Great food, with many options for vegetarians. You can substitute tofu in for the meat in their entrees. I got Katsudon with tofu instead of pork and it was great!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Sara Elizabeth
Delicious and affordable love the catering from here
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
April Jackson (CoCo)
I agree with the other reviews bland, tasteless, underwhelming. The fish was not fresh . I had a belvedere roll and gyoza fried and steamed. I will not be returning. Also I was at a table by myself and they sat a 4 top next to me. When there was plenty of other seating in the restaurant.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Mariyah Thompson
This place is sooo good 333/10! From the cocktails to the cuisine. Minato has nailed it! The happy hour menu is so affordable without sacrificing quality. Sol and Sky were EXCELLENT and truly went above and beyond to ensure we enjoyed ourselves. I'll be back time and time again! You all offer a great experience, keep up the good work.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Alice Poole
We always get great service and very reasonable prices here. Our favorite monthly spot. The drinks especially are great! Always very comfortably calm and chill during lunch and happy hour. A hidden gem for sure.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Bento
Antonio Rivera
I have been a patron and supporter of Minato for almost 20 years and am wondering if they had a recent change of ownership. What was once a wonderful and welcoming mainstay in the Mt. Vernon neighborhood was not that tonight.
My guest and I arrived at 8:25 pm a Friday night - unaware the restaurant closes at 9 p.m. We didn’t recognize anyone we knew. Our assigned server was friendly but seemed eager, so we thought she was just new. At 8:45, as the food was just delivered, an employee (not our server, a manager?) came over and said they close at 9 but “no rush.” A couple minutes later, our server told us they close at 9. People started sweeping around us and a third person dropped the check off. At 8:56, the employee who told us “no rush” said we had about 4 minutes before they close. At that point, we told him we heard the first time and they should not welcome or seat customers if they weren’t prepared to serve them properly and allow them to eat. He went over and printed out our check not realizing that someone had dropped it off. He also had the nerve to ask if I wanted a box for the two pieces of teriyaki steak that was left on my plate. The patronizing attitude was unnecessary and unwarranted. Staff need to remember that without customers, a business will not stay around. Sadly, I don’t plan to return here. This one bad experience was enough for me especially when there are other options. I would’ve expected this treatment at a McDonald’s, not Minato. Good luck.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 5
Service: 1
Eric Edelstein
Edit from a one star review 2 years ago due to bad experience with hostess. Most recent visit was wonderful and all staff members were extremely kind. Could not say enough good things about this spot. One of the best sushi spots in town for sure.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Gabe
I visited Minato for the first time a little over a month ago, and it was a great experience. The sweet potato roll was delicious and the server was attentive and kind, checking in several times. I was excited to come back.
April 27th, I stopped by with a friend for a quick dinner. The servers were barely present, and it took almost 30 minutes to get four sushi rolls. The Maryland roll didn't have any Old Bay in it. When I told that to the server in the salmon-colored shirt, he was very dismissive, saying there was probably just less on it that day. I even opened a roll, and there wasn't any indication of seasoning at all. I never complain about food - but it wasn't as advertised, and nothing like the quality of the rest of the menu. He didn't even look. But, he did offer to bring me a side of Old Bay so I could season it myself... embarrassing.
The behavior of the aforementioned server/host was hostile to other diners as well. After another table pointed out they hadn't been served before other later arrivals, he loudly dropped their plate on to the table with no comment whatsoever. We unfortunately had to flag him (and not our server, Sol) down to get the check and he was just as rude to us - no eye contact, goodbye, or anything. He was being a total jerk.
I was excited to have a regular sushi place in my new neighborhood, but the hostility I experienced makes me feel too uncomfortable to return. Really disappointing.
Food: 3
Service: 2
Xllyhema M
We really enjoy Minato. Wonderful staff, pleasant, relaxed environment, and the food always satisfies. An unusual surprise with the sweet potato rolls and would have them again. Wonton dumplings and dessert a must from now on. If your people like to laugh over food, the back room is perfect. Can also accommodate more than 4 people by putting tables together. Went on Monday bout six. Seemed to be the right time for street parking. Reasonably priced for sit-in dining.
My wife and I visited this restaurant hoping for a nice sushi night, but what we got was a disaster from start to finish.
First, the food: the sushi tasted like it was fished straight from the bargain bin of a bad grocery store — bland, limp, and depressingly uninspired. The seaweed salad? Stale, rubbery, and bordering on inedible. Clearly, freshness and quality are foreign concepts here.
The service was equally dismal. Our waiter, a disheveled guy in a wrinkled polo with his chest hair on full display, looked like he wandered in from a dive bar. When he poured our water, his fingers wrapped around the rim of the glass. I honestly had to stop myself from asking, “Do you even know how to pour water?” It was stomach-turning.
But the absolute low point came when my wife went to the bathroom and an employee had the audacity to tell her, “You should smile more.” Are you kidding me? What kind of place allows its staff to harass customers like that?
