until the nice little Japanese woman calls me telling me there is finally a table open. In which ill some how transform into an african olympic runner and I'm there in 3 seconds flat. I wait 2 hours for sushi and between me and my friend the 4 plates of sushi rolls end in less then 2 minutes....but its well worth it.
The only complaint I have about toro is all you goddamn inconsiderate bastards who have finished your sushi yet linger around for hours sitting there with your douchebag  friends and drinking your byob shitty wine...while the poor misfortunate people after you have to stare through the window pondering when assholes like you are gonna get up so that way the waitresses can clean the table and another group of people can enjoy such orgasmic sushi. If anyone who is reading this review is one of those inconsiderate bastards here is a tip of advice.... toro sushi is tiny very tiny they are open a limited amount of hours each day, waitresses and restaurants want to get in as much people as possible so they can make money, people who drive and have planned on going to toro don't usually want to wait hours to eat, people sometimes are denied toro because there is such a long wait list, toro is meant to enjoy the food not to sit there for hours NOT EATING and socializing about your lame life no one cares about. Clark street is FULL of bars if you want to chit chat and drink get your ass up and go elsewhere instead of making everyone suffer. I hope all of you one day get stoned to death!
anywayssss....now that im done ranting toro is the shit hands down if anyone says otherwise they should be institutionalized because they are psychotic.
As far as I can tell, this is the freshest, most traditional sushi in Chicago. There is something for everyone. I usually order sashimi, and this place did not disappoint.
This is very traditional, but extremely delectable. The chef is a true Itamae.
They have sporadic hours, I recommend getting here close to open so you can guarantee a table.
This is by far my favorite sushi place in Chicago. I have sought out sushi on every coast, in many cities and I have been lucky to find some really amazing rolls and not so lucky more times than I can count. Â I have waited in line for them to open on Saturdays and spent weeknights waiting over 90 mins for a table at 9pm. I suggest going 4pm Sat or before 6pm on weeknights if you want to get in quick.
I have been coming here since around the time they opened, about every 6-8 weeks for my fix. Toro gets it right and they get it right every time. I love how inventive some of the rolls are. I love that Mitch makes everything and takes the time to go to the fish market himself and pick out the best fish every day. He cares immensely about the quality of food he picks out. I am saddened that the place is so small but understand its because of Mitch wanting to keep it great and make everything. When others give me sushi suggestions in Chicago I find myself snobbishly rolling my eyes and going, "Yeah, sure. Have you been to Toro?" Â
My Faves are:
Ahi Salad (Simple but it's the one I always end up craving that instigates my next trip. The layers of flavors are perfect.)
Big Ten
Miami
OMG
"O"
Spring Blossom
Volcano
3 Amigos
When I lived on the coast in California, I was able to find the best sushi hands down and thought I would never find a place comparable. Yet, as luck would have it... I did. What sets Torro apart from most other places is its flavor pallet and combinations. Instead of the common spicy tuna or California roll that any restaurant can do, they put their own unique spin on the rolls. Adding mushrooms, sunflower seeds, and more in combination with great sauces that make the flavors come together. We ordered 4 rolls to share between the two of us and were completely satisfied with them all. Cost was affordable, service was excellent and we did not have a problem finding a table on Saturday for lunch.
If you are in the area and are a fan of sushi, this is a must!
For Chicago, this sushi is decent.
We ordered take-out after learning the wait for a two-top was an hour but it was Saturday night right around dinner time... so that's normal, I guess.
The sushi was ok - given that we're in Chicago and not on one of the coasts or in Japan, and it's reassuring that the people who work there are Japanese. Â The fish was decent, but definitely doesn't compare to fish in NY or CA sushi restaurants.
The only gripe is when you change your phone number... you should probably also change it on your website and alert Yelp of the change. Â Otherwise, you could miss out on a lot of potential business...
I love this place. It's tiny but comfortable. It's relatively authentic and focuses on serving good sushi. (Mirai also has great sushi, but you can tell they spend a lot of energy on the decor, which really Americanized.)
It's BYOB, which is certainly nice. I have had nothing but great experiences here. It is more expensive than all-you-can-eat-sushi, but the higher price is justified. Toro Sushi is my fave in this city.
Still my fav sushi spot.
We always hope we get seated at the bar so we can talk to Mitch. And I love to watch the team make everything.
The fish is always fresh. I have had a lot of the rolls - they're great, but I am more about the fish so I go with the sashimi dinner and some random pieces of nigiri aka more super white. I also like to get the volcano from time to time, mainly cuz of the sparkler =P and on super rare occasions I will do a tiger eye...just for the challenge.
If you go at peak dinner times - don't bitch. The place is small and everyone is dying to get a seat. Put your name down, give them your alcohol, stroll over the Dunlays and sip some beers to kill time.
Toro may not be the world's best but for what it is, a small sushi restaurant in yuppy Lincoln Park, it's pretty good. For me, the way to test its yumminess is if I have a lasting impression / craving a few days after I go. This usually happens for me w/ the sashimi or nigiri, and this place seems to specialize on rolls. I came away craving really only one roll (spicy tako maki.)
We waited for Toro for 2 hours! We made a big mistake by not putting our names in earlier. We arrived and we were told that we'd have to wait 1.5 hours. We came back with 30 min to go, and then received a call that we'd have to wait 30 more min! By the time we started eating, it was 10pm. I was trying to be a good sport but those last 10 min were rough. Noting our edginess, the waitress came by with an order of agedashi tofu on the house. (Why are people in Chicago so nice?? They know how to treat their customers.)
Here is what we ordered (among 3 people):
AGEDASHI TOFU (on the house): 5 - I think this almost tops my list in terms of favorite dishes here. I love tofu, and I think this particular tofu was made fresh. The agedashi broth was soooo flavorful and the textures were perfect.
