10/10 experience for us!Parking: Large, but full parking lot. Recommend getting there 5-10 minutes early or walk/get drop-off if possible is a great idea.Wheelchair accessibility: Entire pathway to get into the restaurant was flat, just the door jam to get over. Recommend making a reservation so there is no risk getting sat at the 'sushi bar'.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Avocado Bomb, Special Roll, Spicy Ahi Roll, Toro
Lily X
It’s quite a disappointing experience here especially given that this place has been booked out for the whole dinner time.We ordered sashimi and nigiri. The assorted sashimi is fine. But nigiri are not fresh at all, especially the toro. The chef doesn’t seem to know how to cut the Toro right and there’s even tendon and fish skin left in / on the salmon, toro. The maguro is kinda falling apart and doesn’t taste fresh either.Uni is not fresh just from the look of it and doesn’t taste like its usual sea flavor. The rice in nigiri is too hard and not sticky enough to stay together.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Assorted Sashimi, Toro
Jeff Hammond
The sushi here was fantastic.I don't really understand the 1 star reviews... almost as if those people ate at a different establishment.Uni was light, with a lovely buttery finish, Anago was perfect.Sashimi just melted.Special roll, is definitely special.. highly recommended.Best sushi outside of Japan I've ever had.A special thank you to Naomi, who made the experience even better.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Special Roll
Angie B
RECOMMEND!!!The sashimi is top quality and the food is very delicious.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Grant Robinson
It is not often a place impresses me enough to feel the need to write a review. I have been to more than my fair share of sushi places and usually even like the average stuff. This is FAR from average. I had the special roll and I honestly cannot say if I have ever had a roll better. The salmon sashimi I tried was also amazing and in a true rarity it was very obvious even the soy sauce is of high quality. The miso was another hit across the board. Thank you Sushi Sam for the wonderful experience!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Assorted Sashimi, Special Roll
Cyrus Attia
Mediocre sushi, a pretty poor appetizer (veggie tempura), and absolutely horrendous service. Really not much good to say about this place. I guess its high rating comes from being a rare sushi joint in a tourist-heavy area. But based on my experience, it certainly doesn't deserve 4+ stars.The veggie "tempura" was a hastily breaded nightmare. It featured a poor patchwork of tempura, and was clearly fried too quickly/in cold oil. The veggies were raw, it was such a waste of an appetizer.For sushi, I got a "spicy" ahi roll. Zero spice, but this place can't do much right, so I guess that's to be expected. And then otherwise a very pedestrian roll, absolutely nothing stood out.Finally, service was comically bad. The sushi chef denied me counter seating, claiming all remaining three seats were reserved. The female server begrudgingly allowed me to sit at a table, under the condition that I had to finish in roughly 35 minutes.Both the sushi chef and the server then refused to make eye contact with me for my entire meal, which I finished in under 20 minutes out of respect for the artificial time limit imposed on me. While I was there, three tables were empty, and the entire counter emptied out save two seats for a couple who walked in, no reservation.I don't want to speculate on why the chef and server were so rude to me, but if you have a mediocre restaurant near a major hotel, don't be such a curmudgeon about serving tourists.I left a 20+% tip but they truly did not deserve it.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
Service: 1
Kallan Salganik
Terrible
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Michael D.
The sushi was amazing! The folks working were super friendly and very knowledgeable on the menu choices! I will definitely come back.
Erin R.
Our daughter made reservations to celebrate our birthdays at Sushi Sam's. We arrived and were promptly seated. Very friendly and helpful service. Our daughter had a tasty sparkling sake and the gentleman ordered draft Sapporo. I had a really nice hot tea. The 2 orders of hamachi with truffle ponzu and serrano were perfection. Followed by tchefs choice sashimi, special roll, signature roll and two orders of waygu gyoza, edamame, two types of sashimi and clams steamed in sake. I think we tried most of the menu and all four of us were so delighted by the fresh fish and beautiful surroundings. Would highly recommend for a date night or special occasion.
Chris C
We stumbled upon this place on accident since it was so close to our hotel. We didn’t have a reservation, but they were able to seat us quickly. They were transparent and told us that we could only eat till 7. The staff was very nice, friendly, accommodating.The tempura was clean and not greasy. One of the better tempura dishes we’ve had. The dipping sauce tasted home made.Maguro sashimi was clean and fresh.Sizzling rib eye was fantastic. Simple, but very well executed.Just to set expectations, it’s not cheap. Spendy, but worth it. Would def come back.
We did not expect to be able to find a good/ authentic sushi spot since we left Honolulu and Sushi Sam was a decent surprise! We made a same day dinner booking at the sushi bar. Staff were welcoming and our bar chef even recommended a few spots for us to visit around Kona. Their sushi were all very fresh, we liked the oysters, avocado bomb, signature roll and all the fresh nigiri we ordered. Highly recommended!
