Discovering Mola restaurant years ago was my lucky day. I can not say enough about the quality of the food and the creativity that makes each dish incredible.. The sashimi, my favorite, has large pieces of fish that couldn't be any fresher. Alex, the owner, makes this MOLA rice that is perfect and his wasabi a true winner. The poke bowls are fabulous with guacamole and seaweed on the side. The cooked meals, such as salmon are generous and tasty. Wonderful special teas and scrumptious desserts. You must try the crepe cake and mochidoki. I eat there frequently and recently met people from Japan and they couldn't say enough about it. I give it 10stars.. read more

This restaurant reminds me of how spoiled I am to live in NYC. A warm environment and caring service can't save this clumsy, pedestrian sushi. The fish is thick cut and metallic tasting, the rice stodgy. But maybe this really is the best Pittsburgh has to offer? read more

My favorite sushi spot in Pittsburgh! All their sushi is really thick and has consistent cuts! I also love their rice seasoning which sets them apart from other sushi restaurants. These are my frequent orders: ⁃ Miso soup - Organic and surprisingly really tasty! I like miso soups but this one tastes different than most miso soups I've had (in a good way). ⁃ Tuna Chirashi - This is an amazing deal and they pair thick quality tuna with plenty of rice! It's a great portion to share and I enjoy the sauce it comes with. I notice the tuna is not always consistent though (sometimes chewy). ⁃ Salmon belly - super tasty and I love getting it as a nigiri ⁃ Pork bao - I really love their pork baos here! I always order 1 for myself as an appetizer. It's really hard not ordering another. ⁃ Japanese Matcha cheesecake - It's dense and different than usual American Cheesecake ⁃ Mochidoki - I love getting their mochi for dessert! I recommend Ube! read more

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We had lunch at Mola when were in Pittsburgh for a weekend, and I really enjoyed it. They have a lunch special every day from 11am-3:30pm, which I loved. With two hand rolls/cut rolls/bao or 1 rice bowl, you get a free side (miso soup, seaweed salad, spicy crab salad, or a mixed green salad). I got two handrolls (baked salmon skin and yellowtail scallion) and a seaweed salad. My husband got a cut roll or two, a seaweed salad, and a nutella banana bao for dessert. All the food was really good. I love the menu! They have plenty of small plates, nigiri, sashimi, hand rolls, cut rolls, sushi combos, bao, rice bowls, and several dessert options. They are really vegan friendly, too. The service was good, and the restaurant space was pretty classic for a sushi spot. Overall, it was a great spot for lunch. Something for almost everyone! I'd happily return. read more

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The sushi was fantastic the service was even better than the food. The atmosphere is fun, maybe be a touch loud but nothing to much.

Finally!!!!! I made reservations for 7:30, they called me at 4:30 to ask if I could move it back to 7:45, no problem. We arrive, the parties were still hanging and enjoying themselves so we had to wait a bit. Listen to me when I say this, WAIT!!!!! Because of the delay, we ended up with a much better table by the window in the corner. Not pictured, because again, if you read my other posts, I tend to dive on in. My brother in law had beef udon and spicy tuna roll. My husband had yellow tail, tuna, and tuna scallion rolls. We had pork belly bao, it was yummy. It's an appetizer so it's not a full size bao. The pork had a hint of caramelized sweetness. I tasted my brother in law Udon, I wanted to take his bowl but I resisted the temptation of causing a scene. It's okay, I'm going back to get a bowl!!! This was my first time having hot sake. People if you drink, get a hot sake!!! Everything was fresh and clean tasting. The atmosphere was lively and everyone around us seem to be having a wonderful time. Bonus: because of the time we went, there was plenty of street parking. read more

Mola - Spicy Scallops Roll Bluefin Toro Shiso Cut Roll Spicy Bluefin Tuna Cut Roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Fantastic sushi experience! I ordered the Uni Chirashi, which had west coast uni, blue crab, king salmon roe, and bluefin toro. It was all delicious, and it got my hooked on salmon roe. I also ordered a piece of bluefin otoro sashimi. The otoro was heavenly and like butter. The server was super friendly and very attentive. The interior was simple, yet nice. I'm excited to return and try more of their menu. I plan to get the Tuna Chirashi next time. read more

Mola - Bluefin Otoro - Sushi Bars Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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Perfection. There's not much more to say - everything was just spot on and delicious!

