Nope. Not okay. Definitely feeling cheated and quite offended at this point. Just when you think motomaki is a decent place, I have to demote my 5 star rating to a 1 star. I don't know what kind of game this place is playing, but there's absolutely no way them raising their prices by TWO DOLLARS is gonna fly with me or any self-respecting person. The sushi burritos were great but... Only for that price. I'd much rather take my money elsewhere if this fast food concept thinks it values at $12-14. Who is motomaki trying to fool here? Not a fan. Yes, I had some fond flavor memories here, but it's a thing of the past and I won't be looking back. read more

Motomaki used to be such a great place to eat at. I wish I could give them a 2.5 star review, but my experience here recently was very negative. I have been coming here since they opened and unfortunately their food quality and service has gone downhill. They are getting extremely stingy and cheap, which wouldn't be a problem if I wasn't a loyal customer. I asked for extra sauce in a bowl and the lady working the food line was very rude and talked down to me. She said "you're going to have to pay and get back in line if you want the extra sauce (which I asked for initially)". So, I waited in line for 15 minutes to paid $0.53 cents for a side of sauce. When I went back to get the sauce, she handed me the wrong one which I tasted, and told her I tasted it, and she took it back and put it in the refrigerator (YUCK!). I reminded her again that i tasted it, and then she finally threw it away. This person had such a bad attitude, I'm not sure why you would want someone to represent your business and make a unsanitary mistake like that. On a more positive note, the food is decent and unique, but I would not bother going to the location in Boulder. It's clear the owners do not care about their customers and have trained their staff to be that way too. I miss the old motomaki. read more

Yummy yum yum! I absolutely love the concept behind Motomaki - it is essentially a chipotle and pei wei mixed together to deliver great sushi burritos and bowls. You can design your own or choose from their pre-created menu (which is what I suggest doing because you get way more bang for your buck!) With tons of veggie and protein options to choose from, Motomaki is the perfect solution for sushi lovers who need to pick something up on the fly! When I went, I got the Shrimp Tempura wrap and not only is it a ton of food, it was so fresh and each item was so flavorful that when all combined it was truly mind blowing. On taste alone, I would give this place 5 stars but the staff isn't particularly friendly and you really have to know what youre doing going into it because they aren't interested in helping you figure anything out...the only bummer of hiring college students who would rather be anywhere but at work. All in all, I was impressed with Motomaki but strongly suggest checking out the menu online and the other reviews here before heading in for your first time! read more

Motomaki - Menu - Japanese Near Me - Boulder, Colorado

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This place is delicious! I had the shrimp tempura bowl--in addition to shrimp tempura, there was vegetable tempura, spicy tuna, avocado, California roll crab meat, all over rice and sprinkled with tenkasu. It was filling and satisfying! Tasted fresh, with a great balance of textures. Motomaki is in a shopping lot, so there's plenty of parking. The space is big and relaxing, service is fast. Perfect for a casual lunch! $10-12 a bowl. Prices seemed perfectly reasonable to me, but maybe it's what I'd expect to be paying in NY for an easy lunch. Bring Motomaki this way! read more

Motomaki - Shrimp tempura bowl--delicious! - Japanese Near Me - Boulder, Colorado

Ever since I've had Sushiritto in San Francisco, I've been waiting patiently for a restaurant like it to open. My prayers have been answered! The only reason that I'm giving Motomaki a 4 star is because I vehemently compare it to Sushiritto. I've had tried their salmon poke, shrimp tempura roll, and soft shell crab. I have not been disappointed yet and the sauce they use makes their big rolls taste a lot better. The one thing I don't like is how the rolls fall apart real easily. Sometimes I have to eat it with chopsticks because it falls apart. read more

Motomaki - Shrimp Tempura Roll - Japanese Near Me - Boulder, Colorado

If I could give this a zero star I would. They propped the back door open right next to our table (hello side of flies)! Apparently the restaurant became too smokey and rather than propping open the front door (where there are not immediate tables in the vicinity) and as requested and asked by this diner I was instead provided with rudeness and insults by both the manager and another nosey diner who had no clue on what was happening! Now I get to enjoy this food as a cold soggy meal as a first time diner! But hey at least it is sans flies! and rude ignorant people right? read more

