Gari is the best! The food and the servers are amazing! My kids absolutely love going here. They love the spam musubi. Lisa is the best!

This place seriously needs to fix their staffing issue. They can't handle a rush and waste the customers time

Great local sushi spot in Needham and the friendly staff are always helpful and welcoming.

I was there today with two other women. Mine was ok and one friend's was ok, but the third friend said her sushi tasted too fishy. The waiter didn't seem to care. She only ate one piece and he didn't offer her something else, nor did he take it off the bill. It would have been a nice gesture. read more

Unfortunately didn't get a chance to eat in person, but we got it delivered and all of it was fantastic. I definitely would want to try more of the sushi as they really took it home, but the katsu is great also. My mother liked her ramen. I had (not in one sitting): Pork Katsu (great) Lobster wonton (good) Lady in red maki (must try) Paradise Maki (great!) read more

Gari - Lady In Red Maki Paradise Maki - Sushi Bars Near Me - Needham, Massachusetts

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Gari continues to be a great local option. Since my original review, we've eaten in the restaurant many times. The service is always excellent. The sushi is consistently fresh and delicious, with many options to choose from. There's a small bar in front of the, in addition to a sushi bar. You can eat in both areas. Happy Gari survived Covid. Also a solid option. read more

I try to support local businesses but cannot reorder from this restaurant. Quality has diminished over the years. This is not authentic Japanese. With my latest delivery order, the food was delivered 30 minutes late so all hot items arrived cold. Fish quality (toro) was poor. The soy sauce was watered down. read more

I ordered some rolls for my son while waiting for his appointment to finish. The woman whom I spoke with when picking up the order was lovely. It's a well located restaurant in downtown Needham. My son loved his rolls! We will definitely go for dine in service in future. read more

Great food! I Recommend the spicy tuna, Hawaiian box, and yellow tail. Also great service . read more

Gari is very reliable for good sushi. The online ordering is pretty efficient and is usually ready right away. The menu is vast and there are great appetizers and entrees. Every once and a while the sushi won't be as great but usually it's pretty consistent. It's not an upscale sushi restaurant but it does the trick. Would definitely recommend for a takeout option. Great local business! read more

Gari - Rising Sun Maki, soft shell crab maki, Idaho maki - Sushi Bars Near Me - Needham, Massachusetts

it was okay, service was good, atmosphere was chill. I enjoyed the food... but i didn't feel great after it, overall not bad, but my stomach is regretting it. read more

Gari - Sushi Bars Near Me - Needham, Massachusetts

This is a pretty solid spot to grab a bite of sushi. We ordered online and pick-up was easy since they have a small little takeout window to pass along your food. We ordered 4 different maki rolls including oyster katsu, idaho (sweet potato), eel avo, and mango shrimp. It was the first time I have had oyster in sushi form and it definitely was interesting taste and came with fish roe on top. The mango shrimp was refreshing since the mango was sweet and paired well with the shrimp. On Sundays they do maki madness where you can choose from a variety of 20 different maki rolls for each just $5.75, but you'll need to pay with cash to get the discount. The idaho and eel avo was pretty standard, so overall a good place to get your sushi fix! read more

Gari - Mango shrimp maki Oyster katsu maki Idaho maki Eel avo maki - Sushi Bars Near Me - Needham, Massachusetts

Pre-Covid we would often stop by for a late meal after work and service and food were good then. Stopped by recently and it was empty, tables were looking old and in need of replacement, we were the only people there. Service was not at all good, disinterested and the same applied to the food. So disappointing. read more

Came here tonight with my husband and daughter. It was around 7pm and we had the restaurant to ourselves. Nice, clean place with a warm ambiance. Service was friendly and fast. The food was very reasonably priced and very tasty. Love all the vegetarian options too. We just moved to Needham this week and we already have a new go-to place! So happy we stopped in! read more

Gari - Chef special vegetarian roll ( Mango topped roll) & Celtic's roll. Both delicious! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Needham, Massachusetts

Love this place! Sunday's are 5.25 maki rolls (any type) but you have to pay in cash for that. Otherwise, it's regular price and they accept credit/debit. They have fisherman's platter (fried seafood), sushi, udon noodles, lots of good food! The price is pretty good and the sushi was great! Wasn't busy at all and the waitress was so nice! read more

Gari - Mango salmon roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Needham, Massachusetts

Overall, a positive first experience. Service was excellent. We got a friendly greeting as soon as we walked in and were seated immediately. Even though we were a party of two, they gave us a table for four, and I always appreciate the extra space and distance from other patrons. Our waitress was very attentive and the food was served quickly. Granted it was a Wednesday night and they weren't very busy. The ambiance is modern and nice enough. The restaurant has a variety of tables and half-booth type seating as well as a bar. They have a full bar but limited beer selection. Just the usual Japanese brands, such as Sapporo, plus Sam Adams. The food was good but not amazing. The pork gyoza and chicken wings were very tasty as appetizers. The tempura udon has great tempura but the udon was just so-so. We ordered a sushi/sashimi combo plate and some of the fish, such as the salmon, was very fresh and delicious. Some of the other fish tasted a little dry and like it had been frozen for a while. I find this is pretty typical of suburban sushi restaurants, which don't sell enough of the less popular varieties to keep it super fresh. I will be back for sure, especially given the good service. I think the trick is to find the right dishes here. I will start with the gyoza and try some of their maki next time. read more