As social distancing continues to be the norm, we are trying to enjoy all kinds of food from home. Friday nights choice was Mola! We originally wanted pizza, then Chinese, then we finally settled on sushi. I'm so glad we found Mola. Delivery was fast, and the food was still delish when it arrived. I was kinda on the fence about delivered sushi, but this was on point! We ordered so much, Matt got spicy stuff, including salmon and scallops, and I got my go to, tempura. Everything was super fresh, and they don't lie when they say spicy! My bao were delicious too! The pork belly melted in my mouth! So good. Really enjoyed eating takeout from here, and can't wait to get back to sitting in a restaurant "normally" again, soon! Keep supporting your local restaurants! They need you more than ever. Happy Eating! read more

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I'm conflicted. The sushi here is fantastic. On par with the coasts and when you ask they buy their fish from NYC so that would explain the quality. We ended up ordering the omakase for two without any money limit. It came to $150 each person. The tuna was fantastic from the body to the cheek. the otoro was so good that just makes you want more. They service was pretty slow for an omakase so we asked for the whole platter together. To be honest the food is definitely 5 stars and is worth the price. The main reason for the deduction is really just the lack of items in the omakase. Feels like it would benefit from some of the warmer dishes to balance out the fish. Also a little bit of a teaser on the waygu. They showed a big chunk bit only served maybe 1/3 or 1/4 of the block that you see in the picture. I think I would've been raving about it if they replaced the waygu with like several buns. It ultimately seemed like everything was slabbed together last moment. You would have more value if you just ordered right off the menu instead of as an "omakase" Overall, very nice good. We would definitely revisit but we would not order the omakase again nor would we recommend it. read more

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My favorite sushi spot in all of Pittsburgh. They have a great lunch special! Also, their bubble tea is out of this world read more

Mola - Crispy Chicken Bao - Sushi Bars Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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Amazing sushi at a fair price. Our waiter was super informative on our first visit and service is always great .

This hole-in-the-wall spot was very busy when we stopped in on a Friday night. We did have a reservation, so I recommend doing the same. The menu was pretty vast with great options all around. We all ultimately decided on each getting a roll and nigiri and we were pretty happy with how everything turned out. Super fresh and very tasty, all for a pretty fair price. The waitstaff is fairly attentive, maybe a bit less so since it was so busy that night. But in general they were super nice. Highly recommend if you're wanting sushi while in Pittsburgh! read more

Mola - Sushi Bars Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Went here for the Omakase. It was a delicious 12 courses and our service was also fantastic even though they were short-staffed! I'll definitely be returning to try it again sometime :) read more

Mola - Sushi Bars Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

I have never had a bad experience at Mola! I love that their food is always fresh and consistent even during the Covid. We order this for takeout sometimes as a treat because it is definitely expensive for takeout. They also deliver if you order directly from their website. I think this is one of the freshest places to get sushi in Pittsburgh. The scallop sashimi- chef kiss. SO good! I always get their chirashi bowl (2 salmon, 2 tuna, 2 yellowtail, 1 shrimp, 1 scallop, sushi rice) for $26. The raw scallops are the best part. I wish I could afford to eat a whole bowl of them with a glass of white wine! At lunch time, the rice bowls come with a free side of miso soup, seaweed salad, spicy crab salad, or a mixed green salad. My boyfriend loves the Grilled Organic Chicken Teriyaki that comes with steamed broccoli, and their house-made sweet soy glaze for only $13. We LOVE their bao buns too. They are like little pillows of dough, so fluffy and spongy. He gets the braised pork belly with crushed peanuts, pickled cucumber, and cilantro. They load up on the amount of pork belly too. I get the Veggie bao bun: Mola-mixed vegetables, vegan meat, with house-made hoisin sauce. It tastes like vegan general tso's, with the crunchy lotus root on top. The bao buns are amazing, I am already regretting not getting one the other day. We have done dine in and takeout and delivery since they opened. I went to lunch there by myself the other day and was surprised how busy it was. The note on the door said they were understaffed, but you would have never known otherwise! The waitress was so sweet and attentive. The food was coming out quickly and all the guests seemed happy. I am happy to support this local business. You can't beat the quality. read more

