Gaijin

Name: Gaijin
Address: 950 W Lake St, Chicago, IL, United States, 60607
Telephone: (312) 265-1348
Price range: $30 and under
Rating: 4.7

Visa Dining Collection

4.7

145 Reviews

$30 and under

Japanese

950 W Lake St, Chicago, IL 60607

Make a reservation

2 people

May 1, 2025

7:00 PM

Booked 42 times today

Experiences are available.

About this restaurant

Neighborhood gem
Innovative
Lively

Gaijin by Chef Paul Virant is Chicago’s first okonomiyaki restaurant, offering both Hiroshima and Osaka styles of the savory Japanese pancake. A self-described gaijin, or “outsider” in Japanese, Virant playfully embraces this perspective and honors traditional preparations and techniques, as well as his well-known passion for pickling and preserving.

Designed to deliver a lively and interactive culinary experience, the 60-seat space is anchored by a custom 12-foot griddle and chef’s counter and offers individual Hiroshima teppan griddles for table service.

The dessert menu features kakigori, a shaved ice dessert, along with mochi donuts and other Japanese-inspired treats. The bar program showcases highballs and a focused selection of beer – including a Moody Tongue-Gaijin collaboration house lager, sake, Japanese whisky, and wine.

We can’t wait to see you at Gaijin!

Dining areas

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Price
$30 and under
Cuisines
Japanese, Okonomiyaki, Asian
Hours of operation
Tue–Fri 5:00 pm–10:00 pm Tue–Fri 11:00 am–2:30 pm Sat, Sun 11:00 am–10:00 pm Happy Hour Mon–Thu 5:00 pm–6:00 pm
Phone number
(312) 265-1348
Website
https://gaijinchicago.com/
Dress code
Casual Dress
Delivery & takeout
Order direct

Location
950 W Lake St, Chicago, IL 60607
Neighborhood
West Loop
Parking details
None
Public transit
Morgan Green Line

Gift card

Send gift cards instantly by email or print to present in person.

Send a gift card

Experiences

Chef Collaboration Night: Won Kim
Jun 18, 2025 only
Gaijin is thrilled to welcome Chef Won Kim of Kimski in on Thursday, May 15th, for the ninth installment of our Chef Collaboration series! Chef Kim will be in house from 6 - 8 p.m. to showcase his unique osaka-style okonomiyaki special. This is a one-night-only opportunity you won't want to miss!
Gaijin Matsuri
$65.00 per person
Prepaid
May 18, 2025 only
Multiple times
Join Gaijin for our third annual celebration of springtime, community, cuisine and culture, in partnership with Suntory Global Spirits, the Japan America Society of Chicago, and the Japanese Culture Center. Enjoy unlimited passed appetizers, okonomiyaki, and desserts, as well as Suntory cocktails and -196 seltzer. Enjoy traditional Japanese musical performances and omikuji (fortune-telling).
Chef Collaboration Night: Andrew Zimmerman
Jun 18, 2025 only
Gaijin is thrilled to welcome Chef Andrew Zimmerman of Sepia and Proxi in on Wednesday, June 18th, for the tenth installment of our Chef Collaboration series! Chef Zimmerman will be in house from 6 - 8 p.m. to showcase his unique osaka-style okonomiyaki special. This is a one-night-only opportunity you won't want to miss!

Offers

Try Our Happy Hour Specials Starting At $5!
Multiple dates available
Mon - Thu - 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Join us Monday through Thursday, 4 p.m. - 6 p.m., for selected highballs, sake, draft beer, starters and share plates, starting at $5. Reservations are recommended, but walk-ins are also welcome.

What 145 people are saying

Gaijin reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.7

4.7 based on recent ratings

4.7Food
4.7Service
4.7Ambience
4.5Value

Noise • Moderate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

Gaijin delights with "excellent food, ambiance, and service," offering a unique dining experience with dishes like "okonomiyaki" and "mochi donuts." Patrons rave about the "delicious cocktails" and the "friendly, knowledgeable staff." The interactive counter seating provides a "fantastic" view of the kitchen, enhancing the overall experience.

145 Reviews

W
William VIP
Chicago68 reviews
5.0
Dined 5 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Great. Many vegetarian dishes. All our food was delicious
Is this helpful?
A
Anna VIP
Chicago1 review
5.0
Dined 5 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
We sat at the counter and it was incredible to watch the cooking happen right before our eyes. The food,ambiance and service was excellent and I loved the storage in the seats for my purse. Great idea! We had the shrimp yakisoba, bok choy, boneless ribs and topped it off with a fabulous chocolate donut. Just wow! Great pricing for the location. A must try!
Is this helpful?
Z
Zach VIP
San Diego7 reviews
5.0
Dined 5 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
we chose to do the passport experience for $45 a person, it was awesome, so much food.
Is this helpful?
A
Alison
Munich10 reviews
3.0
Dined on April 20, 2025
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Just wasn’t wowed by the food. Wish they gave more suggestions of how to order the various dishes because there are clearly so many ways to customize.
Is this helpful?
A
Anya
Cleveland8 reviews
4.0
Dined on April 20, 2025
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 4
The food was pretty good. The limited menu was tough for gf options. Our waiter didn’t seem to enjoy we needed guidance on what to order but I’d still go back.
Is this helpful?
M
Mayra VIP
Chicago3 reviews
2.0
Dined on April 13, 2025
1. Overall 2
2. Food 1
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 3
If you like overly salty food, this is your place. The salt overpowered the main dishes. Overall wouldn’t come back here. Service and staff were great though
Is this helpful?
E
Elizabeth
Chicago4 reviews
5.0
Dined on April 13, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
The food was delicious! I ended up getting the four-course menu, and it was the perfect amount of food. My friend also got the same menu, so we were able to order different appetizers and share. The non-alcoholic drink I got was delicious. I ended up getting the one categorized as “fall,” and it was amazing!
Is this helpful?
M
Mariana VIP
Chicago9 reviews
5.0
Dined on April 10, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Great experience, the food was amazing, we had the pancakes, yakisoba and the doughnut for dessert! Our server was training and he did an amazing job, knew the menu and was super nice! Will definitely go back!
Is this helpful?
W
William VIP
Chicago68 reviews
5.0
Dined on April 6, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Great tasting experience and service. Will definitely go back .
Is this helpful?
D
Donte
Chicago6 reviews
5.0
Dined on April 5, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
We had a WONDERFUL experience at Gaijin. I look for only a few things when I dine out, service and food. I pretty much know what I’m paying before I get to a restaurant so that’s never an issue unless the quality is bad. With that being said Gaijin passed every test! Our waiter gave us the recommendations for what we should try and it didn’t miss. Saved us a few dollars as well. The only thing we weren’t super fans of were the noodles but that could be a taste bud issue. Definitely looking forward to our return!
Is this helpful?

FAQs

You can order delivery directly from Gaijin using the Order Online button.

Gaijin is rated 4.7 stars by 145 OpenTable diners.

Gaijin does offer gift cards which you can purchase here.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.