39 Best Japanese Restaurants in Austin

“I would like to respectfully start with; I’ve been to Uchi multiple times over the years and will never forget my first experience (which will always be the best in my mind.) That being said — tonight might have been the closest to first I’ve ever had. Chance, our server was attentive, knowledgeable, easy going, brought some of the best plates when we asked “bring us what you like/anything you think we missed” literally 12/10 would recommend. Ask for Chance, he knows his shiiiiiiii* and made our night absolutely amazing and something we will never forget!“

“Everything was good, but best brisket ever…“

“Only next level Japanese dining enthusiasts would be able to immediately recognize that they have chosen well. If you are lucky enough to discover the Happy Hour menu then you’ve hit the jackpot. Do yourself a favor and go because ain’t nobody have dry aged fish! What?!? Yes this separates Lucky Robot from the rest of the Japanese places in Austin. Put it on the bucket list folks!“

“This is hands-down, my favorite restaurant in Austin, if not honestly, the world. We come at least once if not twice a week the menu is extremely diverse in the staff are just absolutely delightful. We love Carmen, jasmine, Enrique, anola, Luis, BZ, Jacobi, and Adam. 10/10 reccommend“

“Tonight, my husband and I tried Uchiko for the first time. We had the Okamase. Everything was absolutely delicious. They put so much creativity and detail in every dish. We had a wonderful waitress. I would definitely recommend it.“

“My fiance booked this experience for my birthday and it was amazing. The food is off the charts, the service 5 stars, and the staff are the most friendly and knowledgeable people I have met at a restaurant. The head master sushi chef and owner is from Tokyo and is frankly the most amazing sushi chef I’ve experienced, with years of experience. It was a show and a dining experience. The chef even played me happy birthday on a guitar as he wanted to be a blues guitarist! Also the atmosphere is stunning. Gorgeous restaurant. I cannot say enough good things other than GO and BOOK NOW. It is a must if you love sushi! A huge thank you to Yasu-san and the staff for an incredible birthday dinner. We will be back!“

“Incredible food. loved the salmon. ice cream very rich and creamy.“

“First time here. Excellent service; very friendly wait ataff. Great selection of sake. Also beer & wine. Very good selection of sushi & sashimi. Very reasonable prices. My only suggestion would be to make the spicy sushi a bit spicier. If I lived in the area, I’d definitely be back!“

“Exceptional omakase. One of my favorite restaurants in Austin. The chef is extremely personable and kind. Made me feel incredible comfortable throughout the whole experience. My girlfriend and I thoroughly enjoyed this experience. The food itself was absolutely delicious. Every single nigiri was exceptional, with wonderful rice texture. The fish itself was always excellent quality and the sauces lightly coated on each fish were excellently paired with the flavor profile of the fish itself. Drinks: I did the sake pairing which had two options, a standard pairing for $80 iirc, and prestige pairing for $100. I did the pairing for $100. It was outstanding. My friend opted to do the prestige wine pairing ($110); she thoroughly enjoyed that pairing, as well. After the 22 courses, we went back the bar/lounge area and opted to finish our night with a glass of or Born Gold sake. The service team was incredible throughout the meal. Their presence was very low-key, but they were informative and really kind. Will absolutely be returning in the future.“

“Everything about this place is amazing..“

“Great experience. Loved the Mexican fusion, chefs were all great, service was great, def an experience you need to try. I really liked how the chef talks you through all the dishes and really get to know him with conversation throughout the meal. Music was great as well!“

“There are a LOT of gluten free options, and the sushi is incredible!“

“Awesome meal as always Great rolls Great service“

“Umi’s was exactly the kind of dinner spot I needed. The vibe was super chill and intimate with the dim lighting, and it honestly made the whole experience feel relaxing from the moment I sat down. I ordered sushi and a peach Hana Awaka sake, and both were so good. The roll was fresh, flavorful, and packed with crab, and the little crunch from the masago on top tied everything together perfectly. It also helps that the nails match the bottle #ShaggyDogRoll#“

“My friend and I were craving some sushi so we decided to get some for lunch. We had no place in mind, so when we were driving we came across this place. Never heard of it and thought we would try it out. Best decision ever. Great service and yummy sushi.“

“Fantastic meal tonight NYE 2021. Best sushi 🍣 in town in my opinion.“

“Shout out to Chef Nabe! This is the best sushi restaurant in Austin as far as I'm concerned. Great value, and quality for the money you pay. The service staff are great as well as they pay attention to your every need.

Loved all the nigiri, gunkan and simple rolls. Yellowtail, and bluefin tuna belly are delicious!

