Sushi can be very pricey, but this place is awesome for the price. You get decent quality at a good cost point and you get it super fast. The service has always been quick and it's great for those picking up a quick bite to eat. The restaurant itself doesn't have a lot of tables. I would consider this Location more to be for pick up versus eating in. read more

Akari Sushi - Ahi Regular Poke Bowl - Japanese Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Dropped in to get a to go poke bowl. Super Fast easy service. Small place, with a couple tables. Loving the Chunky fish, delish! read more

Akari Sushi - Signature ocean feast Poke bowl - Japanese Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Sushi's delicious and at an affordable price too! Not many great local businesses in Madison with great customer service. The owners even remember us every time we stop in even if we haven't been in months. Definitely worth checking out! It's the perfect small, family owned space that Madison needs more of! read more

This sushi restaurant is the best in town in terms of food quality, freshness of fishes, and tastes. The special maki rolls are all the best and delicious. Although dining hall is small, I ordered sushi rolls for carry out. I visit this restaurant whenever I am at Madison/Middleton areas. read more

Akari Sushi - Japanese Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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I tried Akari on a whim and I am pleasantly surprised! I ordered take out and had it delivered. It was so fresh and so delicious. I think my favorite item was the chicken teriyaki. The sauce was really flavorful, the veggies had the perfect crunch and super fresh, and it was a good deal! The meal came with chicken, rice, veggies, a california roll AND a spring roll! I also ordered the monster roll which was good but a little too saucy for my liking I would probably try a different specialty roll next time. I will be ordering take out from here again!! read more

Akari Sushi - 2. Vegetable Spring Roll 6. Gyoza 42. California Roll SP7. Monster Roll 91. Chicken Teriyaki - Japanese Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

I love their spicy tuna rolls and the prices are very reasonable. The only issue I've ever had is for whatever reason the rolls can fall apart pretty easily which can make them difficult to eat. The taste is exceptional though so i can sacrifice read more

Akari is a great sushi place on the West side. Honestly, I've been searching for a decent sushi place in Madison. There is another popular place on the West side that I'm sure most people know of, but I dislike that place. I gave up on Madison sushi for a while, but then I got a coupon in the mail for Akari and decided why not. We ordered three rolls for $12.50 - spicy salmon, shrimp tempura, and eel avocado. The ingredients were pretty fresh. We also ordered the Out of Control special roll. I *think* the tuna on the inside of that is supposed to be just seared like ahi tuna, but I'm not sure. It ended up being pretty cooked, which I didn't like that much. We also got a Chicken Teriyaki Bento Box. It had so much chicken in it. It was overflowing the take-out container. They forgot the 4 pieces of California roll, but oh well. We had also ordered Fried Rice but got White Rice. Overall, I enjoyed my meal. I feel like they only do take-out orders. I think they could improve on their sushi rice. Perhaps I came too late in the evening and the rice had dried out, but it wasn't sticky enough to hold the roll. read more

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Sushi fanatic here! I am so disappointed by the lack of sushi options on the west side of Madison/Verona. I have passed Akari on Gammon Road many times, but the curb appeal leaves a lot to be desired, so I never really considered eating from here. However, I am home alone this weekend and figured it would be a good time to order carry out, and this is the closest sushi to me. I placed my order online. The online ordering is very simple and straightforward. I ordered A LOT of food because I really wanted to try a lot of different things AND because the prices are super low, especially compared to other places in town. My order was ready when promised, and due to COVID, it was waiting for me at a table blocking the doorway of the restaurant. There were too many to-go containers. They definitely could have cut down on the plastic being used. Otherwise, everything looked awesome. I was super impressed by the thick cuts of sashimi. It might actually be the most generous portion of sashimi I have ever seen, plus it was delicious! In addition, I ordered 3 regular rolls and a special roll. The rolls were very good. I like the amount of rice they used, just a thin layer, but not enough to overwhelm the other ingredients. My special roll (Monster roll,) tasted awesome, but didn't stay together super well. There was also A TON of cream cheese in the two rolls I ordered that have cream cheese. They went a little skimpy on the fish and VERY heavy on the cheese. I personally LOVE cream cheese, so I'm actually very happy with it.. others may not be. You also have to keep in mind the low price of the rolls, I still believe this is a great deal. I will absolutely order from here again, it's quick, inexpensive, and satisfying! read more

