Blackfish Rotary Sushi & Bar: A Modern Sushi Experience in Buffalo Grove, IL

Blackfish Rotary Sushi & Bar Introduce

For residents across Illinois, particularly in the vibrant community of Buffalo Grove, the search for a truly engaging and high-quality sushi experience can be an exciting culinary adventure. In this quest, Blackfish Rotary Sushi & Bar has emerged as a standout destination, offering a fresh take on Japanese dining that combines traditional flavors with a modern, interactive twist.

Blackfish Rotary Sushi & Bar is not just another sushi spot; it's a dynamic and visually appealing establishment designed to deliver both delicious food and an enjoyable experience. The restaurant is celebrated for its signature rotary (or conveyor belt) system, which allows diners to choose their fresh sushi and other Japanese delights as they pass by. Beyond the novelty of the delivery system, patrons consistently praise the "super fresh" fish and the overall great taste of everything on the menu. The interior is often described as "super beautiful" and "spotless," creating an inviting and contemporary atmosphere. For those in Illinois looking for a fun, flavorful, and modern sushi outing, Blackfish Rotary Sushi & Bar promises a memorable meal.

Location and Accessibility

Blackfish Rotary Sushi & Bar is conveniently located at 686 S Buffalo Grove Rd, Buffalo Grove, IL 60089, USA. This strategic address places it directly on a main thoroughfare, making it highly accessible for residents within Buffalo Grove and the broader Illinois region. The restaurant's presence in a suburban commercial area typically means ample parking is available, ensuring a convenient visit for guests arriving by car.

The restaurant's design, featuring a rotary sushi belt, inherently promotes ease of access to a wide variety of dishes as they circulate, allowing diners to select what appeals to them instantly. While the primary experience is dine-in, its location ensures it's easy to reach for any quick stops. For those who prefer to enjoy their Japanese cuisine from the comfort of their home, Blackfish Rotary Sushi & Bar also partners with popular third-party delivery services, providing flexible options for enjoying their fresh sushi and hot dishes. This blend of easy-to-reach physical location and convenient off-premise dining options caters well to the diverse needs of the local Illinois community.

Services Offered

Rotary Sushi Belt Dining: The signature service features a unique two-level conveyor belt system. Customers can pick sushi directly from the lower rotating belt or order specific items via a touchscreen, which are then delivered quickly on the second level.
Full-Service Dine-In Experience: Blackfish Rotary Sushi & Bar provides a modern and cozy atmosphere for guests to enjoy their meals in comfort. The beautiful interior design enhances the overall dining ambiance.
Extensive Menu: The menu is surprisingly large for a relatively new establishment, offering a great variety of options. This includes a wide selection of nigiri, sashimi, classic rolls (e.g., California, Philadelphia, Spicy Tuna, Shrimp Tempura), and a wide array of creative special rolls (e.g., Fuji, Tsunami, Crunchy Dynamite, Dragon, Rainbow, Super Vegetarian).
Hot Dishes & Appetizers: Beyond sushi, the menu features a diverse range of hot appetizers and kitchen entrees. Popular choices include Crab Rangoons, Gyoza, Shumai, various Tempura options (shrimp, vegetable), Hamachi Kama, Salmon Kama, Kara-age Chicken, and unique items like Tokyo Nacho and Rock & Roll. They also offer Udon noodles, Teriyaki dishes, and various rice bowls.
Full Bar Service & Creative Cocktails: Blackfish Rotary Sushi & Bar boasts a cocktail menu with "really creative options" that are specifically designed to pair well with their food, enhancing the overall dining experience.
Plate-Counting Reward System: An engaging feature allows diners to slide finished plates into a slot at their table. Every 10 plates gives customers a chance to win a capsule toy from a prize machine, adding a fun, interactive element, especially for families.
Takeout and Delivery: While the rotary experience is best enjoyed in-house, the restaurant likely offers takeout and potentially delivery services through common third-party platforms, though specific details weren't provided in the reviews regarding these options. Given the industry standard for sushi restaurants in the area, it is a reasonable expectation.

