The food was pretty good, though a bit overpriced for what it is. The service here is pretty good and the ambiance is alright, but again nothing special. It's good for a crowd pleaser but I wouldn't personally choose to come here over other options in Gainesville. read more

Bento Asian Kitchen + Sushi - Sweet and sour tofu rice bowl - Sushi Bars Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

We ordered from here for takeout around Christmas, and the food was ready shortly after we arrived for pickup. Overall the prices and portion sizes were a good value, and we all enjoyed our dishes. It's not life changing, but it's solid and would order from here again! read more

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Pricey for the quality--small plate of krab wontons, two chicken bowls, and two drinks were $45 before tip. Staff was nice but the place was empty and not super clean. Sad to say the food was mid. read more

Bento Asian Kitchen + Sushi - Krab wontons - Sushi Bars Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

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This was an AMAZING poke bowl. Best i've ever had! Build your own poke bowl. With salad and rice and cream cheese and krab delight and krab stick and mushrooms and cucumbers and grape tomatoes. and sweet chili sauce and yum yum sauce. AMAZING!! read more

Bento Asian Kitchen + Sushi - a bowl of food - Sushi Bars Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

Came here and just wanted some to-go sushi. Ended up going with the special mexican roll. Nothing really notable or special about the sushi, it was on par with any other i've had but was pretty expensive for a fast casual restaurant. I would expect to pay these prices at an actual sushi restaurant, with a roll being $13 before tip. Roll itself was decent. More rice than normal but the tempura was cooked well and the sauce was good. I'd recommend not getting sushi from Bento and sticking to bowls. read more

Bento Asian Kitchen + Sushi - Special Mexican Roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

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Bento is one of my go-to's in gainesville. The food is quick, flavorful, and there are many options. I usually order one of the stir fry noodle meals, with a side salad and egg roll which are both decent quality. The general tso's is good, as is the Mongolian. The Kung Pao is a bit heavy on the spicy mayo for my taste but I have friends who enjoy it. The bao buns are delicious if a bit light on the protein; I'd recommend them if you want something small but flavorful. read more

Nice selection of rolls, with the "classic" rolls still fancier than other places. They are a couple of dollars more than other places, but the sushi is really good. I got rolls to go. Ordering online was easy, but we still had to wait a few minutes after we showed up for the scheduled pickup. The site has pictures of all the rolls in case you are unsure what you're getting. I got the Mt. Fuji roll (krab, shrimp tempura, krab delite, scallion, eel sauce) $9. It's a roll with toppings included. My friend got the red dragon (tuna, shrimp tempura, krab, avocado, cream cheese, masago, spicy mayo) $11.50. So the signature rolls aren't much more than the classic and that have some interesting combos to try something new. There's a lot of parking, ordering is easy, and the rolls were tasty. They also have bento boxes (hence the name), bowls, and boba tea. A great variety if you want to come with someone who isn't into sushi. read more

Bento Asian Kitchen + Sushi - Mt Fuji and Red Dragon rolls - Sushi Bars Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

Great food on a weeknight that came out fast and tasty! I enjoyed a quiet break inside with some wonderful pop music in the background. read more

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Absolutely no effort to keep food sanitary- manager Elena was not even concerned putting out food that's not even properly sealed, very low quality service, food and complete disregard for cleanliness. I would never eat here again. read more

Bento is an A-OK restaurant to go to in Gainesville. No, it's not going to blow you away because of exquisite food or decor. You go because it has become a Gainesville classic, a go to hangout place if you will. If you spend any amount of time in Gainesville as a student attending UF (Go Gators!), chances are you will find yourself coming here at least once. If you happen to attend any of the on campus Asian organizations, chances are you probably lost track of the amount of time you've been here and spent here lol. As for the food, it's solid. It satisfies you when you crave it and it fills you up. Like this time as I was passing through Gainesville, I got the shrimp tempura udon soup. It was a good portion size, not too expensive, and the shrimp was fried well. Nice and crispy on the outside while not having too much batter on it. While it won't compare to the food at say Sushi Matsuri, Bento will always hold a special place in my heart. Dropping by here and getting food will always make me feel like I'm back home in the Swamp read more

Bento Asian Kitchen + Sushi - A Bento classic, Spicy Cream Shrimp Rice Bowl :) - Sushi Bars Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

