Shakou Restaurants

Nice place. James was out waiter. Did an outstanding job. Big kudos! Beautiful ambiance. Excellent experience. Energetic. We were a little disappointed with the martini poor, kind of skimpy. To be quite honest the bartenders appear to be very frugal when it comes to drinks. Food was seasoned very well.  Delicious.

Shakou Barrington is now my husband and I FAVORITE sushi and Asian cuisine restaurant. Tempura shrimp and vegetables were a great appetizer. Mixed drinks amazing. Main course we had sushi rolls (Golden Lobster, Niko Niko, and Raging bull with crab) and with the freshest seafood. They were perfectly rolled. Black Widow is a great option too.. Presentation was beautiful. Oh the seafood miso was the best I have ever had.
Topped the dinner off with Mochi ice cream. Ask for Ziya or James, both very attentive and nice.

This was my first time Shakou. I highly recommend the appetizers as you will get the try the chefs more creative and unique takes on sushi. Several variations of ahi tuna are all great. There are many traditional rolls as well and some non sushi options, like ribs. They do close a little early, keep that in mind when going for a longer time.

The atmosphere is absolutely wonderful. The whole staff is always very welcoming and kind. Food and cocktails are an absolute 10/10 for sure, can’t recommend this place enough!

Shakou is a great place to go for sushi but a lot of the other items on their menu are really good. I’m not a huge fan of the loud music but I do enjoy the rooftop patio when the weather is nice. My favorites are the appetizers-Seven spicy ahi and lamb chops are delish. The salmon is also done well-crispy on the outside and flavorful. Great place to go with family and friends as well as a date.

My overall grade for Shakou is: A

Sushi is very good

Gyoza were delicious.

Service very attentive and efficient

I guess this is a franchise. Multiple locations.

Even non-sushi lovers have “sushi-like” dishes with cooked food. (I’m not a fan, but whatever)

Great place.

We sat on the rooftop and had a fantastic time. Our server was very attentive and the food was great. The sushi was fresh and the steaks were perfectly cooked. They have a solid cocktail menu and plenty of beer if cocktails don’t suit you. We went on a Thursday evening and there was plenty of room on the patio, and the music selection was favorable. Highly recommend.

We did not have reservation- hostess was exceptional and gave us a table. The food was fresh, tasty - very good. The only inconvenience (Minor) - not conversation friendly once packed.
Overall- highly recommended. Sushi was exceptional, so were sups and salats.

Amazing place with outstanding food and service!!! It was our 1 marriage anniversary and we decided to go to Shakou Barrington! Our waitress was so professional and gave us amazing recommendations about the food and drinks , we loved it! Plus we got complimentary champagne and dessert ♥ The atmosphere was great!! Top 10! Love the place and thank you for making our small anniversary so special ♥ Would recommended to everybody Shakou in Barrington.

Visited this branch of shakou for the first time.
It was epic, their rooftop is really amazing. Even in the covid times their service was really good and fast.
Being the one who always love the sushi with good cocktail , this is a great place to be.
Definitely recommend
Tried signature maki rolls: volcano, raging bull, urban heat.

Contemporary Asian-inspired cuisine with a flair for presentation, and more important, flavor. The Shakou Salad had a marvelous creamy ginger salad dressing. (Found out from our server later that they sell this by the bottle.) The Braised Short Ribs were as tender and tasty as could be, marinated in a nice soy glaze.

We sat inside upstairs early on a Saturday night. Great atmosphere. Great service. Very fresh tasting ginger and soy sauce. Sushi was excellent. Overall, a really enjoyable experience.

Amazing ambience, perfect for a date night. Drinks are fun and fresh. I ordered the pear cocktail which tasted exactly like a fresh pear! Food was delicious and The edamame was the best I’ve ever had. The staff was very attentive. Overall a great experience, I will be back soon when the rooftop opens for warmer weather. Make sure you make a reservation as they do have a long wait time for walkins.

This place was amazing!! My fave was the pink panther roll, highly recommend. YUM.

I'm not a fan of sushi, but that's not a problem here. Even though they have an abundant selection of sushi, they also have a significant variety of other dishes from which to choose. I had the Sambal Shrimp on our latest visit there, and it was tremendous! Shrimp on lemon grass skewers, sauteed in sambal sauce, which is a spicy garlic concoction; delicious! The garlic flavor with just enough of a kick to make it more interesting. Accompanied by a rice side; I chose beef fried rice for an inexpensive hint of a "surf and turf" feel. Go here during good weather, and sit outside in the second floor dining area for an even better experience.

Stopped by for an after dinner drink. Really fun and lively place. Highly recommend it, had the margatinni, cold sake and the savaugon blanc. The bar tender was exceptional.

Morgan was the most attentive, conversation well, and made the whole dinner a stress free, well orchestrated affair. If you're looking for a great Shakou experience, request Morgan.

When I originally left my first review they were new. Now a Barrington staple. Happy to say , still one of the better places in town. Must try seven spicy ahi tuna appetizer, ask for the rice to be crunch or extra crunchy- delish!

We love the bento boxes, every one of them!
Sushi our favs are seven spice ahi tuna, dragon fire, urban heat and Niku niku. Niki Niku comes with a ginger dressing dip.

Recently they also introduced a poke bowl. I love the tuna but ask for it to me made spicy

Desert? Not always on the menu, but must try the mochi ice cream. So flavorful and light.

We were there last night and writing this makes me want to go back 😉

Great ambience and great food. Loved the Fish Tacos. Super Maki's good. Reasonably priced for lunch menu.

Never been to this location but found it easily. Parking was convenient and getting sat was pretty quick. Great atmosphere like their Libertyville location. Sushi is creative and top notch. Also their cocktails are fabulous.