This place received really good reviews so I was hopeful and didn't let the atmosphere scare me away. It started out nice, the salad was really good but the sushi was just not it was very plain and all tasted the same. I don't see myself ever going back there. read more

The food was very good but it was SO expensive!! We enjoyed our meal but as a large family it was really pricey. We arrived around 5:00 and it was nice and quiet- then the dinner rush came and it was really hard to hear our table. It was very, very loud, felt like a bar. read more

What a gem in Fairhope!! We walked in and fortuitously got a table for 6 on a Saturday evening. Within 3 minutes there was a wait and it is easy to see why!!! We had seaweed salad, rolls and edamame for the table as appetizer. I had the Russian Revolution roll for dinner. It was great - it is anything but traditional as it includes mayo and some melted cheddar cheese - but it works!! Another person at the table ordered the sushi pizza - he loved it! (We think the crust is tempura battered seaweed?) The person who ordered the scallop and shrimp hibachi was underwhelmed. It wasn't bad - but didn't meet expectations. Can't wait to come back and try this place again The sushi was outstanding. read more

Arrived and gave our name for a table for 4. Sat outside looking through the window at an empty table for 4 for 20 minutes. Someone from our party went in and asked if we can sit at this table. The lady said no, someone called in for a reservation. We waited 20 more minutes, and asked again. She said the people just called with the reservation, and they are running late. She still refused to seat us. 40 minutes staring through the window at an empty table. Will NEVER go back!! read more

As a result of reading Yelp reviews for this restaurant I went in with high hopes. Maybe people need to get out more? Next to Nobu, this is certainly the most pretentious sushi restaurant I've been to. I'm choosing the word "pretentious" because unlike Nobu where the food is fabulous and well worth the price, the food here is sub par. This place has all the familiar symptoms of a nice restaurant; sleek decor, ambient lighting, pricey food, and uniformity throughout. DON'T BE FOOLED! It seems to me if you're going to spend the money (and I'm the first to justify this) you should feel the food was an experience. The rolls we received were not as described in the menu. In other words, the chef took it upon himself to alter the recipe and leave out some key ingredients. When confronted, they told us the chefs like to take liberty with the recipes to tailor them to the public, but I'm guessing this is in fact their recession plan. In the end, I will not be returning ever and have rarely felt so dissatisfied after eating my favorite food. I suppose people are distracted by the facade of a "nice restaurant" rather than actually judging the quality of the creations. That's what sushi is isn't it? A creation? How many ways can you arrange rice and fish? For the same price range there a PLENTY of deserving restaurants out there. read more

Supposed to be the best sushi in Fairhope (Mobile? Area). Very good and packed on a Monday. Sashimi - Very good and fresh. Miso Soup - really good and not the staple miso. Had a depth of flavor that was somewhat complex with savory onions at the bottom. House Salad - much better than the obligatory iceberg lettuce with ginger dressing. Quality lettuce with tomatoes and, what seemed to be, homemade dressing. Ginger based. Tea - not the best Service - really friendly and efficient. Will return. read more

By far the best Sushi I've had, The standards are wonderful, but the Chef's Specialties are even better. You can truly taste how fresh the ingredients are. I suggest calling ahead for reservation, though they aren't required. read more

Master Joe's - Menu Cover - Sushi Bars Near Me - Fairhope, Alabama

Master Joe's is my % go to for sushi!! I'm from NYC & we know great sushi! This is the only place I'll go for my needed sushi cravings! The food is absolutely delicious and fresh! The service is fantastic! Make certain you make a reservation! This is Fairhope's best sushi! Yummy-Yummy!! read more

Excellent sushi!! You can watch them prepare it right there. Very fresh and interesting mix of flavors in the sushi. I had a Blown in the Wind which is a baked sushi and it was terrific. I ate there with four women, we all ordered differently and all of us really enjoyed our food. read more

We ate here tonight. The service was great. Our waitress was very helpful in helping us select menu items because we were overwhelmed by all of the different sushi options. We had a couple of rolls, as well as chicken teriyaki. Everything was great! read more

