Great place! They have a very good wait staff and are reasonably priced. It is right near Drake University so college kids tend to be the crowd. Although that may seem like a turn-off it is quite the place to be when looking for some inexpensive "good-tasting" sushi! I will be going there again! Give them some support and try it out at least once! They just opened and I hope they stay open! Good place...price...and staff! Go ahead and try it! Wont be disappointed! read more

Haiku - Sushi Bars Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

Ok this place is seriously good!I had no idea it even existed until a few weeks ago. If you like Appare in Urbandale, which is some of the best sushi in this area (in my experience along with other friend sushi goers who have been around the sushi block once or twice lol), you will love Haiku. They have a very similar menu, minus the hibachi. Tonight was my first time here and it was a great experience. The only downside was that they ran out of tuna or their shipment didn't come in today : ( I just ordered the salmon instead though, not a big deal. I had the miso soup, phili roll, spicy salmon, and sweet potato roll. I'm not a very adventurous sushi/fish eater but these were great. I've had them before at Appare and they were equally good if not better here. My friends ordered some fancier rolls but can't recall the names. They looked beautiful. One was the new england roll but can't remember the others. Another one had a tempura shrimp tail coming out of the side of a piece of sushi. The service was great! The female waitresses were super nice and attentive. The even remembered my friends who were with me from previous times they came. That's a sign of a really good place. 1: because they like their customers. 2: because they don't have a lot of staff turnover. The atmosphere is really hip and modern. Darker lighting with bright blue lit glass panels everywhere. Striking but not overpowering. I felt like I was in some hip sushi bar in California and not in Des Moines, Iowa. That's what I want in a restaurant : P The other tables seemed to be having a ball getting sloshed and ordering sake bombs. The waitress made up a shot for our table called a wet kiss, tasted of watermelon. Sooooo good! Just great food with equally good service and atmosphere. I'll be going back for sure! Hopefully the tuna will have arrived by then : ) read more

Can you rate something below one star? The fish was not fresh, my order was not true to the menu description and the manager, Rachel, was combative and completely uneducated insofar as the menu. I sent both my food and my drink back and will absolutely not be attending again. Order mistakes are one thing; atrocious (not just poor, AWFUL) service is another. Bad fish, bad drinks, incredibly bad service. This restaurant is for masochists only. EDIT: Did I mention the manager lied about being the manager until another server called her out, presumably to avoid dealing with me, a paying customer and rather polite overall? And when we refused to pay for things we sent back, she threatened to call the police? I know of at least three other people that have had an awful experience at this "restaurant". Don't do it, kids. read more

I visited Haiku with my wife and immediate family. We started off the meal with the Edamame. Had the hot & sour soup, and for dinner the Maki Spicy. SERVICE: Upon arrival, a sign greeted us instructing us to wait to be seated, however the hostess, seemed unsure if she should ask us if we wanted to sit. The service was very friendly and fast throughout, but the staff continued to appear confused and disorganized. This was apparent when they forgot 2 of our parties 6 dishes! The only excuse was the Chef was too busy, and got behind. FOOD: The Edamame, was simple and plain, nothing exciting, but the Hot & Sour soup was pleasant, certainly not the best I have ever had, but a surprise considering the bland start with the Edamame. My dinner, the Maki Spicy which was described as sushi, came out as a type of ground or blended meat mush, wrapped in traditional seaweed and rice. It was peculiar, and the menu description wasn't helpful in preparing me for this dish. The food was ok and something I would expect from an average restaurant everyday restaurant but for the price, I certainly expected a LOT more. read more

I didn't know this place existed until I ran across it here. Two days later I am at a table enjoying some really good sushi with my family. It is smack dab in the middle of the Drake area so I expected the crowd to me mostly college students and I was right, at least for the early Friday supper crowd. It is a nice looking place with a modern feel and has quite the bar area. Now to the good stuff... We had 3 rolls the Spicy Maki Combo (basically 3 regular rolls on 1 plate), Tri-Color and Mango Lover. All the rolls were 'spot on' (a little Guy Fieri extract) with my favorite being the Mango Lover. I was hesitant to order this one, but after talking with the waitress decided to get it and was very glad I did. The only complaint I had was the Mango roll was very loosely rolled and seemed to be done in a rush. Overall it was quite the supper with good food, service and atmosphere. The menu offers some other interesting rolls that I am definitely going to go back and try out. read more

