Izakaya Mita

4.4 (152)

$31 to $50

Japanese

1960 N Damen, Chicago, IL 60647

About this restaurant

Innovative
Neighborhood gem
Romantic

Izakaya Mita is a Japanese restaurant and saké bar serving small plates, grilled entrees and ramen dishes. Guests can enjoy traditional cuisine made with fresh ingredients and authentic recipes, as well as a full bar specializing in cocktails, shochu and sake. The menu at Izakaya Mita includes a vareity of comfort foods, including cold favorites like asparagus tomato salad, piri kara kyuri and umeboshi.Guests looking for a warm dish can experience the flavors of chawanmushi, tofu ganmodoki or takoyaki. Other offerings include sashimi, rice sliders and a bincho tan menu that features chicken, pork belly salmon, mushrooms and seafood selections. Izakaya Mita also prepares hearty bites, noodles, tempura and desserts that are sure to delight the entire group.Named one of Chicago's best new restaurants of 2015 by both the Chicago Reader and Chicago RedEye! 2016, 2017, 2018 Michelin Guide recommended and named one of LTHForum's 2016 Great Neighborhood Restaurants!

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Additional information

Dining style
Casual Elegant
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
Japanese, Yakitori, Ramen
Hours of operation
Mon–Thu 5:00 pm–10:30 pm Fri 5:00 pm–11:30 pm Sat 11:00 am–11:30 pm Sun 11:00 am–10:00 pm
Website
http://izakayamita.net/
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Smart Casual

Location
1960 N Damen, Chicago, IL 60647
Neighborhood
Lincoln Park
Cross street
Armitage
Parking details
Street Parking
Additional
Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Delivery, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Takeout, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Wakame Salad$6.00
seaweed salad
Ingen Goma Ae$5.00
green beans in sweet black sesame
Horenso Goma Ae$6.00
spinach in sweet black sesame
Kikurage-Su$8.00
Wafu-Chuka style spicy cloud ear mushroom salad
Piri Kara Kyuri$8.00
Wafu-Chuka style spicy seedless cucumbers
Gobo Kinpira$6.00
shredded burdock root with carrots
Hiya-Yakko$7.00
cold silken tofu, negi, bonito, soy

Sashimi Favorites

Maguro
tuna
- 4 Pc.$14.00
Sake
salmon
- 4 Pc.$14.00
Hamachi
yellowtail
- 4 Pc.$15.00
Moriawase
combination
- 3 Pc.$32.00
Sashimi Salad$17.00
mixed sashimi, greens, cucumber, wafu olive dressing
Maguro Avocado Poké Salad$17.00
tuna, avocado, black sesame, Tamari Sriracha sesame dressing

Fermented Favorites

Oshinko$5.50
Japanese pickles (Takuan, Kyuri-zuke, Rakkyo)
Nattoh and Rice$7.00
fermented soybeans
Umeboshi$3.50
pickled plums
Ika Shiokara$5.50
marinated squid in fermented sauce
Takowasa$5.50
raw octopus in wasabi marinade
Chuka Iidako$5.50
Taré Hoisin marinated baby octopus
Sake no Tsumami$15.00
Ika Shiokara, Takowasa, Chuka Iidako sampler

Warm Favorites

Kinoko Itame$11.00
Fresh shiitake mushrooms sauteéd in buttery ponzu
Age Dashi Dofu$8.50
deep fried tofu, bonito, negi, ginger, nori, tsuyu
Kabocha Korroke$9.00
Housemade squash croquette, curry, nutmeg, nori, panko
Daigaku Imo$9.00
Candied Japanese sweet potato fries, soy, sesame, kokuto
Takoyaki
octopus balls
- 4 Pc.$9.50
Kara-Age$10.00
soy marinated Japanese style fried chicken
Iidako Kara-Age$10.00
Japanese style fried baby octopus
Gyoza
pork or vegetable
- 6 Pc.$10.00
Yu Dofu$11.00
tofu, kombu shiitake dashi, shiitake, hijiki, wakame, sake, ponzu, negi
Chawanmushi$13.00
Japanese style savory custard with shrimp, Kamaboko, chicken, shiitake, ginkgo nut, citrus zest

