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    National's Cafe

    3.9 (136 reviews)
    ModerateJapanese, Sushi Bars
    Closed 11:00 am - 3:00 pm, 4:00 PM - 8:30 PM

    National's Cafe Photos

    NATIONAL'S CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Good for kids
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - National's Cafe

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    Reviews With Photos

    Yellow tail. Tuns Eel
    Lori S.

    Another trip and another great experience. Had an al a carte lunch with the hubby.. Hot sake 4 eel and the big river roll 2 eel and 2 yellowtail 2 tuna Everest roll Big rivroll oll Hot sake just because you have too. The portions are just perfect. This place is always busy. We have not gone in there once without it being busy. But that's a great thing. Ordered take out Christmas Eve and it was standing room only. But still had good food and great service even picking up. The place is little, I think 6 tables and 4 bar stools. Buy don't let that deter you from giving them a try. Adding a few new pics

    Anna S.

    Great lunch place close to my work. Quick service and yummy rolls. San Francisco roll and Carol hand roll were yummy!

    Raven B.

    The sushi was good, service could of been better. Overall I was expecting more variety and better service

    Rolls!!!!
    Albie E.

    First I wanted to say I didn't get to take many pictures of my experience here. With that said, here's my review on National's cafe! I was invited by my friend to go and have sushi at this restaurant. Having dinner at this pace, was pretty dang good! There were three of us in the group and each selected a few rolls to share. We also ordered about 3 bottles of sake to accompany our long dinner! I will say, the rolls came out and each bite tasted amazing! Fresh, flavourful and very reasonably priced! The rolls tasted fresh and not "fishy" if that makes sense! I did take a pic of the one plate where all the rolls came out. I will apologise as I do not remember which specific rolls we ordered but I do recommend if you're visiting Carson City to give this spot a try! Service was amazing, we were very well attended to by everyone and always service with a smile! Price is super reasonable as sushi could be very expensive. There's a free public parking lot with plenty of space to park.

    Sushi burrito
    PJ D.

    Although I heard about National's Sushi from friends, I hadn't been there to eat. I always went to Capital City Sushi but they sold out and the new owners made it a very high end restaurant. So, I called a friend and said let's go try National's sushi for all you can eat lunch. I think the price was very reasonable, $26 with a large assortment of appetizers, rolls, hand rolls, and other things plus dessert. I tried the mussels appetizer which had six deliciously spiced mussels that didn't disappoint. I'm used to having the Lili role so I asked them if they had something like that they said yes it's called the Carol roll and I can tell you it was fabulous... the tempura shrimp was perfectly cooked in the crab on top with the sauce was just as good, if not better than other sushi places. From my next roll, I had the California roll, which did not disappoint and although I was coming to the end of my sushi feast I asked the Chef if he could make me a bagel roll, that's what I called it because it's made with smoked salmon, cream cheese, green onion inside out rice. Since I was getting full, I asked him if he could make it smaller for me and it was perfect. I had a hot cup of tea with it, and although I was looking forward to the green tea ice cream, I had no room left. There were things that I wanted to try on the appetizers like their eggrolls, their miso soup, and a few other things but I wanted to enjoy my rolls so I didn't indulge next time I go back I will have the things I didn't try this time. For those of you who do not eat raw fish such as me they have plenty of options and there's sushi rolls and other choices. If you're not a sushi person, they have special lunch menu where you can get a teriyaki bowl or a few other things. It's not a fancy place, it's a mama papa business, but the service is excellent, and the people are exceptionally friendly and it was very clean .We sat at the counter so that we could talk to them and watch them make sushi which is always fun. I guess you would call this your basic sushi restaurant that happens to be a cut above average, I definitely will recommend this and I will go back again. Just so you know, they have an à la carte menu. If you're not an all you can eat person, and their prices are very reasonable. Give them a try and tell them PJ sent you Ps would have taken photos of the dynamite roll but ate it too quick

    Honestly best place in town! Family own! Great service! And most of all amazing food! Above expectations always!
    Dalila B.

    Best place in town! Family owned! Great service and most of all amazing food! Always going above expectations!

    Chef's choice at National Cafe!
    Wes F.