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I've ordered from Akari a couple times now. The combination udon was decent and a great portion size (definitely enough for leftovers) but was lacking that savory note I was craving. Next time I'll try the house special, the Akari udon. The sushi is pretty good here as well. I have ordered the spicy salmon, spicy tuna, and spicy crabmeat roll, and enjoyed them all. I highly recommend the spicy tuna and spicy crabmeat rolls - I'm definitely ordering those two again. The prices are fair, if not leaning towards the inexpensive side. I will definitely order from here again! read more

I do not recommend the Philly roll, it will ruin your evening. I can't imagine the amount of money they could be saving on cream cheese if they just made a normal roll, especially during these difficult times. I added in a second star to my review because I had an enjoyable time deconstructing all of the rolls and removing the excess cream cheese. read more

Akari Sushi - Ridiculous amounts of cream cheese. - Japanese Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Not sure why this place isn't more highly rated? In my opinion they offer high quality sushi and the absolute best chicken Lo Mein in all of Madison. Delivery drivers always text and/or call to make sure you physically got your food and don't leave until you do. Please patronize this place so I can continue getting their great food! read more

I ordered through Grubhub and wasn't expecting much as it was late night. My food arrived in an hour I was pleasantly surprised by the quality. Every roll I ordered was delicious. I would definitely recommend. read more

Akari Sushi - Japanese Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

I have never been so disappointed ordering food before that I have to write negative review here. I ordered salmon donburi for $18+ it failed to meet even my lowest expectation, what I received was a bowl of unseasoned white rice and a few slices of unseasoned raw salmon and crab on top, there were no sauce, no vegetables, no chives, nothing. I also ordered seafood fried rice which is plain and flavorless, it looks to me it's just rice stirred in soy sauce with a few shrimp, no garlic, no chives, and I don't even taste salt. I do think this is the most overpriced and lowest quality food that I have had, I will never order from this place ever again. read more

Ordered for delivery, and they did not even end up delivering and the food was made 2 hours late! Terrible, awful service! Ordered at 6:25pm, for an expected delivery time of 7:25pm. Called at 7:50pm, and they told me the food would not come for 1hr. I called at 8:50pm, and they said that they would no longer deliver! The utter unprofessionalism and lack of clarity and communication. They said that it would be available in 15 minutes. After being over 2hrs late, they would not give me a full refund! I highly recommend ordering from a different sushi place. Do NOT support this restaurant. read more

Good sushi. Sushi was good however the delivery service didn't even read the instructions, knock no door bell people sleeping. Sushi was good. I would say the spicy mayo was a bit hotter than normal. Rolls were average to small sized. read more

I drive past regularly and honestly was wary of getting sushi from a tiny place in a dumpy strip mall. For one of my daughter's birthdays recently she requested sushi. She is used to "grocery store" sushi but we had several people to feed and so looked at sushi places. The wife and I have had "high-end" sushi every so often but the places we would be talking about would be quite pricey. Anyway, we decided to give this place a shot. We were pleasantly surprised with the quality and amazed at the final bill. We got a nice variety of rolls and appetizers. Nothing was bad, all fresh and tasty. It was a hit and about $85 to feed 8 so more than reasonable. I think this may be a hidden gem an excuse to have sushi more often! read more

I mean, I guess I shouldn't have expected much if it's next to a laundromat. We got really quick service which was nice. I got the sweet potato roll and the eel roll. The sweet potatoes weren't cooked enough and the eel roll was pretty tasteless. Both were very fishy smelling. The parking lot was modestly sized, and it's right around the corner from Woodmans. I've had Woodmans sushi and I'd have to say theirs was unfortunately better. read more

