Dempster Sushi

Been here a couple of times now, mostly for lunch since they have decent lunch specials. Prices have gone up over the years, although that's pretty standard for a lot of places. They have a small parking lot in the back and street parking available as well, and you can enter either through the back or front. Interior is on the smaller side but there's a good amount of seating still. They have an area with a water dispenser that has both hot and cold water as well as free tea bags. I went with my parents and toddler on a weekday afternoon and there were three other people in there. We ordered the Lunch Special set G, two Dragon Maki, one unagi maki, and one cucumber and avocado maki. I also ordered a fried shrimp maki later but forgot to get a picture of it. All the ingredients appear fresh and tasted great, though it seems to be on the smaller side portion-wise (maybe that's just me).Definitely one of the better sushi places around here though and I appreciate that they're not closed in the early afternoon until 4ish like a lot of other sushi places do. Can't wait to go back for more!

So tired of spending a small fortune on restaurant sushi for a family of 4 when the kids want something other than Jewel sushi. I tried this place because the prices looked good. So was the sushi. A lot of sushi for under $80. Everything was pretty fresh and tasty. 2 Boston (tuna) maki, 2 fried shrimp maki, 2 rainbow maki, 2 salmon maki, 1 Alaskan and several sashimi pieces.

If you're in a pinch in the burbs and craving sushi, this might hold you over. While certainly on the cheaper end for sushi, not sure it's comparable to other go-to carry out spots in the city... like Lawrence fish market. I got a lunch combo that came with 12 pieces of nigiri and a tuna roll and added in an unaki handroll. The nigiri was fine, the most flavorful being the salmon, everything else was sort of bland. What I did like was each nigiri piece had wasabi on it between the fish and the rice... just like how they prepare it in Japan. The tuna roll was ok, again, not too much flavor. The unaki handroll was a pleasant surprise, not as sweet and nice and tender. I'd go back and order more handroll to try. Run by a nice older Asian couple and the lunch crowd was decent. Parking in the back and can walk through the back door or go around to the front. Nice, no frills sushi spot if you're in a pinch and in the burbs.

We mainly do takeout platters here (and occasionally eat in during lunch), but this is our local spot for sushi/maki. The prices are good, the food is fresh, and the service is spot on. You need to order ahead for platters, but that is not uncommon.The menu is more classical than traditional and it certainly doesn't have the increasingly outrageous creations of more modern, hipper spots. Of course I like the crazier rolls too, but classic style has its appeal - especially if you're looking for volume and value.The dine-in area is small, but clean and modern. It feels like you're very close to the action of the food prep. I remember how it was before they moved two doors down. This is a huge upgrade.Sushi lady (I know she probably definitely has a name) and her team work very hard. She always greets me kindly and remembers way too much about my order history. Thanks, sushi-lady!

For this little not so good looking place it's better than to be expected. It has a pretty big sushi menu and they make it fresh in front of you. Dempster Sushi is one of the better restaurants in Morton Grove. Has parking in the back and I can walk in the front. The prices are really good on freshly made rolls and these are pretty okay portions. Came in for lunch to get sushi cheap. It's certainly a place for that, but it's not like the garbage from a gas station thankfully so you still get some quality from here. The prices are amazingly cheap so you can get a lot. It's about $3 for the cheapest. Vegetable rolls are the cheapest, and we got a few of these. Kappa Maki is one with cucumbers. Oshinko Roll is one with pickled radish. Both were a pretty good size for the cost. They are friendly and get the stuff out fast yet still it tasted like it was expertly crafted and fresh. Good enough we could come here again. It's a place that doesn't look like much from the outside and the inside. This is nothing fancy but even so it's good taste at affordable prices and okay portions so you get what it's worth.

This is a small hole in the wall-ish counter serve sushi restaurant with really good lunch specials. The food quality is decent, I would say about average. The service is straightforward and average as well.I got the Hwe Dup Bap, which is assorted sashimi over rice and vegetables seasoned with a gochujang-like sauce and sesame oil. The price ($12 pre-tax) was really good compared to other places I've seen and had this dish, which are usually around $20. The cuts of fish were pretty small and thin, so I'd definitely only get this dish during the lunch special.I've also tried their sashimi platter, where the fish was good but also very thin.Overall I'd recommend this place if you're craving sushi and want something on the more affordable end, especially during lunch. I would probably not come in any other situation.

