If you’re posted up in Kalispell, Columbia Falls, or Whitefish and find yourself craving sushi, Saketome makes a convincing case for the drive, especially on a clear Montana day when Bigfork feels like an excuse rather than a destination. We visited in October, when the restaurant had shifted to walk-in only service. No reservations, no safety net. It added a bit of tension at the door especially since we were driving from a distance out. The space feels like a city neighborhood sushi bar airlifted into a mountain town with modern lines, moody lighting, and design-forward touches without feeling precious. It works equally well for a laid-back date night or a long overdue catch up with friends over drinks. The menu leans confidently into sushi, cocktails, and pan-Asian-inspired plates, and several dishes stood out. The seared scallop was excellent, and the tempura hamachi collar was the undeniable star, rich, crisp, and deeply satisfying. Cocktail offerings were solid, thoughtfully composed, and well suited to the menu. The sushi itself is, without question in my opinion, the best you’ll find in this part of Montana. Technique, fish quality, and presentation are all handled with care. In the broader sushi universe, though, it lands squarely in the “good, not transcendent” category. The biggest drawback was the rice, which skewed slightly al dente and a touch dry, pulling focus away from otherwise well-executed fish. Service was friendly and well-intentioned, though it visibly strained as more walk-in diners arrived. Saketome absolutely worth the drive when the craving hits.
r2d2466
I need to correct my review from one year ago. The Les Halles roll is very good, but I mentioned that the foie gras was chewy. I now realize that this is wagyu that is a bit chewy, and I can't find the foie gras in cross section! Can someone enlighten me? We still will always order this whenever we come. It's that good. We also had the cherry bomb, which is now divided into 4 small portions, but is actually our favourite. The sweet/salty/burn is perfect. the rice has been bruleed somewhat, which adds to the experience. A third dish, a special, was interesting, because it had buri, a very sought-after fish, and the flavour is purported to be greatest in the winter after a few days of curing, but the flavour was buried by the others. The snow crab interior was a bit dry, so we will pass next time if available. This is overall good fare!
Katrina Thomas
Updated from a 5 star. It used to be quick, organized, great food and atmosphere. Was easily my favorite sushi restaurant and I'd recommend it to everyone.
From reading other reviews, it seems management or ownership may have changed in the last year or so. Which makes sense. My last couple of trips the food itself was still amazing, and although the servers were very nice, it was not organized. Several different servers, we were given someone else's roll at one point, orders forgotten, second to last time I went I tried to order a desert, 20ish minutes later we were given the bill instead. We had been there for hours (just 2 of us) by that time and just wanted out of there.
Our last visit was really just giving this place one last chance but I dont think we'll be coming back.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 1
Tyler Hicks
Stellar service and even better sushi. They have very creative roll combinations that are wholly unique. Their miso soup reminded me of miso from Hokkaido as it was much richer and full of veggies, mushrooms, and tofu. Great selection of sake as well
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Krista Maria
Oh my god, my friend and I had terrible diarrhea after eating, and I vomited 2 hours later. It was horrific. I'll never come back to this place, their food wasn't fresh. I ordered 2 servings of raw fish, 1 serving of rice rolls, and a few other dishes. I also had a cocktail, and it was really bad, couldn’t finish it. $200 down the drain. STAY AWAY FROM HERE UNLESS YOU WANT A HEAD START ON A HOSPITAL VISIT😭
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 2
Christopher Chambers
This was fantastic sushi and even though very inland, the fish was fresh and the presentation was on point. The food will not be a disappointment and worth the inevitable wait. They open at 5, we got there right at 5 and there was already a line and every table was full. We sat at the bar and we didnt have to wait very long. However, people showing up shortly after us had 1+ hour wait. It was worth it though. Unfortunately, they do not accept reservations. The sashimi platter was fantastic.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Michael DiStefano
Watching sushi being wrapped in cellophane and then sliced into pieces before being slapped on a plate should have told me enough. Reaching through our seats at the bar to grab orders for others is not only disturbing to our evening and is not how to handle food safely. Listening to Doja Cat while seated is far from appropriate music for the environment and prices. How they can charge more than gas station sushi prices for this is beyond me. We had fish smelling burps for the whole next day! Save your money and make it yourself.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Jorlyn Jones
Decent food/service. Food took forever. We were a group of 5 so it took a bit to be seated, but that was no big deal.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Sushi, Wagyu
keith pigman
I’m not going to leave a negative review just an honest one. The fish was old and crusty, I asked the server she said a week old and I ask if they could pull fresher fish for our order. The wagyu was cooked well done, the sushi came out on hot plates that the rice took on and rolls, I think the tempura didn’t sit long enough cause our vegetables didn’t have any tempura on it. The beer was great and good service, great atmosphere, it was later in the night maybe they all just wanted to get off. Will try the place in Missoula next.
Previously my favorite place for sushi. No longer take reservations, service and food was still good, but no longer GREAT. Waitress was frazzled, Posted pics of food presentation in the past, not worth a pic this time. Same goes for the cocktails. Hope they can find the way back!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 3
Katie Oconnell
Amazing experience ! It was so beautiful and delicious. Kudos to anjalis
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Bob Lee
Outstanding sushi, the best in the area. Outstanding service as well.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Sushi, New Style Sashimi
Leonard Prescott
Best SUSHI around. Great staff, 2nd floor location. Eating in room with Bar can be quite noisy. MUST have reservation and be on time.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
R. K.
Decent sushi with an eclectic atmosphere. Every roll we ordered had its own unique flavor... No two rolls were similar to one another! Our server was very attentive, which made for a great overall experience. We were, however, confused as to why $500 worth of sushi was served on individual plates instead of some type of platter...it made for a very crowded table!! Saketome is the more expensive choice for sushi in the Flathead Valley. However, Should we find ourselves in Bigfork in the future, craving sushi, we would definitely try Saketome again!