My critique may be biased on the surface. My wife and I absolutely love sushi. We lived in South Florida for a number of years prior to moving to Madison. While in Florida, we enjoyed any number of great sushi places. Trust me, there are a plethora of sushi places to choose from in South Florida. Some were great, some were mediocre, some just plain sucked. I even came across one that was shut down by the health department. When I reflect back to my sushi experiences near and far, regardless of location, I am pitting all of them against the ones I deem to be the very best. AMBIANCE This is a store that caters to carry-out and delivery-based clientele. It was obviously not designed for those looking for a cozy dine-in experience. It has 2 simple 2-person tables tucked along a wall with nothing more than a bottle of soy sauce atop each table. The store was loud - fans, appliances, and whatnot. The kitchen staff communicated in non-English over the sound of the kitchen - again, loudly. Don't read into this; I'm not knocking them whatsoever for they must be able to communicate to one another to function, but, since this is about ambiance, I am merely describing my experience. PRICES / FOOD Red flags went up immediately when I saw how inexpensive their sushi rolls were. This is America and you get what you pay for. I ordered a spicy tuna roll and an eel roll - 2 rolls for little more than 8 bucks. What I received were 6 tight, little rolls of each. In my experience with really good sushi places is that they do not skimp. Akari's rolls missed that mark completely. Eel rolls often have eel inside the roll and a small morsel served on top. That was not the case here, and I could barely make out the eel within. I could have pushed the spicy tuna mixture out of the roll with a pencil. ECO Plastic forks accompanied wood chopsticks. We were served ice water in small, flimsy plastic cups. Styrofoam plates were also provided. Sushi and sashimi were served in the same plastic carriers you see stowed in self-service stations at grocery stores. FLAVOR Obviously, the closer to the ocean you are, the better. That doesn't mean you cannot get good sushi inland, but age does affect the flavor. Fish should NEVER smell like, well, fish. Fresh fish smells soapy, clean. It does NOT smell fishy. My sushi did arrive to the table with a slight fishy odor. Because of the lack of actual fish, I experienced disks of rice complemented by barely notable sushi goodness. SERVICE The service was very good. I cannot say anything but good things regarding the service. SUMMARY There are other sushi places to try in Madison, and I look forward visiting those establishments in the future. That said, am I ready to race back to this place anytime soon even for a simple carry-out craving? No. I found the food to be very average. The rolls severely lacked size and filling. Though the staff could be commended for good service, for the value, the overall experience was not worth it. read more

My favorite go to sushi place to order from. It's not overpriced like the places you go for a fancy date. Their sushi delivered, unlike those other fancy places, doesn't suffer a noticeable degradation from being made for carry out. Usually in other places there's a big quality shift, not sure why. Not here. It tastes just as good delivered! read more

The food I ordered was good but it came lukewarm which was disappointing. I think I was on the edge of their delivery zone but isn't the point of the delivery zone so you can have the expectation that you'll receive what you ordered? read more

The food is pretty good for the pricing. We got three rolls and the chicken lo mien; we enjoyed all our food and would order from here again! read more

Great food for the price! The sushi was some of the best sushi I've had and it was very reasonably priced. The staff was very friendly and helpful and we got our food quickly. Will definitely be going back. read more

The sushi was warm when I picked it (I waited for it to be prepared), the shrimp was fishy and gross, and it overall was not pleasant. I ordered the Boston, The Philly, and the Spicy Tuna rolls. I will NEVER go back here again. read more

I feel bad writing this review but the food was really bad. They give you a lot of food for the price, but it made me feel really gross after and I couldn't eat much of it. Sadly wouldn't recommend this place. read more

Sushi was fine. Staff was not wearing masks or gloves as I watched them make my food. Unacceptable considering the current mask mandate and global pandemic! Area was also super sketchy and I felt unsafe. Wasn't worth the mediocre sushi. read more

We ordered delivery at 8pm on a Wednesday night, and it took close to 2 hours for the food to get here. By the time it did, the soup was cold, the sushi was warm. read more

Although it looks like a place you go to get stabbed, the food is amazing. I had spicy tuna rolls and salmon sushi and I'm impressed! Do yourself a favor and get takeout. Only took like 10 minutes to prep and was great! read more

It pains me to write this because the staff looks like they work hard and want to do well. However, it was truly the worst sushi I ever had in my life. I threw it all away. I tried dowsing it with sauce and nothing helped. It was so bland. I dropped over 100 bucks there and nothing, not one thing was good. On top of it, the food made me ill. I never write reviews but this is something I would have wanted to know in advance. I'm so sorry to the nice owners but I'm actually trying to help. You have to improve your food. I see some good reviews but I have to believe they are people who don't eat Sushi often. For those who do you can get much, much better. Hope the owners bump up their game. It was horrible. read more

Mostly take-out but they have 1 table. Miso soup in a plastic to-go bowl was very bland. Sushi was so-so. Rude counter waitress. read more

Best Sushi in Madison - I have been searching for a good place with my wife since we moved here and this is one of the best places available. I would recommend carry out or delivery. read more

impressively bland and flavorless. grocery store sushi is better

Sushi is pretty cream cheese heavy, but the quality was awesome and tasted great! I would recommend the bento boxes!

