Izakaya Shinya

Had the best time here with my girlfriend. Nicole was the sweetest server and so knowledgeable. All her recommendations hit it out of the park. 1000% recommend this spot to anyone in the Wicker Park area!! 🤍

I tried the hibachi rice with shrimp, karate and takiyaki. The karrage and takoyaki were really good but the hibachi rice with shrimp was lacking flavor. The service was okay, you order through a QR code and they bring your order to the table but they didn’t really check in much. Also took a while to get the bill after requesting it through the QR code. The pumpkin spice white russian was super good though I would go back just for that. I also like that it’s open late it’s a good late night option for sure.

Cute and cozy atmosphere. Food was pretty good, the gyudon had a bit too much plain rice. Everything else tasted great!

So cute inside, food was great, dishes ranging in price $13+ Karaoke started when we were there Saturday night, it was so fun. All the waitstaff were great, we were served by Diana and Emmy both were super quick with everything and super commentating. The alcohol selection is especially impressive, great place to meet friends. I especially liked the enclosed legs booth dining (although it could prove difficult for people with low dexterity to climb into!)

Stopped by for a late night bite and ordered the chicken katsudon which was hearty and satisfying. The restaurant has a great neighborhood vibe that makes it feel like a hidden gem. Service was friendly and everything came out at a good pace even with a full house. The music kept things upbeat without overwhelming the dinner conversation. I really enjoyed the whole experience and will be back.

January 2026 Very mediocre place and flavorless dishes. It was a big disappointment to get a dry gyozas for appetizer. Main dishes had no flavor. Unfortunately, it is no go.

This place is so good! I suggest ordering anything related to chicken. The Wagyu is also fantastic! The only thing that is not good is the chicken breast. But overall, I will give 5 out of 5 for this place.

came in late, exhausted and genuinely hungry after not eating all day. Before sitting down, I asked if they still had ramen available and was told yes. I was brought water around 9:55 PM. At 10:05 PM, I asked the bartender if there was anywhere I could plug in my laptop. He told me to sit in a booth, so I did. I waited another 20 minutes. No one came back. No order taken. Nothing. I finally got up and asked for a manager. The woman I spoke to said she was both the waitress and the manager and informed me—only then—that orders must be placed through an app. That was never explained to me. I made it clear that the bartender had directed me to sit and wait. To make it worse, the same bartender then told me I couldn’t sit in the booth he told me to sit in because it was “for groups only.” Completely unacceptable and disorganized service from start to finish. I can’t help but feel I was judged based on how I was dressed—I came straight from the gym—but regardless, that’s no excuse to treat someone this way. I was polite, patient, and just trying to order a simple bowl of ramen. No substitutions. No special requests. Not even a soda. Food, when it finally came, was mediocre at best. Service was poor. The experience was frustrating and disappointing. This place markets itself as Japanese food, but the authenticity and hospitality simply weren’t there. I won’t be returning. Management needs to seriously address staff attitude, communication, and basic customer service—starting with the bartender, who clearly should not be in a guest-facing role.

Had our new years eve dinner here and we got seated quickly and the vibe was great! We ordered a few things off the daily specials menu and was pleased to see the discounts at the end. Everything was good, but my favorites were the chicken skewers as the chicken was super tender and the smokiness/sauces on the skewers were really flavorful but not overwhelming. We got drinks and ended up ordering a decent amount of food, which was a little pricey but we decided it was worth it for the holiday.

This place is a great late-night spot if you're craving Asian food. The restaurant itself is cute and I was pleasantly surprised that they're open late and they have a pretty broad menu including some pretty interesting cocktails You order everything from your phone, so you don't really interact with servers much--mine only came by a couple of times just to drop off the food. If you like a more hands-off approach, it's pretty convenient. The portions were good, the prices were reasonable, and they offer daily specials and happy hour deals, which makes it both affordable and tasty. So if you're looking for a good late-night Asian food spot with a wide menu and solid prices, I definitely recommend giving this one a try.

One of the best Izakayas in Town! This place absolutely hit us right away - lanterns, parasols and lively vibes. all the skewers were perfectly grilled and full of flavors, especially the beef and chicken yakitori. the fried rice and okonlmiyaki were also delicious! Friendly service, great drinks, and cozy ambiance, definitely coming back again!