Mola - Chirashi bowl - Sushi Bars Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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I love Mola for its casual vibes and amazing food! I have yet to get anything I didn't like. I always love to start with mola-style vegetables. It has a great smoky flavor and makes me actually want to eat veggies! I wanted to also get the pork and chive dumpling but I opted for the Pork Belly Bao instead. No regrets! I have always loved Noodlehead's pork buns, but I think this is my new favorite. Each order only comes with a single bao. Ask your waiter if they can be cut in halves to share as appetizers. We also got the Shrimp Tempura Udon. The shrimp was nicely battered, and the soup was flavorful. I would definitely prefer the Spicy Salmon Poke I got last time over the udon though. We got the sushi grande and everything it came with was good. The blue crab hand roll came separately so it stays fresh. I wasn't impressed by it but I would definitely ask for it to be cut in half because the seaweed wrap is hard to bite/tear. Lastly, the yuzu cheesecake is amazing!!! I always get it because it's a perfect crowd-pleaser. (No pictures of it because it was gone so fast). We also split the Ozeki Nigori Sake which was refreshing and sweet. read more

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The food here is really good and the service is great! My partner and I visited over Thanksgiving weekend. We tried a couple of things, mola style vegetables and sautéed bok choy. Both of these were delicious and I could have eaten them for my entire meal. We also got the sushi grande combination plate to share. All the fish was delicious and fresh. I love that the blue crab hand roll is brought out when it's prepared so the seaweed is still crisp. Nice solid meal. To finish we got the mango crepe cake and mochi. These were ok but nothing special. Still a nice delicate and sweet end to a yummy meal. The only issue during our visit was the smoky smell, I'm not sure why it was so intense. But we had the smell of smoke on our clothes well after leaving this place. It may have been a one time thing the evening we went. read more

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The staff was very nice! Great ambiance! The food was mind-blowing! Best Miso Soup I've EVER had, and the Pork Bao Bun was so good! I LOVED the Vegan Avocado Cucumber Sushi too! read more

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Been here 3 times now. Each time has been a hit. The star of the show for me is the rice. Service is excellent. Warm boba tea is a nice cherry on top. read more

I've been here more times than I can count and Mola is such a hidden gem. You drive down Penn through East Liberty and it's just the best hole in the wall spot. Incredible sushi for a reasonable price, great and friendly service, and consistently good every time. Love Mola and will continue coming back time and time again. I had the miso soup (so flavorful), the sautéed bok choy so good), and lots of rolls including the spicy salmon. The fish just melts in your mouth! read more

After more than a dozen visits, I am appreciating all that Mola has to offer. The Chef is continually experimenting with new menu items, and you can check the specials on the board to see some of his newer ideas. The other night we tried an egg and tofu filled pastry that may end up being served at a dim sum brunch. The list of traditional rice/sweet potato wines is impressive, I'm still working my way through it. Whatever you order, it's always a special evening at Mola. We get a nice welcome and great service. I also appreciate the late hours, Mola is open later than most other area restaurants. read more

