Sushi-san

"The Lincoln Park offshoot of Lettuce Entertain You’s River North restaurant offers a small weekend brunch menu including Japanese pancakes with matcha butter and a miso salmon benedict served over crispy rice with yuzu hollandaise, plus plenty of ways to get a caffeine fix like cold brew coffee with sushi rice horchata. The regular menu of sushi and robata-grilled meats is also available in the mornings along with an extensive sake selection. Make a reservation through OpenTable." - Sam Nelson

"Sushi-san in River North serves seriously great Japanese food, even if the club-level-loud rap music and poop emoji bathroom sign make it seem somewhat gimmicky. The sushi here is expertly prepared, like their San-Set assortments of nigiri, sashimi, and rolls that have names like Megatron and Mr. Maguro. And like the spicy octopus tacos in a crunchy nori shell or fluffy Japanese pancakes for dessert, they’re perfect for a group to split as they ramp up their night. Sushi-san is an irreverent party with excellent sushi and an exciting bar roster (Asahi, on tap, in a frosted glass), but they also have a great selection of drinks that have nothing with alcohol—AKA their N.W.A. section, naturally. " - sam faye, adrian kane, john ringor, veda kilaru, nick allen

"Sushi-san in River North has loud rap music, a long list of cocktails and Japanese whiskies, and an active bar area that’s full of people who may or may not be planning on having dinner here. But you don’t want to come here and not eat something—the sushi is high-quality and reasonably affordable for the neighborhood. Plus, if you do decide to eat at the bar, you can probably find someone in the fun crowd to split the Japanese pancakes for dessert." - adrian kane, veda kilaru

"Sushi-san is another sushi restaurant, yes, but it’s the exact opposite of the quiet, small omakase spots on this list. This place is huge, plays loud rap music, and (if the poop emoji by the bathrooms is any indicator) doesn’t take itself too seriously. Luckily, that irreverent attitude doesn’t extend to the food, which is all very well-executed. You can’t go wrong with anything you order here - from the nigiri (order a “San-set” to try a bunch of different things), to the rolls, to the small plates, to the very fluffy pancakes." - adrian kane

"This Japanese restaurant in River North serves excellent food, but doesn’t take itself too seriously. A meal here will be affordable, and the atmosphere will likely be loud enough that when the younger members of your party decide to serenade you with off-key renditions of their favorite songs, some people might not even notice. Also, the bathroom sign is a giant poop emoji. These things, plus incredibly friendly service, make it a solid choice when you’re with kids." - adrian kane, nick allen