Yamado has been my go to sushi place since 2005ish. This place pretty much set the standard for me. For example, their miso soup is free so I am outraged whenever I have to pay for miso soup at other sushi places... grrr. I always order salmon rolls and IMO, this place has the best salmon rolls. The quality sucked for a little bit (I believe there was a change in management) but it's back to the good ol' days again.
I would stay away from their half off specialty rolls (I think it's their happy hour special) because most of them are deep fried and greasy. It seems like a good deal but you are going to regret it, I swear! Â Besides their sushi, they also have awesome udon. Though some of my friends have said that it's overwhelming (ie soooo much ingredients.. which I feel like what udon should be.. but whatever).
Disclaimer: I'm probably rating this a 5/5 for nostalgic/sentimental reasons.
Last Saturday, my friends and I went to Yamado as we were attracted by the dollar sushi sign. To my knowledge, I think the restaurant has the deal on Tuesdays and Saturdays.
The restaurant doesn't look that luxurious from the outside so we did not expect much. However, the atmosphere inside the restaurant was cozy.
We ordered tuna, yellow tail, salmon sushi and a summer roll.
Contrary to the size of the restaurant, the pieces of sushi were huge and well-decorated. The tuna and yellow tail were very fresh and the sushi rice was very tasty as well.
Among the friends that I brought, I brought a sushi maniac. Yamado's quality and taste was so good that it even met his taste buds and especially his wallet.
Yamado will be my go-to sushi restaurant!
I was on a week-long sushi bender and Yamado was my fourth stop.
I usually eat at off times so again I was the only customer in the place. My service was quiet and friendly and the interior of this business is quite a bit cuter than the budget strip-mall window-front next to a pawn shop and a Subway would lead you to believe. It's still not a great date environment, or anything flashy, but it's totally fine if you've got the crave for soosh.
Their menu is huge and based almost entirely on the topic at hand, which seems obvious but if you're dining with someone who isn't all about raw fish, they'll a lot fewer options here than at other Japanese restaurants. Not a bad thing, just saying it for the record.
I started with a miso soup and though it was a larger sized bowl than I'd been getting at other places, it was just fine. I was excited to cut into my plate of fishies, consisting of one tuna and one salmon nigiri, a 911 roll and a spicy tuna, but as soon as the plate was placed in front of me, I noticed something that wasn't present at the other places I'd visited that week: The fishy smell. The scent appeared as soon as the selections were placed in front of me and immediately put a damper on anything I was about to eat. It wasn't overwhelming, but it was there and it made a first impression on me that started things off on the wrong foot. After that, I wasn't sure what to expect taste-wise, but was hoping for something to the contrary of the smell... and that's exactly what I got. Somehow, it managed to be lacking almost any flavor at all, less the taste of what I'd consider over-saturated rice. It wasn't terrible by any means, but it wasn't my favorite.
It looked like they did offer some pretty great daily specials, and I'd half wished I'd taken advantage of those but I sat facing the sushi bar and the specials were posted around the corner, out of my frame of sight. One thing I did notice but didn't take advantage of were there $5 drink all-day-everyday drink specials, which looked like a pretty good deal.
I don't know that I'm rushing to go back, but I wouldn't be opposed to second try on a different day with fresher fish, perhaps during a busier hour so I could get the full and true Yamado experience that other reviewers referenced.
I'd describe the food overall as "fresh" like other Yelpers.  I've tried the Chef's combo, some rolls and the udon several times. The udon broth tastes very fresh and the veggie sushi is pretty good. The food  always tastes very fresh, well presented and of decent quality. I went with someone who tried the Chicken Teriyaki and said it was very good as well. Also the little bowls of miso soup that they give you as an appetizer are tasty as well but a little salty.
The chef and owner are genuinely really nice people and there seem to be a lot of regular customers.
This is our go-to place for Japanese food now. We've never left disappointed.
I've been going here for over 10 years, through I think 3 different owners. But the quality has never suffered, their sushi is some of the freshest I've ever tasted. It is really a treat to go here, you are treated with a smile with the service and excellent food. Even the cooked dishes are wonderful. I highly recommend this little gem of a place.
Review Source:Yamado is awesome. I've been going here for years. I've tried a bunch of local sushi, but Yamado seems to be the best when it comes to balancing price and quality. Yeah, you can go down to the city and get some out of this world sushi, but you're also going to pay out the nose for it. Two people can eat at Yamado and walk out stuffed for under $40, and that's going all out.
