Kanpai - Third Ward

4.5

678 Reviews

$30 and under

Sushi

Top Tags:

Kanpai is a local family-owned restaurant that first opened in 2012 and has been maintaining its sparking reputation for serving extraordinary sushi and sake in a sensual, contemporary atmosphere. Kanpai has brought Japanese fusion cuisine to succulent levels and a sushi experience not found elsewhere in town.

Make a reservation

Party Size

2 people

DateTime

Oct 2, 2023

7:00 PM

Booked 3 times today

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Cuisines
Sushi, Korean, Japanese
Hours of operation
Mon–Fri 11:00 am–2:30 pm Mon–Thu 5:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–10:00 pm
Phone number
(414) 220-1155
Website
http://www.kanpaimke.com/
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Casual Dress
Private party contact
Leslie Kim: (414) 220-1155

Location
408 East Chicago St, Milwaukee, WI 53202
Neighborhood
Milwaukee
Cross street
Milwaukee Street
Parking details
There is ample street parking available surrounding the restaurant; there is also a paid parking structure on Milwaukee Street at the intersection of Chicago Street, right next to our restaurant.
Additional
Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Delivery, Full Bar, Non-Smoking, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine

What 678 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

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

4.5

4.5 based on recent ratings

4.4Food
4.4Service
4.4Ambience
4.3Value

Noise • Moderate

678 Reviews

KT
KathyT
New York Area
15 reviews
vip
3.0
15 reviews
Dined on September 16, 2023
overall3food3service2ambience3
I’ve been in the search for a good Sushi place. Sadly still looking. Sushi was Ok but roll selection lacking. Seems like more than half of their special rolls are cooked or have cream cheese in them. Cocktail selection lacking. Missed opportunity, looks like they have a full bar. Service was horrible. Not many people on a Saturday and we waited over an hour for our dinner. We had to ask another waiter because ours went missing. Suspect our food was sitting for a while since our only cooked roll was cold.
Is this helpful?
KW
KaitlinW
Milwaukee
5 reviews
5.0
5 reviews
Dined on September 9, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Amazing food, as always. Able to customize with black rice which I love. Romantic ambiance. Friendly and knowledge service team. One of my favorites in Milwaukee!!
Is this helpful?
OT
OpenTable Diner
San Francisco
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on September 2, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Very good menu and quality was outstanding. Beautiful space well kept. Highly recco’d
Is this helpful?
V
Voice
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on July 29, 2023
overall5food4service5ambience4
Very good service. The waiters were very helpful and polite when it came to the special request
Is this helpful?
RB
RobertB
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on July 16, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Fantastic experience and food was on point. Would recu
Is this helpful?
IC
IsleC
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on July 14, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Jaky served us very well, the food and cocktails are very tasty.
Is this helpful?
B
Belinda
Milwaukee
2 reviews
4.0
2 reviews
Dined on July 8, 2023
overall4food4service5ambience5
The sushi was delicious and service was quick. Will definitely go back!
Is this helpful?
SW
SuzanneW
Milwaukee
6 reviews
vip
2.0
6 reviews
Dined on June 17, 2023
overall2food3service4ambience2
I had not been here in many years and, perhaps at that time it had been under a different name/ownership, but I was so disappointed. Used to be my favorite place to have sushi. The restaurant itself is rundown- peeling seats on the booths, dingy floors and a dirty bathroom. Now I know why it was one if the few Third Ward restaurants that had same day openings. Our waitress was friendly and did a wonderful job. The sushi was very underwhelming, but the kitchen entree dishes were pretty good. Women working the hostess stand were so unprofessional - seemed annoyed we were there, personal belongings sprawled about and sitting around taking. We won’t be back.
1 person found this helpful
CN
CoNg
1 review
3.0
1 review
Dined on June 9, 2023
overall3food2service4ambience4
In general, the food was good. However, the restaurant misrepresented one of the main ingredient on the menu. The snow crab is actually imitation crab. This was not annotate anywhere on the menu. We were very disappointed when the food arrived. We questioned our waitress and she she acknowledged that she knew the difference.
1 person found this helpful
s
sushigal5
Chicago
54 reviews
vip
4.0
54 reviews
Dined on June 3, 2023
overall4food4service3ambience3
we arrived early ad were seated but they ran out of ingredients before 6:30 on a Friday. food was overall very good.
Is this helpful?
C
Chrissy
Milwaukee
3 reviews
vip
2.0
3 reviews
Dined on May 21, 2023
overall2food1service1ambience2
Unfortunately a bad experience. No head chef so we could not order entrees. Waited for 20-25 mins before being greeted. Best part…a hostess deliver water 15 mins into our wait, no bevs on our table mind you, the took them back 20 secs later and said “wrong table.” Do better Kanpai. Unfortunately we won’t be back, better places to eat vs low end sushi. Washi of Brookfield is a much better value.
Is this helpful?
OT
OpenTable Diner
Tampa
8 reviews
vip
5.0
8 reviews
Dined on May 5, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience4
Great service and delicious food! Very enjoyable and entertaining as well. Will be back soon
Is this helpful?
OT
OpenTable Diner
Milwaukee
1 review
2.0
1 review
Dined on April 30, 2023
overall2food5service1ambience5
We had a reservation for 4 people at 7:15pm and didn’t get seated until 8pm. We waited at the sushi bar for 45 mins and watched another 4-person party get seated ahead of us. It was very frustrating as we could have waited the same amount of time without a reservation, what was the point? They gave us complimentary miso soup for the trouble but we’d rather pay for soup and be seated somewhat near our reservation time.
