This is my family's go-to sushi place--we go probably more than we should! We only eat the sushi, so this review is based on nigiri only. It's consistently delicious and fresh. Some days it's outstanding. The Crunchy Maki is wonderful--a butterfish roll rolled in crisp tempura crumbs--YUM. Sake (salmon) nigiri is fatty and yummy. Caterpillar Roll is fun and delicious. Service is attentive and friendly; often they've brought my young son a bowl of tofu for free. Once they brought him pens and paper to write on when the waitress noticed he was especially fidgety. Two pet peeves: one particular waitress always tries to upsell us, and they always bring the rolls out well after the nigiri. I like to have to all on the table at once. This place isn't fancy, but if you want a great sushi experience at a good price, go here. read more

For mid-scale sushi, this place really disappointed. Ultimately, its all about the food. I ordered the Philadelphia Roll, and the Albacore and Sake Nigiri, all of which was bland in both flavor and presentation. But there was a sense it was thrown together, slapped on a plate, and served all dispassionately. And just as there was no taste, there was obviously no care for the food or its delivery. My experience started with a server yelling at me from the back, simply waving her hand across the air as if to say, "sit anywhere". Another server took my order, but after ordering I never saw another one until after my meal was complete. After bringing my bill, I waited another long time before the initial server came to collect. If your food is going to be lackluster, then your service better not be. Sadly, both were mediocre. If you compare it to conveyer belt sushi restaurants, of course its going to be mildly better. But its not a fair comparison. This is one of three sushi restaurants in the junction, Kamei and Mashiko being the others. Azuma, you have got to do better. Trust me, if you're in West Seattle, the go-to place for sushi is Mashiko. You'll spend a little more, but at least you won't leave disappointed. As for Azuma, I won't be back. What a shame... and a waste. read more

This review is based on Take-Out Orders: We have been having issues of not getting all of our food orders making it home and being charged for it. Last nite we ordered 14 items and I will admit I made the mistake of sending my friends son to pick it up for us so he could make some money. He paid $189 and came home with the 7-8 items we had ordered but not any of the 7 fried items. We didn't have much luck talking to them on the phone about their mistake. We again, drove back to ask for our missing food. She did acknowledge the mistake and gave us one free roll but did I seem to care much. We have enjoyed their food but will give our sushi business elsewhere. My suggestion to you if you do take-out, have them go thru every item you ordered before you leave the restaurant. read more

Azuma Sushi is a place I've visited 6+ times a year over the past few years. Always good food, clean place, and pleasant staff. It's been a while since I was last here. Often I've been here when it's colder and mostly ordered cooked food or maki rolls. Tonight, however, was different... and was fantastically good. I had the agedashi app and sashimi dinner. All the fish was FRESH, light and 'melt in your mouth' good. The hamachi! The hamachi was the best of all. I will probably dream about it tonight. Other stuff: Sat at the sushi bar - Had a nice conversation with the sushi chef off and on throughout my dinner. Overall, a memorable meal. read more

The first time I tried to go here, instead of being greeted with sushi, I was greeted with a sign on the door that indicated they were mysteriously closed for the day. I'm not sure how often this occurs, but it was a bit odd as it did not state any reason for the closure. The second time a few weeks later, I succeeded in dining here. The best adjective I can use to summarize this place is ok - it describes both the chirashi I had and the "love boat" sushi combination my dining companion had. Service was fine, decor is decent but I don't have particularly high standards for that. It might be unfair to compare it to Mashiko down the street as opposed to standing on its own, but with their excellence a block away, it was hard not to be disappointed by their average fish. It is cheaper than Mashiko though, but I'd rather go to there once than here twice. read more

On Saturday afternoons when I'm craving sushi this is where I go. It's always fresh and full of flavor. Their Tropicana roll made spicy is delightful I can't get enough. Their bento meals are also very tasty I've never had a bad meal here. A few years ago my brother was in town and I took him here he still talks about their teriyaki beef he claims it is by far the best he's ever had (I don't eat beef so I can't confirm this), I will mention my brother also loves Taco Bell. read more