    Antonio - I asked him to hit me with all you can eat, chef's choice. He nailed it!!!!! Looking forward to our next visit!!

    Yellow Tail

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    3 months ago

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    7 months ago

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    2 years ago

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    4 months ago

    The food is good. The chicken in my Bento box was over cooked. It was expensive. The service was slow.

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    4 months ago

    Not fancy! Service and quality are great. Best in Carson and beyond. Love the halo-poppers!

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    1 year ago

    Great sushi, service is slow and the ambiance is tacky. Food is above average for the price.

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    4 years ago

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    1 year ago

    Teriyaki chicken yay! I like their water and sprite. Their miso soup is also good, but that's it.

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    1 year ago

    Everything was great! Service food ambience went a little bit after 2:00. I suggest all my friends and family go try it out!

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    3 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    10 months ago

    amazing food and people have been coming for years love this place no other sushi place competes or ever will !!!!

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    3 years ago

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    1 year ago

    I have been going to Nationals since they opened many years ago, love the food. I would give them 10 stars if I could

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    3 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Amazing service I love the little sushi boats the food 10000000/10 had some great bonding with my mom

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    2 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    3 years ago

    A family owned business with delicious sushi! I always get especially excited to eat their egg rolls.

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    7 years ago

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    10 years ago

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    12 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    4 years ago

    Not my version of quality sushi . But the chefs were very nice and accommodating. I am used to Las Vegas AYCE

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    9 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Hands down best sushi around. Fresh fish, great service and the price for all you can eat is super reasonable.

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    3 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Very heavy on rice, chintzy with fish. 1st and last for us. Rice was 1/2 inch thick around rolls. Poor value.

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    7 years ago

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    Page 1 of 4

    Ask the Community - National's Cafe

    Where did they go?

    They moved to a NEW location by Cracker Box on HWY 50E ~ 444 E. William Street, Ste. 6, across from Smith's Grocery Store.

    Just drove by and their building is empty! Did they close for good or move? This is our favorite place!

    They moved to a NEW location by Cracker Box on HWY 50E ~ 444 E. William Street, Ste. 6, across from Smith's Grocery Store.

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    Review Highlights - National's Cafe

    I visited this sushi stop about a year ago, and still dream of the delicious Nevada Roll.

    Mentioned in 5 reviews

    Read more highlights

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    Oishi Sushi

    4.1
    (190 reviews)
    0.4 mi
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    I've been to Oishi Sushi twice now, and while the food is decent, both visits had…read moreservice/atmosphere issues that made it hard to enjoy my meal. On a previous visit, I was seated in the back of the restaurant, which I was fine with at first, until I realized that's also where staff eat. One employee sat down near me on his break and was loudly eating with his mouth open, shoveling food in with his chopsticks right in my line of sight. It was uncomfortable and honestly pretty gross, to the point that I asked to move tables. On my most recent visit, the service was again disappointing. After my drink was dropped off, my server basically disappeared -- no check‑ins, no options offered, and it took a long time to get anyone's attention for simple things like refills or the check, even though it wasn't that busy. The sushi itself is fine and the prices are reasonable, but between being seated next to an employee loudly eating his break meal and the consistently inattentive service, it's hard to relax and feel like a valued customer. With other sushi options in the area, I'd rather go somewhere that feels a bit more professional and attentive.

    Awful service. Forgot to bring out items we order. Brought out main course rolls before appetizers…read more Service was poor. We won't be returning. It's gone down hill. 7/18/26 Ps overpriced for the service and the food. Go to Kai sushi instead.