Typical karaoke bar with slightly better food, never had wagyu sliders while singing John Legend. It's a really cool atmosphere, everyone participated and no one hogged up the mic. Its a pretty wide range of songs to chose from as well, overall I'd say it's worth stopping by. Even if it's just for the food and entertainment of others.

This spot has a very cool atmosphere and overall made for a fun experience. The service was great -- friendly and attentive, which definitely added to the vibe. The food was decent, but I did leave feeling a bit hungry, so portions could be better for the price. It's worth trying at least once for the ambiance and experience, but I don't see myself coming back regularly.

Cozy late night eats and drinks. No frills but good flavored food. We sat at the bar for a 9:30pm dinner on Sunday and enjoyed our time. Wait staff was pleasant and the food and sake came quickly. The ramen was very average and they only offer chicken and vegetable as the options. I really enjoyed the pancake and beef tongue stew starters. The house sake was strong but decent -- not the smoothest I've tried. Overall love the concept of late night eats and drinks in this area. They were packed.

Such a cool spot. We were fortunate to sit in one of the "booths." It's fun and more private. We ordered a bunch of items to share, but my favorite had to be the grilled shrimp. Everything was incredible and bursting with flavor. The scallops were a little too overwhelmingly garlicky. We finished off with the Green Tea Cheesecake, and it wasn't too sweet, but we thought the chocolate drizzle was unnecessary. There's a full bar, and it's open late.

Izakaya Shinya is one of the few kushi-ya (skewer shop) that I know of in Chicago. The atmosphere is excellent, and going to the outdoor patio feels like a little adventure. The staff is super helpful and kind. The food is delicious and has the exact flavor you'd want. It's been so long since I've had umeboshi, so I was thrilled with the chazuke. The one thing is that the pricing is quite high, so keep a close eye on how much you're racking up on a night out!

Poor service Waiting for sever take order over 10min Ask for the bill over 15 min I order Don menu show up come with miso And when i ask server he say don not come with miso soup

Me and my girlfriend enjoy going out and trying new restaurants. On this particular night, we decided Izakaya Shinya was our best option, especially due to the fact that we have not been to an Izakaya together yet! The biggest selling point was that they are byob and have many different bites to choose from. When we arrived it was a total vibe - the restaurant is compact and cozy and the decorations were super fun. The staff were super chill, the decorations were beautiful and as previously mentioned, there was a nice variety of food available.

The restaurant has the appearance of an izakaya but lacks the lively atmosphere typically associated with one. While I expected a more vibrant and fun vibe, it feels more like a traditional sit-down restaurant. The space is small and cozy, with tables packed closely together. Service was attentive and efficient. They were able to accommodate a group of 6 in their booth. There's a great variety of yakitori to choose from. I enjoyed the chicken lantern, chicken gizzard and beef tongue. A must have is the omurice, which stood out for its delicious flavor. The matcha dorayaki with ice cream was a highlight.

I saw on reddit this place serves up the best omurice in Chicago. Spoiler alert - agreeeeeed!!! I ordered for delivery since I felt a little lazy to cook or go out for dinner. They came in 1 hour which is pretty reasonable time of delivery. It was still semi hot and yummy but FULL TRANSPARENCY.. I found the flavor a bit underwhelming. I even asked for extra ketchup, which you can see just a small dab of on the side. it was not enough.... So I added my own ketchup and it was perfection. If you want it to taste like the omurice from Japan, ask for extra extra extra ketchup lol. I also got the unagi don. The fish was super flavorful already, the bed of rice was great. I'd also highly recommend this. I will be coming back to try this in person!! The vibes look immaculate through pictures.

Pretty bummed ngl, I've been here a few times in the past and it's always had a nice atmosphere and yummy food, but this last time we went was completely different. You now have to ORDER on the website on your phone, and pay through there as well. Having the menu be through a QR code is one thing but having to figure out paying online and not being able to just give your order to a waiter is a complete vibe killer. The food was also extremely mediocre, nothing like in the past. Unsure what is going on, if there's new ownership or what but I'm not going to be back unless I hear things are back to normal

