Sushi Samba Rio

Overpriced. The fish is mediocre. If you go, get the fusion dishes. They are creative, and most of them are very good. The decor is hot as hell. (a... more

My boyfriend and I had the pleasure of dining at SushiSamba while on vacation in Chicago. First of all, the ambience is very cool, which was one of the things that had intrigued me when I saw the pictures on the website. Thankfully, the food did not disappoint. We started off with the cornmeal-encrusted calamari, which was excellent-- a nice twist on the usual fried calamari appetizer-- the cornmeal added an interesting flavor, and it was doused in a slightly spicy sauce that was also very good. We then ordered the $30 ceviche sampler, which included 4 different types of ceviche-- all were excellent ( the shrimp and king crab were my favorites), and the portions were fairly generous for this type of restaurant. We tried a couple house specialty sushi rolls, which combined classic sushi combinations with uniquely latin flavors (such as jalapeno peppers, mango, cheese, etc.). Both rolls were quite good, though I must say I enjoyed the calamari and ceviche a bit more. We also shared the "coco duo" for dessert, which was very yummy, though admittedly probably not the best chocolate dessert I've ever had at a nice restaurant (I have high standards when it comes to chocolate!). In the end, all this proved to be plenty of food for the 2 of us, and we left quite satisfied. I would definitely go to this restaurant again-- mostly just so I can try more items on the menu! Pros: unique ambience, excellent food Cons: expensive more

My boyfriend and I had the pleasure of dining at SushiSamba while on vacation in Chicago. First of all, the ambience is very cool, which was one of the things that had intrigued me when I saw the pictures on the website. Thankfully, the food did not disappoint. We started off with the cornmeal-encrusted calamari, which was excellent-- a nice twist on the usual fried calamari appetizer-- the cornmeal added an interesting flavor, and it was doused in a slightly spicy sauce that was also very good. We then ordered the $30 ceviche sampler, which included 4 different types of ceviche-- all were excellent ( the shrimp and king crab were my favorites), and the portions were fairly generous for this type of restaurant. We tried a couple house specialty sushi rolls, which combined classic sushi combinations with uniquely latin flavors (such as jalapeno peppers, mango, cheese, etc.). Both rolls were quite good, though I must say I enjoyed the calamari and ceviche a bit more. We also shared the ""coco duo"" for dessert, which was very yummy, though admittedly probably not the best chocolate dessert I've ever had at a nice restaurant (I have high standards when it comes to chocolate!). In the end, all this proved to be plenty of food for the 2 of us, and we left quite satisfied. I would definitely go to this restaurant again-- mostly just so I can try more items on the menu! Pros: unique ambience, excellent food Cons: expensive more

Food was ...ok. I would not recommend ANYONE to to eat sushi with mozzarella cheese on it. YUCK! The atmosphere is AMAZING, great place to have a drink either at the bar upstairs or down. Very Beautiful place, fun for groups and also date spot. Funky spot, great people watching. The only thing was that the AC was BROKEN!! And eating in a place where its packed and hot is not so hot... My only suggestion is to make sure the air is working before you go. Pros: Hot spot, great people watching Cons: AC was broken in the middle of July.. I've had better sushi from Whole Foods more

Food was ...ok. I would not recommend ANYONE to to eat sushi with mozzarella cheese on it. YUCK! The atmosphere is AMAZING, great place to have a drink either at the bar upstairs or down. Very Beautiful place, fun for groups and also date spot. Funky spot, great people watching. The only thing was that the AC was BROKEN!! And eating in a place where its packed and hot is not so hot... My only suggestion is to make sure the air is working before you go. Pros: Hot spot, great people watching Cons: AC was broken in the middle of July.. I've had better sushi from Whole Foods more

Obviously, and in accordance with so many other reviews, the decor was enthralling.. great place to bring somebody you want to impress. The food was decent, but having been spoiled with all the good sushi places on the West coast, I found that the sushi was just so-so. Nothing very special about the rolls or the sashimi. I ordered oysters to start, and one of my oysters gave off an extremely foul odor. Thankfully, the bespectacled Asian waiter was very kind as to replace my oyster. Impeccable service. I guess it's a great place to bring someone on a date, because it's all glitzy and stuff.. but personally, I think the food could improve by miles to match the standards of its decor. Pros: Great place to be seen eating sushi for the sake of 'exotic' dining. Cons: Below average sushi if you're an experienced Japanese-food eater. more

Obviously, and in accordance with so many other reviews, the decor was enthralling.. great place to bring somebody you want to impress. The food was decent, but having been spoiled with all the good sushi places on the West coast, I found that the sushi was just so-so. Nothing very special about the rolls or the sashimi. I ordered oysters to start, and one of my oysters gave off an extremely foul odor. Thankfully, the bespectacled Asian waiter was very kind as to replace my oyster. Impeccable service. I guess it's a great place to bring someone on a date, because it's all glitzy and stuff.. but personally, I think the food could improve by miles to match the standards of its decor. Pros: Great place to be seen eating sushi for the sake of 'exotic' dining. Cons: Below average sushi if you're an experienced Japanese-food eater. more

