Sit Down Cafe & Sushi Bar

Let me tell you about my absolute favorite spot to eat in Hyde Park—the only place my stomach trusts more than my own kitchen. Sure, you might find cheaper sushi elsewhere, but you won’t find fresher rolls, a warmer welcome, or a guaranteed seat for you and your whole crew. The staff here? Top-tier. I’m convinced they’ve never met a stranger—every server acts like you’re their long-lost cousin who finally came home for dinner. I’m practically a piece of the furniture at this place. My friends joke that I eat here so often, Zach (my go-to server and low-key comedian) greets me with a knowing “see you tomorrow” every time I leave. Honestly, he’s not wrong. The menu is massive, but I always end up ordering the same things: the Caprese salad (seriously, it redefines salads), and I have a standing order of Unagi and Salmon Nigiri, made just the weirdly specific way I like it. No matter how odd my request, the folks here treat it like a chef’s challenge on TV, and they always nail it. I’m so loyal to this place, I’ll drive 15 to 20 minutes for takeout—even though they won’t deliver to my zip code. Worth it? Every single bite. If loving this spot is wrong, I don’t want to be right!

A true gem in Hyde Park! If you haven’t been, you’re missing out. The staff is incredibly friendly and attentive, making the experience even better. I highly recommend sitting at the bar—you get to watch the sushi chefs in action, which adds to the experience. The jambalaya to start was excellent, packed with flavor. As for sushi, you must try the Super Crunchy, Feisty Flamingo, Chicago Fire, and Yellowtail rolls—every single one was absolutely delicious. Can’t wait to come back!

The food here deserves an award — for being completely unappreciated by my taste buds. The quality is so low, I started wondering if I accidentally ordered from a gas station. Definitely not recommending unless you’re doing a scientific study on how bad food can get.

You've got to be kidding me, this sushi is so delicious. I saw salmon, green onions, asparagus, and said Who wouldn't! What?!? Genius. This Hyde Park sushi roll must look amazing once pulled-out of the tempura fryer. Wow. Please think about wrapping your Hyde Park with foil to keep it hot for delivery. And definitely get a side of the mango mayo or two or three. Re: The sauces and the chef's taste buds! And imagination! Wow. Wow! Yum. This is satisfying. The fragrance of the jalapeño mayo sauce is exquisite. And, open since 2008? The days I've needed you! I ordered through Ubereats. Holy yum. ❤️

Quick and quality lunch. Quiet restaurant, clean and kind service. The Cafe and sushi bar offers fresh maki, rolls, Nigerian and sashimi pieces as well as 12" round pizzas (Italian style), pastas, sandwiches including kettle chips or chopped fruit and fresh fruit smoothies. The housemade soups and stews are hearty and healthy options. Refreshments include Pepsi products, coffee, Lattes, juices and smoothies. See menunfor gift cards and loyalty program. Catering | Gluten Free | Delivery | #chicago #restaurant #dining #hydepark

Bland jambalaya, full of celery chunks , miso soup 3 tiny pieces of tofu and saltyyyy California rolls ok

I ordered take out which didn’t take FOREVER! I got the jambalaya with spicy crab OMG delicious. I forgot to take a picture of my jambalaya. The service was AMAZING, the owner was AMAZING, I will definitely BE BACK! Quick fast & GOOD!

The food was very bland, very dry. The chicken club had dry chicken, little to no condiments to help the 3 dry toasted bread slices, an out of season tomato, and a smattering of tasteless melted cheese. It came with a meager helping of supposed kettle chips. Wait staff was mostly inattentive. The restaurant was empty besides the occasional doordash order being picked up.

Good food and service. My go to for sushi in HP. Skip WF. Yummy Lychee Martini and lunch specials .

I mean, it'll never hurt to run up in the sit down for a quick martini and or wine special (wine by the bottle is half off on certain days) and of course sushi. I really enjoy how you can walk in and be treated as if you made a reservation and be seated quickly. They have a nice selection of sushi as well as martinis. I'm not sure how anything else tastes. I find it weird that they also have a more traditional style menu as well. Sushi is really all this spot needs to serve. Nonetheless, The Sit Down ain't never hurt nobody lol.

If you're looking for a quick, casual sushi meal, stop by the Sit Down Cafe. With friendly, fast service, a selection of creative rolls, and a nice cocktail and beverage menu, it's a great place for a casual lunch or dinner. It's somewhat utilitarian in decor, so ambiance isn't fancy, but it's a good option for a casual gathering.