What happened to this place? It used to be so good. Service, food, and drinks all left much to be desired. Something has changed - management or ownership maybe - because this restaurant's quality was stellar a year ago. Now, with declining food quality and service, weird and cheap happy hour rules, and watered down drinks, I left disappointed. Furthermore, there are a million fake reviews on Google - a very bad sign for a restaurant. The "happy hour" drink deal limits you to one drink at $7, anything after is full priced, and the drinks are watered down. They do not tell you about the 1-drink special rule until after ordering - it also isn't listed on the menu or deal placard either. This was the first happy hour I've ever experienced in my life where a posted price is not honored throughout the duration of the stated "happy" hours. The food is okay/meh - some items, like the Wagyu skewers, are definitely not actual Wagyu, and the portions on the grilled items are smaller than they used to be. The mushrooms and vegetable skewer items were pretty good. The entree items, like fried rice, were average - do not recommend. Management also cheapens out on small things like not including miso soup with some entrees now, even though the menu still states that it's included. Moreover, some servers are inattentive and it felt like we were bothering them when we flagged them down. I used to love coming to this place and recommended it, but now I won't be back until I see some improvement.

this place was convenient bc it was open late but food wasn't great and service was quite slow. nothing was bad per say but I wouldn't come back again - everything was pretty heavy. overall disappointing :(

We just returned from a concert gig & needed a late-night bite around 11pm within 3 miles from our location. Stumbled upon this place that reminiscent of the many restaurants we checked out in Japan. The vibe, the tunes & esp the food! It's definitely one of the most authentic Japanese spots in Chi & affordable, too! This place effectively utilizes a compact design, mirroring the layout commonly found in food venues across Japan. Love the scallops & wagyu skewer (tho a little small, it's very flavorful & not burnt) & their udons! I didn't grab pics of everything we ordered, but with 7 of us, the bill was only $200 before tips. We'll definitely be back! Lucky we got seats right away, probably because it was late, a Sunday, & the weather was a freezing -15°F!

I got the beef tongue, okonomiyaki and the takoyaki. Everything was mid. The beef tongue was flavorful but for some reason it was room temperature over the fire. I was super confused. The okonomiyaki was tough and super crunchy. I probably would not get it again. The takoyaki had little octopus. Service was a bit slow and our group had to ask for waters. I probably will give it a try again but order different things as their rice bowls look a bit better.

We have a last-minute group dinner at Izakaya, and it was perfect. The team was very accommodating and the food was delicious. I ordered the kaarage chicken and a couple spicy margaritas. Our server Diana had great recommendations and was very hospitable. Perfect late night spot.

I had the gyudon (beef over rice) and the sweet potato. Both were great! The sweet potato has an excellent brûlée to it. The gyudon was seasoned well and the beef was tender. However, if I were to make a suggestion - the gyudon had a ton of rice and not enough sauce and meat. I had a lot of plain rice left over. The ambiance is fun and quirky, especially the umbrella ceiling! It truly feels like you're in Japan. I visited Japan recently so not just saying this!

Be ready for the most mid meal of your life. This review is solely for the food. The wait staff is friendly and prompt and most of the ordering is done on your phone. It can be confusing at first but you'll get it. Anyway the ramen itself is not bad nor good. The broth is watery but the pieces of pork are good. The meat skewers have too much cumin. Soba was too salty. There's no real depth of flavor in any of the dishes. It's open late so it works in a pinch but dont expect gourmet dining. It's really more like cafeteria food.

Food was great but the service SUCKED!! Ambiance is really nice and comfy. Again. Service was pretty bad. Our server wasn't attentive and took 20 minutes to take our order after we ordered appetizers. My partner ordered the hibachi fried rice and I ordered the Omurice. The fried rice came out pretty quick but I had to wait another 15-20 minutes for my dish. We asked for the manager to let them know about the overall experience and we were told "Sorry". TL:DR - Food is great but the service was horrendous

Why haven't I been here before?! Their food is so good, ambiance is very cute and the service was great. The wagyu came over a fire which was fun and it tastes so tender and flavorful. I always like to order Takoyaki when it's on the menu and for the price, it did not disappoint. The Takoyaki came out so hot and fresh. My partner opted for the rice with egg on top and it was the first time I had ever tried it. It was chefs kiss! If you're looking for an izakaya type vibe with karaoke, this spot is the place for you. They are also BYOB with a little fee or you can opt to buy the drinks they serve there and they have plenty of options.