Me and my wife have traveled the world for good sushi, but none compare to master joe's! We keep coming back for our regular date night. The bartender is quick to please, the wait staff is attentive and friendly. Sit at the bar and ask for the chef's choice, you will not be disappointed. read more

Master Joe's - At the whim of master Joe. Sit at the bar if chan is working - Sushi Bars Near Me - Fairhope, Alabama

If you are a sushi lover this is definitely your spot! My husband and I love the sushi pizza (sounds crazy but it works)

Hubby and I moved from San Diego, CA to Mobile, AL and found Master Joe's Sushi from the always helpful Yelp.com. Being from San Diego, we are fresh-fish sushi snobs. Upon walking in, Master Joe's is located off Fairhope's "Main Street" which is flanked by trees draped with lights. Entering Master Joe's we were pleasantly surprised. The restaurant is a little more "upscale" than we expected, (tables lined with cloth), but the food was delicious. The prices are expensive for the area, but we are used to paying a pretty penny for quality sushi so it didn't shock us much. Everything was fresh; the fish, the rice, the vegetables, everything. For starters we had the gyoza. The dumplings themselves were wonderful, but the sauce they served it with was not. It tasted mustard-y, did not compliment the gyoza at all, and is something we are not accustomed to- We are used to a brown, sweeter dipping sauce. If you like it spicy, I recommend the Kamikaze Roll! The roll was to die for and every bit of yummy. Next time we are in the Fairhope area and have money to spend, we will be sure to stop by to Master Joe's! read more

It was a struggle over the stars. Our lady server (Sophia?) was excellent. Also I let my escort order for us. The Miso soup was nothing to get excited about - a three-star bowl at best. We had some appetizer served in clam shells that had shrimp, crab and avocado in it that was out of this world! The rolls were about as good as you can get around here. They were presented beautifully. I knew it was a mistake when my friend ordered the BBQed squid. Squid is more delicate than a shrimp and 97% of people make them into rubber bands by overcooking them. Well, that is exactly what happened. The sauce was beautiful, but since the meat was ruined it offered no value. One last thing - Master's has too many tables crammed in. I would rather wait a bit for a table than have someone's fanny in my face serving another client! Again, our service was excellent. We had a bottle of wine that suited out meal. It would have been better to be served a bit slower, but the care of us was spot-on. I will go back, but will probably sit at the bar just for a more comfortable seat. read more

It's a Friday date night, our first time to be here. Even it's kinda of packed but the atmosphere , and service it's still good, food it's fresh made in front of us, lots of drink and food option, We def come back again!! read more

Great sushi as always but tonight we also ordered the sake blackened salmon Pricey at $19.50 but. WOW!!! What a great dish. Prob in my top 3 fish meals ever.... read more

Master Joe's no longer has sushi prepared by master sushi chef Joe, and you can tell. The waitress was nice but insisted nigiri and sashimi are the same, which is nonsense. I asked for a single order of sushi rolls and one order of nigiri, chef's choice. I was instead brought a platter of about 8 different items, mostly sashimi. The plating was random, with little or no attention to appearance. The nigiri was mostly slabs of fish falling over rice that fell apart as soon as I picked them up. One type of white fish almost needed to be cut with a knife, as it was very tough. I had asked the server to tell the sushi chef that I was not going to add any wasabi or soy sauce, and asked that he put on what he deemed best. The server was clueless, and so was the sushi chef. When we were eating and the server checked back, she finally understood and brought a spicy sauce the chef uses from time to time. Now, I would have been okay about their not understanding why I asked for no sauce. I get it. I can almost understand the server not knowing the difference between nigiri and sashimi. And I can almost overlook, even after I explained that I did NOT want sashimi, that I was brought a platter of mostly sashimi. But the meal itself was no better than buffet sushi. The rice was especially disappointing, and my wife and I couldn't finish off the last 2-3 items. On the positive side, the staff was pleasant, there was a small but varied saki list, and the miso soup was the best I have had in 2-3 years. But I would never go her again for sushi, not unless Master Joe or someone comparable is there. The server said that their sushi chefs did not have such training, and sometimes that is okay. But I expected something more from a place that, even on their website, says that theirs is a traditionally trained sushi. Master Joe is now just the owner, not the chef. read more