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The restaurant was very friendly and cozy, and the food was deliciously served in generous portions. Despite arriving late, the staff were very friendly. read more

Bento Asian Kitchen + Sushi - Sour + sweet chicken; green tea w/ bobba; slush strawberry - Sushi Bars Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

First off the staff here is very friendly and provided excellent service. My review is primarily about the food and the pricing here. There is a $4.00 upcharge for fried rice. That seems very high upcharge for a dish that is already on the pricier side. I tried the poke bowl with the teriyaki chicken. The chicken was pretty chewy, and the flavors simply were not there for me. I ended up taking some of my husband's pineapple chicken since I didn't like what I ordered. The pineapple chicken tasted really good, but the overall price just seems high. The poke bowl seemed more reasonably priced, but sadly the chicken was not the star of the dish. The fountain machine was broken here, but thankfully the staff was friendly and brought our drinks to us. Overall it was an alright lunch experience. read more

Bento Asian Kitchen + Sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

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Bento is one of my favorite lunch spots! My favorite dish is the udon Katsu soup bowl. The soup was piping hot, and the chicken was super crispy. The portions were just right too. I also recommend the teriyaki chicken bowl! On tuesdays, the teriyaki chicken bowl has a discount! read more

Bento Asian Kitchen + Sushi - Paopao chicken - Sushi Bars Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

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Ordered the TNT roll, which I normally LOVE however, this time they put some sort of smoked seasoning on it. For anyone with food allergies, this is absolutely not okay. Incredibly disappointing, and dangerous. read more

I LOVE BENTO! Like theeee best place for me when eating a poke bowl! I was super happy to enjoy my bowl as it's been before covid since I last had it. Omg my bowl hit the spot and some! It made me super happy that the bowl was everything and more than I imagined! I've had their sushi rolls and other stuff but I always come here just for the poke bowls! It always feels like it was made with LOVE! Very satisfying for sure! I think this time I ate a little more than my eyes could handle but it's definitely worth it! read more

Bento Asian Kitchen + Sushi - Build a poke bowl Lettuce/rice Tuna/salmon Edamame Wakame Pineapple Jalapeño Avocado Scallions/fried onions - Sushi Bars Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

Worst service in Gainesville. It's incredible how bad the service has gotten over the years. We used to love going to Bento but this was the last straw. The food is actually pretty good but when you have to wait over 45 minutes for your food it's not worth it!!! read more

There are several Bento's in the GNV area, but this one and the Newberry road location are consistently good. I pick up the phone, press 1, place my order, and know exactly what I'm going to get. There's a comfort in that, especially if you eat not only because you need to. On a typical day, I find myself lovingly looking at their Chicken Veggie Stir fry bowl, placed comfortably over a plush mountain of white rice. Sitting next to me is my other half, devouring Shrimp Veggie Stir Fry. (he took my advice), but his has a side of Teriyaki, which tastes amazing in a warm reunion with the stir fry sauce. I'm not sure why, but Shrimp is unavailable as a protein to be combined with Teriyaki sauce, so I just ask for it on the side and hack the system. You get bang for your buck here, there's no doubt about that. It's usually fast, and hits the spot. If I find myself getting a Bento craving, I hold off until around 2:30-4:00pm, this is when they are least busy. They'll tell you it's 15-20 minutes, but it's usually done in 5 minutes. Arrive early if you can, as my orders have gotten cold quickly up on the take-out shelf. The interior is lacking a bit, leaves something to be desired and not really inviting. It's simple, you can watch the Sushi Chefs do their thing, or enjoy a spot outside in the sun/daily down pour. Depending on your luck. read more

Bento Asian Kitchen + Sushi - Veggie Stir Fry with white rice and chicken - Sushi Bars Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

Cesar, fast delivery. Bento Kitchen great meal. Sushi and Dan Dan bowl were delicious. Please include chopsticks or forks for eating. Thank you. read more

Stopped in for a late dinner based on a recommendation. We ordered a roll of sushi, which was nice and fresh and two rice bowls - both of which were really good. As we watched food come out, everything looked good and the portions looked large. I'll definitely go back - maybe to this location the next time I'm in town, or to one of their other locations closer to home. read more

