23 Best Japanese Restaurants in Madison

“Nice little restaurant. I had the salmon lunch special - 3 slices of sashimi, 3 nigiri & a spicy salmon roll. Fish was nice & fresh melting in my mouth. Was impressed with the generous slices of sashimi. I also had the miso soup which was delicious. Mango boba was tasty & tge boba was nice & soft.

Staff was attentive, kind & appreciative.
I'm from out of town but if I lived here it would be on my list to visit often.“

“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.“

“You can choose the unlimited refill option or order individually. If you choose unlimited refills, you can order sushi, sashimi, rolls, etc. until you are full. The sushi and sashimi aren't very large, but the taste is good. Recommended for anyone who can eat a lot. The service was also friendly.

I ordered hibachi and ramen separately for lunch and it was great value for money. Contrary to my concerns, Hibachi was able to eat a generous amount of fairly tender beef. The ramen was a little different from what I expected, with a spicy Nagasaki Jjamppong-like taste, but I enjoyed it in its own way. Considering the price, I think this is pretty great.“

“My family loves coming here as it offers a big variety even for our kiddos. Can't wait to come for my birthday this week“

“Very fun place for a group of people, service was on the verge of excellence, and overall prices were very fair. Both appetizers and food were excellent, savory, tasteful, and prepared perfectly. The hibachi show was very nice and it was great having a chef that engaged us with his show to make us all an important part of the experience.“

“Decent nigiri for the price. Very friendly staff. The take-out packaging is nice and tight, ensuring the nigiri doesn’t get ruined while carrying it. I wish they put wasabi between the fish and rice, as is done in traditional nigiri, but I understand why most Japanese restaurants in the U.S. don’t do this. I’ll try the rolls next time!“

“Love this place! So delicious and people are awesome! Quick and fresh food 🍱 they also have a fun little game inside with super cool prizes! Highly recommend!“

“Dined here for lunch today and loved the vegan options! Menu is clearly marked so we didn’t have to modify anything, which was highly refreshing. Shout out to Living on the Veg sushi set and the crunch salad, both solid choices. Bright and welcoming interior, with equally welcoming staff! We will be back again and again. Take no shiitake🍄“

“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.“

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

“Great food and great customer service! Will be going back in the future“

“Man oh man this place is good. I wasn't surprised when I saw the boston fish market truck out front delivering. The math maths as the kids say.

I really enjoyed the king roll and the teriyaki shrimp. 10/10 will definitely be back.“

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

“The food is good and pleasant, the service is also very good and the prices are moderate.

Parking: Enough space when being in a shopping center

Kid-friendliness: It is located inside the West Shopping Center

Wheelchair accessibility: All Access“

“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.“

“Clean, unfussy, and welcoming atmosphere with fresh and delicious food! We went for lunch and ordered poke bowls. You build your bowl by checking off options on a paper and get a made-to-order delicious fresh meal. We arrived mildly hungry and devoured our bowls; They were so tasty.“

“Absolutely delicious! Highly recommended.“

“Nice Ramen place! They have a happy hour where some drinks are discounted and Edamame for example are half price! There are seating options either inside or outside on the patio! We did make a reservation for a Friday evening in advance but it wasn’t fully booked so you should be fine without one. Good service :)“

“Let me start by saying their special rolls are amazing! But BF and I went last night for the all you can eat, and was dissapointed at the lack of sushi variety on the conveyor. It was mostly cakes, fruit, cold rangoon or something of a california roll. It was not worth the 70$ for two.
I guess its hit or miss depending on the day. But I dont think we will be coming back for the all you can eat.“

“Great food for a great price!“

“Wonderful service and very delicious food!!💕“

“Stopped in quick for take out after Movies and grocery shopping. Delicious rolls made from eel, cucumber and avocado. Ordered 2, 2 go. So fresh and So yummy ? The service was so quick, no waiting. Great price! Will frequent this place more often when in town. * Remind me for next time to ask for more ginger with the rolls. The ginger with the rolls is absolutely divine!“

“I have been missing out, this place is delicious. I got the grilled chicken rice bowl togo. It's filled to the brim with chicken, avocado, a soft boiled egg, veggies, grilled meat on top of a bed of rice. You also get miso soup on the side. This is my go to spot from now on.“