The Izakaya at Momotaro

Verdict: A Michelin-Recognised Izakaya That Earns Its $$$ Price Point

At the $$$ price tier, The Izakaya at Momotaro sits in a deliberate sweet spot for Chicago Japanese dining: more affordable than the city's omakase counters, more serious than casual ramen or sushi chains, and backed by two consecutive Michelin Plate recognitions (2024 and 2025) that confirm it is performing at a level worth your attention. If you want izakaya-style Japanese food with genuine kitchen credibility in Chicago, this is one of the cleaner decisions you can make. If you want a tasting menu format or a full omakase experience, look elsewhere — this is a shareable, order-as-you-go format, and it rewards diners who approach it that way.

What to Expect

The Izakaya at Momotaro operates as the downstairs counterpart to Momotaro, the larger Japanese restaurant above it on West Lake Street in the West Loop. The izakaya format, rooted in Japanese drinking-and-eating culture, is built around smaller plates, grilled items, and drinks consumed at a relaxed pace. That format travels well conceptually, but the question of whether the food travels well literally — for takeout or delivery , is worth addressing directly: izakaya dishes vary. Grilled skewers and cold preparations hold better than tempura or anything crisp-fried; if you are ordering for off-premise consumption, prioritise accordingly. That said, the primary case for The Izakaya at Momotaro is dine-in. The atmosphere, the pacing, and the drink pairing are part of what you are paying for at this price tier.

With a 4.6 rating across nearly 3,000 Google reviews, the consistency signal here is strong. A venue accumulating that volume of feedback at that average score is not coasting on novelty or a single viral moment , it is delivering reliably over time. For food-focused travelers or Chicago locals who want a reference-point izakaya rather than an experimental one, that consistency is the argument for booking rather than against it.

The West Loop address at 820 W Lake Street places the restaurant in one of Chicago's most dining-dense corridors, which means competition is real. Kumiko is a short distance away for a more cocktail-forward Japanese experience. Gaijin offers a different angle on Japanese-influenced cooking at a lower price point. Itoko is worth checking if you want something newer. And for omakase-format Japanese, Omakase Takeya is in a different category altogether , much smaller, much higher per-head spend, and a fundamentally different dining structure. The Izakaya at Momotaro is not trying to be any of those things, and that clarity of purpose works in its favour.

If you are the kind of diner who seeks out izakayas when traveling in Japan , or who has eaten at serious Japanese casual spots in cities like Tokyo, where places like Myojaku or Azabu Kadowaki set a high bar for Japanese craft , you will find The Izakaya at Momotaro holds up as a US interpretation of the format. It is not trying to replicate a Tokyo backstreet izakaya; it is a polished, well-resourced version of the concept with Chicago-scale execution.

Booking: Plan 1–2 Weeks Ahead

The Izakaya at Momotaro sits at moderate booking difficulty. Two Michelin Plates and nearly 3,000 reviews mean it has a consistent audience, but it is not operating at the near-impossible reservation windows of Chicago's tasting-menu restaurants. A 1–2 week lead time is a reasonable starting point for weekday bookings; aim for 2–3 weeks out if you want a Friday or Saturday evening. If your dates are flexible, midweek is your leading option for same-week availability. Walk-in attempts are plausible at off-peak hours, but with a venue at this recognition level in the West Loop, do not count on it for weekend evenings.

Groups should plan with extra lead time. Izakaya dining is well-suited to groups of four to eight , the shared-plate format makes it more enjoyable with more people at the table , but larger group bookings at a venue without a confirmed private dining facility require early outreach. Contact the restaurant directly well in advance if you are bringing more than six.

The Off-Premise Question

Given that this is an izakaya, takeout deserves a direct answer. Izakaya menus are not uniformly delivery-friendly. The format includes a range of preparations: some hold temperature and texture reasonably well (cold dishes, rice-based items, certain grilled preparations), while others , anything with a crispy component, freshly fried bites, or dishes designed to be eaten immediately off a grill , degrade quickly. If you are ordering for delivery or pickup, The Izakaya at Momotaro can be a reasonable choice for the right items, but the full experience is calibrated for in-room consumption. For a comparable Japanese experience that has been specifically designed with takeout quality in mind, check what Gaijin offers, as their format skews more toward preparations that travel.

How Chicago's Japanese Scene Compares

For context on where The Izakaya at Momotaro sits in a wider dining picture, see our full Chicago restaurants guide. If you are planning a full trip around the city, our Chicago hotels guide, bars guide, and experiences guide give you the broader picture. For wine-focused evenings, our Chicago wineries guide rounds out the options. Across the US, if you want to benchmark this kind of serious casual Japanese experience against the broader fine-dining tier, reference points like Le Bernardin in New York City, The French Laundry in Napa, Providence in Los Angeles, Lazy Bear in San Francisco, Single Thread Farm in Healdsburg, and Emeril's in New Orleans sit at different format and price points , useful for calibrating expectations but not direct comparisons to an izakaya.