I came to this restaurant early on a Sunday (about 15 minutes after they opened). I ordered sushi and was not forewarned that this was going to take significantly longer than my friends' food (they ordered some manner of chicken/noodle bowls). My friends' food arrived about 10 minutes after we ordered. Mine didn't arrive until a full 50 minutes after I ordered. My friends were completely finished eating before my food even arrived. I was really upset and had a hard time enjoying the food (which had a good taste). When expressing my concerns to the staff, they explained that they only had one chef that knew how to make sushi and they had a "bunch of sushi orders". Had they communicated this with me, I wouldn't have been as upset because I could have ordered something else. They did offer to give me a complementary replacement the next time I go, which made it feel like they were trying to make it up to me. I just wish they would be a little more transparent and communicative about how long the food might take so I could have made an informed decision. TL;DR: took 50 minutes for them to make my sushi but they comped my next meal there for next time after I complained. Good was good and restaurant was clean. read more

Bento has highly disappointed me. The store opens at 11:30, I got there at 11:35. I was third in line and a huge rush of people came in behind me. I ordered a poke bowl (which I'm happy they added a mini version cause the regular is a decent size if you get it with rice). And I also ordered the lovers boba tea (and they ran out of boba too on a Monday morning). The lady who took my ordered was visibly stressed and answered the store phone in the middle of me trying to get my order in. I should note that I am aware bento does take their time to have their food out. Within 5 minutes I got my boba tea and it was refreshing! But 30 minutes went by and I noticed the people behind me in line already got their food. I went up and asked how long my food was going to take because at that point I was already on a time crunch. I did not have a complicated order, it was a mini and regular poke bowl. They asked me if I had it to go and I confirmed I did. And the staff told me well we take priority in dine in first and then take out. According to the staff, it was their policy. They asked if I wanted a refund and I said no, I came here for a service and it hasn't been provided. I've waited for over half an hour, I've waited for so long, I just wanted my food. A refund would not have fixed the time I already spent there. The policy makes no sense because what difference would it have made if I made it for dine in and then asked for to go boxes? On top of that, I had to ask for the sauces I ordered because they didn't put the right sauce I asked for in the bag. The food itself was adequate, the wonton chips I ordered were soggy. The soda machine had no carbonation so it was unavailable. I know things can go wrong at restaurants but you should avoid the customer trying to see that and provide the service they have paid for. Bento has highly disappointed me. read more

Awhile back I had couple friends in Gainesville going to school at UF. A long time ago maybe 10 years ago this place was the place to go for lunch. Coming to Gainesville again reminded me of the old times and I stop by while driving back to Atlanta. This place use to be mad packed and waiting took forever. When I arrived, the place looks the same and was still poplar by the looks of it. I order same thing I order from back in the days Spicy pork and my friend order Tempura Udon, we also added Volcano roll. Our food came out pretty fast but our Volcano roll took awhile. For some reason my spicy pork was a little sour which didn't seem right. Ate about 2-3 bites then just couldn't eat it. The udon however was the bomb. My friend love the udon and it was great. Our volcano roll came out after we were done with our main. Volcano was decent but wasn't like how it use to be or it could be back in the days we were young and we could have ate anything at that time. But coming back here brings a lot of memories and as great. If your in town for some decent food or a warm Udon this is the place. They also sell Bubble tea. read more

Bento Asian Kitchen + Sushi - Spicy pork! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

Four years, Bento, four years without you. Had food here while in town with a friend of mine. The place is even more busy than I remember! Parking now has quite become atrocious compared to back in the day, hence why I am taking off one star. Other than that, the food is still a good bang for your buck. I treated my friend for his birthday and with his garbage disposal ways and my food intake, I still didn't make it to $30. We ordered miso soup, chicken stirfry, some nigiri, and a Mongolian beef bowl (or at least I think that's what it was). Everything was delicious, and well, my friend stuffed himself and I had food leftovers. I found out now that they apparently have expanded to South Florida, so I'll be visiting to see if it's as good as this location. Until next time, Bento. We have finally met again, and well, given that you've franchised in my neck of the woods, it definitely won't be another four years without you. read more

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Benny Hannah is pissed off. Undercooked hard white rice. OK stop right there. Cooking white rice in a rice cooker should be the easiest thing ever. How does an Asian restaurant filled with non-Asian employees miss-fire on the rice? This is what happens when churn and burn fast casual gets a hold of Japanese cuisine. Spent $16. Actual value $5. Fix the rice! Chicken Bento 2/21/22 Dinner: read more