I'm originally from Hawaii, lived there til I was over 30, poké und rice bowls are common there... rice with every meal... so I should love Motomaki but I don't. My sister loves it... I wanted to... badly! Yes, it's a bit expensive but for 2 pounds of food, and fish in an are so far away from the ocean... well, you've gotta pay the price if it's gonna be fresh. And yes, the fish, the poké is delicious. They have the basic recipe down (though in Hawaii, there's so much more variety and with seaweed - ogo). But to find it in Boulder Colorado... it's a great start. For a person from Hawaii, I should be eating rice like it's going out of style, but it never was a favorite of this haole (white islander). So the pound of rice just mostly goes to my dog. He loves it. Some of the ingredients really make me scratch my head - like bacon in the salmon poké. And it's in strips. It's so incongruous. I gave it to the dog... it didn't make any sense! I also ordered the crispy eggplant which was soggy (I should have known) by the time I got home to Longmont as there's no dine-in during CoVid. It didn't reheat well and was cloyingly oily. I really wanted to love both orders too... as it was a splurge and Motomaki is my sister's favorite take out (recommendation: eat-in-when not under pandemic rules). They do really well with the CoVid guidelines with two computers to order from. Automated calls when your order is ready and signs marking social distancing spots. No one is allowed to approach the preparation area either with tables and cordons to keep people safely away but not like barbed wire or anything! The restaurant itself is modern looking and hosts photos of street life in Japan. Service is fast and despite the distance of CoVid relations, it's as personal as possible under guidelines. I'd really just like to Pick up Poké the future, but you get more in a bowl at almost $13 than the appetizer bowl with salad at $12. So it's a hard one. There's just too much oil in the rest of the food. That's what I felt - oily! Maybe because it cooled on the way home to Longmont - about 45 minutes with a stop I had to make. So get it and eat it fresh. Microwaving won't help - especially with tempura items. So plan ahead. I wanted to give this restaurant 5 stars but it wasn't just the oily food. I was expecting better and some of the ingredients just have no right being together! Honestly. I'm not sure I'll be back unless I can't find fresh poké. That part was great. Tempura is best eaten fresh and crispy. read more

Actually this was the first time I tried a poke bowl. I'm very familiar with Japanese cuisine and honestly wasn't expecting much from this fusion dish. I always used to think it's just load of extra shit on plain sushi to make it more exotic. But man I was wrong. It had all the goodies packed in a bowl - sushi, tempura (asparagus tempura was delicious, even if you're making your own I highly suggest adding this), wasabi and sauce. I tried the nacho tuna bowl and it was very filling. I'm giving this place five stars cuz it's the first time I tried this dish and was very impressed. Gonna keep looking for similar places! read more

Motomaki - Nacho Tuna Bowl - Japanese Near Me - Boulder, Colorado

If you're familiar with / a fan of Sushirrito (from San Francisco), you will be delighted to know that Boulder has its own clone in the form of Motomaki. It's a fun idea, to eat a giant sushi roll with your hands... because who doesn't love Chipotle and sushi? Their motomaki ingredient pairings are clever and unexpected, much more than just your typical sushi bar fare (aka the Alaskan, Dragon, and Rainbow rolls of the world). My boyfriend and I finally got a chance to visit and ordered the Kalbi and Salmon Poke motomaki. I was pleasantly surprised at how much kalbi I had in my roll, and loved the flavors! The Salmon Poke was great as well - it's almost like a club sandwich (but with salmon instead of turkey and rice instead of bread). It also has BACON so you can't go wrong... While Motomaki is a novel concept, I personally prefer to eat normal-sized maki rolls with chopsticks. The unfortunate thing about eating a sushi roll this large is that you don't get every flavor in every bite - they are naturally segregated due to the layering of ingredients (same with a Chipotle burrito). They do offer their motomakis as a bowl, which sounds like an option I may be more interested in (although probably more rice!). Overall, definitely worth experiencing once, if not many more times. read more