Truly takes my back to my days in Japan. From the seating to the atmosphere it really did have that vibe of the local izakayas in some places of Tokyo. The umbrellas on the ceiling are a bit more of the restaurant flair, but definitely adds to the overall Japan feel. Their menu offers things you'd see in Japanese restaurants like the gyudon, omurice and the staple yakitori. If you're interested in going to Japan I'd highly recommend you check them out and try some of the simple bar foods. Skip the wagyu because it falls short from what you'll see in Japan. Things can get pretty busy so trying to get the staff for the check was tough. Street paid parking, only indoor seating as far as I know (probably no pets/dogs),

What a fun late night spot! Got a hankering for a 10 PM bite and came by Izakaya Shinya. The place was bustling but we were able to get seated right away. Folks kept the karaoke alive all night with a wide range of songs. The food was also fantastic. Ordered two skewers: Shiitake and Chicken with Onion, as well as, Omuie Rice and Salmon Chazuke. I recommend everything, with the chazuke being a more unique experience and the shiitake skewer possibly being the best mushroom I've ever eaten!

Excellent food, karaoke nights, great service, and plenty of parking. They also have extra seating in the back.

A cozy & cute izakaya with great music and food. authentic and wonderful service. hannah was lovely! have been twice and will be back again. a great place to impress guests with chicago's unique food scene.

I thought the hibachi chicken fried rice was super fresh and well done! This place is open till 2 am so it's pretty ideal for a late night dinner with friends or last min plans. Service was a bit spotty since they were busy on a Friday night

This place pissed me off immediately and do not recommend this restaurant to anyone at all. Food is meh, nothing special. The server rushed us in a way wherein she took our order the minute after we sat down, not giving us a chance to look at the messy menu picture after scanning the QR code. Dismissive and not taking little plates after filling our table with the food we ordered, we instead piled used plates to the empty table next to us... One guy was serving deinks wearing a sleeveless hoodie, gross, I do not want armpit hair in my food or drinks!. The place is cramped, awkward booths that are hard to get into and weird small tables in the middle, music playing does not go with the vibe they're trying to going for. They also add 3% fee on top of your bill on top of expecting tip for minimal service.

Really good Japanese food! Was very happy to find this place while walking. The food was ever authentic and they have weekly specials with good deals. Only thing I will say was kind of bad was the rice which was kind of mushy. Other than that this place is very good. Our server was super kind and helpful. The interior also reminded me of an actual Japanese restaurant from Japan. Would def recommend and be back!

I was there a couple weeks ago. The waitress was extremely rude, the unagi made me extremely sick! Won't be going back here.. there are much better food options!

The owners spent more time and money on the decor of the place than the food. For the price, Izakaya Shinya is a boondoggle designed to lure in the hapless residents of Wicker Park. We ordered some karaage, skewers, and gyudon for the four of us. The karaage was unremarkable because it tasted like a regular fried chicken. I'm no expert, but It should be a chicken thigh marinated in ginger, garlic, soy maybe sake or some kind of neutral grain spirit, dredged through potato starch and twice fried. The gyudon bowl came out 90% don and 10% gyu, disappointing -- flavored like bulgogi instead of gyudon. No dashi notes to speak of, more sweet than savory. The skewers too were inconsistent, some came out on skewers, some didn't. No hallmark signs of konro or binchotan grilling in any of the items so they could have been pan seared and skewered after for all I know. I usually don't comment on the service if the food is right, but the food wasn't right so here goes: mans got our order wrong multiple times, couldn't really hear us after repeating the order multiple times, and appeared to be wearing boxer briefs instead of pants at service. Deeply unserious place and will not return. The food and 4 drinks during happy hour was around $240. The chicken meatballs weren't bad. Two stars.

