Tuesday, 7:34pm (they close at 9) i wanted to order some sushi. Nothing too crazy. Was told the kitchen was closed but depending on what I wanted they would consider reopening the kitchen. I work in a restaurant. We allow people in until closing time and only close the kitchen after everyone has ordered. This place is overpriced, but I get it, everything costs more now. This scenario was nothing but unprofessional and made me question what other procedures they might fudge on. read more

Went there last night, at first we were seated at the bar, which is tiny and uncomfortable, where we were forgotten about. No one asked us about drinks or anything. And The chefs are literally right in front of your face but they didn't greet us which was super awkward. We asked to be moved to a table and were then helped right away. We ordered literally only 2 sushi rolls and didn't get them for over an hour! We almost walked out at one point. The waitress was very apologetic and I know it's not her fault but that was just ridiculous. The rolls were good but I can't believe the sushi prices here-over $20 for each roll! Will not be coming back, the wait-time was atrocious, for any order let alone our very small one. Maybe don't take as many online orders when your restaurant is full or make room for more chefs to work? read more

My :( updated review (hadn't been here in about a year), summarized in a few sentences. New waitress is super unfriendly... like inconvenienced she had to help us. Menu now does not include any appetizers, rice bowls, noodle bowls, etc... it's all sushi. Sushi was not as delicious as it once was. read more

Every time we have visited the service has been great and the food has been fantastic (sushi, noodle dishes and tofu). The bathroom is always clean; you can tell the quality of the establishment by the cleanliness of the bathroom. The prices are decent. Love coming here to eat! I recommend this restaurant whole heartedly! read more

This was a nice experience for me. When Nara first opened many years ago, I lived in Billings. The food was good then and is still good today. I had two decent rolls, more than plenty of food. The waitress was efficient, pleasant and involved. I will say, the team making my rolls seemed inexperienced. Both rolls were a little loose in construction and one needed a sharper knife to make the cuts cleaner. Stuff was stuck together. Good job everyone and thank you for the memories. read more

I had some good sushi here, but was concerned about all of the jalapeños and creme cheese. I had some with and some without the jalapeños. My favorite was the fire in the hole. I did enjoy my meal and discovered dirt church IPA. The menu was heavy on specialty rolls and not a lot of the regular go to rolls. It was good but was it worth $115? read more

Went there for dinner. I was shocked with prices of each sushi. Rainbow Roll for $35!!!!!! Who pays for that? The sushi menu had crazy ingredients....bacon, cheddar cheese....odd to us. We've enjoyed sushi in many cities across the US and never experienced sushi this bad. We actually had the "whatever roll" and asked them to leave out the cheddar cheese which was supposed to be melted on the sushi. So at least it was edible. This was not the case for the spicy tuna roll...the ground tuna was more mush and no taste with zero spicy. There was one waitress for the whole restaurant. Clearly she was overwhelmed but can't blame her. She treated us well. At some point owners son (under 10) in boy scout clothes was cleaning the tables. Is that even legal? Just because they are one of 2 sushi places in Billings does not mean we have to pay excessive prices. I will never go back. read more

Love how intimate this place is. The sushi is always fresh and you get an actual person sized roll. The rollin red is my favorite but I've tried almost everything in the menu and my husband and I are fans. read more

We are so happy we finally tried this restaurant we had dinner there last night and the Sushi was amazing the sushi chefs did a great job! We missed good sushi and we can't be happier we have a place to go. The staff is very nice so we didn't mind waiting for our food because it was definitely worth the wait! We will definitely be back!! Everything we ate was so good!!! read more

I can't believe how expensive of their food are. I ate in many different J restaurants in many different States. The food here are way too much than the other area. The food is not that great. I can go to a high end, fresh J restaurant in CA. The quality is much much better and cost pretty much the same or even less. It just blow my mind after I order to go of about 15 rolls. It cost over $300 before tips. read more

Best sushi in Billings, owners are 1 of a kind, they've been killing it since 1996 so you don't have to hear it from me, highly recommend if your in Billings, if sushi is not your go t00 ,there kitchen brings that fire kudos to the whole staff !! read more

This family takes their business very seriously and they take their fish even more seriously. The portions are significantly larger than any other sushi I've paid for and it's fresh as if we were seaside in Japan. I have eaten it seaside around the world and have to grin that the best I've had is in Billings Montana...funny! The icing on the cake is the other foods on the menu! Order the kimchee soup, it's spicy and delicious...I mean DELICIOUS! There are lots of fabulous surprises on the menu, explore and enjoy. They have also recently redecorated and it's beautiful inside too. read more