Surprisingly delicious! Ate lunch with a group of women during the Fairhope Art Show. The service was good. The food was yummy. The menu offered a wide variety of items. I had the Fuji Apple salad which I would order again. read more

Master Joe's - Fuji Apple salad! Delicious! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Fairhope, Alabama

Dude! 420 IPA, beef tatake and kamikaze roll...and done! The beef tatake was perfectly seared and rare in the middle. It was thinly sliced and plated on a bed of greens. Perfect starter! The show stopper was the kamikaze roll. I am still reeling over this roll. crawfish, salmon, and this effing amazing ponzu sauce!!!! read more

Don't go there if you are hungry. I know that sounds weird but if you go there to fill up you are going to drop over $100 easy. My wife and I met her family there for dinner. Their sushi is priced out of the world for rolls that are 3" long and nothing to brag about. We spent $150 and I swung through Arby's on my way home because I was still hungry. They charged my wife $45 for a $10 bottle of wine from the read more

This place is fantastic! Make sure you get the dumpling appetizer and some sushi rolls!

I gave 5 stars because this is the 4th time I've been and it has been absolutely amazing the three times before. And this time it was my personal taste that made it less. Good service and good food. I normally get the Black Pearl Roll, but got the Hakku Zushi roll to try something new. The Hakku Zushi(Duo Maki) was terrible while eating, but leaves a very pleasant feeling when you finish it. Something about the creaminess and spice was offsetting and the roll was falling apart most of the meal. The spring rolls were amazing. Just hot enough to be too hot to eat plain and the sauce cooled it down and tasted delicious. You get four, which is a perfect addition to a good specialty roll. P.S. Lillian is an amazing waitress, very good conversationalist and great service. read more

Worst sushi experience ever. My niece has celiac spruce, and we require gluten free foods. Sushi is usually an easy pick for a gluten free experience. After days of heavy southern foods, what a complete disappointment to find that 'Master Joes' apparently has zero gluten free choices- or they're so terrified to claim gluten free that the staff will go out of their way to convince you that everything on their sushi menu is slathered with southern gravy. To make matters worse, absolutely no omissions are possible on anything, including sauces, as if this sushi were prepackaged like McDonalds food. The wait staff created such a scene at my inquiries, I'm horrified. The service was deplorable, and the few items we ordered were mediocre and overpriced. If this is southern hospitality, then No Thank You. read more

Went last night and there was an hour wait due to the Art Walk happening on the first Friday. When we got seated we had such a sweet and attentive waitress. Our food was amazing especially the "sushi pizza" roll! We will definitely be back! read more

My favorite sushi in town! The restaurant has a great location downtown. My favorite thing to order is the Titantic Roll!! The menu has so many awesome options. Great sushi=happiness !!! Everyone visiting fairhope should try this sushi because even if you don't like sushi, you will find something yummy on the menu!!! read more

Delicious sushi with beautiful presentation and very kind staff! Located on one of the main streets in Downtown Fairhope so perfect for walking after dinner. read more

We have been here in Fairhope for three years. We have heard so about Master Joe's. We have gone to Shanghai Cottage at least once a week knowing it was the same owner. We kept allegiance to keeping local and not a chain. We enjoy Shanghai Cottage so much that we finally went to Master Joe's. It really looks like the same restaurant inside and I like that they kept it the same decor and floor plan to make the connection. Everything about the restaurant amazed us. Our waitress knew the menu and offered suggestions which were spot on. When the lunch special plate arrived, our jaws dropped. It was the most beautiful plate of sushi/sashimi we had ever seen! When we placed the tuna in our mouths, it melted like butter! So delicious! We are adding Master Joe's to our visit frequently list! read more

very much a hole in the wall, but service and food are both great!! such a fun atmosphere! my only complaint is the lack of space between tables read more