MISO SOUP (with sushi order): 2 - nothing notable
CHIRASHI: 3.5 yum, but a little disappointing. Everything was fresh, but things weren't quite right. (The documentary 'Jiro Dreams of Sushi' has ruined me and my idea of good sushi. Drool.) Â The red snapper was tough, the salmon a little too fatty (though that is tasty), and the tuna was sliced too thinly (maybe because of our overfishing and tuna shortage?) There were a few great pieces, including the pink one (can't remember the name!), which was really soft, and the tamago egg sushi, which had great texture. They were nice and made sure there were 3 pieces of each sashimi, one for each. As usual, we couldn't finish the sushi rice (very flavorful) so our friend took it home.
then we ordered four rolls (no thanks to the cream cheese ones! what is that???)
SPICY TAKO MAKI: 5. This was by far my favorite roll of the night. There were 6 pieces of sushi with an octopus salad on top -- great flavor and balance, and the octopus was so so yummy. I would go back just to eat this roll.
SPICY TUNA CRUNCH ROLL: 4. I can't stay away from crunchy fried stuff. Guilty pleasure. We were surprised by how much we just really enjoyed it.
KAMIKAZE: 3. It was a good idea, but flavors weren't that strong (could use more scallion, less of the sauce that was holding it together) and the amount of fish topping the roll was overwhelming.
I can't remember the last one but it was spicy - something jalapeno?? 2. It was terrible - not sure why anyone would make a roll with a dipping sauce this spicy because it numbs your tongue to the flavors of the fish! I was not happy about this because I wanted to really taste everything, and I had to wait to wash out the spicy with rice and water. Not a fan of this one.
We were able to finish everything. Again, I'd come back for the spicy tako maki. I'm continuing my search w/ the sashimi and nigiri.
I will never stop recommending Toro Sushi. Â I've been citing it as my favorite BYOB sushi spot for years! Â
Mitch, the owner and main sushi chef, is fantastic...very friendly and even has a special good-bye for regular customers. Â The rolls are plentiful, creative, and he will not sacrifice his integrity for a fast meal or sub-par dining experience. Â
Be prepared to wait...Toro is tiny so put your name in, and head over to Frank's or D.O.C. Â They will call you when your table is almost ready so you can get back and get your sushi on! Â
Definitely try the Oh, Oh My God, and Big Ten roll. Â The super white sashimi is a MUST HAVE!!! Â Closed on Mondays...I always forget and it makes me so sad.
Its hard to give a sushi place a really review without making it sound too fishy. But This place Is different. It's a great Sushi Restaraunt (with great sushi dishes). Â I believe this place uses only organic recipes and the ingredients are mostly organic. It would be difficult to give this place less than five stars so I won't endevor to. There should be no Mercury concerns here or any other similar problems.
5/5
I liked Toro Sushi alot, but I am a little confused as to why it ALWAYS has such a huge line. The food was good, don't get me wrong, but no where near the level of amazing that I'd expect with a daily wait of 1 hr+! (we ate at 8 on a Sunday)
Bf and I got a basic miso soup to start (a little too salty. had to dilute mine w/ water), and 4 chef special rolls: OMG, Best of both worlds, Midway, and Starry Night. All of them were yummy. My fav was Best of Both Worlds - really fresh and light tasting. Bf's fav was Midway, which was a bigger roll that felt and tasted like they stuffed a small bit of everything in it.
What I liked about the rolls: they were consistent, well presented, and the fish fresh in all. What I didn't like was that there seemed to be a large amount of crab salad incorporated in most of them....which got repetitive/overpowering by the end.
Also, at some point, I turned around and noticed that I was the only asian in the entire restaurant and the crowd still waiting outside. That did trigger some warning bells in my head, because to me that usually signifies that the restaurant places a heavier emphasis on ingredients like cream cheese, tempura, and crab stick than fresh fish or lighter makis..but maybe it's just cuz there's not a lot of asians in lincoln park? =S
Either way, it doesn't matter, because we would definitely return to Toro. Not only is it good, it's verrry reasonably priced. Bf often gets the lunch special teriyaki boxes (without me =.=), which are an amazing deal at SEVEN BUCKS!! and, according to him, always delish. So if you're craving sushi and don't mind waiting, Toro's definitely worth considering!
Finally got to try this place last night after many recommendations! Came here on a Tuesday night around 7 with my mom and sister, and we waited about 10 minutes for a spot at the bar. Not bad considering how small of a place it is!
Started off with some veggie gyoza, veggie tempura, and salads. LOVED the ginger dressing. I thought the gyoza was tasty, but a bit greasy, and I enjoyed the tempura, but we would have preferred more veggies (like broccoli or green beans) over the multiple potatoes. Our favorite roll we order was the "O"- so delicious! We were a bit disappointed that they were out of salmon, but excited to come back and try more rolls next time. Service was very good!
So, I have to be honest about this place: it's really not THAT good.
I've been here many many times as this is my best friend's favorite sushi spot. The sushi is good, but not anything to rave over. I've had as good or better in the city for a better price. BYOB is nice, but it's only 1 bottle per table. With 4 people and a table full of sushi, that just doesn't cut it sometimes.
My main problem with this place is that it's so hyped up that it is impossible to get a table in under an hour if you get there after 5:30. This is true any day of the week. They do not take reservations, which makes this even more of a burden for groups bigger than 2. To make things worse, once you DO get to sit down, the waitresses rush you through dinner and have even asked us to leave once as we were finishing up our wine (maybe 5-10 minutes after finishing our meal). We had to buy a dessert to get to stay. Not cool. Overall, the place is just not as awesome as everyone says.