Bento is a consistent 4 stars for me. It's above average, not spectacular but not horrible. I ordered a poke bowl for delivery with 2 proteins, salmon and yellow tail. The bowl itself was good, nothing in the bowl was bad. I appreciated the add ons that were added in. My favorites are the wakame salad, edamame, and ginger. If I had to make one suggestion, I'd say there was not enough protein. I ordered two proteins thinking there would be a decent amount of salmon and yellow tail. Unfortunately, they skimped on the protein as there were only a few pieces of each. I feel as if the poke bowl from Poke Station gives much more protein compared to Bento. Both poke bowls are comparable quality wise. Because of this, I slightly prefer the Poke Station bowls over the Bento ones. The positive thing about Bento is that there is more variety in food options compared to Poke Station. Overall, I'd pick Poke Station if I wanted a poke bowl specifically, but Bento for the variety. read more

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The food tasted off... like the seafood was defrosted incorrectly. Not fresh. Flavor lacking. We used to really enjoy eating Bentos, but will never visit the Archer location again. This is our second time trying this location and being disappointed. Too expensive for sushi we did not want to eat. I mentioned something to one of the people working there. read more

This is very disappointing as I always loved Bento. However, I found black bits that looked like burnt pieces or possibly even dried grease from I cleaned stoves and oven. My whole food is inedible and possible dangerous to eat. Very disappointed! Edit: I spoke to a person named Dalia and she handled the reorder very well. Thanks to her the stars went up. Good customer service. read more

They had great vegan options! The tofu was crispy and the udon noodles were the perfect chewiness! The staff was very friendly.

First timer and last time, eating here. What you get for the money, it's not worth it. The food flavor was great but did amount was very disappointing. Look at the pictures for proof! read more

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Terrible sushi rolls. Very small and flavorless. They are very skimpy on the sauce and my rolls were very salty. I've had better sushi from grocery stores. read more

Bento Asian Kitchen + Sushi - Bagel roll. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

Having gone to school at UF, I know the good spots to eat while keeping the wallet happy. Bento Cafe has always been a staple for me, even now, when I go up to Gainesville for work purposes. There is plenty of seating and it's the type of restaurant where you order, pay for your order, and a runner brings you your food. The soda machine is self serve also. When you're done, you can leave your empty plates/bowls on the table and the runners will carry them for cleaning. Bento Cafe serves a mix of sushi, Asian dishes, and Asian fusion dishes. read more

Bento Asian Kitchen + Sushi - Two dons - Sushi Bars Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

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This review is not in regards to their sushi menu. Pros: I like their spicy miso ramen soup. It's on the menu for a limited time but I hope it becomes a permanent item. It's flavorful and filling. Their Szechuan beef soup had a very tasty broth but the noodles were overcooked the one time I ordered it. Hopefully that's not the norm. Cons: It takes way too long just to order your food sometimes. They almost always only have one cashier at the register. People tend to ask questions about what they are ordering and it's generally just a slow process. They really should have two cashiers to get things moving along. It's frustrating. read more

Bento Asian Kitchen + Sushi - Spicy miso ramen (limited time) is very yummy! Try it out before they take it off the menu. Hopefully it becomes a permanent item. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

Bento is supposed to be an easy and quick lunch/dinner stop, and somehow my orders are never ready when they're supposed to be, and something is always missing. This is now the 4th time that my boba tea has come with no boba even after paying for extra. Honestly just a waste of time and money ordering at the Archer road location. read more

I can't believe I've never left a review for Bento after all these years. I was enrolled at UF back when this Bento opened (referred to as "Bento Red") and I've eaten here countless times. Bento serves their food made-to-order, from hot foods, sushi, boba, and now poke bowls. The ordering area at Red is really cramped, considering how many customers they serve. When I went, they only had 1 register taking orders even though there were a lot of people in line. The other register is a dedicated line for call ahead pick-ups. *PRO-TIP: If you know what you want to order, call ahead!! You'll save a lot of time waiting!! Inside dining is mostly full-service: servers will bring your food to your table, and come around to ask if you need anything during your stay. When you're finished, you leave the dishes on the table and they will clean up. My go-to sushi order is the spicy tuna-salmon don. They pack a LOT of fresh fish on sushi rice and they're very generous with the spicy mayo (but you can customize your bowl the way you like). I tried the new rice-less rolls and had the Surf N Kawaii roll. It has krab, tempura shrimp, tuna, avocado, masago, and eel sauce. It is a great Lo-carb option but you still want sushi. read more