One of my favorite places for sushi! The atmosphere and look are great. It's fun, but relaxing. There is a bar (great martinis, by the way) and there is also sake! The sushi is always fresh, delicious, and beautifully presented. The miso soup is great, and the service is excellent, in my experience. Definitely worth checking out if you're a sushi lover! read more

Favorite sushi restaurant in Des Moines. Northern Place roll and Las Vegas Roll are a must try. Staff is professional and helpful when asking questions. read more

Haiku - Northern Place roll on the left and Las Vegas roll on the right - Sushi Bars Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

Darn good stuff! We tried to do sushi happy hour at the other place but it was packed and Haiku is close to home. The spicy rolls were actually spicy! Yay! I'm forever getting not-spicy "spicy" rolls around here. So I was pleasantly surprised by the level of heat in my spicy maki combo. Not too much, just enough. The boy got a Las Vegas roll and couldn't stop raving about it. Furthermore, Haiku has a great drink special every night. Tonight (and last night, I believe) domestics are $2 and there's a special on sake bombs. There's a drink special most, if not all, nights. The atmosphere is awfully nice, too. All the blue. It's very calming. It's too bad that this place is so good and within walking distance of the house. Now that we've tried it I'm going to be annoying the boy about going back too often for our budget, I'm sure. read more

Probably the worst sushi I have ever had. Hy-Vee and cafeteria sushi is better than this. We ordered two rolls to go and they were crammed into one very small container. For $12 the rolls were extremely small. The rolls were like mush and just really bad. With several other sushi options in Des Moines. Drive the extra 5 minutes and go to Sakari. So bad. read more

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My first sushi experience in Des Moines...it has a great variety of dishes, whether you are vegetarian, sushi naive or adventurous. The sashimi combo plate had a good portion and considering its the midwest, its pretty fresh. The seaweed salad had a good flavor to it. I also tried the spicy tuna crunch and that was quite tasty with a nice hold in the roll. It stayed together and the tempura with fish roe complimented each other well. Definitely will go back! The servers are attentive and gave great advice! read more

I love going here for the lunch special! It's a really good price and the service is always wonderful. The potstickers are sooo good! They have some of the best soup as well, really good with a variety of vegetables. The rolls can vary on how tightly they are packed but they are always delicious! read more

3 Words...Mango Lover's Roll We go here quite often and have only find one minor flaw. The rolls aren't rolled tight enough, which is insignificant because we eat them so often it doesn't bother us. The Crab Rangoon are really good as are the rolls NYC, Las Vegas and Rock N Roll. We have eaten at every sushi restaurant in Des Moines and by far Haiku is our favorite. Fresh, Delicious and cool ambiance. read more

AMAZING sushi, and love the atmosphere. Very relaxed place with a modern vibe. And right next to a boba place! Highly recommend

Me and my date made reservations here two weeks prior to Valentine's day and we were very disappointed. Once we got there we were told that they had scheduled too many reservations for the day, so me and my date had to sit in the dark corner of the restaurant. Really lame. Food is decent, but some of the sushi rolls are poorly executed. They have too much liquid which makes the rice soggy and fall apart. There are plenty of other sushi places in the Des Moines area I think I'd pick before going here. read more

Best sushi in Des Moines! I tried the Mango Roll and sushi Chef was awesome! Great atmosphere and menu price!

Bad, just bad. Ordered calamari to start and received a plate of chewy tasteless rings. Sushi was equally unpleasant. The rolls were soggy (fell apart very easily) and not fresh at all. The waitstaff was aloof and the hostesses looked downright bored out of their minds. Like others, I noticed only one cook in the back and one sushi chef. Poor guys looked rushed to put together food for the Friday night crowd. After a $50+ check, we left hungry and annoyed. This may be one of the only times my husband and I have left uneaten sushi on our plates. This place is definitely overpriced for the quality. You're better off going to Miyabi 9 (and maybe paying 5-10 more bucks for your meal). read more

I order delivery from here very often. My all time fav is actually the Udon noodles & Haiku salad. I tried the lobster mango roll & it was great! The volcano roll is good too but sometimes it can be too filling. read more

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Visited Haiku based off some good word of mouth, wish I hadn't, but at least now I know. I was disappointed even looking at the menu. The sushi menu seemed unimaginative with a multitude of rolls containing different variations of the same 6 or so ingredients. I'd say Jalapeños and mango was probably over used. I'd prefer to see one specialty roll where an ingredient like mango is used very well, not multiple rolls where it's the center piece. We started with edamame, which was good. The beans were thick and it was seasoned well. Not to salty, I ordered the mango lovers and a simple spicy tuna as a gauge for the quality. The spicy tuna roll was more avocado than fish, had almost no spice or flavor really at all. The mango lovers roll was a mess of its own as well. The roll taste okay as a whole, but none of the ingredients were distinguishable. It was just a sweet mess of moist fish and fruit. I have no intention of visiting this place a second time as I have much closer to home sushi places that I regular. read more

