RA Sushi Bar Restaurant

A perfect spot between the drunkeness of Division St and high end restaurants/clubs a few blocks South. Great place to start the night off!

Pros: Great food, fun staff

Cons: Kinda small

Posted 10/17/09

The food here is very good as is the service. Too bad the location is not better.

Pros: Love the food..

Cons: Hate the shopping mall layout

Posted 07/02/09

Anyone who writes a bad reveiw on RA has no taste. They obviously have no clue on city dinning. So do the rest of us a favor and stay in the suburbs. RA has great new look at sushi. (try the crazy monkey roll) The decor is very up beat and fun. I will recomend this place to anyone. So to all those who wrote a bad reveiw stick to McDonalds

Posted 03/02/09

Next time I will have the Teriyaki on the side but it came with a lot of rice and veggies. It was just like getting a good steak already cut up. I don't eat sushi but friends wanted to go so I went along. They had $2 PBRs on special. Only complaint would be the music was too loud. Felt like I was in a club at some points.

Posted 02/04/09

The sushi here was very good.
It wasn't too pricey and it was made very well.
I hate it when the rolls fall apart and all the makings are ruined.

this place was very good though

Posted 01/19/09

The worst sushi I ever had. I rated -C for the quality of food. Soft shell crab is so dry. Go some place for much better sushi with a better price.

Pros: Location

Cons: Price & Quality of Food

Posted 01/02/09

This was my first sushi bar since my move to the city. I was impressed with the decor and prices. Great servers and you can pound the table for bombs as loud as you want!! This is a perfect spot for a group of 4-6, not that much seating, or a couple. The tsunami cocktail is HUGE and not that expensive.

Pros: Atmosphere

Cons: Not a lot of seating

Posted 09/12/08

horrible thats all i say! it has a horrible service and everybody is so mean. i asked for a check and they never gave it to us@!!!!!

Posted 05/26/08

I'm a chef and it takes alot to please me, but overall RA Sushi on state and elm did the best job yet. Nothing in particular blew me away but the combination of really good sushi ( traditional and experimental) plus really knowledgeable servers and awesome drink specials put the extra into extraordinary. The music is upbeat and it makes the place feel like a club without the sweating and long lines. I also feel obliged to point out to those afraid of sushi, the menu has alot of hot noodle dishes, soups, and other hot appetizers and entrees as well as dessert and vegetarian items. So theres no reason not to go to RA Sushi. Nice work guys.

Pros: everyday specials and validated parking

Cons: I don't live closer

Posted 03/18/08

The sushi's not bad, and neither is the ambience. But you can tell, some restaurants have that touch that distinguishes them from franchises. This restaurant dosn't have it. We went to their newest one in Lombard, and the sushi's not bad, but there are better, more ingenius sushi places than this one.

Pros: good decor, ok sushi

Cons: menu selection could be better

Posted 12/25/07

I can't believe RA gets so many good reviews. I went here on a date and was appalled. The sushi was either rubbery or mushy with no in between. The raw pieces were luke-warm and the cooked pieces were slightly cold. The one saving grace, our server was awesome! She was really sweet and took really good care of us. She even comped us a dessert becasue the sushi was so bad.
If you are used to grocery store quality sushi, RA is the place to go. Or you could save your money and just go to the grocery store. Your call.

Pros: Server was awesome. And the place was empty so we had our pick of tables

Cons: The food. Even the dessert wasn't good.

Posted 12/06/07

They have the best lunch specials! I was short on time and starving. They brought out my lunch promptly and it was delicious! Since I had such a great experience for lunch, I got some friends together and we went over for happy hour. Once again another excellent experience. Thanks RA for all of the fun and delicious sushi!

Pros: Fresh Sushi with great prices

Posted 11/25/07

I went on a Sunday night with my husband with very low expectations, but I walked out very pleased. The food was excellent and the service was even better. Sunday nights they have a discounted menu. I got my salad, appetizer, and sushi roll for $12! I recommend Ra to anyone who wants great food and an exceptional price.