Two stars only for the food. The food was delicious. That said... The service is simply AWFUL. I went to Azuma's with a friend today and after we were seated, it was ten minutes before we were even brought a menu. There were two other tables occupied in the restaurant. The table that that waitress was paying attention to must've been a big ticket or something, because she checked on them five or six times before she even took our order. When it was finally time to order, my friend asked the waitress a question about one of the menu items and then started to order. Then, I'm not even kidding, in the middle of my friend's order, a person at another table called our waitress's name and our waitress TURNED AROUND, leaving our table and proceeded to chit chat with the other table for a few minutes. In hindsight, we should have left right then. She came back with no apologies and treated us like taking our order was an inconvenience to her. She didn't really seem to ever be paying any attention to us. We had to repeat our order twice (which would not have bothered me if it weren't for our "warm" welcome earlier) and when she "got it", she dashed off, only to be seen again when our food was ready. She sure was nice when it was time for us to pay (and tip). Neither of us tipped, which is uncharacteristic of us. Other highlights include- my friend ordering miso soup, our waitress dashing off in the middle of the order, and her bringing us both miso soup. I assumed it was complimentary, since I didn't order it. It was not. I should have brought up the charge at the till, but was too frustrated to do so. Consider that unwelcome charge your tip. I could go on, but you've got the idea, so I'll stop. ETA: I have to amend my review to add that although my experience was poor, I am impressed at Azuma's response. I was contacted the very next day to ask how they could win my business back. Given that the food was so good, and the response to my complaint was so genuine, I am willing to give Azuma another try. When I do eat there again, I will gladly erase my initial review and post my final review. It's amazing that this business cared enough to email me, and cared enough to check their reviews daily. I think that they really *do* care about my experience, and everyone else's, and that definitely counts for something! Thanks Azuma! read more

While not bad, this is decidedly not authentic Japanese cuisine. The curry is a Thai style coconut-based curry, which was disappointing since I was expecting the thick, sweet, and aromatic dark curry so well-loved in Japan today. So if you're expecting authentic Japanese food, try another location. That being said, Azuma makes some of the tastiest miso soup I've ever had, in the States or in my two visits to Japan. The dynamite roll is also really tasty, with a hint of sweetness, and just enough heat. The Tori-itame is also pretty delicious. So if you've got a craving for sushi on a shoestring in West Seattle, give Azuma a try. Update: I changed the rating from 3 stars to 4, because the food truly was good, just not what I was expecting. read more

Not often are the silent 'warning bells' in your head personified by something real. In Azuma sushi's case, it's a door chime that beeps in the back of the house as you walk into the restaurant. Am I walking into a family-owned sushi restaurant or a run-down 7-11? We should have taken that as a sign and walked out, right then and there. We didn't. To get a good feel of Azuma sushi, my wife and I ordered a variety of food: seafood poke, assorted tempura, a spicy salmon roll, the poke roll, hamachi (nigiri), salmon (nigiri) and seared escolar (nigiri). The seafood poke is not prepared per order, so it came out rather dry and underwhelming. Really? Pre-prepped seafood poke?! Come on. As you might expect, the poke roll was equally as disappointing. The spicy salmon roll was awful. The spicy sauce tastes tomato-based, and the flavor is dreadful when combined with raw fish. Stay far, far away. The escolar is pre-sliced, and has a pretty dreadful after-taste, even when seared with some salt on top. The tempura was tempura. And both the salmon nigiri and hamachi nigiri were tasty and the fish portions large. But it's tough to screw up nigiri or tempura, so they don't really get many points for this. The restaurant is set up more like a diner - you seat yourself, and the wait staff is attentive enough, but there's no experience to speak of. And yes - you hear the chime go off every time someone enters. We both had one drink, left stuffed, and walked out $80 later. Too much for such underwhelming food. As new residents of West Seattle, we REALLY wanted to like Azuma Sushi. My wife and I eat a lot of sushi, and have tried a lot of places in Seattle. Sadly, most are better than Azuma sushi. read more