Gari - Sushi and sashimi plate (about $25) - Sushi Bars Near Me - Needham, Massachusetts

Sushi is so fresh! Flavor combo is great. On our first visit, they welcomed me and my daughter like we were family. Prices are good RFP for high quality seafood. We come in a few times a month. read more

Good food, good variety. I like their udon noodles and tuna tartare. I am impressed by how vigilant they have been keeping their customers and staff safe during covid. They are not allowing customers inside and instead installed a window that they are passing takeout bags through. A great choice if you are high risk. read more

We get delivery from them a couple times a month. For suburban Boston, we think the sushi is outstanding. It comes to the door quickly (always seems faster than what is advertised). The sushi always come in at the right temperature, which is big for me. But I had to take down 1 star because their hot food really stinks. I've bought dumplings and fried rice before. The dumplings were cooked really well but the filling was awful. And the vegetable fried rice was AWFUL. I couldn't taste any garlic. Not we're there any onions or eggs. It legitimately tasted like it was rice tossed in soy sauce, broccoli, edamame (in fried rice?!) and asparagus. I had to salvage it the following morning with onions, garlic, eggs and ginger of my own. GET THE SUSHI. STAY AWAY FROM EVERYTHING ELSE. read more

Very disappointed dining in. The restaurant door was locked when we arrive, we had to knock the door for them to open it. We had reservation!! The rice on sushi was hard. Pork in ramen was so hard, my mother could not even chew them. I planned a nice birthday dinner for my daughter, such a disappointment!! read more

Good food, fast delivery, polite people. Ordering from them all the tiime. Good extensive menu. read more

Gari is always my go to on Sundays for take out dinner. Always very fresh and tasty. Staff is very friendly and ordering online is very easy. I love it. read more

Gari - Sushi Bars Near Me - Needham, Massachusetts

Ordered Chirasi with brown rice. Fish was fine but brown rice was an inedible gummy mess. I called to let manager know and she did not seem to be that concerned. I asked her to try the rice herself since her first reaction was to state that their brown rice has a different texture. I'm sure gum paste is not what they are going for. read more

The food there was great! It was a very quiet atmosphere and smelled very nice. The staff were also very nice and respectful. highly recommend. read more

Gari has some interesting Rolls and great lunch specials. I have only been here for lunch but every time it was good. The sushi is always fresh and the staff is always friendly and efficient. If you want a quick bite of Sushi in Needham I recommend Gari. read more

Gari - Dragon appetizer - Sushi Bars Near Me - Needham, Massachusetts

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I loved the Gari in Coolidge Corner from over a decade ago and now living near this one was excited to go back. I couldn't have been more disappointed. It was such a sad dinner night. The sushi was flavorless and the Katsu was so dry and rubbery we had to throw it away. All 4 of us who ordered takeout that night did not enjoy. Unfortunately too far from decent to try again. read more

I was shocked to see the 3.5 star rating when looking at gari on Yelp. This is hands down the best sushi place in the needham/Newton/Dedham area. I have not once been disappointed by the food. read more

So, three years later I'm writing a much-needed update to my original review. I say "much-needed", because indeed my opinion of Gari has changed completely. Indeed, the main sticking point about my original review - the delivery and customer service, has been overhauled. After eating there in 2013 at the request of a few friends, the food was actually pretty good. So, I started ordering again, this time through Grubhub (in order to have insurance for my payment, in the event a repeat scenario happened). Thankfully, my food arrived on-time (earlier than I expected, even, but my expectations weren't exactly too high either). For delivery sushi, it was surprisingly fresh, and the portions well-sized. This review update won't cover any specific dish or drink, because since that one better experience, I've ordered from Gari innumerable times - from their hot food to their cold food. While slightly pricier than other options in the area that I could order from, it was well-worth it. I've also since got to meet, work with (on town project), and know the owner of the restaurant, and on occasion she writes a note on my order sheet sending me her greetings, and personally greeting me when she sees me in the restaurant. Overall, I think Gari has gotten a lot better since my last experience, and I can comfortably say that it's one of the staples for sushi in the area, along with Oga's on Route 9. The interior decor is dim but not dark, in the typical modern Japanese look you would expect, with a rather impressive bar and cocktail selection. I've only tried a handful of their cocktails, but the few I had were amazing and refreshing. I strongly recommend anyone who loves good, fresh sushi to come here. I will have to advise against ordering their rolls, but if you're actually here to eat proper sushi and sashimi, why are you ordering rolls? read more

Gari - I can't remember if this was the sushi platter for 2 or the boat. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Needham, Massachusetts