Features / Highlights

Super Fresh Fish: Consistently praised by customers, the fish served at Blackfish Rotary Sushi & Bar is noted for being "super fresh" and contributing to the overall great taste of the sushi.
Unique Rotary Sushi System: The "fun and delicious" rotary sushi experience is a major draw. Diners can select items from the lower rotating belt or order customized dishes via touchscreen for quick delivery on the upper belt, adding an interactive and modern touch to dining.
Beautiful & Modern Interior: The restaurant's interior is described as "super beautiful," "cozy and modern," and "spotless," contributing to a very pleasant and inviting dining atmosphere. The "nice, clean scent of the new wood furniture" further enhances the ambiance.
Delicious Crab Rangoon: A specific highlight from customer feedback is the "shockingly" good crab rangoon, described as "some of the best... in the area," suggesting attention to quality even in non-sushi items.
Extensive and Diverse Menu: Despite potentially being a newer establishment, the menu is "surprisingly big," offering a "great variety of rolls, hand rolls, and hot dishes," catering to a wide range of tastes.
Creative Cocktail Menu: The presence of a cocktail menu with "really creative options that pair perfectly with the food" enhances the overall dining experience, offering more than just traditional Japanese beverages.
Interactive Reward System: The "capsule toy" prize machine triggered by returning 10 plates adds a unique and entertaining element, particularly appealing to younger diners and those looking for a bit of fun.

Promotions or Special Offers

While the provided customer reviews do not explicitly detail traditional, ongoing "promotions" like daily discounts or happy hour specials, Blackfish Rotary Sushi & Bar offers several unique value propositions that act as a form of "special offer" to enhance the dining experience for its patrons in Illinois.

The most notable "promotion" is the interactive plate-counting reward system. By sliding 10 finished plates into a slot at the table, customers get a chance to win a capsule toy from a prize machine. This engaging feature provides an added incentive and element of fun, especially for families or groups, encouraging a more playful approach to dining.

Beyond this, the restaurant's commitment to providing "super fresh" fish and "really well-made" sushi at what is implied to be a reasonable value for the quality serves as a continuous draw. The "surprisingly big" menu with "creative cocktail options that pair perfectly with the food" also offers an inherent value in terms of variety and a curated dining experience. For any potential limited-time offers or seasonal specials, it would be advisable for customers to inquire directly with Blackfish Rotary Sushi & Bar or check their official website or social media channels.

Contact Information

Ready to experience the unique and delicious offerings at Blackfish Rotary Sushi & Bar? Here’s how you can connect with them:

Address: 686 S Buffalo Grove Rd, Buffalo Grove, IL 60089, USA

Phone: (224) 481-3138

Conclusion: Why Blackfish Rotary Sushi & Bar is Suitable for Locals

For residents across Illinois, and particularly those within Buffalo Grove, Blackfish Rotary Sushi & Bar emerges as a highly suitable and compelling dining choice for several key reasons. It offers a contemporary and engaging approach to Japanese cuisine that caters to a wide range of local preferences.

Foremost, the consistent praise for "super fresh" fish and "very good" sushi ensures a high-quality culinary experience. This dedication to fresh ingredients is paramount for discerning sushi enthusiasts and forms the foundation of its appeal. The restaurant's ability to produce "some of the best crab rangoon" in the area also demonstrates its versatility and commitment to quality across its menu.

The unique rotary sushi system sets Blackfish Rotary Sushi & Bar apart from traditional Japanese restaurants. This interactive method of serving allows for spontaneous selection and quick delivery, making the dining experience fun, efficient, and entertaining for all ages. The added bonus of the prize machine for returned plates provides a playful incentive that adds to its local family appeal.