I basically stumbled upon Azuma after intending to have lunch at Mashiko, down the street, not realizing that Mashiko is only open for dinner. That really sums up Azuma best, however. Probably only worth going to if for whatever reason you can't go to a better sushi locale (such as Mashiko). First the positive: the sushi chef was very helpful and accommodating. He seemed to genuinely care. The problem, though, is that the sushi is surprisingly expensive, and, quite frankly, it wasn't very fresh. Isn't that the harbinger of a sushi spot - whether the fish is fresh? These days, second-rate sushi is easily findable at the myriad of conveyor belt sushi joints (don't get me wrong; some of those are excellent -- for example, Sushi Connections in Woodinville). Next time, I'm holding out for Mashiko. read more

Azuma has become a pleasant go to restaurant for my palate. Here's why; The Maki rolls are great, not to mention the sushi chef will prep to meet your needs. Their miso soup is brilliant. The edamame is always cooked to perfection and the ingredients are fresh! Hands down, I suggest their Dynamite Roll. It's just delicious. Because I'm not a fan of butterfish the chef happily substituted yellow tail in it's place. Talk about accommodating your customers needs! Oh and the traditional Nigiri is so good it will melt your palate. Now lets talk cost. Their prices are as fair as it gets in the sushi world. As long as you don't order one of everything, you certainly won't break your wallet. This is definitely a local restaurant to support. Most importantly, Azuma greets their customers promptly! You are guaranteed to enter a friendly atmosphere. Unlike a particular sushi restaurant down the street where you'd stand in the doorway for 6 minutes before the servers bother to greet you, at Azuma's you'll be greeted by a warm smile. read more

Always sweet service, FAST sushi made before your eyes, and yummy food. Not my fav place ever but definitly a great go to place. The soup bowls with egg on top are amazing, except for the fishcakes in them. I'm not so into fishcakes.... read more

My choice for sushi in West Seattle. The staff is friendly and helpful, the sushi is delicious and they've got some nice Saki and good beers. What's not to love?? read more

I love Azuma when I have had a long week and I want sushi, but I don't want to deal with the hustle and bustle of going to Belltown with having to find parking and dealing with crowds. It's only a few blocks away from where I live and the staff is always friendly. Sitting at the sushi bar is always the best seat in the house and the sushi chef is always funny and is always willing to give you suggestions when you don't know what to eat. The rolls are alright, nothing mind blowing. Its just a place that is simple and good. read more

Nice little sushi spot in West Seattle! Night my date and I came in on was pretty sparse - so getting good service wasn't ever an issue. In fact, I found the both the waitress and chef to be really hilarious and personal. Pretty expansive menu; had the delish salty edamame to start. Our Dragon Roll pretty darn tasty - some kind of prawn that is deep fried to crispy goodness. Same goes for the Salmon skin roll I got as well. Your pretty much guaranteed to have alot of tasty options here. I hear this place can get crowded - and I believe it! I would recommend hitting this spot on a Sunday or mid-weeknight when things aren't so chaotic. read more

Went to Azuma for the 1st time last night with a group of 7, 2 were my kids and very picky eaters. The service was great, very quick, happy to accommodate the kid requests, friendly etc. They happily gave the kids silverware, even though some Japanese restaurants don't do that without a bit of a glare. waters were constantly filled, plates cleared off quickly etc. the food came very quickly, especially considering the size of our order. and it was GOOD! the sushi was very fresh and tender, and the pieces were generous. the rolls were delicious and not mostly veggie 'filler' - they were stuffed with fish and quite delicious. huge menu, including several kid items for a great price. my oldest, who is the pickiest of my kids, said that the Kids Chicken Katsu dinner "tasted like it fell from heaven". and my other child tried Udon for the first time and asked for THIRDS. that's literally a first for my family. net net is that the food is fresh, tasty, quick, affordable. i'd go back in a heartbeat read more