I went here with some friends, it was loud and busy as hell. The sushi was very good, definitely overpriced but nice to try something a little different sometimes. After the dinner they had entertainment...it really was entertaining. I enjoyed it so if you think about the price, think about it, you are getting food and a show...still expensive but again something a little different. I have to agree with a previous review about the A/C...it definitely wasnt on. It was hot and slightly uncomfortable...I still think it was a pretty cool place to check out....like once Pros: entertainment, cool scene Cons: expensive, hot more

I went here with some friends, it was loud and busy as hell. The sushi was very good, definitely overpriced but nice to try something a little different sometimes. After the dinner they had entertainment...it really was entertaining. I enjoyed it so if you think about the price, think about it, you are getting food and a show...still expensive but again something a little different. I have to agree with a previous review about the A/C...it definitely wasnt on. It was hot and slightly uncomfortable...I still think it was a pretty cool place to check out....like once Pros: entertainment, cool scene Cons: expensive, hot more

If you are looking for a reprieve from the summer heat in Chicago do not go here. We were out in the 90 degree heat all day and the last thing we wanted was to sit in a hot restaurant all night. You would think they could afford to turn on the A/C given that the sushi nigiri costs $4 to $5 per piece (note, not 2 pieces but per piece). If you are looking for a scene this is your place. If you are looking for good sushi, go elsewhere Pros: the scene Cons: overpriced sushi/ low quality sushi/ no air conditioning more

If you are looking for a reprieve from the summer heat in Chicago do not go here. We were out in the 90 degree heat all day and the last thing we wanted was to sit in a hot restaurant all night. You would think they could afford to turn on the A/C given that the sushi nigiri costs $4 to $5 per piece (note, not 2 pieces but per piece). If you are looking for a scene this is your place. If you are looking for good sushi, go elsewhere Pros: the scene Cons: overpriced sushi/ low quality sushi/ no air conditioning more

Wow!! This place is great, everything was perfect! Great Sushi! Great Service, the best I have had in quite some time. Pros: service, food Cons: long wait on friday and saturday nights more

Wow!! This place is great, everything was perfect! Great Sushi! Great Service, the best I have had in quite some time. Pros: service, food Cons: long wait on friday and saturday nights more

My first impresion of this place was very trendy. it looks inviting but horrible service. The atmosphere feels like everything cost a lot of money but it so disappointing that they have to provide space heater to their customer because maybe they cant turn up the heat. I brought a cake for my bithday friend and when we asked our server if maybe she can provide us silverware but instead she told us that she will but they have to charge us three dollars per person. WOW!!! they have charged us for just bringing the plate to us when we already spent over five hundred dollars. What a disappointment Pros: Live music Cons: Horrible service and BAD customer relation more

My first impresion of this place was very trendy. it looks inviting but horrible service. The atmosphere feels like everything cost a lot of money but it so disappointing that they have to provide space heater to their customer because maybe they cant turn up the heat. I brought a cake for my bithday friend and when we asked our server if maybe she can provide us silverware but instead she told us that she will but they have to charge us three dollars per person. WOW!!! they have charged us for just bringing the plate to us when we already spent over five hundred dollars. What a disappointment Pros: Live music Cons: Horrible service and BAD customer relation more

It's pricey, but it's worth the super-fresh sushi and delicious South American food. I went there with a group of friends and the waiter was really nice! I cannot find anything negative about this place! I'll definitely bring all my out-of-town friends here when they visit Chicago. Cons: None! more

It's pricey, but it's worth the super-fresh sushi and delicious South American food. I went there with a group of friends and the waiter was really nice! I cannot find anything negative about this place! I'll definitely bring all my out-of-town friends here when they visit Chicago. Cons: None! more

SushiSamba has great sushi and a really fun atmosphere. The upstairs lounge is funky and serves great drinks. It's a great place to go for drinks and/or dinner as well. Pros: Great location, fun atmosphere, great sushi Cons: Can get very crowded more

SushiSamba has great sushi and a really fun atmosphere. The upstairs lounge is funky and serves great drinks. It's a great place to go for drinks and/or dinner as well. Pros: Great location, fun atmosphere, great sushi Cons: Can get very crowded more

After years of hearing how great SUSHI SAMBA is I had to check it out with friends that frequent it often. We got in right away and went to the bar upstairs. The bartender was so nice! The crowd was OK, and it was not crowded at all. It was just right! Not too packed and not dead. Great place to have a cocktail and just chill! Pros: Great atmosphere and staff! Cons: Not the ""it"" place like it used to be. more