Definitely a win. I had the miso soup and Philadelphia roll. Seems like the simplest meal, but it was fantastic. Perfect balance of flavors that I look for in good sushi and not terribly expensive (rolls between $5 and $15 depending on ingredients, and the soup was a generous portion for only $2). I'll definitely come again. read more

The food is not that great-really hit or miss. We've eaten in the restaurant and also ordered take-out. The only thing that has been consistently good is the squid salad. That is amazing! read more

Wow! This is my new go-to sushi place. Large portions at the right price! Clean and inviting ambiance. You would never think that this place would be good to come for drinks, but the bar is quite cool and I imagine the nightlife is fun. Considering it is right across from Drake, it might be more of a college scene. If you are looking for quality sushi that doesn't break the bank, this is your place. read more

Update: tried this place again after boycotting it for so long. The service has improved and the only thing is that the sushi was very very loose and falling apart. We told our waitress and she brought us a dessert. So sweet! read more

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Best sushi in Des Moines. Service, food and ambience are so great. We always order Coconut Shrimp and several rolls, apps and salads which are consistently phenomenal. Ice cold Bud Light and great martini specials. We love Haiku and Rachel!! read more

I was pleasantly surprised with haiku. The location, although extremely convenient for me as a drake student, made me apprehensive. I wouldn't imagine that somewhere in a little strip not in the city would have amazing sushi but it does!! It's delicious, I will definitely come here again!! read more

Haiku - Sushi! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

The place is clean and tidy. There are two servers when we came for Lunch. They are both very nice. One of them can speak good Chinese. The noodles are a little salty. Others are good. The fish is fresh. read more

Haiku - Boat 1 - Sushi Bars Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

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Stopped by Haiku since Sakari was super packed and there was an hour wait there. Haiku is located right by the Drake campus, which is nice for the students. Though it could be expensive if you're a sushi addict :) The interior is very nice and clean. Blue lights throughout the inside makes it feel like it's affiliated with the Drake Bulldogs. We got served right away and since it was a Thursday, there were drink specials for $4. I got the Tsunami (vodka, pineapple rum, banana liqueur, pineapple juice, and grenadine), which was quite strong :) Prices and sushi rolls were similar to other restaurants. We got the Volcano roll, Dynamite roll, Spicy Crab roll, and a seaweed salad. All of it tasted very good and nothing fell apart like some restaurants out there. Overall, I enjoyed my first time here. It wasn't amazing food that makes me want to go again really soon, but it was good sushi if you like special rolls. If you're into sashimi (just the raw fish) though, you may want to read other reviews or be brave and try it out yourself :) I know there are some people that are very picky about their sashimi, which I can honestly say that I'm not a pro at telling if it's good or not...since I love the special rolls :) Oh, parking can be a little difficult if the front is all full. read more

This is probably one of the best sushi restaurants in Iowa. The staff is very knowledgable and friendly. If you are just looking for a Californian roll, you can find that somewhere else. These chefs are professional and have imagination. read more

I literally love EVERYTHING about this restaurant. There's daily drink specials and everything on the menu is delicious. I'm a repeat customer for over three years. We've tried all the other sushi spots in Des Moines and this still rings in as our absolutely favorite. read more

Great sushi! Fast. One of my favorite sushi places. My order was just arriving at the front as I walked in to pay.

Very, very good. Second only to my favorite, Umi Grill in Terre Haute, Indiana. My only complaint is that the nori was just a little tough, making it difficult to bite my American Dream roll without destroying it. Staff is friendly and atmosphere is surprisingly sophisticated for being basically on campus. Be forewarned: both Google Maps and Apple Maps incorrectly plot the location of this restaurant! It's NOT on 31st Street, but Carpenter. read more

Very happy each time we come here, which is every time we visit our son, a student at Drake University. Much better quality than the better known sushi bars in the city, but they don't seem to be attracting real sushi lovers. Maybe that's understandable because their Thai food is also excellent. Great value on the sushi boats. read more

Haiku - Two person sushi boat for $42. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