Last night was probably one of the 3 best meals I've ever eaten....yes in my life. And you would think it was just because the food was that dang good....but it was more. The kind, attentive warm family like environment that Nara embraces is what can only be described as a service most restaurants have come to take for granted. So now back to the food. The use of invention, imagination and creativity to transform what is already stellar quality food into a magical explosion of new and refreshing flavors is in my humble opinion...unmatched...anywhere. If your looking for out of a frozen box food experience.... head to the west-end or grand where you have more than enough selections of frozen gas station or quick buffet grade sushi...but if you want to be transported to a rewarding adventure in true quality cuisine...head to Nara. You wont regret it. read more

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First time ever in Billings and found this place for dinner as I got into the city. I was able to sample their salmon Nigiri, spicy tuna maki roll, and their Tonkatsu with rice. I must say for Montana their fish had a delicious umami and they don't skimp on the slices of fish as well. The Tonkatsu was also fried very well and in general food was on point. Also I would recommend their sake as well if you're into it as a way to end the meal with it. read more

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We really enjoyed eating here! We were really impressed with how fresh everything tasted. The rolls and gyoza we got were delicious and the service was great. I so wish I could remember the name of our server because she was so kind and very attentive. The food is well worth the price and we will certainly be back! read more

Okay, at best. Billings could learn a little hospitality from Vegas. The entry: no greeting, empty host position. You'll be treated better by any food truck in town. Most special rolls had "spicy" tuna or "smoked" salmon. What? nothing sashimi-grade? $25 for a mediocre roll. The presentation was okay. The miso, salad routine, default good. The Korean BBQ was authentic, quite good. Lacking bang for the buck. Forgettable. No return. read more

Let's be real because when you order sushi in Montana, and it's actually fresh and delicious, everything else about the experience matters a little less. As everyone has said, these rolls are MASSIVE. To the extent that for Dae's Special roll, we found ourselves enjoying the salmon sashimi style off the top of the roll and still had plenty of salmon left on the roll for a delicious bite. All of the fish was very fresh, prepared wonderfully, and with great flavor combinations in the rolls. Well worth the price point. The service was a little slow, but I don't blame the waitress as she was hustling! And kept a great attitude throughout even as the restaurant started to fill up. It might be nice if they considered a hostess to seat people, get drinks, run credit cards, etc. The space is relatively small, but the decor is fine. It appeared clean, restrooms included. However, to earn the elusive 5th star you need the whole package and sadly our starters, the edamame and miso, left lots to be desired. The edamame was way over steamed, and therefore mushy. And the miso broth tasted like ramen packet broth. read more

We have ordered twice from this place. Sushi is fresh, tasty, and reasonable price. Their Korean fried rice is amazing. Great flavor, huge portions, and good price. NaRa is by far our favorite sushi place here in Billings. read more

I finally tried out the restraint everyone talks about--not everyone has good to say and I don't either... I had the lunch special-all you can eat, my son and I had a California roll and a spicy tuna roll and an egg roll. The sushi rolls were dry. As if they were made hours previously. They were warm--room temperature--not fresh. The rice was blah. The egg rolls were also not Fresh. They probably buy them in bulk from Sysco and deep fry them to order. Having worked in food service I know that there is a rancid quality to old fry oil and you can tell that their fry oil had not been changed in many many days... on the bright side our server was great. read more

The actual restaurant itself is pretty small but on the night we went to try it out there was only one server scheduled. It was a Wednesday and although she was swamped she was working hard to try to get to everyone. As a restaurant manager I don't understand why they didn't call in help for her. They had no hosts or anyone helping her on the floor. Her attitude was really good but for a popular sushi bar for the area you should Anticipate you're going to need more then one body! We lucked out when we went because they had $1 nigiri night which is a great deal. The choices were unagi, ebi, tuna, octopus, red snapper, and salmon. Tried all except ebi and they were all good! I was shocked to see the rolls base price around $20 but when I saw the portion sizes it soon made sense. We ordered a roll not on the menu that I had seen on yelp. It was called the Red Dragon and was pretty good. Some feedback I would give is lighten up on sauces and rely more on quality of the fish. It was hard to select something without teriyaki, cream cheese, or spicy mayo. We also ordered he salmon roe which we enjoyed. They don't have real wasabi which I thought was strange but also would be something nice to Offer to customers. We were surprised to see yellowtail not on the menu which I really think is a sushi staple! Gluten free options on the menu noted would be a huge plus. Sauces and etc. They did have Tamari. The drink menu itself is very small. The specials offered were Budweiser products or canned margaritas. Would be nice to see some sake or Japanese beers offered. The prices on sake we're reasonable. Kudos to the waitress who apologized for long waits and slower service. For the price points of the food and dining experience the owners should really put customer service as a higher priority. read more