Is this helpful?
S
Sher
Chicago
10 reviews
vip
4.0
10 reviews
Dined on April 30, 2023
overall4food5service4ambience5
Excellent! Food and service were great. We loved the energetic vibe of the restaurant and suggestions were right on.
Is this helpful?
MH
MariH
Milwaukee
1 review
4.0
1 review
Dined on April 29, 2023
overall4food5service5ambience5
Food was terrific and service was great. The only negative thing was we were finishing our drinks but were asked to leave quickly because there was reservations that needed tables. We felt rushed and have never been asked to leave so that was a first. Overall the experience was good and I highly recommend.
Is this helpful?
j
jcgsbg
Milwaukee
11 reviews
vip
5.0
11 reviews
Dined on April 15, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Truly outstanding dining experience! The sushi was fresh, beautifully presented, creative, and delicious. Our server, Jackie (Jaquie?) was kind and friendly without being obtrusive, answered all of our questions and made helpful suggestions. Her gracious presence added a lot to our dining experience. We shall return, regularly. Best in Milwaukee!
Is this helpful?
V
Vickik4
Milwaukee
18 reviews
5.0
18 reviews
Dined on April 6, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Excellent food & service. Sushi was so fresh, beautiful presentation and very tasty.
Is this helpful?
MP
MadelynP
Milwaukee
3 reviews
4.0
3 reviews
Dined on April 1, 2023
overall4food5service4ambience4
Food was amazing. Sushi took a bit but it was very fresh. Worth the wait!!
Is this helpful?
MF
MarissaF
Milwaukee
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on March 31, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Love Kanpai! We had a great waitress and our food was amazing!
Is this helpful?
OT
OpenTable Diner
Milwaukee
1 review
2.0
1 review
Dined on March 23, 2023
overall2food2service1ambience1
We waited over an hour for our sashimi for a party of 2. When it was finally brought to the table, we were told the kitchen was closing so if we needed anything else to ask right away (it was just after 8 PM).
Is this helpful?
TL
TravisL
Minneapolis
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on March 18, 2023
overall5food4service5ambience4
Service was excellent timely and helpful.
Is this helpful?
AT
AndrewT
Milwaukee
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on March 7, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
What can we say about Kanpai that hasn't been said. The sushi quality is above and beyond, our server, Maxwell was excellent, attentive and very friendly, and the general ambiance for a quiet night out celebrating can't be beat. A+ all around, and our favorite sushi place without question.
Is this helpful?
DA
DanellA
Milwaukee
19 reviews
vip
4.0
19 reviews
Dined on March 5, 2023
overall4food4service4ambience3
Decent sushi fair prices okay ambiance I was hoping it would be a bit better.
Is this helpful?
BR
BR02
Milwaukee
2 reviews
3.0
2 reviews
Dined on February 15, 2023
overall3food4service3ambience2
Busy during Valentine's Day dinner, even with reservations we weren't able to get in on time and waited for 25 minutes in the lobby. Service was a little backed up, but we expected that on a night with so many reservations. A woman came to check on us and she was awesome- wasn't supposed to be our server but ended up taking our table and she was so attentive! The food was really good- I will definitely be back, and would love to try a more calm weekend.
Is this helpful?
OT
OpenTable Diner
Milwaukee
1 review
1.0
1 review
Dined on February 15, 2023
overall1food1service1ambience1
Horrible Valentine’s Day experience! In all, we spent more than forty minutes in the restaurant at the time of our reservation. This is what we experienced: we waited in a line at least 8+ parties deep just to check in for our reservation. We were told they couldn’t honor our reservation time and pushed us back 20 additional minutes to be seated. No one was tending bar, so without a table or a server, they couldn’t offer any way for a waiting party to order a drink, small plate, anything. We were eventually seated but no one greeted us. While we waited for a server, we contemplated where else we could dine on valentines night without a reservation. Ultimately, we waited long enough to determine this booking was a total failure and disappointment. Plus we were famished and didn’t even have a glass of water in front of us. Leaving Kanpai was the best part of my experience there. Won’t be back.
Is this helpful?
F
Frenchie
Milwaukee
10 reviews
vip
2.0
10 reviews
Dined on February 14, 2023
overall2food2service2ambience3
They recently changed their menu which wasn’t reflected on open table. I have dietary restrictions due to a medical condition (cancer with gastroparisis) so I have to eat soups and puréed foods. They only had one item with a broth and it was very salty. So beware that they have eliminated all the entrees. So if you or someone you’re dining with has cancer, is pregnant, has another condition that affects your immune system—or simply doesn’t like sushi, don’t book a table here. There are no meal options for that part of the population. Also if you order wine, buy the bottle and take home what you don’t drink. Their pours are about half what you get anywhere else. At $12 a glass, I had to order 3 glasses for a little more than I would have gotten in one glass anywhere else. Service was slow and food came out in a weird order. He forgot one dish completely and we had to ask for it. It was Valentine’s Day so I never expect the best service, but the table next to us was there an hour before they complained about still not getting the special. Usually the special is designed to keep things moving quickly and make it easy for the kitchen. It didn’t seem to be the case here. This used to be a special place for us with lots of memories, unfortunately we won’t be back.
Is this helpful?
SH
StephanieH
Milwaukee
12 reviews
vip
5.0
12 reviews
