Eat This: Special Rolls at Toro Sushi

There are countless sushi spots in Chicago, and plenty of them sit close to downtown with an upscale room to match. Lincoln Park’s Toro Sushi (2546 N. Clark, near Deming Place, just north of Fullerton) is not one of those. It’s a small, casual storefront, and it has been a neighborhood favorite for about two decades because of what comes out of the kitchen.

For most of that time the man behind the counter was chef Mitch Kim. He greeted regulars by name, tried new creations out on anyone who sat at the bar, and built the menu of oddball special rolls that made Toro’s name. Mitch left in 2022 to run Sushi Hall, a block up Clark, which closed at the end of 2025. His rolls stayed behind, and they are still the reason to come.

With names like the Oh My God Roll, Pig in the Sea, That’s How We Roll, the Trixie, Southern Galz and the Crazy Horse, you know these aren’t your average rolls. Expect combinations like spicy tuna with mozzarella, battered, deep-fried and topped with sriracha, or crab and avocado topped with tuna. If you’d rather keep it simple, the Spider, Alaskan and California rolls are all on the menu, and the basic nigiri, from salmon and tuna to escolar (sold as super white tuna), is where you taste the quality of the fish.

Prices are still reasonable for the neighborhood. On the current menu, two pieces of nigiri run about $7 to $10, basic rolls about $6 to $11 and the special rolls $13 to $20. Toro is known as a BYOB spot, so bring a bottle, but call ahead (773-348-7255) to confirm the policy and ask about the wait. The room is small and fills up on weekends.

Toro is closed Mondays. It opens for dinner at 4:30pm Tuesday through Sunday, adds a lunch window from noon on Saturdays, and does carryout and delivery through its website.

Photo by dmitrybarsky