Motomaki - Kalbi motomaki - Japanese Near Me - Boulder, Colorado

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This was my first time at Motomaki and I can definitely say it won't disappoint! Coming from the east coast, I had heard all about sushi burritos on the west coast, specifically in California. However, when I heard there was a place that served it here in Boulder, I was more than excited. Four stars! THE GOODNESS --- Food: I ordered the Salmon Poke Roll which had salmon poke, bacon, asparagus, avocado, cucumber, crispy onions, moto slaw, and sriacha aioli. It was a little strange to see bacon in a sushi roll at first, but for some reason it worked. The salmon did get lost in the roll at moments, but it was easily forgotten because the bacon actually added a lot of good flavor and texture. Every bite had me wanting more and it was nice that they give you a small dish for soy sauce/wasabi. Definitely tasted like sushi! Also, if you have ever been a fan of Ramune drinks, this place will make your childhood come to life. --- Environment: Very casual and open, especially enjoyed the Japan-inspired pictures on the wall. We had a group of 14+ people and did not have much trouble finding seating. Food also came out very quick. THE NOT SO GOODNESS --- Price: Although everything was delicious, it was a little pricey at $12, considering the lack of sides. With a single burrito, I still felt like I needed small snack after, but that's also because I eat an unreasonable amount. Still, it would be nice to have some sides on the dish with the burrito. --- Service: Workers here could be a little nicer. I know it is a casual restaurant, but definitely felt a little distant and fast-food like. WOULD I COME BACK? --- Yes. Sushi in a burrito that actually tastes good. Why wouldn't I? read more

Motomaki - Salmon Poke Maki Roll - Japanese Near Me - Boulder, Colorado

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Good job motomaki! Im trying to stay healthy on a punk bitch and do numbers, so i ate some rice with some raw salmon and some avacado and some other things! I put some soy sauce on that sonofagun just to turn up the dank levels! I asked for a water cup and didn't get it! Last time i asked for a water cup and didn't get it either! Guess what I did? I went home and drank my own water and pet my gigantic cat named Steve! read more

Motomaki - #2 bowl bruther - Japanese Near Me - Boulder, Colorado

Gone down hill. From management to food. Used to be very good. Been going there since the day it opened. Now it is apparent in order to receive good service & kindness one needs to be latino. Yep ~ I said it. Manager is racist. The manager on duty talks down to people. My 2nd negative experience with this person. The 2 cashiers were were very kind & were aware of the managers arrogance. read more

Fairly new place and a great and unique concept. This is a fast casual restaurant. You order your food and they give you a pager to pick it up when it is ready. They have salads, bowls, huge sushi rolls wrapped in foil ( a burrito roll) and a selection of sake and beer. The food is fresh and good and the service is friendly. Today I enjoyed the tempura shrimp roll. I would definitely recommend. read more

Motomaki - Shrimp Tempura Roll - Japanese Near Me - Boulder, Colorado

If you like sushi and Asian flare, this is a decent lunch spot to hit up. The portions are very large, so beware! I like the Hawaiian bowl and burrito, which has overall good flavor. The reason I gave it a 3 is because I feel like they throw so many different flavors and sauces and things into the mix, which makes it feel a bit too heavy. It's like sushi made for America with the large portions and flavors. I like it but I would rather get sushi instead. read more

Motomaki - Hawaiian Bowl - Japanese Near Me - Boulder, Colorado

Update: I went about 6 months ago and it happened: Motomaki made me sick. Like, violently ill. Full scale bodily evacuation. For some Yelpers, that would be the end of Motomaki. I, however, refuse to be defeated by food. I took some time, did some soul searching, and last week, the smell of tempura and soy sauce called to me as I was walking to Chipotle. The roll I got was delicious. I didn't get sick. So, I dropped my review score by a star in memoriam of my bowel system. But I still like this place. Hopefully this isn't one of those tragic relationship stories. Anyway. The sushi-burrito analogies are apt. This place basically packs a bunch of amazing goodness into big futomaki and wraps them in aluminum foil like a chipotle burrito. The wife and each got a different roll. I got the nacho tuna, and she got the salmon poke. We shared half of each. Impressions: Ingredients are diverse, tasty and seem fresh. Service is quick. Flavor combinations were really fun. Eating the roll is kinda messy after a few bites. They have booze- Japanese beer and some sake behind the register. There are also some novelty Japanese snacks for sale at the counter if you need to evidence to convince your secret second family that you just got back from your "business trip" in Japan. Kids love Pocky! Prices aren't super cheap, but I think the value is solid for what you get. I was pretty stuffed after I finished the roll. This is also a fun place if you get off on watching people awkwardly stuff big food into their mouth and subsequently get it all over themselves. I am not personally into that, but you perverts can knock yourselves out. read more