Izakayas are difficult to replicate in US. The word itself is entrenched in Japanese work philosophy. It's a place for after-work relaxation, where salarypeople gather to drink beer and nibble on food, where it's sometimes boisterous, sometimes crowded. Cigarette smoke might perfume the air. That being said, Izakaya Shinya comes close to hitting the mark. Chicago admittedly does not have many Japanese food options compared to other major US cities, particularly at a decent price point (Momotaro comes to mind). The interior is decorated nicely and according to theme. The ceiling was decorated with upside down umbrellas, which helped with ambient lighting. Service was a little slow; it seemed like they were still figuring out the pace of the restaurant. Food-wise, we had a good portion of the menu. Izakayas will usually serve tapas, small plates, whatever you want to call it. The yakitori should be a bit more Smokey, but was cooked appropriately. The takoyaki was interesting, with a very gooey interior. I enjoyed how the karaage was fried, but wished that it came with a lemon wedge to help cut the oils. We polished off the meal with a hamachi collar, which was very miso-y and cooked perfectly. I also had a chazuke, which I was very excited about since you don't always see this item in American Japanese restaurants. Lastly, there is a good selection of beer: the trifecta - Sapporo, Asahi, Kirin. Of course, you can come to an izakaya without ordering a beer or two, but then where's the vibe in that? Overall, the restaurant manages to hit the necessary points for qualifying as a basic izakaya in my books.

**Ordered for delivery** First time trying this place solely to find an omurice that will match the level Japan makes it. I would say this place came really close, if not, the closest it can get to the one I tried from Japan. It definitely needs more ketchup than what is originally added. I also got the unagi rice which is realllly good. There was a pop of flavor in the eel that blended really well with the rice. No complaints for this one. We preordered while they were preparing to open and they delivered at a reasonable time. Would love to come give this place a try in person since it has that authentic izakaya feel to it.

Liana was absolutely wonderful!! Food was tasty cheap and came out fast. I enjoyed a large late night meal with a large group and they staff were incredibly accommodating. The vibe of this place is immaculate.

What a fun vibe at this izakaya! A bit of a smaller, crowded, lively space, but that made it feel even more like an izakaya. The decor was so aesthetic. Just came for quick drinks at the bar but stayed a few hours for karaoke and lively atmosphere! Some people were there for the food, and some to drink. The cocktails were reasonably priced and tasty! Lots of Asian-inspired cocktails/flavors. The drinks were strong! We were at the bar for a while and at some point, they started opening up the place for karaoke. People could sign up and they played the songs in order of sign-up finding the karaoke version on youtube. At times, random songs would play in-between and everyone was passing the mic to strangers who seemed to want to sing and were feeling it! Had such a fun night!

A Sunday evening; the restaurant was packed! The staff was friendly and navigated the menu with us; and we had a good meal, a variety of authentic cuisine offered across the menu. Below is what we ordered! Overall a good meal Takoyaki Gyoza Okonomiyaki Oyakodon Yakitori Negima (chicken And Onion) Tsukune (chicken Meatball Served With Quail Egg) Momo (chicken And Shiso) Negi (leek) Shishito Togarashi (shishito Pepper) Wagyu (wagyu Skewer) Hotategai (scallop) Hamachi Kama (yellowtail Collar)

First visit to Wicker Park and found this place based on map search and reviews. It's small and cozy and has a good menu to accommodate us and our teens. We ordered a variety of grilled items - including negi, shishito pepper, mackerel, chicken livers, and chicken and shiso along with white rice and a scallop dish. Everything was delicious. The liver was especially sumptuous (well prepared and seasoned, creamy texture) and the large piece of mackerel was cooked and seasoned perfectly; really nice glaze. Our daughters each had the chicken katsu which had a curry flavor and really delicious cooked carrots. We would definitely return to this place if we visit Chicago again!

I've beeen coming here since opening week . Shinya is filled with beautiful decor and delicious food. It's always a great time especially when we get Diana as our server, only attentive one there if you ask me haha over all amazing establishment I always recommend this place to friends and family. If I could give one piece of constructive criticism it would be to train some of the staff to be more alert because the amount of times I have to remind them for a water refill or a beer can be tiring at times

Well curated Japanese pub food menu. The yakitori items were well prepared, granted for the price a couple more slices would've made sense. Good drinks list, the okonomiyaki is a tad salty but a generous amount of protein. The service is good, it's a new neighborhood spot that's good for a special night out or date night. Bar seating is well spaced out, with a few tables in the front and the back rooms

Had high hopes for this place after seeing all the great reviews but left pretty disappointed unfortunately. We were pleasantly surprised when we first walked in and were able to get seated right away since it was pretty packed, but that was where our service ended. We had to flag down a waiter after 20 minutes of waiting to order and again to request plates and silverware after our food had already arrived. They were busy and I could see friendly service provided at a nearby birthday table so it may have been just our table. Overall, decoration and ambiance in the restaurant were super cute although menus were very strangely faded to the point you couldn't read the bottom items. Most importantly though, the food left a lot to be desired. The grilled food was all extremely salty and oily and definitely caused some heartburn shortly after the meal. We got the chicken + leek, eggplant, pork sausage, and chicken skin. My favorite was probably the eggplant but still not amazing. The oyakodon was a nice hefty size and not bad, but also not super flavorful. Overall fun vibes to hang out with friends, but wouldn't go back just for the food.