Make sure you call ahead to verify their specials, as they don't seem to keep the web site updated properly. Some days they have $1.25 nigiri, and other days they have happy hour specials where some rolls are half off. Sometimes they insist on cash-only for these deals, so, again, call ahead.
I recommend the salmon special!
I have been a loyal Yamado goer for the past year - both sitting in the restaurant and for take out. Â I have really enjoyed the sushi and take advantage of happy hour cash specials. Â Over the last few months I've ordered there for carry out, yet every time I go to pick it up the deal changes. Â With my latest order when I picked it up and yet again questioned why it was different than the deal posted on my takeout menu from two months ago, I was told that the specials change with daylight savings time! Â Honestly, if you are looking for great sushi there are many other options in Naperville for the same price. Â If you are looking for a deal on good sushi, I would only recommend Yamado if you can follow Ikea assembly instructions easily.
Review Source:I've been going to Yamado's for the last 5 years and it has always been my favorite local sushi restaurant. Â This restaurant does not get enough attention for how amazing it is! Â The prices are about 50% less than other restaurants and the quality is excellent. Â I always bring my co-workers and friends to Yamado's and everyone is always surprised how great the food is for the price. Â They even keep a set of chopsticks I purchased on the wall for me and bust them out when I arrive.
I'm a huge fan of the sushi nigiri and spicy tuna or salmon rolls. Â Their hand rolls are also my favorite. Â I've tried out the Chef's special rolls for half price and they were all very good. Â You get a lot for your money here. Â I highly recommend it!
Yamado is pretty good.
I think better than Raku and other places in Naperville.
Sushi is pretty good and creative
I came here for a sushi happy hour special ( 1/2 off ) but you have to pay in CASH! pretty weird  because i never carry cash with me and because they are supposed to take cards no matter the offer. BUT hands down! for SUSHI!
Of the many sushi places in the area, Yamado is my absolute favorite!
Like a number of reviews have said, don't judge this place based on its exterior. Very low-key, extremely friendly staff (who recognized me on my second visit and have kindly bought me & my party a round of drinks on the house every time since), and good sushi for a decent price.
I've also noticed some menu changes mentioned in a few reviews below, but all you have to do is ask and they are more than happy to make it for you.
We came back and had their early bird (4:30 - 6pm) dinner pricing which was 50% off, and $1.25 for sushi. Â The deal is also cash only. Â Nice casual, quiet dining, which I've always enjoyed about this place, and the new owners (6 months) have pleasing classical music playing now. Â We had 2 rolls (Double Crunch, and Dragon), and they tasted similar. Â They might have been missing avocado, but we didn't gripe with the discounted pricing. Â We also had a warm Grand Canyon roll (spicy tuna) topped with "crunch" or fried bread shavings. Â Next time we'll mix in some sushi for variety (too many similar rolls in our order, but that was our bad). Â Going with 4 stars mainly for good value on the pricing. Â It got pretty busy right before 6pm also.
Review Source:I have been coming to Yamado for about seven years, and it still remains to be my favorite sushi in the Chicago-land area. Â I have been to many more pricey sushi places in Naperville, and I even went to a few on the 2007 Chicago Tribune "Best Sushi in Chicago" list. Â None of them were better than Yamado, and Yamado was always half the price! Â
Mr. Lee sold Yamado last September, and since then the new owner Mrs. Lee (no relationship) has made a few changes. Â There is now a list of Chef's Specials on the menu, about half of which are new rolls. Â These are HALF OFF if you pay with cash from 4:30-6 every day of the week, and all night on Friday. Â The T-Roll is always my favorite (about $6.50 for 10pc. with the cash deal), and the Chicago and Mild rolls are are always at the top of my list too. Â There are also new appetizers, salads, and entrees from the kitchen. Â Finally, they offer $1.25 sushi all day every day now.
Mrs. Lee and the staff are all very nice and accommodating. Â And although some popular rolls have been taken off the menu (like the Las Vegas and Volcano), the sushi chef is still happy to make them if you just ask the server. Â They will also fulfill any request that you might throw at them, like substituting ingredients, cutting rolls differently, ect..
we had dinner  for the first time tonite @ yomada. from the outside it looks pretty modest, strip mall store front, but is nicely decorated insdie. we were warmly greeted, the menu had quite a few options plus some specials.  we received soup & salad with our meal that were tasty.  we tried 2 rolls from the menu & 1 special roll - all were good.  and there was a discount for paying cash. it was a good meal & we'll definitely go back soon
Review Source:Yamado has always been my favorite Naperville sushi spot, based on its location, their $1 sushi specials (now $1.25), and their fresh and large nigiri. Â I heard they are under new management, which explains the change in regular staff and marketing tactics (that huge banner that's always on a van in the parking lot?? that's new...). Â It looks like they are still Korean owned as they still offer Korean dishes mixed in with their Japanese.