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This is the best place for sushi in all of Pittsburgh. Alex's source of fish come from all over the world, including Japan. Definitely come try their daily specials. My favorite is the salmon belly which you have to specially request. I also really love otoro and kamatoro. If you enjoy fatty cuts of fish, otoro and kamatoro will be absolutely divine. read more

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I came here recently for dinner and had really high hopes after seeing all the great reviews. Maybe my hopes were too high, but I did not really see the hype. I think part of the problem was I was expecting a different type of place. It is not really a dinner type place, more of a lunch or takeout spot. The lights are all super bright and it kind of feels like you are in a cafeteria. The food I also did not find to be anything great. It was good, but not 4 or 5 stars good. For appetizers we had the veggie, crispy chicken, and steak bao buns. I thought I would love the crispy chicken one, but it was bland and dry. A steamed bun is already so doughy that a lot of flavor and sauce is needed, which this dish did not have. The same could be said for the veggie and steak bun. The steak was my favorite of the three. We also ordered the veggie dumplings. These did not have much flavor and were overwhelmed by the excessive seaweed that was used in them. For my meal I had the spicy tuna roll. This was my favorite part of my meal. The tuna was very fresh and they packed on a lot to each roll. My wife had the hot and spicy chicken bowl. We both thought this was a pretty weak dish. When I hear hot and spicy, I think of a sauce or a lot of seasoning to make things hot, but the dish had neither. It had very little flavor at all and was not spicy. I would maybe stop in again for lunch or takeout, but do not see myself going back for dinner. read more

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VERY TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE. I went with friends to Mola to experience Omakase and paid ~$90 for it. Because it was our first time there, we asked them how long it would take to finish everything. The lady (seems like the owner's mom) interpreted us as mean and rude and filled us with all rice balls instead of what was supposed to be on the Omakase menu. We found out from seeing what our friends got by paying the same price. What's more, they told other customers about our group being rude and said that's why they filled us with rice balls instead of the fish that was supposed to be served. I'm never going to this place again or order its food online. It is not about the quality of food but the INTEGRITY of the owner. If he can switch our menu and fill us with rice balls this time only because he is unhappy with us, WHAT ELSE CAN HE POSSIBLY DO NEXT TIME? MESS ABOUT INGREDIENTS? It is very scary to think about it this way. I am telling you here that THE OWNER OF MOLA POSSESSES NO BUSINESS INTEGRITY. As customers, we are supposed to get what we paid for, it is an EXCHANGE OF EQUIVALENTS. YOU DON'T SWITCH MENU AND FILL PEOPLE WITH RICE BALLS WHEN THEY PAID FOR BETTER. THIS IS RIDICULOUS!! read more

Mola - Sushi Bars Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

The taste of Mola-Style Vegetables (V) is average and the quantity is small. Hokkaido Scallop is very tender and soft, but a bit bitter after taking a few more bites. Bannou Mongo Squid is very flexible and tasteless. Fresh Water Eel is a choice that can't go wrong. Sirloin Steak & Guacamole Avocado sauce tastes very good, sirloin is also delicious, but a bit old. Shrimp Tempura Udon is very light noodles, although the soup is delicious. Tempura is not Japanese tempura at all as your expected. It's just fried shrimp wrapped in thick flour. read more

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Make sure you're not coming here alone on a Friday night and you are an Asian female. I wait there for like 2 minutes for the waitress on the front desk to finish her call with another customer to be seated. I sit at the bar and NOBODY noticed me, then have to ask for someone to take my order. And some one asked if I need Boba in my drink. When I asked if there is some Boba in the bubbly Boba, since that's how they're called, I got very strange glances. Hey! I have the right to ask! And I don't know why they asked me twice if I'm taking out. I'm with my bag and I'm on my own, but I'm still entitled to dine in, as I told the reception desk. What's more, they are not using the proper sushi rice. Sushi rice are not red and I'm pretty sure about that. The fish is fine. Also, I notice when I see staff not properly trained enough. They forgot my drink order for a long time, I have to ask them for it, or else I wouldn't be able to get it before I finish my sushi. It's like no one noticed I'm there. You really should organize your restaurant in a more professional way. read more

