The fish is always fresh and the sushi is simple. Reminds me of sugarfish in Los Angeles but not as good. This is not the place to go for fancy rolls. I've tried almost everything on the menu as I live close by and use to go there often. Bubble tea is not worth getting as the tapioca balls are smaller than usual and not as chewy. The baos are all underwhelming. I prefer the pork belly bao at noodlehead 10x more. Chicken teriyaki bowl is not impressive. Pork belly bowl is tasty. The salmon bowl and tuna bowl are pretty good. I like that they don't use spicy mayo as a spicy sauce but they actually use a chili oil and the bowls have texture with seawood/nuts for crunch. I gave this place 3 stars because they are just stingy. For all the things I order, I always have to ask for extra ginger. Their lunch special deal really isn't that good. The salad you get is just lettuce. The crab salad and seaweed salad sides that you get "for free" with the lunch special are very small in portion. Not worth it! There's also a happy hour on Saturday 5p-7p which is $1 off rolls but this doesn't apply if you get take out for some reason. However, you can get the lunch special as take out. However, be careful because one time I ordered a chirashi bowl (for lunch) to go and MOLA tried to charge me full price instead of the lunch price. For someone who used to dine there alot, these inconsistencies makes me not want to give them my business anymore because they're trying to save a couple of dollars. When you dine in, don't sit by the kitchen. Twice when I dined there and sat back there, there were smells of bleach or fish or something. Smelled like sewage. read more

Great quality sushi! This place is a little bit more fancier than a regular sushi joint. Also, the menu has a smaller range of choices and is pricier as well. I really like the modern ambiance of the place. I don't know if it would be good for bigger groups since the space is small in general. The severs were wonderful and I hope to try out a drink at the bar sometime soon! Overall, the sushi was delicious, but I know of places in the area where I can get the same quality sushi with a more affordable price. read more

This was the best/most fresh and tender salmon sushi I've had since I moved to Pittsburgh 7 years ago. The spicy salmon hand roll was BOMB - super flavorful. I think their sushi was definitely the highlight for me. They have simple and fresh options that speak for themselves rather than the over-complicated, fried, and mayo-drench options that are popular at other sushi places. We also tried the dumplings, mola veggies, and the fried chicken so and pork belly bao. These were good, standard Asian options but not standout like the sushi was. I'll definitely be back for more sushi and to try out the other menu items! read more

See all

There are tons of reasons to LOVE Mola, but I will stick with the three most important: 1. Quality- As a self admitted "fish snob" who spends a ton of time on the water, I am very harsh when it comes to judging the quality of a restaurants sea-dwelling produce! The quality of every ingredient is evident with every bite and when you combine that with the ingenuity behind many of the house specials you'll begin planning your next Mola-Night while you're finishing up one of their delicious deserts. 2. Value- After you finish what will surely be a very special meal one look at the bill will reassure you that you don't have to wait till next year to experience it again. Mola prices their menu in a way that makes it a very affordable inclusion in any diners budget. 3. Atmosphere- The staff combines a friendly/family feel with a passion and knowledge of the menu that is rare in our city. They truly add to the experience. read more

Some updates: (This is just some updates - read my original post for the full review) -The owner said it's the type and amount of vinegar they use that gives its color/taste. -The owner said you can request a plastic straw for the bubble tea if you prefer. I told her that I didn't mind the paper, but I just wish they didn't stick it in for takeouts. It seems like they thought I was going to drink it while walking and because it's kind of hard to put it in, they put the straw in for me. -Their dumplings are very good! They even make the skin themselves. We ordered the chive one. There was another kind - we might order both next time :) -We went because we saw on their instagram that they had the Hokkaido uni. It was good, but not worth $30 for 2 pieces of sushi. -In the original review, I wrote that the "tuna" in sushi grande is toro (fatty tuna), but I might've been wrong. The first two times we ordered, it was fatty tuna, but this time, it was regular tuna. It still tasted good (best tuna I had in pittsburgh), but I was expecting fatty tuna so it was a little disappointing. -Service is nice as I previously wrote. Everyone is nice. We had a different server this time, but the server that had our table before remembered us and came out (we were sitting outside) just to say hi. read more

Went here because I saw they had Omakase for only $100 per person off of that one star review from a few days ago. My party and I laughed at how dumb their complaints were and the picture they posted looked amazing. We went and started with sake bombs and their draft Sapporo. Then we left everything up to the wonderful staff, all we had to say was we preferred spicy and had no limit on budget. The only thing we ordered extra was the Uni. All of the food was amazing and high quality with regional seafood from Hokkaido that was to die for. Highly highly recommend this place for any occasion. Thank you to everyone at Mola for an exceptional night out. read more