Posted 10/27/07

My husband and I ate here and overall I would say it was just ok. The sushi rolls seemed mushy and the sauces on top of the sushi were mediocre at best. My husband had a tempura appetizer and he thought that the tempura was great. Overall I would reccommend to skip this place and get you sushi fix elsewhere.

Pros: Good Tempura

Cons: Sushi

Posted 05/19/07

I went to RA for the first time with a friend that practically lives there cause she loves it so much! It was only my second time ever eating sushi and because I am not too familiar with it, I do have to say that the food at RA was pretty good. I would recommend it!

Pros: Fast & friendly service.

Cons: Too busy and not enough staff working.

Posted 01/02/07

I went there on 10:30 during a weekday. The staff was helpful and friendly. The place was completely empty but decorated nicely. I found the sushi and maki rolls mediocre for the price ($40 for 4 items). The food was not bad but just kind of bland and reasonably fresh. Next time I will try avoiding this place or try it when its busier.

Pros: Ambience, Staff

Cons: Food

Posted 12/12/06

Ra is one of the better sushi places in the area. Great for their happy hour special since they have a lot of good deals. Highly recommended.

Posted 11/21/06

Ra is awesome! The sushi is good (maybe not the best quality ever), and the variety and creativity is great! The best is the tootsie maki. They also have a large number of non-sushi items, which are equally creative. They have a full bar and a limited sake menu. They also have great happy hour specials (a whole menu of low-priced items from 5-7 I think, and again from 12am-2am.) Additionally, they have great lunch bento box specials that, unlike other places in the area, are available on weekends too!

It's a great trendy place for dinner, or a drink and a roll or two late at night.

Pros: location, price, creativity, atmosphere

Cons: parking is difficult

Posted 11/21/06

everyone who is leaving this place good reviews must be drunk or have no taste buds. they must also love sitting next to complete strangers as the place is as big as my apt. first off, my friend and i were seated in a tiny space. i actually had to move my seat into the aisle because there was no room. the appetizer we ordered (gyoza - japanese dumpling) tasted like it was purchased from the market. the sushi we ordered was digusting. it was soaked completely in sauce. i couldnt taste the crab or the fish. are they retarded? i didnt pay $60 to eat rice and soy sauce. on top of that, we basically had to yell just to hear each other the damn music was so loud. this is supposed to be a restaurant, not a club. if you want to play Jay-Z at a japanese restaurant fine, but turn it down so pple can actually hear each other during conversation. and the part that absolutely enraged me was the fact that they took it upon themselves to charge a 20% tip to my credit card after i gave 15% (which i thought was generous considering the experience i had had.) tip. my water glass was empty after the appetizer and pretty much stayed that way until half way through the main course. a complete waste of time and money.

Posted 09/16/06

I had been to Ra on a couple of occasions with clients and it was pretty good. My dinner checks were $200 - $300 This particular night was very unacceptable.

It almost seemed that the waiter thought we were a party that stiffed him for his tip in the past and treated us with tremendous disrespect - calling out from across the room "What do you want?", bringing warm drinks, leaving before we finished our requests, bringing out the wrong food, even bringing a fork for a soba dish scoffing at a request for a spoon, etc. Having owned a sushi bar many years before I understand service and food quality.

I even confronted him at the end of the evening and asked what the problem was - that he could not have tried harder to provide poor service, letting him know that we had been there on a number of occasions. He said "I know - I served you" - which I know was not the case. After discussing this with management, I was promised a call back. When I called, the manager said she was busy and asked me to call her back.

I decided this was not worth my time. So overall, I think based on the behavior of the server and the bartender and the manager, I would strongly recommend that this restaurant be avoided at all costs. There are many other excellent Japanese restaurants in Chicago. Do yourself a favor and bring them your business rather than take a chance at Ra.

Pros: Some interesting items on the menu

Cons: Very rude disrespectful waiter, expensive, incorrect food orders

Posted 08/28/06

I am not a sushi eater, but went to Ra for a friend's birthday.

Pros: Very friendly hostess, waitstaff, and bartender. Desserts (cheesecake and tempura ice cream) were very good, and my friends also seemed to really enjoy their sushi. The atmosphere is also pretty cool and hip, a fun place for a party with friends.

