Akai Hana Restaurant
Lori Lippitz · 91 Google reviewsAkai Hana Restaurant — neighborhood japanese in Wilmette. Old-school in the best sense, with zero pretense. Lori Lippitz: "As a vegetarian, my favorite is the Tofu Steak, which has a rich, buttery sauce" [$$]
What 350 diners keep saying
What 350 diners keep saying
verbatim, from Google
“Came on Friday at 1-ish. SeatedThe place is a little outdated but service was quick and very pleasant. I ordered the sushi deluxe lunch special. It was fresh and delicious. I love the reusable glass water bottle they have.”
“Many choices of meals combo, variety of sushi rolls and maki, price is reasonable, food is good value. Love to have their ice cream with the combo meals. Caterpillar sushi roll is exceptional.”
“Akai Hana has been in business for over 30 years, and the steady traffic means the sushi is fresh and safe, offered at a good price. However, the ambiance is lacking, with an outdated, cafeteria-like vibe and cheap-looking menus. It’s a solid spot for a quick, no-frills sushi meal, but not the place for a special dining experience.”
“Akai Hana Restaurant in Wilmette is an average suburban sushi restaurant. The interior is a little dated. Standard menu. They have a decent lunch menu and offered reasonably priced lunch combos. and we ordered lunches off of the menu. Food was served quickly Parking was easy. This restaurant seems to be a local favorite to grab lunch and to satisfy their craving for sushi and Japanese food.”
“Mediocre rolls; you can find identical quality ones anywhere, if not far better. They're also tiny. But so much more egregious was their tuna teriyaki lunch set. I don't know if it was low quality fish or just so crazy overcooked, but it looked and felt like pork. So overcooked that there was zero tuna flavor, if any flavor at all besides the teriyaki. So overcooked, that I'm still not 100% convinced that it actually was tuna. Pictures attached, but it was so overcooked that it became white, almost like chicken, flaking apart in a way that felt reminiscent of braised/stewed pork. Very audacious to look at what I was looking at and to tell me that it is their standard, normal tuna. Even if this is true, that just means they have terrible quality of cooking for their cooked fish. Service was also mediocre. Made a mistake on the order that I had to correct. Server was barely present and we had to track him down both when making our complaint about the tuna, and when asking for the check. Will not be going back in a market already saturated with better Japanese food options. $37~ (pre-tip) for one lunch box and one set of maki.”
“There was a leaking 🤨soy sauce container, but the food was good overall. 👍””
“Always the best! Nice to be greeted by familiar faces as the servers have all worked there for a long time. Consistently great sushi.”
“Mariana, our waitress was wonderful. The teriyaki salmon combination was delicious, as well as the soft shell crab and tempura appetizer. The miso soup and cucumber salad that came with the combination was the best I have had. Topped it off with green tea and red beans ice cream. Mmmmmm!”
“Just had to put in a good word for a great sushi spot that I’ve been coming to for at least 20 years. Always fresh and a good value. The staff is friendly and I always leave feeling full and happy :)”
“CJ did a great job. He was very personable, nice and attentive.”
“Akai Hana has been my go to Japanese restaurant since my family brought me here for the first time. Recently brought my girlfriend here for her first time and our server CJ treated us with the highest level of hospitality. CJ was very kind and considerate of our time especially on a busy night; and the food was delicious as always!!”
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