Motomaki - The Salmon Poke big roll. - Japanese Near Me - Boulder, Colorado

This is the only and the best fast food Japanese place I've ever gone to. My friend sent me a picture of their "sushi burrito" and I had to go! I got the shrimp tempura one, and it was amazing. My only regret is that I did not go when I was hungrier, because it was GIANT. Their garden salad was giant and had a nice light dressing on it and a nice serving of carrots tomatoes and cucumbers. The seared tuna bowl looked amazing as well. You get great value for the money and a casual unique dining experience. I would have given it a 5 star rating but I got hot tea and then it's a "do it yourself" sort of operation , and when I went to fill up the tea there was none in the hopper. I informed an employee , and checked on the tea four times throughout the course of my meal, and there was no tea. When I was done eating they had finally gotten to filling it up but they were brewing it in the back or something and I had to settle for filling my cup up ain't iced tea. Would rather just hot water and a tea bag then wait on hot tea which doesn't exist and this part of my experience was very frustrating. read more

Motomaki - Sushi Burrito - Japanese Near Me - Boulder, Colorado

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Pros: Food is fresh and taste great. Cons: I had to take out a loan to pay for my poke bowl...very expensive as they nickel and dime you to death. Service was sub par. Cashier was pre-occupied with something else. I had to repeat my items several times and my bowl was still missing 3 items I requested. Not a fan of the fountain drinks. read more

Motomaki is a decent place if you just want rolls, just be aware that they don't serve sushi nigiri style. It's a casual place. You order at the register and grab any open table. We went in late so it was nice and fast. I ordered the Salmon Poke Moto. This has salmon, avocado, bacon and a bunch of other stuff. It was good but I probably should have gotten something more basic. I found the bacon a little off-putting in a roll. The salmon got kind of lost. My wife ordered a custom roll with just salmon and avocado. It was better for the simplicity. In both rolls, the salmon was of decent quality. We also had sides of seaweed salad and edamame. Both were large portions and very good. My only issue with Motomaki is that they serve the rolls cut in half and wrapped in foil like a burrito, rather than cut into bite size pieces like you normally get a roll. We found that the rolls fall apart, making it messy to eat. Also made it harder to add the wasabi and soy sauce for every bite. I ended up with soy sauce all over my hands. Would be easier to serve cut up so they're edible with chop sticks. Each roll cost $12 and the sides $5 each. It was quite a bit of food so the prices were reasonable. Now that I know what I'm getting, I'd probably visit Motomaki again if I'm in the area and in the mood for a quick sushi roll. read more

$14 for rice and tofu - I'll go somewhere else next time. There's lot of other options around

Tasty! I was a little hesitant at first. I thought they might overload on rice in the burrito and skimp on fillings but I was wrong! The Seared Ahi Tuna Club had a good balance of flavors, and most importantly I could actually taste the ahi tuna. The wasabi aioli was also a great addition to the roll. In terms of restaurant appeal, I like the overall ambiance and layout of the restaurant--it's clean and modern. My only quibble is that the portions are kind of small considering the price. At least for me, I finished my roll and still wanted a snack afterward. read more

Motomaki - Seared Ahi Tuna Club - Japanese Near Me - Boulder, Colorado

please open up locations in dc!!!!!!!! this place is amazing. like chipotle but better. read more

Motomaki - Japanese Near Me - Boulder, Colorado

One of the best Poke bowls I've ever had. I got the Nacho Tuna Big Bowl with an extra side of crispy eggplant and it was incredible. The eggplant and tempura asparagus were crunchy, the sauce combinations were great, and the spicy tuna was delicious. Would 100% go back again. read more