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

By far, the FRESHEST sushi I have had in three years. We asked Jude (bartender/waiter) for his advice and he was right on. Manhattans up were delicious. Jude recommended several dishes, one of which we had been studying, the Bluefin toro and black truffle.We were instructed not to predip, in soy sauce, and the chef was so on. The chef board was filled with new experiences for me. We started with miso soup, which was thicker than usual and definitely more tasty. We shared a pork bao . The bun was soft and fluffy. Many different flavors. Needless to say, we have found our favorite sushi! Thank you Jude. read more

Yum! Baos and dumplings are delicious! I also got the boba tea - mango green tea and it was really tasty. There are chunks of yummy mango and boba at the bottom and you can tell them how sweet you want it - mine was not overly sweet which I requested and it was perfect. The pork belly bao had a crunchy and sweet taste to it and when I opened it it looked like crushed peanuts mixed with brown sugar - sounds weird but was so good and added a layer of texture to the bao that took it over the top! Hubby's crispy chicken bao was topped with a cole slaw with siracha aioli on it and he really enjoyed it. They're sorta small so if you're starving, one $4 bao is not gonna cut it but we had dumplings and there were more than enough to share a single order. Hubby doesn't eat pork so he got the veggie dumplings for himself and they were big and surprisingly good! I had pork and shrimp dumplings and wow - they were super filling. Really enjoyed this new place and will be back! read more

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Okay let me start off by saying our serve Delaney f***ing killed it. She was so attentive and very well verse on the menu, also very kind and outgoing. Loved the energy @delaney! We started off with the chicken, steak, and porker belly Bao and all were phenomenal. Chicken was our fav although noodlehead takes the cake of bao. For sushi we split the sushi grande (best deal around) and a tuna avocado & yellow tail jalapeño, All of the fish was so fresh, tuna avo and the scallop being my fave. Drink menu was also good although they lack a happy hour which is disappointing. I got the mola 75 which was strong and on the sweet side, I wish it was more tart but still good. Honey got the Sapporo beer which he enjoyed. $100 got us 3 bao, sushi grande, 2 cut rolls, 1 cocktail, and two beers (tip not included - $120 with tip) All in all a must try! Definitely recommend reservations as they get busy. read more

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I recently visited Miami and went to a Michelin Star Japanese restaurant. This little gem in Pittsburgh measures up and gives them a run for the money! I'm not surprised by how busy the restaurant is, I'm deeply impressed by the freshness of the food, the service, and pretty much every.single.bite. The Baos, oh the baos! A must try. The specials including the best bite of Pittsburgh called Katamoro was out of this world. Lots of vegetarian options too! Lastly, I just want to mention Brad the bartender was incredibly knowledgeable and did not hesitate to give us recommendations and a run through of the menu. He was very attentive despite how busy it was. Thanks Brad! read more

Caring & kind people offering the freshest sushi in Pittsburgh! Who wants to be working on Christmas Eve? No one. But Mola not only had normal business hours, offered delivery in an arctic storm, but they also gave a "Happy Holidays - enjoy on us" free spicy tuna roll in my delivery order! Was such a nice surprise and so generous. The avocado/cucumber roll, tuna roll, yellowtail roll (my usual go-to) were all delicious as expected. But the customer service was impeccable this evening - thank you Mola! read more

Hands down best quality fish I've had in a LONG time! I've tried a lot of sushi spots in Pittsburgh and this really takes the top spot. Service was amazing and everything was well worth the money. I had the sushi regular and the chef gave us a piece of kama-toro which literally melted in my mouth. The uni was fresh and sweet, and the blue crab hand roll was fresh and the chef waited to make them to keep the seaweed crisp. Cannot recommend this place enough, can't wait to be back! read more