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    Tomo Sushi & Grill

    Tomo Sushi & Grill

    3.7
    (565 reviews)
    3.0 mi
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    The seating is nice and comfortable. The menu has tons of delicious options. It was difficult to…read moredecide what I wanted to try. I ALWAYS try the mussels at every sushi restaurant I go to. These did not disappoint! Properly cooked. NOT chewy/rubbery. Slight kick to them. I ate a few orders! Lol. I also had the Donald duck, Cajun salmon, Okie dokie and the Geisha. The Cajun salmon surprised me with the flavor. I wish I could have ate more but I was so full at the end. Donald duck was the normal you'd expect at any sushi place. The Jalapeños on the Geisha were tempura style and so good. The Okie dokie was a little off. Some bites were over powered with cream while other bites did not have any cream cheese. I use the juice from the mussels to pour over my rolls and enhanced the flavors even more. Coming back here again

    I wanted to like this place, as my wife, mother and law and I were staying at a local hotel and…read moredon't have many options for cooking. Unfortunately it ended up being one of the more disappointing all-you-can-eat sushi experiences I've ever had. We were seated around 6:15 p.m. and got our drinks fairly quickly. I asked for water with lemon but received plain water in a stainless steel tumbler. The cup looked nice enough, although it left a metallic taste. We placed our appetizer and sushi order around 6:20 p.m. Miso soup arrived about five minutes later. It was light and tasty with tofu, green onions, and seaweed, though it could have used a little more seasoning. The first appetizers came out around 6:40 p.m. The yakiton was filled mostly with krab salad and had a slightly cold center. It wasn't bad, but it lacked the crispy exterior I was expecting. The popcorn shrimp was completely coated in sweet chili sauce, which softened any crunch it might have had, and it had a slightly fishy aftertaste. The pot stickers were fully cooked and generously filled with a decent flavor, but they were pale and not crisp at all. Things went downhill from there. My wife ordered a Guapo Roll wrapped in soy paper but never received it. We were eventually told the kitchen was backed up and that it would be put on the "next ticket." By that point, the experience had already become frustrating. Several appetizers simply never arrived with the rest of the food. When we asked about them, the staff couldn't explain why. They finally showed up around 7:00 p.m., but they weren't worth the wait. The egg roll wrappers were visiblly undercooked, with raw funny wrapper, and tasted like something you'd cook from a frozen food isle. The fried oysters were gummy and had the texture of biting into uncooked dough with a fishy center. The fried scallops were bland, fishy, and lacked any crispness. Overall, nearly every fried item seemed undercooked or improperly fried. One thing I also noticed was how many rolls rely on the same ingredients. It felt like almost every specialty roll contained either krab mix or salmon, making the menu seem less varied than it first appears. Hope you like krab salad and salmon thirty different ways! The bright spot was the nigiri. The fish tasted fresh, the rice was well prepared, and both the eel and Cajun tuna were enjoyable. I wish I had just gotten a bunch of that. I also thought the Big Man Roll and Macho Roll were solid choices and would probably order those again. Unfortunately, they weren't enough to save the overall experience. For $117 for three people and two sodas, I expected much better food quality, consistency, and service. Final rating: 2 out of 5 stars. The two stars are earned almost entirely by the nigiri. Between the missing orders, inconsistent service, and underwhelming fried food, I don't see myself returning.

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    Smoke Door - Lake Tahoe Saryo

    Smoke Door - Lake Tahoe Saryo

    4.4
    (75 reviews)
    13.5 mi
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    Lake Tahoe is not exactly known for its refined dining scene, so Sanyo Tahoe was such a welcome and…read moregenuinely exciting surprise. This is bespoke Japanese with a modern twist and it absolutely delivers on that promise. We are talking caviar, thoughtfully composed dishes, and the kind of attention to detail you'd expect from a serious city restaurant. The fact that it exists in Tahoe at all is kind of wild and I am so here for it. The space is incredibly intimate, which honestly adds to the whole experience because everything feels very intentional and personal. That said, you absolutely need to snag a reservation early because this place is tiny and I imagine it fills up fast and for good reason. Yes, the per person cost can get up there, but for what you're getting in terms of experience and execution, it genuinely feels worth it. If you're heading up to Tahoe and you want to treat yourself to something really special, this is the move. Do it at least once and you will not regret it!

    I had a really great experience at Smoke Door. I called around dinner time without a reservation,…read morebut the woman on the phone was super accommodating, which I really appreciated. It was my first time there, and my server Jamie was really friendly and helpful. He walked me through the menu, and I ended up going with à la carte so I could try a few things. The wagyu was delicious and cooked perfectly, and the cauliflower was amazing too. The Toyosu fish was really refreshing. I also thought it was really cool that they source fish from Japan every couple of days. That definitely shows the level of quality they're going for. I'll definitely be back, and next time I want to try the full course. The restaurant itself is beautiful overall. Only small thing for me was that it got a little smoky at times, and the wine tasted slightly old, although my server confirmed the bottle had been opened recently. It honestly may have just been the wine I chose. Still a great experience overall.