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The food itself is good, but the service is what ruined it for me. I'll always go back for the food, but if I continue to be neglected by the staff, I will NOT tip. They simply do not check on you after they bring the food. The only time they do come back is to bring more food or ask if you're done. Sushi is my FAVORITE, and they do the food very well in a lovely environment, but the lack of personality the servers have just ruin it for me. No smiles, no nothing. I am more interactive as a customer than they are. I recommend getting takeout. The Tiger Roll, Gyoza, and seaweed salad are all great. The mochi ice cream is also phenomenal. Again, TAKEOUT is the way to go! :) PS, if you go there within an hour of closing time, they will be out of rice. It's kind of ridiculous. read more

We come here a few times a year, and it's excellent each time. Favorite for lunch is the haiku salad. The rolls and nigiri are excellent for dinner, particularly the kamikaze roll, northern palace, Las Vegas...too many to mention! The ambiance is hip and contemporary as well. Bustling when we were there on a weeknight. read more

Really fantastic sushi! We loved the Haiku roll, tiger roll, and New England roll. Great atmosphere too.

This atmosphere of the restaurant is absolutely divine. However, the service definitely needs help. Our waiter didn't really know what he was doing and didn't seem to know anything about the food whatsoever. Despite that, we ordered the mussels for a starter, which took a lot longer than we expected and then we ordered a bunch of rolls, which also took a while. I think the roll I liked best was called the Las Vegas roll? I don't even remember what was in It, it was really good. All in all, the food is tasty, the service just sucks. read more

My husband and I have been here twice. The first time the food was great, but the second time not-so-much and the service was terrible, to the point we won't return again. We showed up around 8:30 PM on Valentine's Day. Around 9:00 PM the workers turned all the lights on and started cleaning the dining room, putting up chairs, even asking if they could clear some of the condiments from our table. I asked if they could dim the lights again and they refused. Keep in mind, they don't close for another hour. To make matters worse, the coconut shrimp I ordered did not come with chunks of pineapple as per the menu - instead they'd ''substituted'' red bell pepper - I did not find this out until it was delivered at my table! Terrible experience and will never recommend or return. read more

Wow! I cannot say enough great things about this place. Unfortunately due to the pandemic going on we weren't able to experience dining in the restaurant but the takeout we got tonight was beyond amazing. Their pick up set up is incredible and it's clear they are taking the health of their employees and customers seriously. All the rolls we got were super fresh tasting and beautiful! They have some excellent flavor combinations going on. I have tried most sushi restaurants around the area and may have a new favorite! I would recommend Haiku to anyone looking for high quality sushi! read more

Not happy with my service tonight. When I arrived to pick up my order I pulled it out of the bag to check for the peanuts. I ordered the vegetable pad thai (last time they forgot them). The cashier asked what I was looking for. I told her I was checking for the peanuts. She began telling me how good the chef was and I replied no one is perfect he forgot them last time. I then asked for extra peanuts and some chili flakes because after I looked at it. I didn't see any chili flakes and I asked for it be medium spicy. She tried to charge me a dollar and I declined. Guess what? When I got it home....NO MEDIUM SPICY AT ALL!! I was so disappointed. I like a little heat in my food. Not to mention the fact that there was an ungodly amount of onion and I'm an onion freak. I love it and put it in everything. But, its not a chocolate chip cookie and I don't want to taste onion in every bite. (photos to follow). Haiku this was your last chance. The last time I went there I ordered the pork chop. They were chewy and completely inedible. Tasted like they had been in the fridge for 3-4 days. I was supposed to take them back for a full refund and I opted not to because it was a huge inconvenience to me and my time. I told them how disgusting the pork chop dish was and doubt they do this to people who dine in. This was a to go order. So BEWARE of the pork chop if your getting it to go. The sushi here is pretty good. Steer clear of the other items on the menu. It's a crap shoot as to what it will taste like when you get anything to go. Very disappointed. Shame on you Haiku I have been a loyal customer but, your customer service sucks!! and your pork chop recipe needs a complete revision. Buyer beware. If you like chewy pork chops. Haiku is the place for you. I won't be going back. read more

Great place. Totally nice area of the Drake campus area. Atmosphere and food great.

Great lunch spot! I go here all the time because it is fast, consistent, and the staff are nice if you get to know them. I get the basic lunch special with 3 rolls: spicy salmon, spicy crab, and shrimp tempura. They do the basic rolls very well. I can't speak for the specialty rolls. The staff are always friendly, especially when my daughter comes with for lunch. If you are looking for a place that is fast and always consistently tasty, this is my recommendation. I have been to expensive sushi places in Des Moines and I would pick Haiku over them any day. I wish they would move out west! read more