The outdoor seating area is great on a nice warm day like today when I went. I enjoyed the seating and the wait staff. The menu was a fun mix of Italian and sushi! Was it the best sushi I ever had, no. But it was pretty good and well done.

DO NOT GO HERE I got food poisoning really bad from their sushi. Vomited all night. Was wondering why we were the only ones in the restaurant on a weekend night, now we know why.

Back in 2024 to say this is the some of the most consistent service I've ever received. This place is a go-to for date nights of all kinds or when I need my sushi itch scratched. I love it, it feels like home. I still get the pepperoni pizza with basil, switch up the martinis every time, and I'm obsessed with the super fresh Chicago Fire roll now. The Kamikaze is good too! Love this place, 12 years later!

I ordered a Hyde Park roll and they honored my request not to deep fry it but to my HORROR the salmon inside the roll was cooked, yuck. I even checked the menu online after the fact and it did not indicate that it would be cooked (seared or in this case a fully cooked/chopped mass). I could not eat. So just be careful when ordering if your preference is raw fish.

Came to this Hyde Park restaurant recently and enjoyed the casual atmosphere. It still manages to have some pretty classy sounding drinks and food. The Sit Down is exactly that, a restaurant you sit at a table and you order from there. Has quite a big menu and many different cuisines to choose from and it can be hard making a choice. You can get pizza, sushi, and tons of other stuff. A lot to choose from seriously, and it can be hard to choose. It took us awhile to look through the entire menu. There's a cocktail list in addition to the food, so you can also get your drink on while eating from the large variety of options. It's about $13 for most cocktails. The Basil Martini is an herbal version of the classic, with cucumbers, lime juice, and St. Germain. For the food it has a lot to choose from. We got some of the maki rolls. It's about $5 for the cheapest. The Avocado Maki and Kappa Maki are among the ones that are vegetarian. Each tasted fresh. These came out fast and we thought maybe they came out too fast but these were good quality. Get some drinks and food in a casual atmosphere at some of the best prices around. It's a lot cheaper than many other places around here. This has cocktails, pizza, and sushi among other things.

Get it to go! They will have 10 employees walking around and you still will wait 20 minutes for a waiter! Then the manager called himself looking at the camera to see if I was telling the truth. He didn't apologize but came up to me as I was talking to someone else to tell me NO it was 11 minutes. What? What Business class he experienced is a wonder! To wait to place an order when your restaurant is half empty with more employees than customers? But you want to go at the customer? This used to be my spot! But I find new ones all the time. I don't pay for this mess. He definitely knows how to make you feel he can survive without your patronage and without it he will have to! Been going for years! Never again. Restaurants in that block close all the time. Word of mouth is powerful! He will learn that.

I came by for lunch with a friend on a Thursday afternoon. It was pretty quiet and empty when we came (not surprisingly given the time and day), so we were given the option of choosing any seat we liked. The menu was PACKED - they have so many choices it took us a few minutes to decide what we wanted. As my friend put it, she had never seen a restaurant which offered both pizza and sushi. They also had a variety of salads and sandwiches on the menu, as well as combos and lunch specials. I ended up ordering the feisty flamingo. The roll was packed with shrimp tempura and avocado, with a bed of spicy crab layered on top and a dash of a sweet and spicy sauce. It was really delicious. I found it yummy to pair it with the sweet ginger as well. Also, they added a cute flower decoration on my plate! The staff were also super friendly. Overall, I enjoyed my meal and would come again!

The Sit Down is my favorite Hyde Park eatery. I come for the vibes and food. It's calm and peace inducing. It's also delicious! The staff matches the vibes. This place is perfect.

My kids favorite place! They like the sushi and desserts! The service is amazing. It's clean and the other menu items are delicious as well. In good weather, can bring our dog and eat outdoors.

Walking in, I had a very large party and to my surprise, we were seated so very quickly. The ambiance of the restaurant, although it could be better decor wise, was very cute and very clean. The staff were also very nice and worked very quickly. Our food, despite all of us being there, came out tremendously fast. The wide variety of options was particularly helpful since my party had some picky eaters. The price of the restaurant is also very affordable (coming from a college student)! Overall, the Sit Down is very casual and a great place to grab lunch.