Amazing, I come here every week I prefer it to all of the sushi in boulder. I recommend getting a bowl instead of a wrap (larger portion) and the best part is the sriracha mayo! read more

Motomaki - Make your own bowl with tuna :) - Japanese Near Me - Boulder, Colorado

It was good, tasty, and has great options for just about everyone. If you expect to eat the roll like a burrito, don't bother. Two of us ordered rolls and they basically fell apart and were super messy. If you want to practice eating like a toddler, this is clutch. If not, stick to the bowls. read more

We came upon Motomaki when Tatsuki, which a friendhad mentioned had 25% off on Sunday nights, was not just not offering 25% off on Sunday nights but was closed (terrible friend...) . So we searched for sushi nearby and came up with Motomaki. So first off, Motomaki isn't sushi (but is tagged as such). It's like (as Nancy said) Chipotle-style Japanese-influenced fusion cuisine. Lots of poke-ish bowls with tempura veggies, guacamole, salsa, or tempura protein with (not tempura veggies). I ordered the nacho tuna and my husband ordered the salmon curry. They messed up my order and gave me shrimp tempura but were quick to fix it. Unfortunately we just felt the flavor fell flat. There was too much heavy stuff that added no flavor but lots of mush and calories. I figured maybe I just needed to wedge everything into one bite, like a real roll, but it still didn't work. My husband felt the same way about the curry. The food was fresh from what I could gather, and the servers were sweet, the flavors (or lack thereof) just didn't resonate with us. I'll stick with real sushi and hopefully find someplace that has a good Sunday night special next time! read more

Both the Tuna Pike Bowl and the Mochiko Chicken Bowl were underwhelming. The tuna did not seem super high quality or fresh and the chicken was cold and mushy, not crispy. Both bowls were smothered in sauce which made it difficult to taste the tuna and chicken. Would not go back. read more

I won't say it is an absolute must try if you're in the Boulder area, but it was good and you won't regret it. And then you can say you've had a sushi burrito. Quick, friendly, and fast service, it's the sushi version of Chipotle. Loved the shrimp tempura one. They make it easier for you by having premade ones, if you're indecisive. There's also a make your own bowl/burrito option. I think you get a little more food with the bowl than with the burrito, but one should fill you up. The price though is a bit high for what it is, but I would come back. read more

This place is like the Chipotle of Asian fusion. Pretty much everything comes either as a bowl over rice or a massive burrito-size maki roll with seaweed instead of a tortilla. Pretty good stuff, seemed overpriced for what you get though. Chopsticks will emit a flurry of sawdust upon opening, try not to break em out around your food. read more

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Great place for quick Asian food in Boulder. I have had the Nacho and Tempura rolls and both are super good and super filling, I usually skip the mango salsa but like the rest of the ingredients. I see it as on-the-go sushi that really only costs $10-$12. Lately, I've been going for the Mochiko chicken bowl that is the perfect serving size for me and it's only $8. The chicken tender and very flavorful with slices of avocado, Asian cole slaw, and alfalfa sprouts. It's a nice environment but if you are dining in you will need to walk up to the counter to collect your food and also bus your own tables. read more

Motomaki - Mochiko Chicken - Japanese Near Me - Boulder, Colorado

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My top pet peeve is probably HHs that end right at 5am. Hi, sorry.. but most - *most* - people work 8 or 9 to 5. (Not special enough to have shortened hours..) In any case, I made it in at 4:59 for their HH special but would never enjoy HH here on a normal day. That said - I got their new Island Poke Bowl and it was.. ok. Motomaki is definitely not as good as I remember - not enough fish, the rice was a little dry, and not nearly enough sauce to keep the entree from being bland. I ended up putting a good amount of wasabi-ed soy sauce into my meal, and I thought that I could probably recreate this dish at home, but better (questionable but worth a try)... and it looks less than great when I think this as eating my meal. read more

