Always wonderful food, I do sushi and sides, and the staff is so nice. Nothing but good here.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Edamame
Victor Nguyen
I came to Umami to have lunch on March 30th, 2024 around 12 PM. Wayan was our waiter. I told Wayan I was new to Umami and had some questions about the menu. I asked if the Vegan Ramen was vegan and Wayan said it had chicken broth, therefore the menu was wrong and it is not vegan. So I asked if there was anything vegan on the menu because the menu is not detailed. I asked if the Spicy Basil Chicken is vegan and Wayan said yes. I later got the Spicy Basil Chicken and asked him what the circle chips were, Wayan said they were shrimp crackers. So the Spicy Basil Chicken is not vegan. I also asked Wayan what is in the orange sauce and Wayan went into the kitchen to ask and came back to tell me there is fish sauce in the Spicy Basil Chicken. So the Spicy Basil Chicken is not vegan. Why did Wayan ask the kitchen after I ordered and not before to see which dishes were vegan. Wayan did not seem to care when I ordered and the overall experience was horrible. Imagine trying to find parking for a restaurant that does not provide parking and having the menu, website, and waiter lie to you. What if I was allergic to fish/crustacean fish? This would have been much worse. Wayan did not know anything and said yes to almost everything I asked. I chose Umami because there were "vegan options" but clearly it was just disappointment.Vegetarian options: Menu is wrong and waiter did not know the menu. Not much vegan options.Dietary restrictions: Very vague menu and the waiter lied about vegan options.Parking: Parking is in the city and horrible to find parking.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Sharita
Love the place. Great food, good atmosphere, bartenders are always full of energy. They have happy hour specials so you can try things at a good prices. Love the sushi!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
KMAC
Grorgio was an excellent server. I'd suggest waiting until their new Trussville location is opened as the restaurant was understaffed.Vegetarian options: Substitutions are allowed.
UPDATE 2/18/24: I've been to Umami at least 20 times since my first review, and have never had a meal I consider less than excellent. The sushi is creative and tasty, the ramen is very good and service is consistently fast and friendly. I've had lots of dishes and the food does not disappoint. The cocktails are very good too. One of our favorite restaurants, and I'm so happy they're open in Trussville too. Enthusiastically recommend! ?????Very tasty sushi. Eclectic menu; we really liked everything we tasted. Service was very good too.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Tacos, Jalapeno Crispy Calamari, Eel Unagi, 205 Roll, Rock N’ Roll Sushi
The Hungry Road
Working in Birmingham, AL for a few weeks and I did my usual Yelp due-diligence to find the best places to eat! Well, I found this place, took my wife and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves! So much that we came back again the next week! Here's why we spun the block.Atmosphere/Appearance: Set right on the corner of 29th Street and 7th Ave in a more, residential, modern-like district of Birmingham, is this gem. There's no private parking, but finding space on the street wasn't too bad. We came on a Wednesday for a special reason (more on that later) and the restaurant was decently busy. You love to see places thriving no matter what day or time it is. The exterior is a part of a very modern apartment building so it looks fairly inviting. There is a cute outdoor patio facing the sidewalk that contains plenty of comfortable seating. The interior is tastefully decorated and not overly done at all. It's modern, it's chic, spacious and just nice.Service: Service both times was excellent. The manager actually took care of me the 2nd time and she was so sweet. The staff were friendly and made sure I had everything that I needed.Food: So I tried a wide variety of things. Let's start with the wings that are actually served in an edible crispy rice bowl. Lol. The Teriyaki were nice and sticky, a good size. It was GREAT. It was crispy, decently salty, not over-the-top and the sesame seeds were a good addition. The Korean BBQ were beautiful. They're served with scallions and a sauce over top. They tasted delicious. I felt like there may be some schezwan pepper involved in the sauce, but it was bold, tasty and well-executed. The last wing flavor was Mango Habanero. It was thick and as juicy as the other wings, not terribly spicy as I would expect from a flavor that involved Habanero. It was a creamy sauce, a bit sweet and incredibly complex. Really hard to describe. Next up was the Basil Duck taco! In it is duck confit wrapped in bibb lettuce then topped with an Asian slaw, basil, red onion and jalapeno. It was DELICOUS. The fresh jalapeno definitely adds spice and wakes up the WHOLE taco. Lol. It even felt better eating it since it was served in lettuce and not a carb-y tortilla! Lastly I had to try some sushi and I landed on the W.T.F. Roll. Lol, in it is tuna, crab salad, green onion, cucumber then topped wit tuna, masago and sweet spicy sour sauce. The whole thing really just melts in your mouth and was FANTASTIC. I loved it SO MUCH!Value: Wednesdays are 1/2 off bottles of wine and 4 wings for $6.00! So make sure you pull up on hump day indeed! Lol. My roll was $25.00 and totally worth it. So this isn't a cheap-eats place, but a good date night spot. Bring the wallet, but you may not need the credit cards. Lol.In conclusion, I don't really even need to say much more. Lol. I like it here and will continue to return! Make sure you do the same!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Tacos, Hangover Roll
Rhiannon Willis
Amazing food! Definitely somewhere I love to go with friends for a weekend dinner out on the town!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: 205 Roll, Rock N’ Roll Sushi
Channing Morris
Was okay right after opening, but quickly went downhill. The food is between mediocre and okay and the prices are quite high for the quality.There's better food on the block and better sushi in Birmingham for less money.2024 edit: ordered take out. Portions were tiny, food was bland to bad, and it cost as much as better sushi delivered through "expensive" delivery apps.