Bincho-Tan Grill

Our traditional Japanese Kushiyaki grill uses Binchotan, a charcoal made from oak to grill individual skewers. It is chemical free, smokeless, odorless, and burns 3 times hotter than American charcoal. Because it burns hotter, the food is seared on the outside, sealing the juices on the inside. Choose Shio style (Salt and Saké) or Taré style (Homemade Tamari-based Teriyaki)

Chicken & Duck

Chicken Dark Meat$5.00
Momo
Chicken White Meat$5.00
Toriniku
Homemade Chicken Meat Balls$8.50
Tsukune
Beer Brined Whole Crispy Wing$6.00
Teba
Chicken Gizzards$4.00
Ziro
Chicken Skins$4.00
Kawa
Duck Breast$9.00
Aka hatcho miso, umeboshi purée - Kamo Misozuke
Duck Liver$6.00
w/ Negi Green Onion - Kamo Reba Negima
Duck Hearts$6.00
w/ spicy sesame honey taré glaze- Kamo no Hatsu

Pork

Kurobuta Chashu Braised Pork Belly$10.00
Buta Bara
Shishito Wrapped w/ Bacon$8.50
Asupara-Bekon
Tina's Wiina!$8.50
Sakura Duroc Pork Sausages - Wiina!

Beef

Beef Tenderloin$10.00
Gyu-Rosu
Beef Tongue$9.00
Gyu-tan

Seafood and Fish

Shrimp$8.00
Ebi
Salmon$8.00
Sake
Salmon Belly$9.00
Sake toro (as available)
Yellowtail$9.00
Hamachi
Shishamo$9.50
3 Whole Pacific Smelt (as available)
Kawahagi$6.50
bincho-tan broiled filefish jerky, Togarashi mayo

Vegetables

two skewers

Shishito Pepper$8.00

Hearty Bites

Gyu Tataki$19.00
Tataki seared thinly sliced rare sirloin, butter, tataki dressing
Hamachi Kama$17.00
broiled yellowtail collar, ponzu
Ika Sugatayaki$17.00
grilled fresh squid, dipped in taré
Tonkatsu$10.00
brined and fried pork cutlet, cabbage, Tonkatsu sauce
Saba$10.00
broiled Pacific mackerel filet, grated daikon, ponzu
Spicy Miso Tofu Steak$9.00
pan seared tofu steak, spicy miso, avocado

Okonomiyaki

Japanese savory pancake - flour, dashi, egg, yamaimo, bonito, okoni sauce, Kewpie mayo, ao nori, benishoga

Ebi & Kani$18.00
shrimp & crab
Butabara$18.00
Kurobuta pork belly

Tempura

Ebi
shrimp
- 3 Pc.$8.50
Hotate$9.50
scallops, spicy mayo, unagi sauce
Tamanegi Ringu$5.50
onion rings, wasabi ranch
Kabocha$6.50
japanese squash
Shiso$6.50
Japanese Perilla leaf
Abokado$7.50
avocado
Ingen$7.50
green beans, wasabi ranch
Kinoko$7.00
assorted mushrooms
Yasai$8.50
assorted vegetables

Rice Sliders

Open Faced Burger Meets Yaki Onigiri

Gyu$9.50
beef tenderloin, taré butter, sesame seed
Ebi Mayo$8.50
deep fried shrimp, spicy mayonnaise
Unagi$8.50
broiled eel, Kizami Tamago, eel sauce
Kurabu$9.00
Deep fried Soft Shell Crab
Shifudo Suraida Sanpura$23.00
Ebi Mayo, Unagi, & Kurabu Slider set

Finishing Noodles

Yaki Soba$16.00
sweet, savory Japanese stir fried noodles, cabbage, carrots, onion, ao nori, benishoga - pork, shrimp and/or squid or Yasai-style
Zaru Soba$17.00
Chilled buckwheat noodles with nori, negi, shrimp tempura, shiso tempura, wasabi and tusyu dipping sauce

Regional Ramen Styles

Tokyo Abura$17.00
Brothless "Oil Noodles" ramen style w/ minced chashu pork, menma, negi, benishoga, minced soy garlic pickles, ajitsuke egg, kizami nori, roasted garlic soy pork fat emulsion, rice vinegar, rayu chili oil
Yaki Ramen$17.00
Kyushu's Hakata sytle pan fried ramen, w/ tonkotsu broth, cabbage, carrot, Ajitsuke egg, chili garlic, sesame oil, Rayu chili oil, Negi - pork, shrimp and/or squid