Dined on February 3, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
This was one of the BEST sushi experiences we have had. Everything was absolutely fantastic.
Is this helpful?
OT
OpenTable Diner
Chicago
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on January 17, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Great place for a first day, service was amazing and felt separated enough to have a great conversation. Thanks again!
Kanpai - Third WardResponded on January 19, 2023
Thank you so much for dining with us!
Is this helpful?
OT
OpenTable Diner
Milwaukee
7 reviews
vip
5.0
7 reviews
Dined on January 13, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Simply amazing! The freshest uni ever! Beautiful presentation
Is this helpful?
AH
AnneH
Milwaukee
5 reviews
5.0
5 reviews
Dined on January 8, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Very happy we had a reservation for a Saturday eve as it was very busy and walk-ins had to wait . Reservation holders were seated immediately, which means they manage their numbers well. Even though it was busy, there was no delay in our excellent service from Maxwell. The host, was also amazing, & didn’t stop for one minute, helping clean tables and seat customers with a great sense of calm. The food is always excellent, and we’re very happy the fresh wasabi is available again. Can’t wait for next time. ;)
Kanpai - Third WardResponded on January 10, 2023
Anne, this is such a heartwarming review thank you so much. I am so proud of our team and yes, Maxwell and our hostess are truly superstars! :) We really appreciate your patronage and look forward to serving you again. And yes fresh wasabi is a game changer so we will always try to have it available if we can!
Is this helpful?
S
Sarah
Milwaukee
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on January 8, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Food was delicious and our server was super fast and helpful Would definitely return :)
Kanpai - Third WardResponded on January 10, 2023
Hi Sarah, thank you so much for this kind review :) It always makes my day. Happy to serve you again in the future!
Is this helpful?
AS
AngelaS
Tampa
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on January 3, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Maxwell H is an awesome server. We had a magical time!
Kanpai - Third WardResponded on January 5, 2023
Thank you Angela! Maxwell is indeed a star, thank you so much for dining with us!
Is this helpful?
OT
OpenTable Diner
Milwaukee
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on January 1, 2023
overall5food5service4ambience5
Best sushi we’ve ever had! The whole place was exquisite. We will be back!
Kanpai - Third WardResponded on January 5, 2023
Wow thank you so much for the review! Made my day, thank you! Look forward to having you again
Is this helpful?
NN
NoName
Milwaukee
1 review
1.0
1 review
Dined on December 25, 2022
overall1food1service1ambience1
We waited 30 minutes at our table, and were not acknowledged until we pressed the call button. Then we were told it was our server’s first day on the job. She couldn’t answer basic questions about the menu. We left without ordering.
Is this helpful?
r
ryano
Milwaukee
6 reviews
5.0
6 reviews
Dined on December 3, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Always a great experience.
Kanpai - Third WardResponded on December 5, 2022
Thank you so much, always a pleasure to serve you!
Is this helpful?
JG
JillG
Milwaukee
34 reviews
vip
5.0
34 reviews
Dined on December 3, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
service was prompt, food was excellent. Loved the flaming rolls and the wagyu appetizer!
Kanpai - Third WardResponded on December 5, 2022
Thank you so much Jill! We appreciate your patronage and hope to see you again soon!
Is this helpful?
U
Unopazzo
Milwaukee
7 reviews
vip
5.0
7 reviews
Dined on November 22, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience3
The new leadership is a fresh and great surprise from that last manager Wicked Witch of The West . The chefs are solid and as good as we will find since Izumis closed and all went back to Japan. The Korean ownership is not 100 % authentic to Japanese Sashimi/Sushi but as i said the best in Milwaukee . The staff is great and friendly , they will be getting wine that people with jobs drink soon.
Is this helpful?
OT
OpenTable Diner
Milwaukee
4 reviews
5.0
4 reviews
Dined on November 19, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Kanpai did not disappoint. Delicious food, great service and wonderful ambiance.
Kanpai - Third WardResponded on November 22, 2022
Thank you so much! We truly appreciate your patronage and hope to see you soon!
Is this helpful?
j
jcgsbg
Milwaukee
11 reviews
vip
5.0
11 reviews
Dined on November 19, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
While Kanpai is the best sushi restaurant in the MKE area, don’t overlook the excellent Korean entrees on the menu’s last page. There’s nothing better on a cold Wisconsin day than a sizzling stone bowl of bibimbop, and this restaurant does a great job at it! Highest recommendation!
Kanpai - Third WardResponded on November 22, 2022
Wow! Thank you so much for this review, and I couldn't agree more :) My favorite on a cold frigid day is indeed the hot stonepot bibimbap or our heartwarming Udon noodle soup!
Is this helpful?
KW
KaitW
Milwaukee
7 reviews
5.0
7 reviews
Dined on November 18, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Always delicious rolls and sashimi. Salmon sashimi is the best I've had in a very very long time! So soft and just melted in my mouth! Signature rolls are delicious, but I wish they would offer black rice or brown rice instead of white rice. Miso soup and salad with ginger dressing are always on point! Thanks again!
Kanpai - Third WardResponded on November 22, 2022
Hi Kait! Thank you for this kind review! And I apologize if our wait staff did not properly communicate this but all our makis are available to be substituted with Black rice. We hope to see you again in the future so you can get the makis exactly how you want it!
Is this helpful?