Food: 1
Kristian Roberts
I've never had a burger from a restaurant that also sells ramen but I was not disappointed. It was a unique taste that I haven't had with beef and I enjoyed it.Will be eating here again.
Food: 5
Juan Lopez
One of my favorite restaurants!!!Kid-friendliness: They treat my kids great !!!
The food is Really expensive. If it were good I would have been fine with that, but it wasn’t. The tuna still had the silver skin on it making it really hard to eat. The mixed green salad was basically all iceberg lettuce. Virtually no sauce with the poke bowl. It isn’t the worst place, but you’ll do a lot better for your money eating elsewhere.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 3
Jacqlyn Luna
Great place to have dinner or drinks! Theirs always friendly staff and don't mind accommodating larger groups.
Very great service, the ramen was good especially the spicy chicken ramen. I would love to see more choices for non pork eaters. Maybe some Bao Buns. The old fashioned was really
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
June “Jun” Smith
EXTREMELY RECOMMEND this ramen and sushi restaurant. Coming from eating ramen at restaurants all over California to finding this establishment in Birmingham has been by far the most perplexing for me. I have not been able to find an Asian cuisine restaurant as astonishing as this one in Alabama. The atmosphere is serene and tranquil, their staff are professional, prompt, and attentive. For their prices, you are not paying for an average bowl of ramen or sushi dish. Every bowl is served as a work of art, with flavors that are absolutely mouthwatering and succulent. The sushi’s presentation and taste are parallel to the ramen, with every bite are as flavorful and delectable as the next. The quality of ingredients in every dish are fresh, smooth, savory, delicate, and cooked to perfection. On Saturday or Sunday, between 11am to 3pm, their brunch menu offers their 10 hour smoked pork belly ramen. Believe me when I say, it is one of the best ramen dishes I ever had since leaving San Diego.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Angie clavijo
I could eat here every day ❤️❤️ The sushi and ramen are fantastic, the service is very good and the atmosphere of the place is super warm! 100%
Always wonderful food, I do sushi and sides, and the staff is so nice. Nothing but good here.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Edamame
I came to Umami to have lunch on March 30th, 2024 around 12 PM. Wayan was our waiter. I told Wayan I was new to Umami and had some questions about the menu. I asked if the Vegan Ramen was vegan and Wayan said it had chicken broth, therefore the menu was wrong and it is not vegan. So I asked if there was anything vegan on the menu because the menu is not detailed. I asked if the Spicy Basil Chicken is vegan and Wayan said yes. I later got the Spicy Basil Chicken and asked him what the circle chips were, Wayan said they were shrimp crackers. So the Spicy Basil Chicken is not vegan. I also asked Wayan what is in the orange sauce and Wayan went into the kitchen to ask and came back to tell me there is fish sauce in the Spicy Basil Chicken. So the Spicy Basil Chicken is not vegan. Why did Wayan ask the kitchen after I ordered and not before to see which dishes were vegan. Wayan did not seem to care when I ordered and the overall experience was horrible. Imagine trying to find parking for a restaurant that does not provide parking and having the menu, website, and waiter lie to you. What if I was allergic to fish/crustacean fish? This would have been much worse. Wayan did not know anything and said yes to almost everything I asked. I chose Umami because there were "vegan options" but clearly it was just disappointment.Vegetarian options: Menu is wrong and waiter did not know the menu. Not much vegan options.Dietary restrictions: Very vague menu and the waiter lied about vegan options.Parking: Parking is in the city and horrible to find parking.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Love the place. Great food, good atmosphere, bartenders are always full of energy. They have happy hour specials so you can try things at a good prices. Love the sushi!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Grorgio was an excellent server. I'd suggest waiting until their new Trussville location is opened as the restaurant was understaffed.Vegetarian options: Substitutions are allowed.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Hangover Roll, Thai Ramen, Seared Scallops
UPDATE 2/18/24: I've been to Umami at least 20 times since my first review, and have never had a meal I consider less than excellent. The sushi is creative and tasty, the ramen is very good and service is consistently fast and friendly. I've had lots of dishes and the food does not disappoint. The cocktails are very good too. One of our favorite restaurants, and I'm so happy they're open in Trussville too. Enthusiastically recommend! ?????Very tasty sushi. Eclectic menu; we really liked everything we tasted. Service was very good too.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Tacos, Jalapeno Crispy Calamari, Eel Unagi, 205 Roll, Rock N’ Roll Sushi