Traditional Ramen

Yasai Miso Ramen$18.00
creamy spicy mushroom miso w/ kombu broth (vegan) cabbage, shiitake, carrots, spicy kale, bamboo shoot, lotus roots, Negi

Ramen

$17; bamboo shoots, soft boiled Ajitsuke egg, spicy kale, carrots chashu marinated pork slices, negi, with choice of broth

Shoyu
soy w/ chicken and pork broth
Tonkotsu
rich, creamy pork bone broth, Benishoga
Miso
savory Miso w/ chicken and pork broth

Dessert

Mochi Iced Cream
choice of green tea, strawberry and mango
- 3 Pc.$8.50
Banana Tempura with Fresh Pineapple Chutney$8.50
Mama Mita's Matcha Green Tea Cheesecake$9.50
Homemade with whipped cream, cocoa, matcha, green tea Pocky

Beverages

Green Tea$3.50
RC$3.50
Diet RC$3.50
7-Up$3.50
Fentiman's Ginger Beer$5.00
Oi Ocha Iced Green Tea$5.00
Pocari Sweat$6.00
Dydo Iced Coffee$4.00

Staples

Miso Soup$4.00
Genmai Brown Rice$4.00
Rice and Furikake$5.00

What 152 people are saying

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

Overall ratings and reviews

4.4

4.4 based on all time ratings

4.4Food
4.2Service
4.1Ambience
4.0Value

Noise • Moderate

152 Reviews

c
chapelhillchuck Gold
Chicago47 reviews
4.0
Dined on March 14, 2020
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 3
Large sake selection with a helpful bartender to guide you through the options. The bartender’s recommendation was spot on for us. The menu Japanese tapas with some larger plates. We started with yellowtail sushi (no rolls) that was very fresh and well prepared. That was followed by tempura shrimp and avocado, properly done and very tasty. We finished with the duck breast, two pieces of rare duck breast with a special sauce. The server was very helpful in explaining all of the dishes and understood that we were not in a rush. The service was very good. No room for dessert sorry to say. Thanks to everyone at the restaurant for a delightful time.
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MI
MIKES
Chicago2 reviews
4.0
Dined on March 8, 2020
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 4
Most of the food was very, very good. Highlights were the Sake and Hamachi sashimi (very fresh, generous cuts) pork belly (cooked to perfection), tenderloin (portions were a little small but meat was very tender and sweet/savory taste was good). Tonkatsu, ramen, chicken, and Kara-Age were fine. Wasn't really a fan of the Okonomiyaki or the rice sliders as the consistency for both were a little too gooey for me. Our server was very personable and dishes came out in a fairly timely manner. Drinks on the other hand, took way too long. The space itself was clean, and cozy but at the same time seating was comfortable and there was ample space for each diner and the various dishes. Feels like a place one can have a long, comfortable meal with close friends, sampling a variety of foods and drinks. Can easily go back.
Is this helpful?
k
karbon Gold
Chicago5 reviews
2.0
Dined on February 23, 2020
1. Overall 2
2. Food 3
3. Service 2
4. Ambience 3
Underwhelming and over priced..
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H
Halden Gold
Chicago20 reviews
3.0
Dined on February 8, 2020
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 2
4. Ambience 3
Service was pretty slow especially when the restaurant was still more than half empty. There was two occasions where the food was overly scorched. And the flavors are good but too heavy on the salt on half the dishes. Also, we were seated right outside the kitchen and the kitchen curtain hit my friend’s head every time someone came out of there.
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J
Jeannie
Chicago3 reviews
5.0
Dined on January 22, 2020
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 4
I grew up in Tokyo and am kinda snooty about Japanese food. Within Chicago city limits, I don't know if it gets any better than Mita!
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OT
OpenTable Diner Gold
Chicago17 reviews
5.0
Dined on January 20, 2020
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
The food was exceptional! It was very busy due to the Check Please coverage, but our server was amazing (so sorry I forgot your name!!) Will definitely be back.
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OT
OpenTable Diner Gold
Chicago8 reviews
4.0
Dined on January 20, 2020
1. Overall 4
2. Food 3
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 4
Small portions, high price.
Is this helpful?
M
Marko
Chicago1 review
1.0
Dined on January 19, 2020
1. Overall 1
2. Food 2
3. Service 1
4. Ambience 2
Very poor service. We never got our ramen since it took almost two hours. Food was fine, but over priced. It took 15 minutes just for the hostess to acknowledge us and get seated.
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BV
BVIT
Chicago25 reviews
4.0
Dined on January 19, 2020
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 5
Food is always great as we’ve been here a few times. We had the Tonkotsu Ramen, vegetable tempura, pork and beef skewers, beef and shrimp rice sliders, and pork gyoza. It was busy and unfortunately the service was slow and we had to flag our server down for additional food, beverages and our check as needed.
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J
Josh
Chicago1 review
5.0
Dined on January 16, 2020
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
This is my favorite restaurant in Chicago, bar none. The food is unusual and divine - I've never had anything even average. The staff is extremely friendly, and the entire restaurant exudes a comfortable ambiance with quiet, hip music and atmosphere. It's hard to make the hour drive that I have to from where I live, but worth it every time.
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Additional information