If your in a mood for sake, get yourself the Drunken Whale 🐋“

“We love Yanagi! They have great Happy Hour prices, the food is all excellent, and the staff is amazing!“

“A wonderful date night with Fred Dingerson!❤️❤️“

“Everything was perfectly done. Outstanding flavors. Will be back!“

“Iv been coming here since highschool
Back when this was the single location
Filled with nostalgic memories despite the changes made to the layout
Being far more open
I still enjoy it here and the lemon chill drink was delicious“

“I have been dying to try Chef Choo's shop for a while now and I am so sad I didn't stop by sooner! The chef's special box that I chose today was truly an amazing experience! The cuts of sushi are so soft and delicious, with meticulous handcraft going into preparing them. The owners were on-site whipping up new masterpieces in the back, with a clean dining area to enjoy this box! If you get the opportunity to stop by, please do!너무 맛있었어요. ^^ 감사합니다. 다시 먹으러 올게요. ㅎㅎ 화이팅!“

“Delicious food, amazingly quick and polite service. We will be back again soon!“

“Food was great we will definitely be back.“

“First time visit, we had combo #1 for about $15, includes a boba for an additional $1, Large Boba drinks, either rice roll or ball, both are good, fair price and fast service. My daughters liked it, it's in a shopping mall with other Asian establishments, great variety of Asian food .“

“We tried this place out for the first time and got White Chicken Teriyaki Crepe, The Schoolgirl Crepe with yellow dragon sauce of the side both as plates, Kids Chicken & Veg Teriyaki bowl and ADZUKI BERRIES crepe no pocky sticks.

Everything was very good and full of flavor. We can't wait to go back again!“

“Finally discovered Sosu’s new location and couldn’t be happier they’ve moved from ghost kitchen to a full restaurant! The space is great - big seating area with a real izakaya vibe that makes you want to stay awhile. Service was super attentive from the moment we walked in.
We came for the rice bowls and tried the Garlic Buta Toro and Truffle Cream Gyupasta. Both were absolutely delicious - so good that we ended up ordering more to take home! If you love Japanese food, this place delivers. Plenty of free parking, which is always a win in Austin.“

“This place is a solid 3.5 star but the service takes it up to 4. It’s the most reasonably priced omakase and they are quite efficient but shouldn’t come as news that some pieces are amazing but others are just ok. Obviously you’re getting what you pay for. I do like that they do a $30 sake flight it’s such a fair price and add a nice touch. Ended up trying the hand rolls after as I was still hungry and I must say they are so generous with the fish and the portions are just right. The only problem was that it’s only 1 person working and a ton of people ordering so it kind of beats the concept of a hand roll place if you have to wait 15 mins for a roll.“

“I’ve been going to this Sarku Japan for the past 10+ years and it’s my favorite spot in the mall. The chicken teriyaki flavor is mouth-wateringly delicious. Portion size is filling. Ordering is quick, especially with the app. Definitely recommend!“

“Made a reservation for the counter for a Monday night for an anniversary dinner. The sushi (nigiri and roll) is the best I've had in Austin. Definitely have the sea bream nigiri! Also check out the lobster stuffed shishito tempura. Our server was so knowledgeable and helpful. Great sake options as well.“

“This place is cute. Lol I don't know how to say this in another way. But! Best way to explain it. The food is delicious, bought the Spicy Chicken Sando, Mini Chirashi box, and fruit Sando(strawberry). Everything I ate was very delicious. One note though. I wish the spicy chicken fando had just a little more heat or spice. Keep the side sauce that comes with it, just make the breading of the chicken a bit more spicy. The sauce that come with it is delicious and sweet. Thats it, just one downside. Everything else is freaking good!!!!!!!! Good job guys. I see why yall run out. Anyways, great place to grab lunch, and eat outside like a picnic. Side note: this place is popular and runs out quick, so.... you gotta be fast to get it. Oh, and service is great, the people there are great. Thats a very good plus, thank you.“

“Fantastic personal, great food. 5 Star place.“

“Korean review: really inexpensive and one of the only places in South Austin to get your Korean food fix. I know other reviews had some service problems but experienced NONE of that. Greeted immediately when walking in, we picked our seats and had multiple staff during our hour and a half stay check up on us even with a crowd of others arriving after us. We got the Kimbap appetizer split it for two (was delicious didn't need anything else like a sauce - perfect on it's own!). I got the beef bulgogi and my friend got the Rock Bibimbap with spicy pork (like regular Bibimbap but in a hot pot!). YALL LEMME TELL YOU THIS WAS SO GOOD. I was having an emotional experience with these flavors. Banchan selection was good too. Got 6 of them and one of them kimchi. I'll be back for take out and eventually try out the Japanese and Sushi portion of the menu.“

“I go here about once a week and I love it! To all the people giving this place low reviews I would say two things:1) it seems like a lot of people are buying their premade bowls instead of their made to order bowls. The premade are good when you're in a hurry but it's much better right off the grill.2) I would agree that the portions are pretty skimpy on the skewers (they are very reasonably priced, so I'm not mad at it). What I always do is get their fried rice and then get the Brisket from True Texas BBQ in the food court and make some brisket fried rice.I don't order their sushi but a lot of other people do and they love it.“

“Delicious food (especially the fried pork dumplings), good service, great variety on the menu. Will definitely be back!“

“Highly recommend as this is truly the ultimate culinary experience! Not only that but Chef Saine is adds a personable touch to the service and is also super entertaining. TJ does phenomenal recommending drinks with the dishes. Truly a unique experience.“

“Definitely worth a visit at least once! Soulful meal and service experience.“

“Great place! Love the peppered Tuna! Great happy hour!“

“Great deal for great food Love how it taste it! And fresh very yummy“