Furthermore, the "super beautiful," "cozy and modern," and "spotless" interior creates a highly inviting and pleasant atmosphere. This attention to ambiance, combined with a surprisingly extensive menu that includes creative cocktails, makes it an ideal spot for various occasions – from a casual weeknight dinner to a special outing with friends or a significant other. Blackfish Rotary Sushi & Bar truly offers a fresh, modern, and delicious sushi experience that is perfectly suited for the vibrant community of Buffalo Grove.

Blackfish Rotary Sushi & Bar Photos

Blackfish Rotary Sushi & Bar Location

Blackfish Rotary Sushi & Bar

Illinois Cook County Buffalo Grove South Buffalo Grove Road

686 S Buffalo Grove Rd, Buffalo Grove, IL 60089, USA

Blackfish Rotary Sushi & Bar Reviews

This was a fun and delicious experience! The fish was super fresh and everything tasted so great. Sushi was very good and shockingly that was some of the best crab rangoon I’ve had in the area. Interior is also super beautiful!Only criticism is that I wish they were playing music that fit the space better! It was just pop and country and didn’t go with the intricate interior.We will be going back again!
May 31, 2025 · Devin Law
The sushi is fresh and really well-made. The atmosphere is cozy and modern, and everything is spotless. You can still catch that nice, clean scent of the new wood furniture, which adds to the whole experience.Their menu is surprisingly big for a new place, with a great variety of rolls, hand rolls, and hot dishes. Plus, they have a cocktail menu with some really creative options that pair perfectly with the food.
May 30, 2025 · Tania Dudnikova
Thoroughly enjoyed our first experience at Black Fish! The staff was all very welcoming and friendly, and helped explain the process of ordering from the tablet (robot delivery) vs the sushi belt; as well as drinks (full bar available).A couple of items to note:- All plates are $3.69 from the conveyor belt.- Other dishes are available on the tablet for order- For every 10 plates you get, a toy comes out of a vending machine above your table. I think a few tables didn’t know this and missed out on their toy!About the food:All of the sushi was fresh and delicious. We had 17 plates shared amongst our table, with many varieties tried. All were outstanding. We also ordered a bowl of ramen, and the price based on the size was great, the broth, pork and egg beautifully flavored.About the experience: staff was friendly, robot train food delivery was super fun, and the toy vending machine was a nice surprise.Black Fish is definitely on the “to return to” list!
May 31, 2025 · Brooke B
We ended up arriving in their first full open day… and missed the 20% soft opening discount accordingly 😞That said, it was nice to see rotary sushi show up around here. Our frame of reference for rotary sushi is checking out similar restaurants in Japan and Kura stateside.Blackfish is similar to Kura in the food ordering — you can pull what’s available on the conveyor or order directly from the tablet at each table. Food orders from the tablet arrived via an automated train above the main conveyor. We enjoyed the quality of all the food we ordered, and it was nice to have a majority of the dishes priced at a flat $3.69.The specialty rolls were the highlights, and many of them were on the conveyor so you get a chance to check them out before deciding if you want to grab or order from the tablet.The vibe felt more refined and quieter than Kura, which has video screens playing intermittent animations at each table. So while it isn’t as engaging as Kura, it may be better for those that prefer a quieter rotary sushi experience. For those with kids or want that extra stimulating Japanese rotary experience, you may prefer Kura.
Jun 03, 2025 · J Lee
I really wanted to like this place, but overall, it fell short. The sushi, unfortunately, was underwhelming. Presentation was sloppy and the quality just wasn’t there.. A few items had a noticeably fishy taste, and we ended up skipping them entirely. Mind you I’m not super adventurous so we got basic stuff and it was still disappointing..Wait times for sushi were surprisingly long on the little trains, especially for a spot that doesn’t seem overwhelmed with traffic yet. That said, the staff was kind and clearly doing their best to keep things moving.On a positive note, the atmosphere is fresh and clean. You can tell it’s a new space, and that part was appreciated. With some serious improvement in the kitchen, there’s potential here. But as of now, I’d call it a miss and avoid it.
Jun 01, 2025 · Mark Kelner