Warning: $35 fish dish is not fresh but frozen and tastes like it. Service was fine and some sushi rolls were good. The Chilean Sea Bass was super gross; it was good on the first bite but then I realized it was the sauce it was smothered in covering the disastrous taste of the freezer-burned fish flesh. Given the taste, I can't get over the price tag. Also, I've never had miso soup I couldn't finish until this one; it just didn't taste right. The safest and best we had was a veggie roll. Overall the food was mediocre, overpriced, and overrated. read more

I grew up in Fairhope and have moved to the Northshore of New Orleans so there was a huge food change in my life. When I get to go back home, Master Joe's and DragonFly Cafe are a must for me. My regular is the blow in the wind roll. Its very tasty. read more

The sushi is the BEST I've ever had. You can pick anything on the menu and be assured it's fantastic. The sushi is fresh and presented beautifully. The reason I gave only three stars is because the waitresses are rude and seem miserable to be at work. They rush around seeming too busy to be pleasant. If someone questions them about the sushi they act as if there is something wrong with YOU. The restaurant is small and the folks next to you jump right into your conversation or include you in their conversation by being so darn loud. Do yourself a favor and order sushi to go! The food is the BEST but the service and overall atmosphere bring the dining experience down several levels. There are many restaurants in Fairhope that provide an atmosphere that brings you back over and over. This isn't one of them!! read more

This restaurant is so goooood. The sushi is fantastic. The prices are decent if a little too pricey but not crazy like some of Fairhope restaurants. read more

The tables are way too close together, so don't go unless you feel like eating in a cafeteria full of strangers.

This was my first time having sushi and let me say it was a wonderful experience. The atmosphere was not daunting (for me being a first-timer that was big). I felt right at home and our waitress was patient and very willing to offer suggestion upon suggestion for me and my specific taste. I ended up ordering the Russian Revolution and I was far from disappointed. This exquisite sushi dish was more than I expected and, although I ended up full, I only wanted more! My counterpart ordered a simplistic California roll and was also highly impressed and satisfied with her meal. The price was very appropriate for the high level of service and food provided. There is no doubt I will be back to Master Joe's for more sushi experiences read more

Agreed.....this place is amazing. I have never been a huge sushi fan...but I actually crave this place on a weekly basis. The sushi is great....heard really good things about the sea bass....and the prices are pretty fair. I highly recommend the "Russian Revolution" roll. I would definately say that you need to make a reservation. It is a very small place and is picking up a pretty good local following. Have had to wait even with reservations before. read more

Great rolls. Great service. Good selection. Fun atmosphere. Really pleased. Perhaps a little over priced but very good!

For the prices and ambience you would think the sushi chefs would all be in hats and nicely attired jackets instead of t-shirts. Also, not smart to eat there when Joe is out of town and his nephew is in charge. Hangs out doing nothing but texting behind sushi guys in a tee shirt (pics available upon request). Sushi guy at Shanghai Cottage at least wears a coat even if it does look like he sleeps in it. Something about some of the staff, and I can't put my finger on it but it comes across as a little condescending. I have had several items I had to send back for being just warm so they appear to have an expo issue. Tee shirt thing really, really detracts. When i eat there I feel like I am in an upscale Buckhead Atlanta venue. I think Joe has taken both of his restaurants and patrons a little for granted. It would serve him well to be more visible. , read more

Excellent lunch in Fairhope! The sushi was excellent and the lunch special pricing was very affordable. My kids even loved it! Most of us had the three roll sushi lunch special. The sushi was fresh and flavorful. They made little personal touches such as house made soy sauce which tasted great and added to the flavor of the rolls. Two of my kids had the hibachi and there chicken and shrimp were cooked tender. Highly recommend! Also found out there's one in Orange Beach. Can't wait to try it! read more

The Sushi Pizza was delicious. Nice area as well. We drove over from MS- we will be back!

The sushi is great and the service is fast (once you get seated). It's a small joint so on a weekend evening, you might struggle to get a table. Luckily we were able to get a couple seats at the bar on a Friday night. The Black Pearl roll was fantastic and the portion of tuna sashimi was awesome. It wasn't your usual 2 measly pieces of tuna, but rather nearly 4 oz of extremely fresh tuna. Our waitress/bartender was very attentive and made sure we got everything we wanted. The house malbec didn't hurt...ha, overall a great place! read more