Convenient and flavorful, with a laid-back ambiance. However, the service, especially from one server, is consistently slow and unfriendly. During my latest visit, she dropped my miso soup with her thumb in it, and I noticed her dirty nails. Additionally, there was a bug in my water. Unfortunately, I won't be returning.

The service was not great. And the food was good. But it just wasn't giving the vibe that they wanted service.

This place is subpar at best. Not realizing till I physically read menu that they serve Italian too. It's suspect. The miso tasted stale and the maki fishy. Won't be back.

The food is good but get it to go because the attitude of the servers and cashiers is horrible. They don't even speak to you until you speak first. No smiles, no thank you for your business l, no have a nice day, nothing. That why the whole place is empty except for the people working there and an occasional customer coming to pick up their call-in or online order.

Great service! The staff is wonderful and management too! The Seaweed salad was ridiculously delicious! And the jambalaya was as good as any you'll find in New Orleans! Thank you for a great meal and aa

The food is great and so is the atmosphere. I also appreciate the speediness when bringing the food. The prices are within reason to portions served. I always have a great experience when I visit.

I've been here twice and both times I left happy. The last time I came was at least 4 years ago, so it's safe to say they are consistent in their food. This past time I tried more than sushi. I would say, stick to the sushi here, but the apple and pecan salad I had was very good. It's a great place to eat in Hyde Park!

This is not a negative 3 star review, just to be clear. I went in expecting a 3 star experience, and that is what I received. I think, this was the worst pizza I have ever eaten in the city of Chicago. It is comparable to gas station pizza, but a little worse. Staff was a little disorganized, but they were super friendly. The Sit Down gets a high five for hiring young people and minorities. Seriously, thank you for making that a priority. As for the sushi, this was the most bare bones, greasy spoon, take-it-or leave it sushi I have ever had... and I loved it. Overall; good college town, dive diner. The Bad: Do something with the pizza... stop making it, or actually figure out how to make a crust. The Good: Sushi, I'll be back for more. Loved it.

Wider variety menu than the name might suggest. Good service, good food, very pleasant surprise and worth a visit.

Staff was very friendly. I ordered the volcano roll and the mango cherry juice everything was so tasty. Not too high in price either. Def recommend for a nice lunch date

Nice little sushi spot, I was pleased with the taste and the service. Never been to a sushi spot with pizza on the menu. All the sushi was pretty decent and the prices aren't that bad.

Came for lunch and was quickly seated. It was a nice restaurant that was very clean but had some background odor like a fish monger's store. I know they serve sushi, but I don't recall that strong at any other. Ordered Edamame and it came out very fast and was cooked really well. It was very delicious. I could have almost had a meal out of it. Next up, I split an order of the standard California Roll and it was right down the fairway. Just what you would expect and the ginger/wasabi were just as well appreciated. The highlight was the Chicken Club sandwich. It was way above and beyond what was expected. It wasn't really a sandwich. Maybe a panini or calzone would be more accurate. Whatever, it was a breading that was totally surrounding the meats/others as if it were all baked. Most importantly, it tasted great. The waitress was busy yet efficient. What I really appreciated was that the water guy was quite focused and our water rarely went down 1/4 of the way. That is ALWAYS appreciated.

Good food, quick service. Plain looking place with a very eclectic menu but the sushi was good. Server could have been the least bit friendly but otherwise a nice lunch.

I am only basing my five stars off the Feisty Flamingo! I don't even like sushi but this is delicious!! It's tempura shrimp, avocado, topped w/ spicy crab mix sweet & spicy sauce. It's a little pricey at $14.00 but I don't mind paying for this deliciousness!!!!!!

Some of these reviews are super odd... there's no need to oversell or undersell The Sit Down. It's a casual, small place on 55th that has an extremely broad menu ranging from sushi to pizza to jambalaya, which - yes - is a weird choice and not usually indicative of high quality, but it's fine when you calibrate your expectations. They serve alcohol and have outdoor seating, which is nice. The service is fine. I will say that for it being a pretty casual place with such a wide menu, the house sushi rolls are pretty dang expensive at almost $15 a roll (for just okay sushi) and that does not include miso or salad as it does in most sushi establishments, so I think they could probably improve that quality. Anyway, it's a good neighborhood spot in a pinch; that's it.

Food is great! The Chicago Fire Roll is my favorite! The service is nice. The ambiance is just regular nice place for casual lunch, nothing fancy.

Since there aren't many options in the area, it's nice! I got the Chirashi, I liked it!