Mola - Omakase - Sushi Bars Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

See all

I love dumplings and my husband loves sushi! This was the perfect place for both of us! Amazing food and spectacular service! I wish they had a location close to home :) read more

Mola - Shishito Peppers, Crispy Chicken Bao, Pork Belly Bao, Handmade Pork and Chives Dumplings - Sushi Bars Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

First time we tried this place-very interesting offering for craft cocktails. We tried a few and enjoyed! The sushi rolls were tasty and the crab salad is unique-its chopped up much more finely than any we've had. We liked it and ordered a second. We will be back! read more

The best vegetarian sushi I have ever had! The taste and texture was very realistic to normal sushi! I got both the Ahimi and Kampyo rolls and the Kampyo one was my favorite but both were amazing and exceeded my expectations! I also got the vegetarian bao and it was also to die for! The flavors were amazing and I loved the mixtures of textures in it! So so so good could not have had a better experience! My new go-to sushi place! read more

Mola - Vegetarian Bao Ahimi, Avocado and Cucumber Roll, Kampyo Rolls (my favorite!) - Sushi Bars Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Super good! Honestly. There were a few things we got that I didn't take a picture of which were edamame and a sushi roll. However, the bowls are incredible. Hands down one of the best meals I've had in a while. The bao is also 15/10. The fried chicken one was SOOOO damn good. I honestly could've eaten 4 of them if I didn't get something else for my main dish. The only reason I'm going with 4 stars and not five is because the atmosphere wasn't really all there. The seating is kind of weird, and there weren't any other customers when we went so it was kind of just not my favorite situation to be in. I mean the good thing about there being no customers is that the food was super fast and the service was great. I just prefer a steady environment of people. It was 9 pm so maybe that's why. Anyway, I'll be back! read more

See all

This place has fantastic sushi. The taste is very clean and fresh. It has been hard to find good sushi in Pittsburgh but this place meets my standards. The staff is also very knowledgeable in the fish they acquire and explain where the fish came from. I did have a chicken bao bun I will probably pass on that next time. I did get a hand roll it wasn't shaped like a triangle I'm used but that is alright it was packed! And then I did get a few cut rolls and the spicy blue fin tuna is my favorite and I always order it. read more

Mola - Spicy blue Bluefin Tuna Cut Roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Fantastic sushi! Generous slices of sashimi and portions of uni. The hamachi collar was also excellent.

Mola had been saved in my bookmarks and recently we had the opportunity to go. It's a small intimate place with only a few tables and a bar. Due to their lack of size reservations are only given to parties of five or more, so consider that before stopping by. The trademark here is fresh fish, flown in regularly from NYC. Mola isn't unreasonably expensive but consider the source and take that into account when looking at the prices and portion sizes. We ordered pork belly bao, pork and shrimp dumplings, stir-fried mussels, and a regular sushi combo platter. The food lives up to the hype. The bao in particular seems to be getting people's attention for good reasons. The sushi rolls themselves are wrapped in nori and uncut, meant to be eaten like a burrito. I didn't see every roll, but it's my guess that you won't find anything slathered in mayo. I will say the sashimi had a hint of wasabi to it, which is an interesting take, but just not for me. That said, I can't fault the restaurant for using a very standard ingredient in the style of their cuisine that doesn't suit me personally. I don't need to give a nuanced take on their beverages. Whether you want soda, bubble tea, wine, craft beer, spirits, or cocktails, they have good choices. You'll be fine. Water is brought to you purified, and also available ambient or sparkling. Like a lot of westerners, I'm guilty of gorging on sushi whenever I go somewhere that has it predominantly on the menu. My advice is to treat this place more as Asian fusion, even though you'll see them featured as a sushi and cocktail bar. The selection of fish can probably be topped by a few other places in a nearby radius, but it's about quality over quantity here, and the rest of the menu deserves your attention equally too. read more

Waited 1hr for food, they would rather prioritize take out rather than customers who are already sitting in.

Went here with my wife and teenage daughter. We got there at about 5:00 on a Sunday and we were the only ones in the restaurant. Others came while we were there, but it wasn't very crowded. We chose to share a bunch of small plates. We started with the steak bao and crispy chicken bao. Steak - good. Chicken - excellent. We followed with the pork and chive steamed dumpling. Lots of flavor. The sauce that came with it was also yummy. We also got a shrimp tempura roll, but my favorite roll by far was the blue crab roll. Crab has such a subtle flavor - I thought it was the perfect ingredient for a sushi roll. Just delicious. We also shared the pork rice bowl with the mola rice. I really liked the rice blend. They had some crunchy soybeans that added nice texture to the dish. For drinks, all 3 of us got the bubble tea, although only my daughter chose to get the boba. My wife and daughter chose the taro milk tea. I got to sip it and it was tasty. I got the passion fruit drink which was also good, but if I had to do it over, I too would have gotten the taro milk tea. Overall, a very pleasant experience. Nice atmosphere. Staff was friendly and helpful. A fine Asian restaurant that has some things you don't typically find in your neighborhood Chinese restaurant. I will come back. read more