It's OK. Sushi's OK, but the space is cold and the ambiance non-existent. Compared to the we're-too-hip Mashiko? It's a wash. read more

We ate there tonight, my wife, daughter, and me. Some sushi, chirashi sashimi, and a vegetarian bento box. The food was good, the service slow at best. Waiting a half hour for a table was tedious but unavoidable, the waiting area was small and others were waiting as well. Someone from the table next to our had to walk to the back to flag down a waitress so they could order. Two waitresses were simply not enough to service the tables. The table in the corner was cold - I wore my jacket and gloves most of the time. When our food finally came, the bento box came 15 minutes before the sushi and sashimi. For some inexplicable reason my daughter would not start her bento until we were served, leading to lukewarm tempura. We had to remind the waitress a couple of times to get tea. It may be fine when less busy, and better when sitting closer to the kitchen, and the sushi did taste very fresh. read more

So happy Azuma is open again for takeout because I missed their food. I've been coming here for years and love their food and selection. I really like their tempura, salads, udon, fried rice, and curry rice. My dad likes their sushi. I've been coming here for takeout lately and am impressed with their cleanliness - there's two separated pickup areas and pens are sanitized between uses. Great Japanese food! read more

Expensive for what you get, but that could have been forgiven if we had received any utensils, napkins, or soy sauce packets in our orders, which included rice dishes, tempura, and sushi and sushimi. You shouldn't have to ask for this stuff. We had to sit in the car with the food getting colder and colder until we got home so we could eat it. By then the tempura was just a pasty gummy mess. Disappointing, especially for the price. read more

I went here on a Monday evening around 7pm. My partner and I were greeted right away, sat and ordered. We shared the Maki, Tropicana, and Tempura Maki roll. The rolls were between $5-$6, which was a nice price because they were very tasty, larger, portioned, and fresh. My partner ordered Agedashi Tofu at the end. It was not as crispy as we expected, and was kind of soggy. Overall, excellent dining experience! For the price, atmosphere, and service, we will definitely be returning. read more

I am really surprised by all the negative reviews on here. Where's all the love for Azuma?? This is yet another familiar haunt of mine I always make a point of returning to when back in Seattle, and my parents are still regulars. The fish is consistently fresh and well prepared, and though the waitstaff is not lovey-dovey (with the exception of Harry, the sushi chef, who is always a pleasure to chat with) I've never had a problem with the service being rude or lacking. The restaurant itself is probably not going to charm the pants off of you, but it's a clean and safe environment to enjoy some delicious Japanese food. Yeah, Mashiko's just down the street, but they're a splurge I save for special occasions. Azuma's got me covered for my everyday sushi needs. read more

I just walked out of this place and now I'm having lunch next door. The service at this place is so rude and the bitch waitress is to blame. I came in, was seated quickly. When she gave me my water, I noticed that there was a small bug in it. I didn't go off or act crazy, just simply asked her if she could get me another water because there was a bug in mines. She didn't like that but took my water away. I had also asked her for a slice of lemon before I saw the bug and she said, "will bring lata". WTF??? I wanted so I could put it in my water. I shouldn't have to wait till later for that. Anyways, she brings back my water and also the lemon I asked for. The lemon was disgusting and old. I decided to pass. What really made me walk out was not the lemons but the fact that this woman was selective with her bitchiness. The two women who were seated next to me received wonderful service from the same waitress. But she was very nasty to me. I refuse to pay for that so I left. Have fun wasting the food I already ordered biotch. read more

Casual dining and kid friendly. Cozy and quaint. You'll receive a warm welcome from the staff as you enter. The sushi here is simple and decent. The beef teriyaki is really good. It comes on a sizzling hot plate, but it does side on the more expensive side. If I recall $11 or $12? This place would be my plan B. read more

