24 Best Japanese Restaurants in Madison

“If I could give it 6 stars I would. Probably the best sushi i ever had. If I had one wish it would be that they had a liquor license. But I'm willing to skip the booze for sushi this good. Amazing. The number of Japanese customers was a testament that it was legit too.“

“This restaurant's best offerings are their American style maki sushi exploding with all kinds of fillings and toppings. The appetizers and other offerings are pretty basic. The nigiri was disappointing but as expected for this part of the country. The cocktail menu is interesting, but I haven't sampled much from it yet. The new decor is kitschy and over the top, but it imparts a fun, casual vibe if you just kind of relax and enjoy it. Some of the sushi plates had little orchid / flower sprays on them that were quite visually appealing.“

“I order from Jacknife regularly and it is quick well priced and very tasty sushi, the staff there is always pleasant smiling and accommodating and that’s part of why I keep coming back. Glad they are so close and convenient to me!“

“We ordered the all-you-can-eat sushi dinner for $30, and the quality and abundance of food eaten made it worth the cost. A wide selection of sushimi and sushi, as well as appetizers, and an assortment of entrees too. There are many items to choose from on the menu so even if you're not a sushi eater there's likely something for you. Good service but there can be a wait between courses if it's busy.“

“I have been a regular patron at Sushi Express for about 4 years now. I describe this place as a place to get “4 star sushi for 1 star prices”. Their menu is extensive, with many creative rolls, and their 2-roll or 3-roll specials are hard to beat price wise. My personal favorite is the Lake City Roll. The wait staff are always friendly, and I can only recall one time where I waited more than 10 minutes for my sushi rolls. I’ve also ordered delivery from here many times. I once waited over an hour for an order, and they gave me a $10 store credit upon realizing my GrubHub order didn’t go through entirely. Like any restaurant, these folks are human and 99% of the time you’re going to get great sushi with great, friendly service at a price that won’t break the bank. More cities need a Sushi Express like this one in Madison, WI. 5/5 stars for their delivery service and 6/5 stars dine in. HIGHLY recommend this place for anyone that wants great sushi but doesn’t want to break the bank.“

“We had a wonderful experience at Fin Sushi with the whole family! From the moment we arrived, we felt very welcome and comfortable. We were served incredibly quickly, and the service was friendly, attentive, and truly exceptional.

We ordered a wonderful selection of different dishes to share, and everything was absolutely delicious. Each dish was beautifully prepared, incredibly fresh, and full of amazing flavor. You can really taste the quality and care that goes into the food.

The restaurant itself is beautiful, warm, and inviting, making the whole experience even more enjoyable. The staff were very accommodating and made us feel well taken care of throughout our entire visit.

Thank you so much for the outstanding service and the fantastic food. We had a wonderful time and will definitely be coming back. Highly recommended! 🍣❤“

“Delicious food, cozy atmosphere, and very nice staff.“

“Our party of five loved our meal! We had habachi, sushi, egg rolls, salad, and ramen. It was all delicious and would definitely recommend.“

“Our party of five loved our meal! We had habachi, sushi, egg rolls, salad, and ramen. It was all delicious and would definitely recommend.“

“Service was wonderful and food came out super fast! Plenty of options and food was very good!“

“Very nice atmosphere. Food was fantastic service was great! My friend and I were visiting from Germany and Tennessee respectively. We stayed until they closed after lunch and left. A short while later my friend realized she left her card there. We drove back and they were closed but one of the servers was out by his car. He didn't even hesitate to run back in and get it for her. If we lived anywhere near Madison, we'd definitely be going back.“

“Highly recommend!!! Great place!!! Very beautiful ambience 🤩 so awesome I’d recommend everything as they have a lovely menu with delicious foods and beverages especially love their Boba 🧋 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️“

“Great food—we got the seaweed salad, pork buns, minced pork rice bowl, and lychee cocktail. Good service. We plan to come again :)“

“Visiting from Colorado with some friends and came across this place. Food was very delicious Highly recommend the Korean BBQ wings and Pork dumplings.“

“Great food , good service!!!“

“Always great sushi and service. Buy 1 get 1 deal is a terrific bargain.“

“We, my husband and I, love this place! It’s honestly hard to find a straight forward and good Chicken Teriyaki in Madison/surrounding areas (We live in Middleton). So this place is perfect for it. The price is more than reasonable for the amount of food you get, it’s hot and delicious, and fresh due to the high volume of orders they are making.The veggies, the chicken, rice and sauce- yum! Plus it makes great leftovers, which I almost always have if I get my own order. A lot of times, my husband and I will split an order if we want to save money. It’s the perfect, not too heavy dinner or lunch.I will say one thing, and that is that you have to like dark meat chicken because I believe they use chicken thighs. Not a problem to me, but I know some people prefer white meat chicken.They also have a punch card system, so after every 6 you get a freebie- we just cashed one in yesterday!The staff is friendly, quick, and I like how you get to watch them make the food.Overall, this place is perfect for a a chicken teriyaki craving… definitely worth a try! There is a location in each of the malls here in Madison, East & West.“

“Absolutely delicious! Highly recommended.“

“Beautiful interior and pleasant lighting, music and overall ambiance. Very different from all other places to dine in Madison.

However, all rolls for two people were delicious and fresh. The Maki Combo is best value for your money. Miso soup is tasty. Shrimp dumplings are wonderful as well.

An update from visit on 05/27/23. By looking at all negative review fee have substance. Most people who leave those never had or will ha be their own business. So easily to spit on someone else work and livelihood. If restaurant is empty I’d be delighted. No long wait times or loudness. The food was served fresh and incredibly tasty. The interior is absolutely beautiful in comparison to most other sushi places in Madison. Highly recommend. These people work hard to service us delicious food they specialize on.

An update from all you can eat experience:
Despite many negative reviews we greatly enjoy all you can eat. Be aware that $34.95 will include service charge of $6.50. We were told that is a tip so you’ll pay upwards $43. All items were fresh, the rolls were diverse and constantly coming. Despite this being after 7pm on Saturday. Well worth as you can pay more like $60-70 at a different sushi place if ordered off menu. The rolls were from vegetarian to fresh salmon and tuna with plenty of fish in the rolls. Not rolls were basic. Highly recommend. We were pleasantly surprised.

All you can eat - Friday through Sunday 4pm-8pm.“

“Akari Sushi became one of my favorite restaurants shortly before I moved out of state. The pickled mustard and beef fresh noodles were especially great (particularly when I increased the spiciness), along with the poke bowls and many other things on the menu.“

“Great food for a great price!“

“Very clean restaurant and super busy(which is good). My family and I enjoyed the fresh food and the sauce. The new manager Brian we met was, kind, professional and made sure our family was taken care of. I will visit again. The prices are very reasonable compared to other restaurants we have visited.“

“Wonderful service and very delicious food!!💕“

“Really great place. I got Tonkatsu ramen with no meat, and it was less than $10 for a very filling bowl with lots of green onion and other toppings. Server was kind and made sure I understood what I was ordering. I came first thing when they opened and it was super quiet, but I bet after work the food court fills up. Overall great food for a low price, would recommend for a quick/cheap meal.“