I'm pleased to say the change doesn't seem to have affected quality. Â Granted, I've eaten more rolls recently than my beloved nigiri, but they have been very good. Â Recommendations I can make are the T-Roll, Yellowstone Roll, and Geisha Roll, they were all very tasty :3 Â Their nigiri portions (from what I've seen so far) are still fairly generous, and the $1.25 special seems to be a lot more frequent (is it really all the time??) than the previous Tuesday dinner/Saturday lunch, so you can enjoy that! Â After a brief glance at the regular menu, the bugolgi ramen caught my eye so I might try that next time. Â I've eaten the bibimbap here and it was standard, meaning delicious.
If you've eaten here before, you can still expect quality, just different faces. Â Probably the best priced sushi around with the special!
Love yamado! Great sushi, reasonable prices and a friendly staff. My friend and I are regulars here. If you're looking for quality sushi that wont burn a hole in your pocket, yamado is for you. The only downfall is the outward appearance of the restaurant, it is located in a ghetto looking strip mall across from the infamous stardust motel. But don't let the outside fool you, yamado delivers quality food.
Review Source:It's been a little while since i've been to Yamado and it was def my favorite sushi place in the area. I noticed they were under new management and i wasn't sure how to feel about that. i loved all the staff before and didnt know if that was going to be changing. i went in and discovered all my favorite rolls are no longer on the menu. the las vegas roll, joon special etc. i was so disappointed. i tried the naperville, chicago and geisha roll. there were ok but nothing like the rolls i used to have there. I was really sad and i'm not totally sure if i'll be going back. i LOVE the grand canyon roll, but i need more than one to get me back to a sushi restaurant.
Review Source:I came here with my family as I had heard that the owners had changed. The new management is very friendly and service was great! The sashimi here is very fresh. Particularly the salmon and tuna. Also the rolls are pretty tasty as well. Â Definitely will visit again. Oh and did I mention that there is a discount for paying with cash on Wednesdays for dinner.
Review Source:To date, Yamado has been the only Japanese restaurant that has satiated my endless stomach. It kicked my ass.
Yamado has the largest pieces of sushi I've ever come across. The nigiri is easily three times the size of any other Chicagoland sushi.
Plus this place was banging Kanye and Mos Def so I was definitely feeling the vibe. I went in for lunch with my parents and a brother and the other patrons were all around my age (mid-to-late twenties) plus some younger families. I can't make an observation on the normal clientele but the fact that young children can have a good time at a place where mid-twenty-year-old couples don't feel lame is usually a good sign of diversity.
I ordered the chicken bento box. The pieces of chicken were huge and actually filled its section of the box. In addition, I tried the california roll and their hawaiian mango roll, which is shrimp tempura with mango, both were delicious. Â If you're in the mood, grab the hawaiian mango roll.
The only "bad" thing I can say was that my miso soup was a bit on the bland side but I'm really knit-picking.
My brother got a 18 piece sushi plate and they hooked him up. Again, I cannot emphasize how large the pieces of nigiri were. I felt like Kirstie Alley walking out of there.
Our server was very accommodating, even after my dad made some horrible Michael Scott-esque jokes about rice and samurai. Our food also came surprisingly fast.
It was a great experience and I'm going to make this my new habitual sushi stop.
A couple of my friends like this place. Decent fish selection, though I wish it were fresher. The noodles are decent (udon, soba) and besides, cooked stuff (noodles, katsu) is probably a safer bet. Not cheap by any means, and quality lags a little behind the prices. In Naperville, I guess it's enough to survive but I don't think this place would last too long in NorCal. Still, better than Sakura...
Review Source:Went here once, need I say more - maybe I should. Â Their Oshinko Maki was salty and rubbery, the prices were at leat .50 higher per roll and honestly there was nothing impressive from decor, to service, to food selection - for me anyway - maybe if you eat raw fish there was something I missed.
Either way very tiny.
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