This is based off of my one visit while on vacation. My husband and I ate here on a Saturday night without reservations, when so many other restaurants up and down the street were turning us away because we didn't have one. We were seated immediately. We started with a house salad each - they are HUGE portions! Neither of us were able to finish them. My husband ordered two specialty rolls - both of which were delicious. I had the spider roll and the sushi sampler - all of which were delicious. The staff was friendly and attentive, without being overly so. And the price was on par for what I would have expected. Overall, we both left very satisfied. We absolutely would stop in again. read more

This is a nice little sushi place out in West Seattle, it's smallish, cozy, and has a menu of Japanese food that isn't just sushi. The sushi here is simple... in a good way; all the classic rolls you'll find everywhere else, along with some interesting a la carte items, such as ama ebi. The first time I went, I fell in love with it, but subsequent visits suggested that it was trying ama ebi for the first time, more so than the venue itself. Still, it's a nice enough sushi place that I'll stop by if I'm in the area. Not much more than that any more, I'm afraid. *TIP: There's plenty of parking in the back, which is very nice, since the street is usually crowded. read more

Amazing, underrated establishment. I ordered the vegetarian roll for only $6 as we as a $3.50 pair of tamago sushi. My friends had delicious rolls that were non-vegetarian as well. Way, way better than Mashiko just down the street...I regretted not coming here first. They really know what they're doing and their prices are so reasonable. Probably my favorite thing about this place is the vibe and ambiance, which is so chill. It is also mirrored by their staff and chill customers. read more

Best sushi spot in west seattle. Super fresh sushi and the owners are great people. Really good selection of saké too. I'm a regular here.

This place had good sushi -- not the best I've ever had but definitely better than average. Their rolls tended to be on the large end, and it was sometimes difficult to eat a piece in one bite. I particularly enjoyed the salmon skin roll. The ambiance was nice enough, but when we went, it was busy, and it did feel a little cramped. The wait staff were courteous. They started out pretty prompt, but the service dropped off toward the end of our meal, and we had to wait awhile to get the check. I'd go here again if I were in the area, but I wouldn't go out of my way for it. read more

We have been in search of a new go-to super casual sushi joint in our neighborhood. Decided to give Azuma a try on Tuesday night. The atmosphere is clean and extremely casual. I would not recommend for a date or special occasion. For this reason, I think they do a lot of take-out business. The service was slow and awkward. There were two servers and maybe 8 tables of two. I think the servers were tag-teaming taking care of the tables because one came over to take our order right after we had placed it with the other. After we placed our order for a couple of small plates and a roll "to start", the food was dropped off and no one came to check on us after that. We would have ordered a couple more rolls, but never got a chance. While we were waiting to order our second round, we watched tables close out, tables cleaned off, new tables walk in, then saw them order and receive their first course. At that point, we decided to give up and go grab a bite next door at West 5. The food we did order was OK. We got Gyoza and a tempura fried California roll off the starters menu and tried a salmon mango roll off the sushi menu. The Gupta was good. Tempura California roll was good, but maybe lacking a spicy sauce or something. The salmon mango was sadly disappointing. The mango was flavorless so it tasted like salmon and cream cheese. I would have liked to try a couple more rolls because it's very possible we just ordered poorly. The fish seemed good quality. In summary, if you are thinking about trying them out, I'd recommend getting take-out, as the service is what really brought down my review of Azuma. read more

Enjoyed a nice lunch with multiple appetizers. Loved the tempura and chicken satay... Miso soup was also quite good. Can't believe I've been in West Seattle all these years and this was my first experience. Can't wait to go back. read more

