18 Best Japanese Restaurants near Middleton

“Love the sushi!!! My husband and I do “date nights” here and split a “Volcano Bowl” and have sushi afterwards! Wonderful place❤️“

“Unbelievably delicious, I travel a lot for work and was craving sushi. This place did not disappoint. I haven’t had Sushi and Chicken Katsu this good since I lived in Seattle. I will be back.“

“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.“

“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.“

“The best around for that price!! So, so, good and so very affordable! Just do it! You won’t regret it!“

“If you are looking for good Sushi, I was pleasantly surprised to find this cute little place tucked in on the west side of Madison.

Had the Sashimi Deluxe, The Royal, The Lake City, The Rainbow and I think the Golden Age 😋“

“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🍄“

“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.“

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

“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.“

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

“I had the beef and my wife had the chicken. The flavors were good that included the meat, rice, and a lettuce combination. The portions were also very large and neither of use could finish it all.

Overall it was a good and filling lunch.“

“I have now eaten here 3 times and appreciated the food every time. What stands out beyond very tasty food is their attention to detail and service. We ordered a gluten free entree and added mushrooms (marinated so not gluten free) - they labeled the dish identifying what was gluten free and what wasn’t and just in case packaged the mushrooms separately.

I called multiple times with questions and they were always kind, patient, and provided genuine recommendations and insights. It is a pet peeve of mine when restaurants/servers don’t feel comfortable providing an opinion.

I would highly recommend. Also, my two children tried three different items and provided their approval as well (not a typical experience as of late).

Addendum 7/10/2025
I ate here with friends and tried the Dan Dan noodles. It was spectacular with so much flavor, spice, and not to make a dad joke out of it but what I imagine is the taste umami. I will be returning for this dish. The rest of the food and drinks remained excellent.“

“Went in a Thursday night dinner, staff were great, it was slow only 3 other group eating. We got veggie sushi’s and they were good. Our entrees however were very mid, it was pretty bland and only had a soy sauce taste. I got the udon veggie and tofu teriyaki, they tasted the same like one soy sauce bottle was used to make both dishes. My friend got the tonkastu and she said it was a good basic tonkastu. I had high expectations but was a little disappointed. I left with the food in a to go box because I had to stop eating and felt bad leaving all the food there.“

“Good sushi rolls and lo Mein at a good price. The space itself is very takeout focused and isn't necessarily setup great for dining in. They do keep everything clean but don't expect a full on dining atmosphere.

We had a few specialty rolls which were all delicious, two pieces of the red snapper sushi, and the akari lo Mein. All were delicious and the sushi had large fresh cuts of fish. We spent 70 after a modest tip and had some to take home.

I would absolutely recommend for takeout or a quick bite.“

“Great food for a great price!“

“Thank you so much for making our son's graduation dinner so special. We enjoyed the food so much and your staff was wonderful. Loved it!“