Safety precautions

Cleaning & sanitizing
- Surfaces sanitized between seatings
- Digital, disposable or sanitized menu provided
- Sealed or wrapped utensils used
- Common areas deep-cleaned daily
Physical distancing
- Limited number of seated diners
- Distancing maintained in common areas
- Extra space between tables

Protective equipment
- Waitstaff wear masks
- Diners must wear masks unless eating or drinking
Screening
- Sick staff prohibited in the workplace

FAQs

Kanpai - Third Ward does offer delivery in partnership with Uber Eats. Kanpai - Third Ward also offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (414) 220-1155.

Kanpai - Third Ward is rated 4.5 stars by 678 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a reservation

Party Size

2 people

DateTime

Oct 2, 2023

7:00 PM

Booked 3 times today

Order delivery or takeout

408 East Chicago St, Milwaukee, WI 53202

Additional information

Cross street
Milwaukee Street
Neighborhood
Milwaukee
Hours of operation
Mon–Fri 11:00 am–2:30 pm Mon–Thu 5:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–10:00 pm
Cuisines
Sushi, Korean, Japanese
Dining style
Casual Dining
Dress code
Casual Dress
Parking details
There is ample street parking available surrounding the restaurant; there is also a paid parking structure on Milwaukee Street at the intersection of Chicago Street, right next to our restaurant.
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Additional
Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Delivery, Full Bar, Non-Smoking, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Website
http://www.kanpaimke.com/
Phone number
(414) 220-1155
Private party contact
Leslie Kim: (414) 220-1155

Kanpai - Third Ward

Make a reservation

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information

Menu

What 678 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Safety precautions

Cleaning & sanitizing

Physical distancing

Protective equipment

Screening

FAQs

Does Kanpai - Third Ward offer delivery through OpenTable or takeout?

How is Kanpai - Third Ward restaurant rated?

Is Kanpai - Third Ward currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information