Ordered off uber eats. Had the worst sushi of my life it smelled rancid and was definitely spoilt. I want to support small business' like this but this was offensively bad and I probably could have gotten really sick if I ended up eating it. read more

Mola - Spicy tuna - Sushi Bars Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

This place doesn't necessarily look like anything mindblowing - just a cute little storefront in East Liberty - but their sushi is legit out of this world. Always super fresh! Great apps too, the chicken bao is probably not authentic Japanese, but it is good and a must-order every time we stop in. Prices are reasonable and they have a decent drink selection too, both beers and cocktails. This is where we end up going when we want to go out to eat but don't really know where to go - consistently great and never leave unsatisfied. read more

terrible experience. Brought friends for omakase for $60 per person. We expected it to reach the quality of their sushi kit, which is also $60 per person. However, we were very wrong. There was no appetizer, no soup, no dessert, not even a piece of grilled fish which is included in the sushi kit. There was no individual dish but only two very large plates of sushi. The first plate is okay. The second is a whole plate of repeated sushi roll, not even well cut. It felt like the chef wanted to fill us up with those rice so that we won't have chance to complain for lack of variety. It is ridiculous how poor the quality is given I have ordered Mola sushi kit multiple times in the past. Very disappointed. Will not go again. read more

Mola in many ways resonate with the Pittsburgh qualities I love: down-to-earth, resilient and full of art pieces. It's practically a food museum where you'll find some of the rarest sushi's and raw ingredients that no one else offers. I must say it takes a lot of artistic courage to serve Hokkaido Unis, when there's no guarantee that anyone can tell the difference. But Alex the owner does it anyway, simply out of his integrity and his determination to only serve the best stuff. Mola might not be the best restaurant in the world, but this full embodiment of honesty, courage and quiet confidence makes it the best restaurant in Pittsburgh. read more

See all

I loved the sushi here. It was fresh and delicious, it's certainly a place I will go to again. They were also super accommodating to my 1-year-old. They had a nice high chair as well as kid friendly plates and utensils. That's 5 stars in my book. The bao weren't my favorite here, but they were passable. I will be there again and I plan to order all the delicious sushi. read more

Amazing fresh sushi in Shadyside/East Liberty area... from someone who is insanely picky about sushi. Ordered the blue crab (they are one of the few places that use real crab), scallops, and various fish sushi to share with friends. They also have great sake bombs. read more

Came with a friend on a Friday night and we were seated immediately! We got many small plates to share and two rolls of sushi. We originally wanted to try the mussels but the restaurant was sadly out of them. We also put in an order for baos but they were never brought out. The mola vegetables and the edamame were my favorite small dishes- the edamame has great seasoning and the mola veggies were flavorful and crunchy. The fish in the sushi (blue fin tuna and salmon) was fresh too. Overall, a decent place to grab dinner around East Liberty. read more

See all

Delicious food! Had the Mola Tuna Poke rice bowl, with a side of pork and shrimp dumplings. The portion sizes could have been a bit bigger for the price, bit that's my only complaint. The place is lovely and the service was great. read more

Stopped by Mola with a friend on a Sunday night. It was quiet, not many patrons in the restaurant. Our server was attentive and was able to quickly point us to the popular items on the menu. My friend absolutely loved his meal and I thought mine was good overall. So 4-stars for him, 3-stars for me. The highlights: * Edamame: it had just the right balance of spice and salt * Chirashi (sp?): My friend absolutely loved this dish. While I didn't have any, I could tell that the fish was uber fresh and the portion generous. * Chicken and pork dumplings: dumplings were plump and stuffed with a lot of meat I had the spicy coconut mussels. The sauce is to die for, but I found the mussels were a bit overcooked. Many of the pieces were shriveled up. I also ordered the salmon handroll. Again, the fish was very fresh and I enjoyed it. But I have to say, from a visual presentation perspective, I prefer the temaki (cone-shaped) rolls than the ones they serve here. There's something about seeing the stuffing exposed in a temaki roll that appeal to the visual senses. The rolls here are seaweed "logs"; they're maki rolls with seaweed on the outside without be cut. I'll definitely be back to try other dishes. read more

Food was really good! Only issue was it was so busy that it was very loud in the restaurant, so it was difficult to have a conversation. read more

Mola - Sushi Bars Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Excellent - we had a party of 13 and they easily accommodated us! We had an excellent waitress who was so sweet and patient with us as we had many questions. Drink specials were excellent! I had the spicy Moscow mule (substituted with vodka). Delicious I ordered the boa (sticky bun) pork! Yummmy!! I would order more next time. I also got one of the sushi plates with the hand rolls and sushi. Sushi was fresh and tasted great. I look forward to bringing the family as this place is very kid friendly! read more