It's definitely one of the more affordable places in the area for solid quality sushi, but after having experienced Lawrence Fish Market, I can't say that it's better. It is pricier than Lawrence and the quantity of food just wasn't as much. I ordered a dragon maki (lunch special), orange roll, and rainbow roll. Their specialty is definitely more the sashimi, so I'd go that route again in a heartbeat. Their orange roll was my favorite, but because I really love salmon sashimi. If you're not as big a lover and like variety, then the rainbow roll is probably a better choice. Please note that if you're ordering off the lunch special, you should pick up before the lunch special time is over. I ended up ordering in time, but picked up 20m after the lunch special window, and they said they were making a pricing exception this one time.

The owner's son at this place doesn't even acknowledge me when customers make eye contact, and rarely responds when we greet him. They only give one or two napkins and always ask if I need chopsticks. Are there more customers who don't use chopsticks or those who do? One time I asked why they ask if I need chopsticks, and he replied with an annoyed look, "Because some customers don't use chopsticks!" They talk like they're considering the customers, but their usual attitude and how they hand out napkins show their true character. I've been a loyal customer for over three years, trying to understand and supporting their business. In the U.S., they get away with this kind of service and still make money. They should consider themselves lucky. If someone with real skills opened a take-out sushi place nearby, they wouldn't stand a chance.

Here's some background so you can decide if Dempster Sushi is for you. The number one ethnic food in South Korea is Japanese, and the favorite ethnic food in Japan is Korean. There aren't very many options for authentic Japanese sushi in the greater Chicagoland area, there aren't any in Southeast Wisconsin. If you're looking for authentic Japanese sushi, this place has the taste, but not the Japanese style presentation. If you're looking for Korean style Japanese sushi, then this is your place, it's the best Korean style sushi place I've been to in the Midwest. If you're looking for American style sushi, you might be disappointed, the prices are lower, it's not a fancy place, they don't have a lot of those non traditional American sushi creations. The side orders are limited and not as good as the traditional sushi choices. I would certainly not describe this place as a "hole in the wall," it's clean and very typical of South Korean casual restaurants. The service is very good by Korean standards, no-nonsense, efficient, accurate, and quick. South Koreans don't do that obsequious American waitstaff performance nor do they bother with the Japanese traditional sushi service aesthetic. They do use very fresh ingredients. They package carry out well in terms of the safety of the sushi, I usually eat here and I'm often the only non-Korean customer (which I like). I've watched them prepare and they are very clean, most of them wear masks and all wash hands often. The more you order, the better the deal is, they have truly excellent pricing on party platters. When you call in an order it is always ready on time or earlier. The one negative, and this is common across all the area Far East Asian joints, is a regrettable use of Styrofoam and unrecyclable plastic.

I've had this place bookmarked for a very long time, and finally got to try it. At one point, if I'm not mistaken, it was called Dempster Fish Market, which I'm not sure if it has any association with Lawrence Fish Market, which if you haven't tried that place, its fantastic. In either case, based on the name, this is why I decided I needed to try Dempster Sushi.From the outside, this place can look slightly intimidating, because you can't really see the inside, from outside. But, there's nothing to be scared of. Walk in, and its just like any other friendly eatery. The menu is on flat screens mounted on the top, and you can pick a variety of sushi, sashimi, and maki. They have several lunch specials to choose from too, only available Monday-Friday, at certain hours. They are about $3-4 cheaper when so. Since it was Saturday, I didn't get the lunch specials.Tell the person behind the counter what you want, pay, and grab a seat. The dining area is cozy. It had about six tables, somewhat close together. There is also a water dispenser, if you want water. Instead, I went with the:- Rainbow maki. The rainbow maki had cucumber, avocado, tuna, fluke, salmon, shrimp, tai, and crab meat. When trying somewhere new, I usually gravitate toward this since it has a combination of most of the fish, which will give you an indication of the freshness of things.- Alaska maki. The Alaska maki was simple. It had salmon, avocado and it had six piecesThe sushi came out really fast. People were nice, the price was nice, and the overall experience... nice.BATHROOM REVIEW: Located past the kitchen, past the "staff only" door, the bathroom is located on the right, near the backdoor. It is a single-person bathroom, unisex. There was a toilet, a sink, somewhat cramped, but got the job done. Sit or squat? Squat.