Seriously this was so good. I had a shrimp teriyaki roll and it was really delicious. My boyfriend made his own roll and it was incredible! It's really nice to have this less expensive version of sushi to get my fix. The staff experience was a weird one. I asked if I should get the shrimp tempura or spicy tuna roll. One cashier said they only tried the tempura and the other said she didn't like fish. Why work there? It made no sense. Go there for the food but don't expect much from the service. read more

This place is delicious. That being said it's also pretty expensive. We came here for the sushirittos of course and honestly you're not leaving that place without at least paying a good $10-15 for a sushiritto cause they charge for every ingredient you put in that thing except for rice. If you're willing to overlook the pricey part of that I think you'll enjoy this place. I ordered a sushiritto comprised of: Nori (seaweed) Brown Rice Salmon Poke Avocado Pickled Diakon and Carrots and Ponzu Sauce. It was very good- got a little messy at the end but overall I thought the ingredients tasted fresh and worth coming back for again. read more

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Please do not advertise kalbi as korean shredded beef because kalbi is the short ribs. If you are going to make shredded beef do it correctly with soy sauce and eggs like the actual dish in korean instead of putting in "kalbi" as the name. Would never order anything from this place because the taste was just awful. read more

Really high quality, fresh tasting, delicious food being served here! I mean wow, I got some sushi burritos to go from here and they were out of this world type of good. I mean, what a time to be alive in 2017 when I can drive down the street and get a sushi-burrito as good as this one. I tried the curry salmon roll and when I bit into it it was like POP with flavor. Everything was fresh and it all tasted very flavorful and good. Definitely felt like I was eating healthy and not at too high of a cost either, which is a rare combination to find nowadays! This place is one of my favorite new spots as you can tell. read more

Love this place. Since I am from the bay area, I am used to sushi burrito and sushi bowl places. This place isn't as good as some of those, but overall pretty tasty and I still end up here about once a week. There is a menu with predesigned bowls/rolls that you can choose from, or you can create your own and choose what ingredients you would like. I have always created my own, as I pretty much want fish without any of the fried stuff. The crispy onions do add a little crunch if you want that, without being overpowering, so sometimes I add that to my roll. Some things I really like: Online ordering Big Rollers Club - about every 10 entrees I get a free one Good fish Things I don't like as much: Some of the staff are not super friendly My order is sometimes made way before I get there after I ordered online There's no tobiko as an option to add to my roll or bowl A little expensive Overall, if you need a sushi fix, this is a great way to go. Giant roll made to your specifications. A little more expensive than I expect, but it doesn't stop me from going often. read more

This place is awesome. Quality of the chicken is always great. One of the best spots in Boulder. -recommend building your own bowl read more

Motomaki - Moto - Japanese Near Me - Boulder, Colorado

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Yummerz!! I got a shrimp tempura sushi burrito today... It was jam packed with spicy tuna, shrimp tempura, crab salad, tempura asparagus and cucumbers then rolled up into a huge mamerjammer. Flavor was great! While I was eating it, I kept wondering what the equivalent of regular sushi rolls this would equal out to. Such a great deal for $12. You have the option of sushi burrito or bowls and you can even build your own or choose one from the menu. We also got some crispy thin cut taro chips to share! Can't wait to go back and try everything on the menu. This place is a quick and tasty way to get your sushi fix read more

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I ordered the "Tofu Vegetable (GF)," which was supposed to be "marinated tofu, blanched spinach, pickled daikon and carrots, sesame bean sprouts, and jalapeño dressing," according to the website. I could not be more disappointed in Motomaki after hearing all of the positive reviews. My family ordered out (delivery) from the Boulder location and were left with... a bowl of white rice, a tiny side of ginger, a tiny bit of wasabi, uncooked tofu, and some lettuce. How is this worth what we were charged? I could've whipped this up for under $5 from the local grocery store. It's literally raw, aside from the rice. I know they're fast-casual, but this first impression went straight into the garbage. Waste of time and money. read more

Motomaki - Um what? No seasoning, plain tofu on top of wilted lettuce... this makes zero sense. - Japanese Near Me - Boulder, Colorado

The food is great with a wide selection so you have many options to choose from. The service is great and the ambiance is good.

The food here is always good and high quality ingredients are used. You can also get take out pretty fast as a walk in. One of our faves for take out! read more