Sushi rolls here are quite bland and not worth the price. I got two different Maki rolls and they were not good at all. Nice staff but food is not good

The food is always good and freshly made to order. Great service and atmosphere. If you're looking for a nice and cozy lunch or dinner spot, The Sit Down Cafe is it.

Never again!!they don't use gloves! Touching his phone while making my sushi! I asked for them remake it with gloves on man looked at me and rolled his eyes! I left!! Hell no

Came here on a busy Saturday night when Shinju had an hour plus wait. While I was initially a bit skeptical (the decor gives off major cafeteria vibes), the friendly and fast service and the tasty food seriously impressed me. There are tons of great sushi options and the $12 martinis are both generous and delicious. Definitely give the Lychee Martini a try! This is a great spot for affordable sushi that hits the spot. Will definitely be back!

Food was quite good. I almost didn't try it because the service was so slow that I was about to get up and leave. The wait staff was completely inattentive. Maybe calling in an order for pickup might be better. As for sitting down at The Sit Down Cafe...never again will I waste my time.

Placed an order over the phone for two maki rolls and edamame. Took a twenty minute walk with my dog to pick it up. Waited about 15 minutes for the food, there was only about five tables total. Food and service was basic AF. I REGRET NOT GETTING MY ROLLS AT WHOLE FOODS

Got sushi here and it wasn't super fresh. Staff was friendly but not worth going back. Very long menu and no items seem to be particularly good. I'd check out a different spot on 53rd.

They've changed from byob to serving beer, sake and wine. They are only byob for wine and sake but charge a $5 fee, not mentioned on the website. Our bottle was a screwtop fyi. It was early (6:15) and the place had a smattering of customers. We got the fried soft shell crab sushi (the Spider, but 2 pieces out of 5 with actual crab), shrimp with rice, eel and jambalaya. Food was really good, our server was nice too. The mixture of cuisines was interesting. I'll try the pizza next time i'm in the area.

No words can properly describe the utter magic of our dinner experience here, but forgive me as I humbly attempt. Far too few establishments understand how difficult restaurant selection can be on early dates. You never want to go with either one of your favorites, because if your date doesn't like it, that's something you have to deal with before you even know each other well enough to know how to deal with it. You're learning how to compromise about things like where do you dinner, so that maybe you can learn how to compromise about things like how he folds kitchen towels wrong. For example. This place? Gets it. Last night, I suggested Italian, and he balked immediately. Then he suggested Southern, and I was like okay sure, but the place was closed. We both like sushi, though I'm more of a nigiri girl, while he leans towards maki. Again, there's time for us to compromise about all the ways that he's wrong. Enter The Sit Down into our lives. Now, I'm not saying that this restaurant is responsible for the beginning of a beautiful relationship. This isn't a romantic comedy, but if they make it into one, I've been told I look a little bit like Eva Mendes. Come to think of it, my date kind a looks like a shorter will smith, so maybe I'll just go watch Hitch, and get back to the Yelp review. What I'm saying is, this was one of the single best culinary experiences of my entire life. My cocktail was perfectly proportioned, and the mixologist graciously agreed to substitute a splash of soda water for the Sprite to accommodate my palate that shies away from sweeter flavors. Then, the waitress did not even crack a smile when my date said "ooh, there's Sprite? I'll have one of those," much in the same manner and with the same enthusiasm as my four-year-old godson. I laughed in his face but she maintained her composure like the consummate professional she is. We started with the jambalaya, which was flavorful but not too spicy. It inspired a lively discussion about okra, which can be a polarizing vegetable, but happens to be something we both enjoy eating and believe belongs in jambalaya. I chose the sweet shrimp Nigiri and a Big Bang; my date went with the 53rd and a Steak Sandwich. I stopped just short of the portobello ravioli, but believe you me, I will be back for it. Everything was delicious, and we're very much looking forward to returning and eventually sampling the entire menu. 5/5, probably the best first or second date restaurant in the City.

Spent 70$ and ate only 10$ worth..... sushi tasted old... couldn't even finish it because of some odd taste and smell. I deconstructed it to see what it was but it had to be the fish. As you can see in the picture. We had a sandwich (which shouldn't belong on a sushi menu along with pizza but what ever). It tasted like canned chicken (like metal. We didn't finish anything. 4 sushi rolls and 1 sandwich and nothing got finished.... I go for the 16-20$ rolls but this place wasn't worth 5 for one roll. Fix the menu and focus on one goal. Trying to please everybody isn't working

Eat Here! Delicious, fresh food and very friendly, quick service. I had A bowl of their jambalaya which was absolutely delicious but not real spicy if that's what you're used to and the others at my table had sushi. We had a very enjoyable dinner.

