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312 Eats
Evanston · Japanese

KANSAKU

4.5496 reviews ·Opentil 2:30 tonight
I had the vegetarian bento box with a side salad and oshinko roll (layter was an add on) and the roll was the most flavorful part of the entire bento box
Palak BhandariPalak Bhandari · 88 Google reviews
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KANSAKU — established japanese in Evanston with a loyal following. Unpretentious and comfortable, exactly what you want. The cocktail list is worth exploring. "All the fish was fresh and presented in creative ways" — Gretchen [patio]

🌱Vegan & vegetarian friendly — real options, not one sad pasta.
☀️Patio — a Evanston classic in summer.

What 496 diners keep saying

CozyOld schoolGreat cocktailsOutdoor diningQuick biteGreat for groups
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1514 Sherman Ave, Evanston, IL 60201
Evanston
Today11:30AM-2:30PM, 4-9:30PM
Sun4-9PM
Mon–Thu11:30AM-2:30PM, 4-9:30PM
Fri11:30AM-2:30PM, 4-10:30PM
Sat4-10:30PM
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What 496 diners keep saying

verbatim, from Google
Review photo by Zoe Tyrrell
Mar 2026

Simply the best! My husband and I frequently come here and are constantly impressed with the staff, especially the sushi chefs. No need to go to the city, this place is far superior to everything we have tried downtown.. and beyond.

Zoe Tyrrell

Zoe Tyrrell

7 reviews on Google

Review photo by Anna Estell
Jan 2026

Great food great service everything was fresh crunchy and delicious. The atmosphere filled with soft ambience music. Very clean.

Anna Estell

Anna Estell

13 reviews on Google

Review photo by Levent Bulusan
Sep 2025

We were in Evanston for a short time but this Japanese restaurant is a gem. Clean, friendly service, delicious food. Plenty of sushi options.

Levent Bulusan

Levent Bulusan

64 reviews on Google

Review photo by A Scott
Aug 2025

This was great sushi! Well priced and definitely worth the visit.

A Scott

A Scott

70 reviews on Google

Review photo by Darkhanbaatar Ganbat
Jun 2025

my wife and i had an amazing experience on our anniversary everything is 5 stars!! service, food, atmosphere

Darkhanbaatar Ganbat

Darkhanbaatar Ganbat

1 reviews on Google

Review photo by jialin Li
Jun 2025

Not Traditional sushi served at this restaurant, it is more adapted to local preferences( eg. spicy sushi,curd rice). Food fresh overall

jialin Li

jialin Li

11 reviews on Google

Review photo by nina
Mar 2026

Worst service ever. Food is okay. Minus the gentlemen refilling waters - I really appreciated him because we waited 20 minutes to get our drinks (Tokyo Mules) and around 40 to get our food, which was sitting on the counter for at least 10 minutes. The water definitely helped. We ordered drinks, an appetizer, and two sets of sushi. When our drinks got to us, they were half empty. I have never ever received a half empty mule before. Should really advertise it as a half cocktail at that point. When we asked for it to be filled a bit more, it was filled some more... But very clearly with mostly ice. 😬 The calamari was super rubbery, not at all the quality I would expect for a place that makes you pay $20-40 per person. Also, the sushi was sitting on the bar for a solid 10 minutes while Olivia the waitress was on the iPad/payment pad jumping between standing in front of the bar and near the entrance. Our order was not the only one piling up on that sushi bar. There were at least 4-5 other orders just sitting there. The sushi really wasn't all that. I've eaten at plenty of sushi places and for the service.. you're better off going somewhere else. They could not handle the Friday night rush at all. It looked like the waitress was busy on the iPad half the time trying to figure out what looked like a new system. Who knows. Other people looked annoyed too, I saw two tables who had to flag down a waitress to ask for the check. We ended up doing the same - asking a completely different waitress than our original waitress for a check. When it came time to pay, I was expecting a standard they run the card and give you a receipt to add the tip. Nope. They turn the iPad around and make you pick the tip while they stare at you. I wanted to give zero tip but the screen was turned just enough she could see exactly what I was going to pick all while giving me the stare down. And of course, the zero no tip option was super tiny and so I ended up tipping anyways. I'd probably only eat here if I lived nearby and was desperate for some expensive bad service. If you actually like good sushi and genuinely can tell when something is mid... Don't come here. Ive had better sushi, better service, and more elsewhere.

nina

nina

20 reviews on Google

Jul 2026

The quality is excellent. Everything I ate was worth the money spent. I am very impressed

L Cap (HammerSmashedPanda)

L Cap (HammerSmashedPanda)

11 reviews on Google

May 2026

Food was delicious!

John Casey

John Casey

12 reviews on Google

May 2026

Very sweet service and delicious rolls. Generous portions of sashimi, and a Mothers Day cocktail surprise for the Mrs. Only complaint is the tightly packed room—may have sustained a bruise bumping into the table on the way out. If you’ve dined in NYC, you’ll be at home here.

Joe Ruffner

Joe Ruffner

39 reviews on Google

Mar 2026

Excellent food and fabulous service. There are some vegetarian options, and the gomai spinach is very good. As a pescatarian, I am never disappointed!

Lisa D'Innocenzo

Lisa D'Innocenzo

19 reviews on Google

Mar 2026

Excellent food, but pricey.

Richard Stare

Richard Stare

19 reviews on Google

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