A group of us came for karaoke. The food was amazing. Food was amazing and drinks were perfectly made. Karaoke was a great time. Our server Diana was so good. We will definitely be going back! Great atmosphere, good food and amazing service.

A fun spot with plenty of small plate options to share. The scallop, wagyu, eggplant, and okra are absolute musts!

Wow such a cute date night or night out with friends place. The food was really good, we got a bunch of skewers and okonomiyaki. Ended with matcha ice cream. Everything was good. Place is a bit pricey but nice for a special dinner. Service was very good.

I stumbled upon Izakaya Shinya during their weekly karaoke night and what a memorable night it was. One major positive is the kitchen here is open late, which is a lifesaver when you're in Bucktown at 1 AM. Despite the late night crowd, the atmosphere is fairly laid back and chill at the bar. Warning: the booth karaoke can be distracting if you're sensitive about noise. Our fried rice could use more soy sauce, but I appreciate the hole in the wall charm it has and will be returning. The skewer menu is stacked!

This is an izakaya restaurant located in Wicker Park. Surprisingly, street parking was easy. The place opens from 5pm to 2am with happy hour starting from 10pm. That said, this place seems popular among younger folks and Instagramers due to Instagram friendly interiors. First glance at the menu, the place seems to overweigh Japanese street food rather than grilled items. They do have a decent selection of sake and cocktails with Japanese twists. We ordered a bunch of appetizers. Karage and wasabi octopus were good except they were too salty...not a fan of their takoyaki. You can find $15 for $25 Groupon deal at the moment, which makes the meals a lot more affordable.

Food was bangin. Hamachi Kama and gizzard skewer specially! Drinks were fun. Nicole and Celia were great! Come thru!

New Japanese Bar/Restaurant in Wicker Park. Restaurant right off North with street parking. Restaurant is decorated so nice. Interior is intimate so if large party then get reservation. We came on Thursday evening without reservation at 6:30pm. Our service was great. No issues at all. 5.0 stars. For food: Hibachi Rice, Yakisoba, Gyoza, Karraage, & Chicken Screwer. Food was seasoned well but I thought it was salty. Biggest reason that downgrading to 4.0 stars. I would order Hibachi Rice and Gyoza again. The Karraage was good but luke warm. Drinks were good. My husband got Old Fashion made with Hennessey and I got a specialty vodka cocktail. We were thrilled with our drink selection. I would come back here. They do have Happy Hour (starts at 10pm). This place is open late and even on Christmas and Christmas Eve. Nice selection of sake here. Definitely would come back to try the Japanese beer and hard yuzu seltzer.

Izakaya Shinya is Wicker Park's only true Japanese izakaya, making it a must-visit for late-night dining. The cozy spot offers a wide selection of yakitori, with highlights like the melt-in-your-mouth Unagi skewers. Their Chicken Katsu--a fried chicken breast served with comforting Japanese curry and rice--is a standout main dish, though their ramen options are limited to chicken, vegetable udon, and seafood. Their Hibachi fried rice and Shishito Togarashi were a few more good dishes. With over 20 sake options (none served hot, unfortunately), the restaurant is ideal for small bites, drinks, and authentic izakaya vibes. No sushi here so do not expect it. That said, whether you're craving skewers or curry, Shinya delivers a unique experience in the neighborhood.

My first time trying Izakaya Shinya just so happened to be a week after my trip from Japan. We met up with some friends and we were pleasantly surprised by the ambiance! I felt like I was transported to Japan. The yakitori and okonomiyaki were very good! More recently we went back and tried the unagi yakitori, chicken katsu don, and the vegetarian ramen and split a bottle of sake. Everything was delicious and was much needed on a cold day! Service was great and quick. Highly recommend!