Working in Birmingham, AL for a few weeks and I did my usual Yelp due-diligence to find the best places to eat! Well, I found this place, took my wife and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves! So much that we came back again the next week! Here's why we spun the block.Atmosphere/Appearance: Set right on the corner of 29th Street and 7th Ave in a more, residential, modern-like district of Birmingham, is this gem. There's no private parking, but finding space on the street wasn't too bad. We came on a Wednesday for a special reason (more on that later) and the restaurant was decently busy. You love to see places thriving no matter what day or time it is. The exterior is a part of a very modern apartment building so it looks fairly inviting. There is a cute outdoor patio facing the sidewalk that contains plenty of comfortable seating. The interior is tastefully decorated and not overly done at all. It's modern, it's chic, spacious and just nice.Service: Service both times was excellent. The manager actually took care of me the 2nd time and she was so sweet. The staff were friendly and made sure I had everything that I needed.Food: So I tried a wide variety of things. Let's start with the wings that are actually served in an edible crispy rice bowl. Lol. The Teriyaki were nice and sticky, a good size. It was GREAT. It was crispy, decently salty, not over-the-top and the sesame seeds were a good addition. The Korean BBQ were beautiful. They're served with scallions and a sauce over top. They tasted delicious. I felt like there may be some schezwan pepper involved in the sauce, but it was bold, tasty and well-executed. The last wing flavor was Mango Habanero. It was thick and as juicy as the other wings, not terribly spicy as I would expect from a flavor that involved Habanero. It was a creamy sauce, a bit sweet and incredibly complex. Really hard to describe. Next up was the Basil Duck taco! In it is duck confit wrapped in bibb lettuce then topped with an Asian slaw, basil, red onion and jalapeno. It was DELICOUS. The fresh jalapeno definitely adds spice and wakes up the WHOLE taco. Lol. It even felt better eating it since it was served in lettuce and not a carb-y tortilla! Lastly I had to try some sushi and I landed on the W.T.F. Roll. Lol, in it is tuna, crab salad, green onion, cucumber then topped wit tuna, masago and sweet spicy sour sauce. The whole thing really just melts in your mouth and was FANTASTIC. I loved it SO MUCH!Value: Wednesdays are 1/2 off bottles of wine and 4 wings for $6.00! So make sure you pull up on hump day indeed! Lol. My roll was $25.00 and totally worth it. So this isn't a cheap-eats place, but a good date night spot. Bring the wallet, but you may not need the credit cards. Lol.In conclusion, I don't really even need to say much more. Lol. I like it here and will continue to return! Make sure you do the same!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Tacos, Hangover Roll
Amazing food! Definitely somewhere I love to go with friends for a weekend dinner out on the town!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: 205 Roll, Rock N’ Roll Sushi
Was okay right after opening, but quickly went downhill. The food is between mediocre and okay and the prices are quite high for the quality.There's better food on the block and better sushi in Birmingham for less money.2024 edit: ordered take out. Portions were tiny, food was bland to bad, and it cost as much as better sushi delivered through "expensive" delivery apps.
Food: 1
I've never had a burger from a restaurant that also sells ramen but I was not disappointed. It was a unique taste that I haven't had with beef and I enjoyed it.Will be eating here again.
Food: 5
One of my favorite restaurants!!!Kid-friendliness: They treat my kids great !!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Tacos, Fried, Soul Nachos, Spider Roll, Jalapeno Crispy Calamari, Beef Bulgogi, Smoked Pork Belly Ramen
Restaurantji Recommends
The food is Really expensive. If it were good I would have been fine with that, but it wasn’t. The tuna still had the silver skin on it making it really hard to eat. The mixed green salad was basically all iceberg lettuce. Virtually no sauce with the poke bowl. It isn’t the worst place, but you’ll do a lot better for your money eating elsewhere.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 3
Great place to have dinner or drinks! Theirs always friendly staff and don't mind accommodating larger groups.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Mie Goreng, Soul Nachos, Thai Ramen, Edamame, Chicken Gyoza, Beef Bulgogi, Smoked Pork Belly Ramen
Very great service, the ramen was good especially the spicy chicken ramen. I would love to see more choices for non pork eaters. Maybe some Bao Buns. The old fashioned was really
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
EXTREMELY RECOMMEND this ramen and sushi restaurant. Coming from eating ramen at restaurants all over California to finding this establishment in Birmingham has been by far the most perplexing for me. I have not been able to find an Asian cuisine restaurant as astonishing as this one in Alabama. The atmosphere is serene and tranquil, their staff are professional, prompt, and attentive. For their prices, you are not paying for an average bowl of ramen or sushi dish. Every bowl is served as a work of art, with flavors that are absolutely mouthwatering and succulent. The sushi’s presentation and taste are parallel to the ramen, with every bite are as flavorful and delectable as the next. The quality of ingredients in every dish are fresh, smooth, savory, delicate, and cooked to perfection. On Saturday or Sunday, between 11am to 3pm, their brunch menu offers their 10 hour smoked pork belly ramen. Believe me when I say, it is one of the best ramen dishes I ever had since leaving San Diego.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I could eat here every day ❤️❤️ The sushi and ramen are fantastic, the service is very good and the atmosphere of the place is super warm! 100%
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5