If you’re posted up in Kalispell, Columbia Falls, or Whitefish and find yourself craving sushi, Saketome makes a convincing case for the drive, especially on a clear Montana day when Bigfork feels like an excuse rather than a destination. We visited in October, when the restaurant had shifted to walk-in only service. No reservations, no safety net. It added a bit of tension at the door especially since we were driving from a distance out. The space feels like a city neighborhood sushi bar airlifted into a mountain town with modern lines, moody lighting, and design-forward touches without feeling precious. It works equally well for a laid-back date night or a long overdue catch up with friends over drinks. The menu leans confidently into sushi, cocktails, and pan-Asian-inspired plates, and several dishes stood out. The seared scallop was excellent, and the tempura hamachi collar was the undeniable star, rich, crisp, and deeply satisfying. Cocktail offerings were solid, thoughtfully composed, and well suited to the menu. The sushi itself is, without question in my opinion, the best you’ll find in this part of Montana. Technique, fish quality, and presentation are all handled with care. In the broader sushi universe, though, it lands squarely in the “good, not transcendent” category. The biggest drawback was the rice, which skewed slightly al dente and a touch dry, pulling focus away from otherwise well-executed fish. Service was friendly and well-intentioned, though it visibly strained as more walk-in diners arrived. Saketome absolutely worth the drive when the craving hits.
I need to correct my review from one year ago. The Les Halles roll is very good, but I mentioned that the foie gras was chewy. I now realize that this is wagyu that is a bit chewy, and I can't find the foie gras in cross section! Can someone enlighten me? We still will always order this whenever we come. It's that good. We also had the cherry bomb, which is now divided into 4 small portions, but is actually our favourite. The sweet/salty/burn is perfect. the rice has been bruleed somewhat, which adds to the experience. A third dish, a special, was interesting, because it had buri, a very sought-after fish, and the flavour is purported to be greatest in the winter after a few days of curing, but the flavour was buried by the others. The snow crab interior was a bit dry, so we will pass next time if available. This is overall good fare!
Updated from a 5 star. It used to be quick, organized, great food and atmosphere. Was easily my favorite sushi restaurant and I'd recommend it to everyone.
From reading other reviews, it seems management or ownership may have changed in the last year or so. Which makes sense. My last couple of trips the food itself was still amazing, and although the servers were very nice, it was not organized. Several different servers, we were given someone else's roll at one point, orders forgotten, second to last time I went I tried to order a desert, 20ish minutes later we were given the bill instead. We had been there for hours (just 2 of us) by that time and just wanted out of there.
Our last visit was really just giving this place one last chance but I dont think we'll be coming back.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 1
Stellar service and even better sushi. They have very creative roll combinations that are wholly unique. Their miso soup reminded me of miso from Hokkaido as it was much richer and full of veggies, mushrooms, and tofu. Great selection of sake as well
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Oh my god, my friend and I had terrible diarrhea after eating, and I vomited 2 hours later. It was horrific. I'll never come back to this place, their food wasn't fresh. I ordered 2 servings of raw fish, 1 serving of rice rolls, and a few other dishes. I also had a cocktail, and it was really bad, couldn’t finish it. $200 down the drain. STAY AWAY FROM HERE UNLESS YOU WANT A HEAD START ON A HOSPITAL VISIT😭
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 2
This was fantastic sushi and even though very inland, the fish was fresh and the presentation was on point. The food will not be a disappointment and worth the inevitable wait. They open at 5, we got there right at 5 and there was already a line and every table was full. We sat at the bar and we didnt have to wait very long. However, people showing up shortly after us had 1+ hour wait. It was worth it though. Unfortunately, they do not accept reservations. The sashimi platter was fantastic.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Watching sushi being wrapped in cellophane and then sliced into pieces before being slapped on a plate should have told me enough. Reaching through our seats at the bar to grab orders for others is not only disturbing to our evening and is not how to handle food safely. Listening to Doja Cat while seated is far from appropriate music for the environment and prices. How they can charge more than gas station sushi prices for this is beyond me. We had fish smelling burps for the whole next day! Save your money and make it yourself.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Decent food/service. Food took forever. We were a group of 5 so it took a bit to be seated, but that was no big deal.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Sushi, Wagyu
I’m not going to leave a negative review just an honest one. The fish was old and crusty, I asked the server she said a week old and I ask if they could pull fresher fish for our order. The wagyu was cooked well done, the sushi came out on hot plates that the rice took on and rolls, I think the tempura didn’t sit long enough cause our vegetables didn’t have any tempura on it. The beer was great and good service, great atmosphere, it was later in the night maybe they all just wanted to get off. Will try the place in Missoula next.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 4
Great food and service!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Previously my favorite place for sushi. No longer take reservations, service and food was still good, but no longer GREAT. Waitress was frazzled, Posted pics of food presentation in the past, not worth a pic this time. Same goes for the cocktails. Hope they can find the way back!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 3
Amazing experience ! It was so beautiful and delicious. Kudos to anjalis
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Outstanding sushi, the best in the area. Outstanding service as well.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Sushi, New Style Sashimi
Best SUSHI around. Great staff, 2nd floor location. Eating in room with Bar can be quite noisy. MUST have reservation and be on time.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Decent sushi with an eclectic atmosphere. Every roll we ordered had its own unique flavor... No two rolls were similar to one another! Our server was very attentive, which made for a great overall experience. We were, however, confused as to why $500 worth of sushi was served on individual plates instead of some type of platter...it made for a very crowded table!!
Saketome is the more expensive choice for sushi in the Flathead Valley. However, Should we find ourselves in Bigfork in the future, craving sushi, we would definitely try Saketome again!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Sushi
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