Solid and relatively inexpensive sushi place. Attentive staff. Take out always on time.

I need to update my review. This place is great for everyone. The menu has something for everyone, food is prepared freshly but quickly, and they are very adaptable! Baby Friendly- 5 stars Kid Friendly- 5 stars Family Friendly- 5 stars The menu has a huge variety of things, including vegan and gluten free. I think all of the food is fine. It's fresh and made with good ingredients. It's not particularly exciting, but that's okay. Everyone in your party will find something they want to order and eat! Family friendly: -There is a baby changing table (yes table, not fold down wall mount) in the women's bathroom (single stall bathroom so any caregiver could change the baby. -There are high chairs and booster seats. -There is a sushi chef rolling sushi that you can watch. -Silverware are brought to the table with food, so you won't have lost all of your silverware to the floor before you needed it! -This is one of the easiest/best for families regular restaurants I have been to.

Beware if you eat here during the current crisis... I got really sick after eating the sushi. In my many years of eating here, I have never gotten sick. So I think due to the virus, business is slow and they are serving old or left out sushi that they want to get rid of. And when I ordered I noticed that the workers behind the bar were chatting, laughing and not busy working like they have been in the past (just standing there staring at me order when normally they're preparing food. That should've been a red flag... not to mention absolutely no one was in there, but I overlooked all of that because I really wanted the sushi. & this was before the government ordered all restaurants to close dining-in). So beware if you eat here during the virus because "raw and undercooked meats increase your risk of foodborne illness." something I wish I had remembered.

This weekend, I had a lovely dinner at The Sit Down Cafe & Sushi Bar. It's kind of strange they have sushi, along with a plethora of other non-Japanese regular-American-style cafe/diner items. Either way, I had salmon, tamago and quail egg nigiri - all of which tasted fresh and were delicious. They have many unique rolls, many of which have a Chicago or Hyde Park tie in in the name which is fun. Rolling was pretty messy, loose and cuts were not smooth but despite a not so elegant plating and construction, the flavor was still there. I had a wine flight of 3 reds for $8.50 which is about the same as a glass of wine - so why not try some variety!? 'Twas a fun thing to try some new wines. Service was attentive and very prompt....bordering on stalkerish. Our server was standing about 10' away because I guess we were taking too long to decide what we wanted to order. Also, while I was still eating, came to clear things for us. It wasn't anything horrible, server was very nice, just made us feel rushed a bit. Prices weren't bad, food was good and I'm sure a fabulous option for students nearby. Not a destination spot, but not a bad choice if you're in the 'hood. UofC students get 20% off with an ID! Lucky duckies!

This place use to be my favorite when I was Pescatarian. I visited this past weekend while home (Chicago) and ordered the vegetarian roll. I was very disappointed as the veggies were tasteless and sorta brown. This was very disheartening as I really wanted to enjoy this place in my new body as a Vegan. Now my toddler on the other hand had pizza and he enjoyed his cheese pizza 100% it was a bit over cooked but he was to hungry to send it back and wait. The pizza is paper thin so if ordering you may need more food due to how thin and unfulfilling it is. My sister and niece each had a California roll and a mushroom & cheese pizza they shared. They enjoyed their rolls however like me they were not full which prompted them to order the pizza. I ended up creating a roll asking for just cucumber and avocado and to leave out the not so good veggies in the veggie roll. Our server quickly complied and got me my super tiny roll quick. I had to order another as it didn't even wet my palette. I would suggest for a light sushi snack with a cost. If on a budget or really hungry I would say this place is a no go if that hunger desires sushi. I did see that they have other things on the menu that may be more fulfilling like shrimp and rice and more.

Went there yesterday. I was the Only Person in there as far as customers go. Service was fast and friendly. DJ was the manager and greeted me. He gave me suggestions as what to order. I ordered the spicy tuna maki roll and a cucumber roll. Both were fresh and satisfying. Nice little place!

I only ordered delivery. So this is purely based on that experience; very underwhelming for sushi, and rather expensive for what I ended up with. I wouldn't recommend.

Great place to meet friends and have a light meal. Love the gumbo! Great service.