I love Akari! I asked a friend of mine who lived in Japan where to find the best sushi in Madison and she directed me to Akari. And she wasn't wrong! They're quick, fresh and have done a phenomenal job navigating orders through the COVID19 pandemic. Highly recommend. read more

A little hole in the wall, two table, takeout/delivery with a very nice family staffing the place. Prices are much cheaper than the other sushi joints on the west side. I was going to give it a 3.5, but rounded up. I'd definitely go back. Salad was huge - enough for two, and tons of cucumbers. Disappointing that it was served with run of the mill ranch instead of the typical ginger dressing. Miso was rather bland - I wouldn't order it again. The gyoza on the other hand were fantastic! Perfectly crispy, very yummy filling and a good sauce too - not too sweet, not too vinegary. On to the sushi - 3 rolls for $12.50, all day. We got spicy tuna, spicy salmon and a Boston roll. The tuna and salmon were typical - I noticed a slightly fishy taste, but the hubby did not. The Boston roll was quite good - shrimp, avocado and cucumber, topped with a dollop of mayo. Finished with the special roll: Golden Age - the most expensive in the menu ($11.99). Most of them are $8.99, $9.99 or $10.50. Tempura shrimp (crunchy and tasty) tuna, avocado and mango, wrapped in yellow soy paper. Definitely a winner! All in all, this place is a great sushi option on the west side. Worth a try, for sure. read more

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Plus: Delivery was timely Minus: Sushi is sloppily put together Tempura is oily and has too much breading I am Underwhelmed read more

We have ordered delivery several times and have consistently had delicious fresh sushi.

Ordered take out from Akari for the first time and I definitely won't be back. The food is the same price as nice sushi restaurants so was expecting it to be good quality. Rolls we're not good, falling apart and taste pretty gross, couldn't even finish my food. Good thing I opened my bag in my car because they forgot to put my edamame in my bag and also I ordered and paid for a crab salad and instead I got a roll with crab and cucumber so had to wait to have it made. For the price and quality I definitely will be making the trip to Edos sushi or red sushi. Highly do not recommend this place, go elsewhere. read more

I order takeout here every few weeks and I've never been disappointed. Prices are very reasonable, the staff are friendly, and the sushi is always delicious. read more

For months, my family and I had been wanting to try the sushi from this place. We'd normally get our sushi from a restaurant downtown, but I decided to give this place a try today, sine I was in the area. When I first walked in, I received a nasty attitude and rolling eyes from one of the back workers. After I ordered, I gave my card and when she went to give it back, she slammed the receipt that needed to be signed down and tossed a pen and my card on top of it. She then rudely threw my beverage onto the counter. I excused this and assumed that she may have been having a bad day or that the excessive heat was getting to her. But then, she and the other worker were preparing someone else's food, and the other worker dropped onion slices on the ground, bent over, picked them up, and threw them into someone else's food. I asked if that was my food that they were preparing, but they said no, claimed that the food was for personal use, and laughed. I watched them finish preparing the food and bag it. I don't know who the customer that the food belonged to was, or when they came, but I do know that I will never be returning to this restaurant. I do not want to get ill. read more

Not the greatest meal I've ever had. Delivery came at about 15 minutes after the estimated 50-60 minutes. The sushi was just okay--we ordered the Spicy California Roll and the Philadelphia Roll. It may just be a personal preference, but it seemed like there was just way too much cream cheese in the Philadelphia Roll. All I could really taste was cream cheese which seems like a lot when it overpowers the smoked salmon. We also had the chicken lo mein. I did like that the chicken had a nice sear on it, but overall the lo mein was super dry with not a lot of flavor. I might try again with one of their specialty rolls, but we'll see. read more