Sushi By Bou - River North Chicago

Wow if I can give this place a 20’star rating I would! My crew and I came here and the ambiance and Dj gets 20 stars. Good vibes and bring your open minded tasting pallet, it’s a one time experience you won’t forget. Reservation Only. As it’s more of a private event eating 12 /14 at the table at one time. Love the concept. Big thanks to Otto. I’m a vegan and they made me feel very welcome let them know if you are in advance and they can accommodate. Still the vibe was on point everyone coming to Chicago needs to try this place and I will be sending my clients for sure!

A very cool lounge/speakeasy and dining experience! Definitely need to look hard to find the secret door when arriving, but then once inside it was SO cool to ride the elevator down to an intimate lounge/speakeasy area, with AWESOME music and delicious drinks. While it is a bit fast paced (and that is very clear when making the reservation) the Omakase was extremely fresh, delicious, and well-executed! We did the bougie experience and we were full at the end of it. Every person working there was SO nice, personable, and professional. Very happy to have stumbled across this cool place and will be back next time we go to Chicago! Oh and 100% recommend arriving early to have a cocktail before and even hanging out after!

Amazing experience, had a great time with Max and Pong! They were amazing, would recommend even if I had to risk my life to get this sushi. I would cross seas for this omakase experience. Come here, you won’t regret it.

Such a cool speakeasy vibe! The Yuzu honey bee was delicious - Juan made great cocktail suggestions! Loved the sushi pieces and the chefs were very knowledgeable of the fish. Can’t wait to go back!

This place is absolutely amazing in the name of hospitality. They make everyone feel like a VIP! The fish selections are all very fresh, and the experience is so intimate. Combine this with an amazing dj playing rock and hip hop hits while you eat, I was dancing in my seat from both the flavors and the music! Tony at the door takes you down to paradise where you’ll meet Juan, who takes care of your every need from start to finish. Amen the bartender is so enthusiastic to make you anything on and off menu to suit your tastes. And finally, the men of the hour, chefs Max and Pong are some of the nicest, and knowledgeable out there. They love to engage with their guests and cater the full experience! Sushi by Bou can’t be beat!!!

Hands down the best Sushi I ever had! Great speakeasy vibe hidden Gem. Highly recommend checking it out Friday & Saturday nights. They have Djs plays anything from 80s to 90s HipHop, bottle service, and great cocktails. Stays open late! Fri:2am Sat:3am

The chef and service staff speak and are very caring. If I have the opportunity to come to Chicago, I will definitely come here again.💯✅✅

This is my first Omakase, and it was fantastic! Our sushi chef, Max, hand-crafted each nigiri and explained the flavors that went into each piece. And Juan ensured every detail of the night was perfect with great recommendations and professional service. Some of the best nigiri I've ever tasted. Can't wait to come back!

Amazing meal. Incredible and unique vibe/atmosphere at the location and some of the best sushi I've ever had. Chefs and staff were on point.

I was looking for an alternative for a decent sushi without having to spend load of money. Bou is a pretty interesting concept. It might worth a try if you never had omakase before thanks to its simplicity and price point. However if you are familiar with omakase sushi you would indeed be disappointed. First of, they use pretty good ingredients, and decent value, facing was fast which I like. However, sushi was pretty boring, everything was under seasoned from rice to fish. High rice to fish ratio, dense rice. No fish aging, no knife technique, all just cookie cutter sushi you can find at average sushi restaurants just that it's served piece by piece. Sake list was way overpriced but I guessed they have to make money somehow. The service was good overall. This just doesn't make a cut for me, and make me craving good omakase even more. I'd rather save up to splurge at high end omakase experience.

Really cool speakeasy vibe! The sushi tasted amazing and the drinks were really unique. We went for the 12 course and wish we had opted in for the 17! The space is really intimate with only about 10 seats and you get a full view of everything being made. My only critique was that is was SUPER quick. The whole experience only lasted 30 minutes and I felt really rushed eating the sushi. Overall though great value and incredibly tasty!!

Came here since they were doing a promo for their recent opening. $55 for omakase was such a steal! The fish was really fresh and their was a variety, but the sushi rice was a little too sticky and overcooked. The restaurant is in the basement of the building (you need to take the elevator down) and the vibe is super cool -- kind of gives speakeasy vibes. They also have a la carte and drink options to choose from.

Even though we were the only ones on this Sunday, it was a fun intimate time. This location is poker themed, and the music was upbeat. We tried some sake and enjoyed the 12 course omakase. Everything was fresh and delicious. It was a quick service and an enjoyable first time for my boyfriend. Great price for the smaller omakase, though we did grab a bite after because it's not totally filling.

We did the 17 course sushi omakase, the bougie option. Drink wise absolutely love the Yuzu Honey Bee, not much of sake selection but, they do have some good sake selections. I am extremely picky, and I MEAN extremely picky about the taste of sushi. The fish quality is A1, no extreme fishy after taste. Everything is extremely delicious, especially the red snapper with the truffle mayo. At one point I stopped taking photos and just enjoyed the food. I would come back 100%. The location is small so it gives a very Japan's Golden Gai/Speakeasy kind of vibe. The maitre d was extremely attentive and very friendly. My only negative would be once your course is done, you feel slightly rushed because it doesn't seem like there's enough time to turn tables around. We ordered extra pieces after our course, another couple did too. That just didn't seem to be factored in, there will be people that might want more. Other than that perfect experience for a grand opening. Will be back again.

I had previously been to a different location and loved it. Here, the service was very great along with the drinks. We got the 17 course meal. Everything was good besides issues the food. The food made me severely sick after and I had to go to the doctor for food poisoning. This may be a one off issue but it should be resolved by making sure the fish is actually fresh and stored properly.

The food was very good and comparable to other locations. Two key problems were 1- the drinks- very overpriced and low quality. 2- we ordered the bonus pieces that are listed on the board for $15. When we got the bill, they showed $25 each. The server had nothing to say other than "it's still a great price" and wouldn't reason. Skeezy service and weird atmosphere with no spot for a photo op make this a location to skip.

Such a special experience! Thanks Chef Max for making us phenomenal sushi! A must try! Wagyuni, Ikura, Gindara, & Toro were my top faves! 5 Stars!

Awesome food / great vibes I highly recommend - fast and quality service - one of our faves

This is probably the best meal I've ever had. Every bite is perfection and flavorful and makes you want to close your eyes and chew slowly. Not only is it delicious but it's so affordable compared to other omakase. The staff is super fun just like their other locations, and the speakeasy aspect is so cool! The lounge was nice for a cocktail before dinner with great ambience. Can't wait to come back!!

Super great experience. Can't wait to come back! You are welcomed by a concierge who personally takes you downstairs to the intimate seatings. Upon arrival, you can see a lounging area which is a lot more spacious compared to the other locations along with a DJ booth. The chefs are well knowledgeable about the dishes being served and very conversational. Food was very good and I enjoyed every bite.

It was a great sushi for a great price! It was a super fun experience with fun drinks and ambience. Definitely will be coming back

Incredible experience from a super knowledgeable staff! A must try for anyone who loves sushi.

Such a cool speakeasy vibe! The Yuzu honey bee was delicious - Juan made great cocktail suggestions! Loved the sushi pieces and the chefs were very knowledgeable of the fish. Can't wait to go back!

This is my first Omakase, and it was fantastic! Our sushi chef, Max, hand-crafted each nigiri and explained the flavors that went into each piece. And Juan ensured every detail of the night was perfect with great recommendations and professional service. Some of the best nigiri I've ever tasted. Can't wait to come back!