I honestly wasn't too blown away by Mola - it has a super cute interior and is a nice place to eat. However, the food is super overpriced for what it is. I tried the sea bream and black truffle pate, which was good but nothing amazing. It was super mild, so I feel like maybe trying a different roll could change my opinion of the place. They have a few unique options that I would definitely try - if you're going to pay a lot for sushi, might as well get something you couldn't get elsewhere. read more

Mola - Sea bream and black truffle pate hand roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

We've been to Mola several times since their soft opening. The speed of service and dining experience has improved greatly. Don't skip over the cocktail menu either. There are some delicious options there! They also offer delivery through a few local partners, and we've had good results with that. Where this place really shines is in the simplicity of the menu though, particularly with regards to the sushi. Sushi gets a bad rap for being prohibitively expensive "special occasion" food or poorly done, often resulting in an upset stomach. The sushi menu at Mola covers all the bases and offers intriguing specials (satisfying more experienced diners) while still remaining accessible for everyone and reasonably priced. It's a fantastic place to try sushi for the first time or indulge without breaking the bank or sacrificing quality. For the vegetarians and those who really don't like fish, Mola offers a delightful array of rice bowls that satisfy just as much as the seafood options. You really can't go wrong. If you get the opportunity to go, don't pass this place up. It's well worth it! read more

The food is to die for. I came & started with the pork bao which was so so flavorful. My sushi was hands down the best sushi I've ever had! Highly recommend. read more

Wow. Amazing sushi. Everything was excellent, including cocktails. Food came out fast but we did not feel rushed.

The food is great. It is made with fresh ingredients. The kitchen is an open kitchen. The place is clean. The water is filtered five times, something I love. The service was excellent and staff were courteous. It is a small quaint restaurant that feels clean and open. Importantly the food was flavorful based on its freshness and not requiring extra spice or salt or sugar. Each dish tasted fresh! read more

This review is for takeout*** Excellent! Very fresh. Takeout was ready quickly (under 15 mins) The space for the restaurant is small (about 8 tables). There is a bar and an open window where you can see the chefs. Definitely a great spot for lunch or a casual dinner. Large menu and daily specials. I got the tuna poke rice bowl and it was delicious!! My friend got a hand roll. It was kind of small so i would recommend getting two for lunch. I am looking forward to coming back to dine in! read more

Best sushi in Pittsburgh and they take reservations which is nice bc seating is limited so I do recommend a reservation. The sushi tastes as fresh as if they just pulled it out of the water which is very impressive considering we're in Pittsburgh lol read more

This is a great addition to East Liberty! I enjoyed the bao so much (pictured) I forgot to take a picture of our sushi! I've recently switched to a plant based diet and wondered how a sushi place was going to be worth trying. I'm so glad we did. They have this amazing vegan "tuna" called Ahimi. So delicious! For lunch they have a special when you order two rolls or bao or a rice bowl you get a free soup or salad and a bubble tea for $3! They have a full bar and really comfy seats! read more

Mola - Vegan "ahi" - Sushi Bars Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

See all

Lovely little dining spot. GREAT sushi/nigiri - so fresh. Steamed dumplings were also great, again fresh. Wish we could have tried all the appetizers. Next time. Make sure to make a reservation! read more

Food was amazing. Our waiter was knowledgeable and helped us to select the perfect pairings. Casual fun atmosphere. Will definitely be back!

We are still at Mola, our third time....everything is delicious . Mimi is charming , always friendly and amazingly remembers our names. We have had lunch and dinner ...we are so excited to have Mola so Close to our home and business. Thank you. read more

Came here for lunch and got the Spicy Salmon Poke. I was quite happy with the portion of salmon and it was quite tasty. I also enjoyed the Yakult green tea, which was $3 as a part of their lunch special. The lunch special wasn't advertised on the menu, but you get a free side if you order a rice bowl or 2 baos or 2 sushi rolls. I got a side of spicy crab salad, which was nice addition, but not something I liked enough to order separately if it weren't already included. Of the other dishes my friends ordered, those who got the gyudon with udon said it was very good. Those who got the bao said it was mediocre, so it's probably not worth coming here just for that. Two bao would be more like a snack than a meal. I'd go back if I were craving fresh fish, but as far as a regular dining spot it would be on the pricey side. read more

See all

The tuna is fishy. The seasoning of the rice bowl is overpowering. The service is um...subpar. They even got the order wrong. Two stars are for the soup and the salad. Sad and Disappointed. I had high hopes for it. read more

Great service good food. Good atmosphere. A little small but can accommodate larger groups.