This place is a masterclass in how not to run a restaurant. Bad food, worse service, and an environment that manages to be both unprofessional and downright offensive. We will never be back — and if you value your time, money, or basic human decency, neither should you.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 1
Nabil
Salmon shirt manager is really rude
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 3
Zachary Snyder
Great service and excellent sushi
amanda baker
Super friendly staff, cute clean restaurant, great service and reasonable prices. The sushi was fresh and the crab wontons were amazing
Great food, with many options for vegetarians. You can substitute tofu in for the meat in their entrees. I got Katsudon with tofu instead of pork and it was great!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Delicious and affordable love the catering from here
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I agree with the other reviews bland, tasteless, underwhelming. The fish was not fresh . I had a belvedere roll and gyoza fried and steamed. I will not be returning. Also I was at a table by myself and they sat a 4 top next to me. When there was plenty of other seating in the restaurant.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
This place is sooo good 333/10! From the cocktails to the cuisine. Minato has nailed it! The happy hour menu is so affordable without sacrificing quality. Sol and Sky were EXCELLENT and truly went above and beyond to ensure we enjoyed ourselves. I'll be back time and time again! You all offer a great experience, keep up the good work.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We always get great service and very reasonable prices here. Our favorite monthly spot. The drinks especially are great! Always very comfortably calm and chill during lunch and happy hour. A hidden gem for sure.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Bento
I have been a patron and supporter of Minato for almost 20 years and am wondering if they had a recent change of ownership. What was once a wonderful and welcoming mainstay in the Mt. Vernon neighborhood was not that tonight.
My guest and I arrived at 8:25 pm a Friday night - unaware the restaurant closes at 9 p.m. We didn’t recognize anyone we knew. Our assigned server was friendly but seemed eager, so we thought she was just new. At 8:45, as the food was just delivered, an employee (not our server, a manager?) came over and said they close at 9 but “no rush.” A couple minutes later, our server told us they close at 9. People started sweeping around us and a third person dropped the check off. At 8:56, the employee who told us “no rush” said we had about 4 minutes before they close. At that point, we told him we heard the first time and they should not welcome or seat customers if they weren’t prepared to serve them properly and allow them to eat. He went over and printed out our check not realizing that someone had dropped it off. He also had the nerve to ask if I wanted a box for the two pieces of teriyaki steak that was left on my plate. The patronizing attitude was unnecessary and unwarranted. Staff need to remember that without customers, a business will not stay around. Sadly, I don’t plan to return here. This one bad experience was enough for me especially when there are other options. I would’ve expected this treatment at a McDonald’s, not Minato. Good luck.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 5
Service: 1
Edit from a one star review 2 years ago due to bad experience with hostess. Most recent visit was wonderful and all staff members were extremely kind. Could not say enough good things about this spot. One of the best sushi spots in town for sure.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I visited Minato for the first time a little over a month ago, and it was a great experience. The sweet potato roll was delicious and the server was attentive and kind, checking in several times. I was excited to come back.
April 27th, I stopped by with a friend for a quick dinner. The servers were barely present, and it took almost 30 minutes to get four sushi rolls. The Maryland roll didn't have any Old Bay in it. When I told that to the server in the salmon-colored shirt, he was very dismissive, saying there was probably just less on it that day. I even opened a roll, and there wasn't any indication of seasoning at all. I never complain about food - but it wasn't as advertised, and nothing like the quality of the rest of the menu. He didn't even look. But, he did offer to bring me a side of Old Bay so I could season it myself... embarrassing.
The behavior of the aforementioned server/host was hostile to other diners as well. After another table pointed out they hadn't been served before other later arrivals, he loudly dropped their plate on to the table with no comment whatsoever. We unfortunately had to flag him (and not our server, Sol) down to get the check and he was just as rude to us - no eye contact, goodbye, or anything. He was being a total jerk.
I was excited to have a regular sushi place in my new neighborhood, but the hostility I experienced makes me feel too uncomfortable to return. Really disappointing.
Food: 3
Service: 2
We really enjoy Minato. Wonderful staff, pleasant, relaxed environment, and the food always satisfies. An unusual surprise with the sweet potato rolls and would have them again. Wonton dumplings and dessert a must from now on. If your people like to laugh over food, the back room is perfect. Can also accommodate more than 4 people by putting tables together. Went on Monday bout six. Seemed to be the right time for street parking. Reasonably priced for sit-in dining.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Best sushi ever
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
My wife and I visited this restaurant hoping for a nice sushi night, but what we got was a disaster from start to finish.
First, the food: the sushi tasted like it was fished straight from the bargain bin of a bad grocery store — bland, limp, and depressingly uninspired. The seaweed salad? Stale, rubbery, and bordering on inedible. Clearly, freshness and quality are foreign concepts here.
The service was equally dismal. Our waiter, a disheveled guy in a wrinkled polo with his chest hair on full display, looked like he wandered in from a dive bar. When he poured our water, his fingers wrapped around the rim of the glass. I honestly had to stop myself from asking, “Do you even know how to pour water?” It was stomach-turning.
But the absolute low point came when my wife went to the bathroom and an employee had the audacity to tell her, “You should smile more.” Are you kidding me? What kind of place allows its staff to harass customers like that?
This place is a masterclass in how not to run a restaurant. Bad food, worse service, and an environment that manages to be both unprofessional and downright offensive. We will never be back — and if you value your time, money, or basic human decency, neither should you.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 1
Salmon shirt manager is really rude
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 3
Great service and excellent sushi
Super friendly staff, cute clean restaurant, great service and reasonable prices. The sushi was fresh and the crab wontons were amazing
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Delicious spider rolls!
Loading...