Cons: The specialty martini I had tasted like plastic, and the udon noodles were even worse. The music was far too loud for a restaurant, where most people would like to actually be able to hear their company.

I wouldn't pick this place again, but if I had to go back, I would probably enjoy it more with different selections from the menu.

Posted 07/27/06

This place rocks. I ordered food to go, and even then, it was great. I can't comment on the atmosphere, however. Try the lobster spring rolls. They're fantastic.

Pros: The food is great

Cons: It's a tad bit pricey

Posted 07/25/06

I been many sushi restrant in Chicago , this one is one of the worst , i usually order rolls at the place I've never been , after I ate some rolls and little bit sashimi, I felt sick . trust me i know good sushi , I'm Japanese

Posted 04/21/06

Went there on a Tues. evening. Waitress is wearing a "Tokyo Tuesday" shirt. Tokyo Tuesday is where Ra Sushi plays a Godzilla flick at 8 pm for its customers enjoyment. It's 8:15 pm and the guys at the bar are watching sports on the only TV in the joint. I asked the waitress if they were going to show a Godzilla flick and she looked at me like I was from Mars. She had no clue what I was talking about.

The atmosphere of this place is too ultra trendy (dark and corny music) and the food sucked. I had the most horrid teriyaki udon noodles believable. I couldn't even finish them.

If your looking for good sushi in Chicago, go elsewhere.

Posted 01/03/06

Had an awesome time and really enjoyed the food. Probably the best sushi I've ever had. Not to mention that the service was extremely friendly.

Posted 12/11/05

Night out with 10 girls for a birthday party started out great with our visit here. They were very accomidating with our larger party, it helped calling ahead even though they didn't take reservations. My favorite sushi was the Viva Las Vegas. The Sake bombs were great and our server was friendly and quick. $30 per person included tax, tip, food and 3 rounds of drinks I was quite surprised.

Pros: Viva Las Vegas!, quick service

Posted 10/24/05

This has become one of my favorite restaurants in the city. Their sushi is fresh and good and they have many tasty signature rolls (like many others, I am a big fan of the Tootsie), a good sake selection and great choices for landlovers. My fiance does not eat seafood and this is one sushi place we can both enjoy!
I was recently there on Sunday night for the kickoff of the Service Industry Night and it was a great time! For those who enjoy a lively atmosphere as much as good food, this is a great choice for a night out, particularly for a group.

Pros: maki selection, atmosphere, non-seafood entrees

Cons: littel street parking

Posted 10/22/05

It's my third time back to RA - and each time we've had a great time. The sushi is fantastic, but it's the fun, relaxed atmoshpere that keeps us coming back. We even go just to sit in the bar, chat it up with some friends and hang out. You've got to try the lobster shrimp roll. YUM!

Pros: great decor, lively music, nice bartenders

Cons: ocassional wait time

Posted 09/01/05

I went to Ra with a group of my girlfriends and we had a great time! A few of us had never had sushi before and the server was very helpful in giving us suggestions. The food was incredible! We tried all different kinds of dishes and split them and left very satisfied. I would highly recommend this dining experience!

Pros: good food, good music, good service

Posted 07/20/05

I stumbled upon RA Sushi recently when in the neighborhood and now I'm making trips back there just to get more of their sushi. It is really great - especially the Tootsie Roll. It's a fun place to hang out at the bar and the prices are good. I even took my group from work there for a hip happy hour.

Pros: Sushi, Entrees, ambiance - cool patio

Cons: parking can be tough

Posted 07/18/05

Ra has great sushi and a cute atmosphere, but the servers' and hostesses' attitudes are almost bad enough to discourage me from going back. The Tootsie Roll is good, but the Shrimp Tempura Roll is so good it's worth going there just to try it. Happy Hour makes this place affordable, otherwise it's way too expensive for the quality of the food. I say give it a shot, but make sure you're dressed well enough to get attention from the servers!

Pros: Happy Hour Specials, Sushi, Lunch

Cons: No parking, Snotty Staff, Expensive

Posted 05/08/05