NaRa Restaurant - Japanese Near Me - Billings, Montana

NaRa is my Dad's favorite place to eat sushi in Billings so he took us here for lunch. Dad had the sushi lunch special, which he really enjoyed. I had the Bulgolgi, which is Korean beef. The meat was tender & really flavorful. It was served with white rice & miso soup. I also ordered a side of Kimchi. The prices were reasonable & service was really good. My parents eat here often & I'm glad I was able to experience this restaurant. read more

NaRa Restaurant - Japanese Near Me - Billings, Montana

Disappointing - My family and I have been going to NaRa for decades. It has always been a favorite. However, our past two experiences have forced us to decide we will not be returning. There is one waitress who is the worst server I have ever seen (and I've worked in the food industry). She seemed to intentionally ignore our table the past two times, blatantly walking around us while serving other tables. The first time with this waitress, we waited almost and hour and all that was brought to us was water. We ended up leaving. We returned hoping it was a fluke and the waitress was having a bad night. The most recent visit was only slightly better. The same waitress was serving and must have recognized me because she did not even greet me when I came in. I waited at the front until another waitress seated me. This time we at least received tea and edamame... but an hour later we had not even received salad or soup. I also witnessed the same waitress on a busy Friday night standing around chatting with people (who she seemed to know) while five other tables including ours waited for service. We paid for our tea and left. Very disappointed that the service has gone so downhill. Not to mention, about half of their menu has been cross out with a sharpie. read more

Its been year since I've been back to Nara. After tonight's meal, I now regret waiting so long. The double fried teriyaki chicken appetizer was excellent. Main course were shrimp and unagi rolls. Taste and presentation were perfect. Dustin answered all my questions and made some excellent suggestions. Excited to return soon! read more

Last night we went in to have some sushi. Those guys are absolutely amazing! The rolls were outstanding and they always make us feel like family. Amazing customer service‼ read more

Outstanding salmon sashimi "country style" (half order) and the most generous spicy tuna roll I have ever had. Will come back anytime I am near. I should have taken to picture sooner...but it was sooo delicious. read more

This is a pre-covid review: no. Took two hours to get some sushi. An inordinate amount of time was being given to preparing to-go orders, which anyone can see since everything is done at the bar. When they were out of salmon eggs, the waitress offered eel as a substitute? Pretty clueless staff. I know I'm in Billings, MT, but the sushi was filth. read more

Upon arriving at NaRa this evening, we were seated immediately, told about their specials and handed menus. It was my second time patronizing their restaurant and my family's first time trying their food out. There was only one other party in the restaurant and looks like they had some take out orders. We ordered our beverages first. Then ordered 2 orders or tamago nigiri (at first they were sure if they had it and then they did - they said it was hit or miss with the tamago) and one order of unagi nigiri as our appetizers before ordering 1 tonkatsu, 1 adult chicken katsu, 1 child chicken katsu and I ordered their Bulgoki. They brought out our drinks first, then nigiri. Soon after they brought out miso soup (with no tofu which we were bummed about) and salads (their salad had a strong vinegar taste that was too strong for our liking). Sauces and bowls of rice followed that before our meals finally arrived. The child chicken katsu came with two uncut pieces of chicken. The adult chicken katsu came with five uncut pieces of chicken (one of our pieces was over cooked). The tonkatsu was sliced up. The bulgoki was beef with lots of veggies and had good flavor. The sauces for the tonkatsu and chicken katsu were sweet (definitely not something we are used to) which kind of threw the meals off for us. Casual atmosphere, family friendly, good service, free parking, friendly staff and comparative prices with other sushi places in the area. read more

NaRa Restaurant - Bulgoki - Japanese Near Me - Billings, Montana

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I was craving Japanese food for lunch and Nara sounded like a good place. But the young woman at the front counter was so rude I turned around and left. She stated that "we only serve sushi for lunch" in a very curt and unfriendly way. I understand that lunch menus can be different than dinner but her attitude was off-putting and unnecessary. Someone else told me that they saw a large bowl of rice in the flower bed in the parking lot......what was it doing there.....marinating!!!!! I can not recommend this restaurant and I would never go back! read more

Outstanding. Give Credit where Credit is Due!!! This is not the same restaurant from those earlier reviews! This restaurant has new life!! Haven't been in NaRa in a few years. Stopped by for lunch today and was pleasantly surprised to see they had updated the interior. It now looks like a Sushi Restaurant!!! =] Very warm, semi-modern interior and since it was so cold outside, we asked to sit by the fireplace. NICE!! The place was fairly busy and we arrive early for lunch (11:25). Good sign! Our server was outstanding. Very friendly without "hovering". Our two "rolls" were whipped up by the sushi chef lickity-split. Both were HUGE and both were OUTSTANDING. Two rolls along with the two free bowls of Miso soup was way too much food for two men. Really it was. But they were so good we just kept eating and eating. On the way out the sushi chef gives us a "thank you very much for coming". Nice. The best restaurant experience I've had at lunch in Billings that I can ever remember. Thank you!!!! read more

