Taiyaki Chicago

Yummy dessert spot! Just had a cup with oreos and chocolate sauce. Cute little place to hang out with friends and the service was quick.

In an area full of great dessert options, this specialty shop stands out.Taiyaki Chicago puts a modern twist on a traditional Japanese pastry. The shop was quiet and clean, with friendly employees greeting customers. Each order comes with soft serve ice cream, a filling flavor for the fried dough, and many topping options- there were so many delicious-looking ones that it was hard to choose! For those not in the mood for ice cream, the shop also offers smoothies and boba tea.I opted for the matcha ice cream with a custard filling. When the order came out, the pastry was piping hot and freshly fried, with the perfect crispy exterior and a fluffy interior similar to funnel cake. The custard filling was very generous and absolutely divine paired with the dough! It was the perfect contrast to the creamy matcha. Although the ice cream was very sweet, the sugar did not at all overpower the delicate and refreshing matcha flavor. I recommend ordering the dish upside down so you can get a nice taste of the dough and ice cream.I'm already looking forward to the next visit and trying more of their menu. To those in the area looking for a sweet treat, be sure to stop by! You won't regret it.

Okay place. It's one of those places that combines alot of stock ingredients. The sum is more than the parts type of ish. And the sum isn't lol. But it's still REALLY nice presentation, cool waffle fish, nice piece of art for a dessert. Okay dessert.

While their taiyaki are cute, the ice cream was pretty flavorless. I thought the ice cream was soft serve, but it ended up tasting more like frozen yogurt, and the toppings for the seasonal "apple pie" and the "bean" (oreo) were very bland as they only sift powdered oreos/pie crust. Additionally, I think the dough for the taiyaki was undone but I'm not familiar with what normal taiyaki tastes like. The inside has around 3 tables with 2-4 seats along with bar space near the windows so there was plenty of seating when we went. The staff was very kind and were accomodating to my nut allergy. Overall, the ice cream was disappointing, but the service was good.

Taiyaki Chicago is an absolute delight that leaves you craving for more. This charming Japanese fish-shaped pastry, captures attention with its adorable shape. The pastry was perfectly golden, slightly crispy on the outside, and soft and fluffy on the inside. I decided to go for the peanut butter filling, which turned out to be a fantastic choice. I couldn't resist pairing it with a chocolate soft serve. The creamy, rich chocolate soft serve was a wonderful complement to the warm taiyaki, creating a symphony of flavors that left me craving for more. As if that wasn't enough indulgence, I decided to treat myself to a chocolate shake as well. The shake was thick, creamy, and irresistibly chocolatey, adding an extra layer of decadence to my already delightful dessert adventure. My dessert experience was nothing short of amazing. This pastry is the real deal, made with love and care, and it's no wonder people all over go crazy for it. If you're into Japanese treats or just looking for something super satisfying, you've got to get your hands on some taiyaki. Seriously, the flavor, the texture, the cute shape, it's got it all! Head over to your Taiyaki Chicago and treat yourself to this little piece of heaven. Trust me; you won't stop smiling!

I came here after seeing an instagram reel about the shop, and it was so good. I came by on a 90°F day, and the ice cream taiyaki just hit. I ended up ordering one with matcha soft serve which was such a good choice. The shop itself is on the smaller side, but does have a few tables to sit at. I also came early in the day, so the service was fast and the staff was very patient and nice.

Honestly a 3.5 but rounded up to 4 because service was so good. We dropped by here after a random dinner in the area and were going right for the taiyaki. My friend and I being mirror images ordered the same taikyaki with matcha with the only difference being red bean vs custard fillings.Our orders came out pretty quickly and were giant! Definitely have dessert space in your stomach if you come here. I will say that the matcha soft serve had a great robust matcha flavor - not dilute or faint at all and not too cloyingly sweet in any way. Loved it! Now the problems started once I got down to the taiyaki itself. It was a hefty taiyaki and I truly wonder if it should have been cooked for a longer period of time because parts of it felt very thick and gummy. The outside and the top had a little bit of a crisp but the middle was honestly very hard to get through. The filling was fine -- i.e. the custard that I got and it complimented the rest of the dessert well but I have to say I have some reservation about the thicc taiyaki which felt a little underdone imo. Service was very sweet; you order at the counter and they call your order out. We went on a weekend night but the crowd was not insane which was much appreciated. There is a good amt of sitting area on the inside too!

Excellent Taiyaki! They have vegan ones as well!Soft serve is vegan as well !!! Excellent spot for dairy free people like me :)They serve bubble tea with dairy free alternatives too!Service is pretty fast.Ambience is very simple.

Very delicious taiyaki with a healthy number of flavor and item options. You get exactly what you hope for, and it pretty much always delivers!- Fast service- Almost never has a line- Delicious taiyaki and soft serve- The bubble tea is pretty solid too!- Great limited edition flavors- Inside is clean with a few tables and chairsI have a positive experience every time I go here and would definitely recommend it to others. The taiyaki has a great balance between "waffle" and soft serve and makes for a very fun eating experience. I would recommend getting it "upside down" (comes with a cup) if you are worried about spilling. Great spot to get dessert in Lincoln Park! and best taiyaki I've had in Chicago.

I got The Bean Neighborhood Favorite with vanilla ice cream sprinkled with Oreo crumbles on top of a taiyaki filled with red bean paste. The taiyaki and red bean paste were both not very sweet nor flavorful. Plus, it was like fighting through a fortress of vanilla ice cream to get to the taiyaki below. This establishment is great for straightforward, uncomplicated flavors and people who want to get a cute picture with some adorable ice cream. The portions are massive and you won't leave hungry.