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Since moving to Pittsburgh in 2016 my efforts to find quality sushi have generally stalled after my experiences in what I perceived to be uninspired options elsewhere. I came to Mola with an open mind and a recommendation from a friend. A glance at the towering blackboard covered in today's specials immediately gave me the impression this place was different than it's local counterparts. Olivia, my server for tonight, was kind, respectful, and easily approachable. I opted for the uni chirashi at her suggestion as well as an order of the king salmon, hokkaido scallop, and fresh water eel nigiri. The uni was briny and rich. The toro buttery and the rice had great consistency. The addition of the roe and blue crab was a nice touch to round out the chirashi. I found all my nigiri to be delicious, particularly the king salmon. Part way through my meal Olivia offered a pickled side dish that she suggested I try with the toro which I really enjoyed. I would safely suggest Mola to friends and family as some of the best this city has to offer. I look forward to returning especially since they were out of kamatoro, but to be fair I had requested the latest reservation spot possible. read more

Mola - Uni chirashi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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Look no further for some food yummy sushi, even for take out. Placing a take out order is easy online or through your favorite app. It took about 30 min for our order to be prepared and it was ready when they said it would be. Everything tasted so fresh and delicious. Just to name our favorites: - the Salmon and tuna sashimi melts in your mouth and the pieces are well sized. - I'm a big fan of all so the Eel with almonds roll was one of my favorites. That nutty crunch from the almonds was also a unique surprise. - The Hand roll with blue crab had a nice sweetness and was pretty meaty. - The spicy tuna roll was a perfect balance of spice and fresh. - The shrimp tempura roll was wonderfully tender and crispy all in one. We also got the pork belly and chicken bao which were both tasty but I've had better in that category. The pork belly was good but had too little filling. The chicken needed more of a sauce. read more

Mola - Sushi Bars Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Came here for dinner on a weekday. Ordered 2 miso soups and split a plate of pork & chives dumplings and the 'sushi regular' (2 salmon, 2 tuna, 2 yellowtail, 1 tuna & avocado cut roll, 1 blue crab hand roll). We were served the soups and dumplings quickly, but waited longer than expected for the sushi. They seemed to be backed up with orders for delivery. But once we got our sushi, we were quite satisfied. All the cuts of fish were generous and delicious. I've heard good things about their bao and bubble tea, so I'll definitely be back to give those a try! read more

Update - I went back because I couldn't let the uni escape me and it was everything I dreamed it to be. It tasted so creamy with some sweetness and the slight sea flavor. If you love uni, get it. If you love to eat something different, get it!! Also I went with a different person and they also wanted to try the tuna chirashi and also fell in love with the toro cuts so just get that also! read more

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This is the best sushi I have ever had. I have eaten sushi around much of the country, including NYC, and this takes the cake. Their fish is so delicate, fresh, and truly melts in your mouth. They do not skimp on quality or ingredients. Their fish-to-rice ratio is perfect. Adding almonds to an eel avocado roll? Absolute genius. Their prices are on the expensive end but they back it up with perfection. I don't know what else to say about this place other than you need to RUN here for your next sushi experience. read more

This is the best sushi in Pittsburgh without a doubt! I highly recommend starting out with their miso soup and then trying their pork belly buns as these are some of the best I've had. Their sushi is some of the best I've had and definitely the best in Pittsburgh. I would order one of their sampler platters to be certain you are getting the full array. Definitely don't forget to try their mochi ice cream - it's a highlight of this place for sure! read more

Mola - Sushi Bars Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

The sushi here is very good. I have enjoyed the poke bowls here the most. Both the tuna and yellowtail bowls are very good. The miso soup is very flavorful also. The service is super friendly and efficient. read more

A yummy rice bowl on a beautiful afternoon, sitting on the sidewalk with someone you love? How can that not be great? I liked Mola a lot - fresh food, friendly service, a good place to check out! read more