Dining style
Casual Elegant
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
Japanese, Yakitori, Ramen
Hours of operation
Mon–Thu 5:00 pm–10:30 pm Fri 5:00 pm–11:30 pm Sat 11:00 am–11:30 pm Sun 11:00 am–10:00 pm
Website
http://izakayamita.net/
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Smart Casual

Location
1960 N Damen, Chicago, IL 60647
Neighborhood
Lincoln Park
Cross street
Armitage
Parking details
Street Parking
Additional
Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Delivery, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Takeout, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Not available on OpenTable

Unfortunately, this restaurant is not on the OpenTable booking network. To check availability, please contact them directly.

Is this your restaurant?

Claim this listing

Izakaya Mita

About this restaurant

Not available on OpenTable

There’s more to explore

Additional information

Chilled Favorites

Wakame Salad$6.00

Ingen Goma Ae$5.00

Horenso Goma Ae$6.00

Kikurage-Su$8.00

Piri Kara Kyuri$8.00

Gobo Kinpira$6.00

Hiya-Yakko$7.00

Sashimi Favorites

Maguro

Sake

Hamachi

Moriawase

Sashimi Salad$17.00

Maguro Avocado Poké Salad$17.00

Fermented Favorites

Oshinko$5.50

Nattoh and Rice$7.00

Umeboshi$3.50

Ika Shiokara$5.50

Takowasa$5.50

Chuka Iidako$5.50

Sake no Tsumami$15.00

Warm Favorites

Kinoko Itame$11.00

Age Dashi Dofu$8.50

Kabocha Korroke$9.00

Daigaku Imo$9.00

Takoyaki

Kara-Age$10.00

Iidako Kara-Age$10.00

Gyoza

Yu Dofu$11.00

Chawanmushi$13.00

Bincho-Tan Grill

Chicken & Duck

Chicken Dark Meat$5.00

Chicken White Meat$5.00

Homemade Chicken Meat Balls$8.50

Beer Brined Whole Crispy Wing$6.00

Chicken Gizzards$4.00

Chicken Skins$4.00

Duck Breast$9.00

Duck Liver$6.00

Duck Hearts$6.00

Pork

Kurobuta Chashu Braised Pork Belly$10.00

Shishito Wrapped w/ Bacon$8.50

Tina's Wiina!$8.50

Beef

Beef Tenderloin$10.00

Beef Tongue$9.00

Seafood and Fish

Shrimp$8.00

Salmon$8.00

Salmon Belly$9.00

Yellowtail$9.00

Shishamo$9.50

Kawahagi$6.50

Vegetables

Shishito Pepper$8.00

Hearty Bites

Gyu Tataki$19.00

Hamachi Kama$17.00

Ika Sugatayaki$17.00

Tonkatsu$10.00

Saba$10.00

Spicy Miso Tofu Steak$9.00

Okonomiyaki

Ebi & Kani$18.00

Butabara$18.00

Tempura

Ebi

Hotate$9.50

Tamanegi Ringu$5.50