Anton Muzichenko
Best Sushi place on Big Island!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Assorted Sashimi, Special Roll, Rainbow Roll
Alexander Emmanuel Pacheco
Amazing, highly recommended!
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Assorted Sashimi
William L.
Amazing and warm services with Sam and his team. Best rolls and authentic Japanese in big islands, the good life!
Michaelangelo
Incredible! This sushiya is at a level few people will ever experience, especially Americans. I’ve been lucky to be guided through some of Japan’s best sushi restaurants by my wife, a Japanese national with extensive experience entertaining VIP guests in international business, so she knows her stuff.What puts this, or any, sushi restaurant at such a level is the source, quality and freshness of their ingredients - which can be very expensive. Fine differences in species and source can make a huge difference in price. (Most to all of the ingredients are from Japan or Hawaii, yum!). In short, the head chef / buyer is at a level far beyond what most will ever see - and this restaurant is at a top level even for Japan.I will note the highest level restaurants in Japan have a much more refined dining room; Sushi Sam’s dining room is lovely, but not at the same level as top Japanese restaurants. They are also a small restaurant so they don’t have as extensive offerings, but that’s a function of volume. To me this is good, I don’t want to pay extra for atmosphere.The chefs and service was outstanding, the food highly nuanced and truly incredible, at a level to which the most experienced diners can respect. However, a lot of sushi lovers probably don’t understand, they may be annoyed that… 1) Things weren’t like ‘the restaurant back home. 2) They didn’t have my beloved ‘X’ fish that I always order. And 3) the prices are very high. Comments like this reveal a lack of intimate understanding that can only come from extensive experience in Japan, and a thick wallet. (Example, watch the 2011 movie ‘Jiro Dreams of Sushi’).It’s not that folks don’t know what they like, rather it’s almost impossible for most to gather enough experience in high-end Japanese dining. I’m extremely lucky to have a guide like my wife to (constantly) explain the difference in sourcing, nuance and exact species. While this place is expensive, you will pay much more in a top level restaurant in Japan.If you really know your sushi, can afford it and want to try a truly amazing top level sushi restaurant; this place is for you! If you don’t have an experienced Japanese guide, I strongly recommend you let them help you order either at the sushi bar or from a Japanese server. Tell them in general what you like and go with an open mind and savor every bite!Parking: No problem!
10/10 experience for us!Parking: Large, but full parking lot. Recommend getting there 5-10 minutes early or walk/get drop-off if possible is a great idea.Wheelchair accessibility: Entire pathway to get into the restaurant was flat, just the door jam to get over. Recommend making a reservation so there is no risk getting sat at the 'sushi bar'.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Avocado Bomb, Special Roll, Spicy Ahi Roll, Toro
It’s quite a disappointing experience here especially given that this place has been booked out for the whole dinner time.We ordered sashimi and nigiri. The assorted sashimi is fine. But nigiri are not fresh at all, especially the toro. The chef doesn’t seem to know how to cut the Toro right and there’s even tendon and fish skin left in / on the salmon, toro. The maguro is kinda falling apart and doesn’t taste fresh either.Uni is not fresh just from the look of it and doesn’t taste like its usual sea flavor. The rice in nigiri is too hard and not sticky enough to stay together.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Assorted Sashimi, Toro
The sushi here was fantastic.I don't really understand the 1 star reviews... almost as if those people ate at a different establishment.Uni was light, with a lovely buttery finish, Anago was perfect.Sashimi just melted.Special roll, is definitely special.. highly recommended.Best sushi outside of Japan I've ever had.A special thank you to Naomi, who made the experience even better.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Special Roll
RECOMMEND!!!The sashimi is top quality and the food is very delicious.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
It is not often a place impresses me enough to feel the need to write a review. I have been to more than my fair share of sushi places and usually even like the average stuff. This is FAR from average. I had the special roll and I honestly cannot say if I have ever had a roll better. The salmon sashimi I tried was also amazing and in a true rarity it was very obvious even the soy sauce is of high quality. The miso was another hit across the board. Thank you Sushi Sam for the wonderful experience!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Assorted Sashimi, Special Roll
Mediocre sushi, a pretty poor appetizer (veggie tempura), and absolutely horrendous service. Really not much good to say about this place. I guess its high rating comes from being a rare sushi joint in a tourist-heavy area. But based on my experience, it certainly doesn't deserve 4+ stars.The veggie "tempura" was a hastily breaded nightmare. It featured a poor patchwork of tempura, and was clearly fried too quickly/in cold oil. The veggies were raw, it was such a waste of an appetizer.For sushi, I got a "spicy" ahi roll. Zero spice, but this place can't do much right, so I guess that's to be expected. And then otherwise a very pedestrian roll, absolutely nothing stood out.Finally, service was comically bad. The sushi chef denied me counter seating, claiming all remaining three seats were reserved. The female server begrudgingly allowed me to sit at a table, under the condition that I had to finish in roughly 35 minutes.Both the sushi chef and the server then refused to make eye contact with me for my entire meal, which I finished in under 20 minutes out of respect for the artificial time limit imposed on me. While I was there, three tables were empty, and the entire counter emptied out save two seats for a couple who walked in, no reservation.I don't want to speculate on why the chef and server were so rude to me, but if you have a mediocre restaurant near a major hotel, don't be such a curmudgeon about serving tourists.I left a 20+% tip but they truly did not deserve it.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
Service: 1
Terrible
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
The sushi was amazing! The folks working were super friendly and very knowledgeable on the menu choices! I will definitely come back.