Azuma Sushi - Spicy Tofu - Sushi Bars Near Me - Seattle, Washington

we went there just because Mashiko couldn't take us in without a reservation that day. I got bad feelings when I saw the outside sign of this restaurant, which reminds me of "Karate Kid", a Chinese looking screen inside, and almost too much of traditional Japanese music on BGM. I was thinking, "This can not be a Japanese owned restaurant...This looks waaaay too "oriental". It reminds me of the feelings when I saw "Memoir of a Geisha", "Ziyi Zhang is NOT Japanese...Japanese do NOT dance like that...what's up with the kimono???" And I was right...Sushi was not fresh...strange texture on sushi rice...Yakitori was alright, but you can't really go wrong with yakitori. Luke warm beer. Slow services. One of the servers did not seem to understand English much (My friend asked for Asahi and Kirin, but she brought us Sapporo and Kirin). We had to ask everything from ordering drinks or food, or requesting extra plates or a glass for a friend who joined us later. This place might have been OK if they served only Teriyaki and called themselves 'Teriayki" restaurant...But their quality of foods, authenticity of Japanese food, "oriental" looking decors are too poor to call a Japanese restaurant. read more

When I eat sushi, I want to eat it in a very clean restaurant, and this place wasn't clean, yuck. This was apparent after adjusting the chair, and it was sticky from who knows what. I've been in old theater seating that was cleaner. It isn't just about the food, it's about the presentation and the cleanliness, and other things. But because we were there meeting friends, we took our lives in our hands and tried to eat the sushi. Look, when in Rome, die like a good Roman right? We normally do the roll thing, like most. We ordered about 5 rolls. Half of our rolls were some type of fried concoction. The Dynamite roll was kind of tasty, but the Spicy Tune was not so good. The rest were over cooked and not rolled up or presented properly. Yes it's cheap, but you do get what you pay for. On an up note, it didn't make me sick the next day, which I was expecting to die honestly...Winner. :) read more

Had lunch with my son & was brought out two soups one with a spoon one without? Huh? Told her I needed another & it took FOREVER! Then lunch came, told her my son will need a fork (he's still learning with chopsticks) it never came, so I sent him up to ask her for one since by now his food was getting cold. She never apologized for forgetting in the first place. Then of course had to go up and ask for a to go box & the check. Terrible service. If you like waiting & waiting for things then this is the place for you! Very frustrating :( I will not recommend or return. read more

Excellent every time! I highly recommend sitting at the bar if available. Service can be slow in the general deating if it's busy but it's well worth the wait. read more

Azuma Sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Good sushi for a decent price in west Seattle. Probably the best bang for your buck that I've seen. Sushi was all good and they accidentally gave me a free roll which was awesome. She forgot about my water but it was pretty busy so I can't really complain. And she was super cool about giving the extra roll for free that showed up. read more

Azuma Sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Good place, kid-friendly, service is unbelievably fast. This is a regular stand-by for us on nights when we just don't want to cook. I think we've been here about three dozen times in the last year. The food is good, reasonably priced, and like I said, the service is lightning fast. read more

My folks and I go all the time. The food never disappoints, and the people there are great and personable. I'm a big fan of the spider roll. read more

In Seattle, all Miyagi know two things: fish and karate. Hmm... I think this place is/was a 3.5, but erring on the side of caution, I'm rounding down to 3. The seafood was fresh and the Nabeyaki Udon was good (that's my thresshold for good japanese place). The problem was the lunch menu. My rule of thumb is, if you open for lunch, support lunch pricing. $11 for lunchtime teriyaki is just too much. Oh--and the peanut gallery said that the bathrooms were a little shanty town, given the prices. At the same time, this didn't seem like much of a happening place for dinner either. I bet nicer chairs and tables would do the trick though. Something just was a little bit off. Would I go back you ask? Well, if it's for lunch, I'd prolly find something a lil cheaper. If it's for dindin, I'd prolly find something a lil cozier. So... mebbe not. read more

Positively "A-OK." It's more of a "traditional, imitation crab" experience versus the "trendy, sustainable" experience down the street. And the prices and ambience reflect that. Chicken yakisoba was fine. Chicken was a bit dry but not greasy. Unagi roll was a big hit, and we would order the gyoza and salmon roll again. I'm sure I'll be hitting up Azuma again when I'm hungry and can't afford a more expensive alternative. A good middle-of-the-road option. read more