Good sushi, but the ordering/pick-up experience left much to be desired. I appreciated their hustle, but the science-defying COVID paranoia contributed to a 15-20 minute after "estimated" (said Ready on the app!) wait on the sidewalk. read more

Rating: 4.5 Honestly this is some of the best sushi I've ever had. The sushi is cheap so you can buy plenty without worrying about the paycheck. It's a great restaurant for sushi, but I wouldn't come here for only other Japanese foods. Foods like noodles and rice aren't what you'd expect and they are very pricey. read more

Gari - Very different take on making Japanese rice. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Needham, Massachusetts

Come here for Sunday Maki Maddness!! With a minimum of $15/person and paying in cash, a large selection of maki rolls are only $4.75 on Sundays. This includes rolls that may go up to $7 normally at the restaurant. The quality of fish and maki rolls is standard and great value for the Sunday price. I also ordered the kimchi vegetable fried rice and it's essentially Chinese American fried rice (soy sauce and random veggies) with kimchi added in. Nothing spectacular, but it was decent as well. read more

We used to love Gari...but during the CV-19 'take-out-only' period, the poor food quality and skimpy portions have left us disappointed. We'll come back and try Gari again post CV-19. read more

One of these days, I'm going to go on a crusade against overpriced sub-par Japanese restaurants. It's really getting out of hand. First things first: Gari is your standard overpriced Japanese nonsense. Add a twist of thoroughly ridiculous rolls and somehow underwhelming sashimi, garnish with bland ramen, and you've got yourself another money-making Japanese restaurant. The slightly grimy plates and the bitter tea does it no favors. Truth be told, Gari is the first Japanese restaurant at which I've been disappointed in the tea. Surely you can do better? At least the Kimchi fried rice portion was generous. (Kimchi fried rice? In a Japanese restaurant?! Perish the thought.) read more

SHOCKINGLY BAD. AVOID. Extremely rude manager working on Friday nights. Received wrong order and waited 25 minutes without any updates or apologies. When I finally received the order, I was informed they would not be able to accommodate my request next time for no sesame seeds or soy sauce (I have a life threatening allergy), and they acted if it was my fault for having allergies. If there are any customers out there with allergies or special requests, please do your self a favor and find some other location that will respect you much better. There are way better options in the area as well. read more

This is our regular place for sushi. The staff is nice and sushi is fresh. They have cucumber rolls without rice which I love because I can't eat rice but still want the interesting combinations that come in rolls. Definitely try something with the mango sauce. read more

Gari is great! Sushi is top quality. Really fresh and creative. The manager is extremely accommodating. We chose a Saki we didn't love and he gave us a different bottle, no questions asked. Also, my daughter did not want fish so he went to the kitchen and had the chef make her a cucumber roll. Really great service. The restaurant is clean and the wait staff is excellent too. Have been there 3x thus far and will be going back a lot! read more

I've eaten here a number of times, and have never been too impressed with this place. Sushi is all about simplicity and presentation. This place doesn't do either. Instead, they go for the typical "innovative" sushi variety that is actually quite banal: "let's throw some mayo and mango and avocado together with either salmon or tuna. Then we'll add one scallop option for good measure." Call me when you are relevant. Come here on Sundays for good deals. It's usually completely empty here. read more

I've driven by here a hundred times and finally had the opportunity to stop in for lunch. Now bear in mind I have been to Japan quite a few times and eaten authentic Japanese sushi. I've also dined on good sushi in many places within the US. In other words, my standards are going to be a bit on the high side. In this regard, Gari is ... meh. It's a nicely decorated, albeit not authentic, clean suburban eatery with street parking. Service was prompt and attentive, but not well thought out (the place was empty yet they nevertheless sat us in a corner ... huh?) As for the sushi ... it was ok, although the presentation lacked. We ordered the mixed sushi/sashimi for two. When it arrived the fish, although not room temperature, certainly was not cold. As for the sushi presentation I have to scratch my head. It was certainly plentiful and a bountiful display, but on each 1" piece of rice they laid a 6" strip of fish. I've never seen anything like that before. I had to ask for a knife and fork to cut the fish down to size. I also tried the seaweed salad which was unreservedly delicious. Maybe it was the sushi chef's day off? read more

This is the local place to grab sushi. I've only gotten take out from here on Sunday for "Maki Madness". At a price of only $4.75 it's worth it! It is a great opportunity to try out rolls you wouldn't normally buy. I would definitely recommend you take a taste. read more

Best sushi in Needham hands down. And easily top 3 for the whole city of Boston. Having talked to the owner and his wife and knowing how much time and effort goes into each meal and how careful they are selecting each fish I just appreciate the meals that much more. The quality is so obvious just from the look of the fish. And the presentation is beautiful and the atmosphere of the small restaurant is very relaxed yet has a sophisticated feel. I cannot say enough good things about this place. check it out for yourself and I promise it will be your new sushi spot! read more

Gari - Sushi Bars Near Me - Needham, Massachusetts

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