Had sushi all over the world...nowhere beats NaRa in Billings! The waitress is not rude! Apparently the spoiled Americans complaining have never been outside the borders of Montana to visit other cultures. Your going there to eat! If you need counseling go find it elsewhere! She loves to banter back and forth! On second hand, stay away and keep the table open for me! read more

Nara may be the best sushi in town as they advertise, but in Billings that's not saying much. I recently visited and had the "Japanese Platter" (or something like that). The miso soup was very odd- I'd almost say it was made with beef broth. Far from the flavors normally associated with miso. The tempura was so-so, but there was way too much of it compared to the two small skewers of meat that went with it. Deep fried overload. The spicy tuna sushi wasn't bad, but the presentation could have been better. Rather then trimming the end of the roll neatly it was left "sloppy". If you're in serious need of a Japanese fix in Billings Nara will do the trick, but otherwise I'd avoid it. PS- Adam, where are you treating me? :-) read more

Pros: one of the only places to get Japanese food in Billings. The food is fair and slightly above average. Cons: The service during my visit was very poor. I waited an hour and a half for my first appetizer. The restaurant was only a third full on a Monday night. I hate to get on the staff about this type of stuff but I would have been there indefinitely had I stayed quite. The kitchen lost our orders and required numerous clarifications. Overall experience was a C - The food was ok but the service was awful! It's historically been a good place so let's hope they turn things around read more

I travel the country and world through music touring, and I like to try sushi all over being that it is my favorite meal. Nara sushi wins over all in my book from the staff to the chef to the food. Dae is hands down one of the most friendly and creative sushi chefs I have ever met. I was only disappointed when I realized that I could not have his food on a regular basis. I recommend you try any of his special personal made rolls like the "Dos Eggies" you will not be disappointed. read more

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Every time I come here the service is great and the specialty rolls are extremely tasty especially the Jackie chan. read more

NaRa Restaurant - Jackie chan - Japanese Near Me - Billings, Montana

I order pick up food i ordered skewer bulgoki, receptionists says no skewer they have dinner bulgoki. I order bulgoki dinner its sucks, its salty as hell that i have 4 bites and numb my mouth and tongue. , i ordered house ginger salad, i dont taste ginger i taste vinegar. The sushi i ordered i had better. The short ribs is salty but not as salty as the dinner bulgoki. Its very disappointing. Every korean restaurant i go to in every states we visit so far this one stands out of dissatisfaction and disappointment. I called the restaurant maybe they have make a mistake of my order but i was wrong the receptionist gave me the owner's number dave chin i called this number #4066724282 receptionist gave me and a woman answering machine answe it doesnt sounds like a dave! Anyway if you dont want to be disappointed with what you order please go somewhere else spend you money somewhere else to eat. This place sucks i dont recommend this place to anyone visiting billings montana..... This food is disgusting if i want to eat salt i would of buy salt instead of this expensive so called bulgogi that doesnt taste like anything like bulgogi... we will not go back!!! I don't recommend this place to anybody read more

I have eaten here every time I come to billings. They have an excellent sushi menu. If you want a party in your mouth try the rollin red. It's pretty much overflowing with saucy flavors and delicious fish squish. I always order too much food. Makes for exquisite left overs. read more

Seriously we have never had a bad meal here. Tonight we had tuna and salmon sashimi which was delectable. We had a couple of specialty rolls not to mention my favorite gyoza app. All was very delicious. Service was friendly. Will always be back. read more

One star? Really? I think these people must eaten at some other Japanese place in Billings(and there have a couple of them on Broadway). I would really like to give it 4 stars but the rudeness of the waitress time and again is just beyond letting go. It is clear she hates her job and is probably being forced to work because she's family(guess.), but that doesn't excuse her poor attitude. One night we got there around 8-8:30 and she basically told us to leave because their rice cooker broke or something such foolishness. But the sushi is excellent. My wife and I have eaten there many times and never once have we had a bad piece of fish. Our son used to order Teriyaki Salmon until he too got hooked on sushi, but he always said the salmon was very good. We just don't order anything except sushi so we don't know how anything else. We did order tempura a couple of times and it tasted like every other tempura I've had, lots of coating and not much else. But, the sushi is wonderful. read more

Dae never disappoints! Nara always has great atmosphere, food and service! The sushi chef is amazing and the server always remembers us! Keep the Lucky Buddha Beers coming! read more

NaRa Restaurant - The Megan Roll! - Japanese Near Me - Billings, Montana

Best sushi in the world. My world anyway. Dae will build one of his flavor masterpieces. This is a must for any sushi lover. I eat here atleast once a week. read more

NaRa Restaurant - Japanese Near Me - Billings, Montana

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