Our daughter made reservations to celebrate our birthdays at Sushi Sam's. We arrived and were promptly seated. Very friendly and helpful service. Our daughter had a tasty sparkling sake and the gentleman ordered draft Sapporo. I had a really nice hot tea. The 2 orders of hamachi with truffle ponzu and serrano were perfection. Followed by tchefs choice sashimi, special roll, signature roll and two orders of waygu gyoza, edamame, two types of sashimi and clams steamed in sake. I think we tried most of the menu and all four of us were so delighted by the fresh fish and beautiful surroundings. Would highly recommend for a date night or special occasion.
We stumbled upon this place on accident since it was so close to our hotel. We didn’t have a reservation, but they were able to seat us quickly. They were transparent and told us that we could only eat till 7. The staff was very nice, friendly, accommodating.The tempura was clean and not greasy. One of the better tempura dishes we’ve had. The dipping sauce tasted home made.Maguro sashimi was clean and fresh.Sizzling rib eye was fantastic. Simple, but very well executed.Just to set expectations, it’s not cheap. Spendy, but worth it. Would def come back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
We did not expect to be able to find a good/ authentic sushi spot since we left Honolulu and Sushi Sam was a decent surprise! We made a same day dinner booking at the sushi bar. Staff were welcoming and our bar chef even recommended a few spots for us to visit around Kona. Their sushi were all very fresh, we liked the oysters, avocado bomb, signature roll and all the fresh nigiri we ordered. Highly recommended!
Best Sushi place on Big Island!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Assorted Sashimi, Special Roll, Rainbow Roll
Amazing, highly recommended!
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Assorted Sashimi
Amazing and warm services with Sam and his team. Best rolls and authentic Japanese in big islands, the good life!
Incredible! This sushiya is at a level few people will ever experience, especially Americans. I’ve been lucky to be guided through some of Japan’s best sushi restaurants by my wife, a Japanese national with extensive experience entertaining VIP guests in international business, so she knows her stuff.What puts this, or any, sushi restaurant at such a level is the source, quality and freshness of their ingredients - which can be very expensive. Fine differences in species and source can make a huge difference in price. (Most to all of the ingredients are from Japan or Hawaii, yum!). In short, the head chef / buyer is at a level far beyond what most will ever see - and this restaurant is at a top level even for Japan.I will note the highest level restaurants in Japan have a much more refined dining room; Sushi Sam’s dining room is lovely, but not at the same level as top Japanese restaurants. They are also a small restaurant so they don’t have as extensive offerings, but that’s a function of volume. To me this is good, I don’t want to pay extra for atmosphere.The chefs and service was outstanding, the food highly nuanced and truly incredible, at a level to which the most experienced diners can respect. However, a lot of sushi lovers probably don’t understand, they may be annoyed that… 1) Things weren’t like ‘the restaurant back home. 2) They didn’t have my beloved ‘X’ fish that I always order. And 3) the prices are very high. Comments like this reveal a lack of intimate understanding that can only come from extensive experience in Japan, and a thick wallet. (Example, watch the 2011 movie ‘Jiro Dreams of Sushi’).It’s not that folks don’t know what they like, rather it’s almost impossible for most to gather enough experience in high-end Japanese dining. I’m extremely lucky to have a guide like my wife to (constantly) explain the difference in sourcing, nuance and exact species. While this place is expensive, you will pay much more in a top level restaurant in Japan.If you really know your sushi, can afford it and want to try a truly amazing top level sushi restaurant; this place is for you! If you don’t have an experienced Japanese guide, I strongly recommend you let them help you order either at the sushi bar or from a Japanese server. Tell them in general what you like and go with an open mind and savor every bite!Parking: No problem!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5