Bento Asian Kitchen + Sushi - Spicy tuna salmon don - Sushi Bars Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

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Chicken fried rice tender, edamame great. Veggie rolls were soggy inside. Bento box of chicken Katsu is daughter's go to favorite. Husband had tofu rice bowl. Didn't realize they offer sake, next visit will try. Good value for all the food you get. Eat in or order takeout. read more

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I ordered takeout from this restaurant last night & I was extremely disappointed. I ordered Szechuan chicken bowl & I checked the menu multiple times to make sure that the dish didn't have nuts since I am severely allergic to tree nuts. The online menu states "carrot, string beans, broccoli, scallion sweet + spicy garlic sauce" & I still had an allergic reaction. Either the kitchen isn't clean & cross contamination took place or they are not straightforward with their menu. I would not recommend eating here if you have severe allergies. read more

Bento Asian Kitchen + Sushi - Szechuan Rice Bowl - Sushi Bars Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

Overall, Bento has been a consistently good place to get a quick meal. It's one of those places that you can go to when no one can agree on where to eat. There's plenty of menu options, so almost everyone will find something they like on the menu. I tend to go with the Sriracha Garlic Tofu, and it never lets me down. The tofu is always really crunchy, which I love. While Bento does get really busy, I've never waited unreasonable amount of time for my food. This particular visit, was the only time I've been unhappy with how my food tasted. The broccoli and garlic tofu came out soft and squishy, unlike any of their tofu I've tried before. Additionally, the rice seemed over cooked and soggy. I just wasn't a fan of the flavor in general. I don't think this experience is representative of Bento as a whole, as this was the first time I've been disappointed, and I'm sure I'll be back again soon for another chance. read more

Bento Asian Kitchen + Sushi - Broccoli and Garlic Tofu with Brown Rice - Sushi Bars Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

I usually love Bento, I mean, who doesn't? But I won't be returning to this location unfortunately. I always order the same exact thing at Bento, the Spicy Cream Chicken Rice bowl. At one point, it came with these terribly insane huge sliced peppers and string beans. Then, just peppers for whatever reason and I was paying extra for string beans. Recently, I confirmed with both locations that the meal comes with string beans and haven't had an issue with the Newberry location yet. The peppers are WAY too huge for my liking, so I prefer string beans so I go out of my way to ask every time if the "current" recipe is peppers & string beans. I did the same this time, the cashier assured me that both were included and I said, "ya know what. May I have extra?" She says, "Sure, but it'll be a dollar extra." I said, "No problem! But they come with them already right? [she nods] Great! Then I'll have more than usual because I'm paying extra? Awesome." Joking but not joking at all. So my friend and I go sit outside and her bowl comes with no veggies (she didn't specify no veggies) and mine comes out with about 20 string beans. 20. Vs. that HUGE bowl, like, did that even look balanced back in the kitchen? The worst part is, I nicely asked the waiter if there was anything to be done because sheesh, I could walk to Wards and bring 3 pounds of string beans back for a buck and you all could only give me THIS? The waiter took it back to the kitchen and brought it right back to me saying, "yeah that's even more than the usual." Bleh. You all couldn't make a customer happy by simply adding a few more veggies to a majorly unbalanced bowl. I'll stay away from Bento for a while and when I come back, I'll stick with any other location than this one because customer service is not their strong point. read more

Bento is one of those places that you usually know what to expect every single time. I went on a Thursday night and was not surprised to see it was busy and the line was longer. Usually larger groups go together and pay individually since it is counter service and I wish they did a better job of encouraging them to move so the line moves. Bento is OK Chinese, Japanese fusion food. It's overpriced and they give you a decent amount. I got a Bento box with orange chicken and brown rice. It came with green beans, a side salad, and fried wonton wrapper with a sweet glaze. My friend and I also split a Volcano roll. Again this was OK but way over priced for food that I can get elsewhere cheaper. I usually come to Bento with others but it's not my preferred place to go solo if I want a quick and cheap meal. read more

Bento Asian Kitchen + Sushi - A standard Bento Box. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

This location has improved their service size and quality of food over the past few years This is now back to a go to joint for my friends and family Highly recommend read more