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    Kauboi Izakaya

    Kauboi Izakaya

    4.0
    (582 reviews)
    23.7 mi
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    Might be our favorite spot in town, we go 1-2 times a month. The staff has been the same for years,…read morewhich is one of our favorite spots. We always go for the shared plates, it's more expensive but worth it. Some things to consider before you visit: -No reservations, first come first serve. Most nights it's a 30-45 minute wait if you don't get there right when they open. We always put our name down and walk to Chapel for a cocktail while we wait. - Like many of the reviews state, it does get pretty loud. It is part of the experience. The later the night gets, the louder the music and the dimmer the lights. Don't be the annoying person that asks them to adjust either of those things. If that's not your vibe, you should dine elsewhere. - Seating is limited, not the place to have people just trickle in/ come and go. If you are dining here, everyone should show up on time. - They do have gluten free mods, but they are not available on the weekends. - I would not recommend for vegans We have tried basically the entire menu. Our favorites are the duck fried rice, Caesar, mushroom croquettes, soba noodles, ten layers of pork, pork gyoza, shrimp fritter, Tokyo fried chicken, chicken meatballs, rice tots, and mushroom jar. Everything we've tried is outstanding, even the beef tongue! Drinks are all really good, only note I have is that the wine pours are pretty small. If you haven't been here, definitely add it to your list. Easily top 5 restaurants in all of Reno!

    Took me long enough, but I finnaly stopped by Kauboi Izakaya…read more Walking in, I do like how this place looks. Great way to repurpose an older building in Midtown. Parking is fairly easy, with plenty of street spaces nearby, and an easy walk if you're already hanging around the neighborhood. The service was friendly and fairly prompt, and even for a weekday night the place was bustling, leading to a bit of a backup. Cool vibes all around, and it's neat to sit at the bar and watch the chefs do their thing. Though it does mean this is a little bit on the noisy side. Look at the menu, and there are tons of tempting options. As the name suggests, their specialty here is small plate off the grill or out fo the fryer. But they do serve really good-looking ramen, too, which I will make not to try next time I swing by. I at first went with a quick bite of grilled chicken thighs, which were just amazing! They were juicy, eprfectly seared, with some grilled green onions and an amazing sweet soy sauce. I also went with the yakionigiri, which are balls of rice that are grilled, brushed with sauce, and topped with a sort of mango slaw. A bit uncommon, but wow, these were also just so delicious! Also had a glass of sake, though they have a full bar should you want some other sort of beverage. Prices here are, I feel, a little on the higher end for small plates. However, I think it is definitely worth coming and trying this place out at least once or twice, just to expereince some of the good food. I'm sorry it took me so long to finally step through the doors, but I am certain I will be back again to try more of what's on the menu.

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    Harumi Sushi

    Harumi Sushi

    3.9
    (561 reviews)
    16.0 mi
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    We decided to check this place out since it was close to our timeshare. If you are staying at the…read moreWorldmark South Shore and show your room key, you get 5% off your order. The restaurant looks like your classic sushi restaurant. There is plenty of space and they can accommodate larger parties. Our servers were nice and very polite. They were a little busy when we got there, but didn't have to wait too long to order and get our food. The food was good overall. It beats my expectations since I wasn't expediting really good sushi in a place where it might take some time to get fresh food. Overall, I would recommend going here since I would actually come back the next time I got up to Tahoe for the weekend.

    This was one of the worst and most humiliating dining experiences we have ever had. As Hispanics,…read morewe felt discriminated against, unwelcome, and completely unappreciated here. We waited for over an hour and still received none of our food. Meanwhile, three white parties who arrived after us were served their food and multiple dishes before we received anything. We repeatedly asked our server about our order, and she kept insisting that it was coming, but nothing ever arrived. The sushi chef appeared dismissive, gave us rude looks, and seemed unwilling to acknowledge us or prepare our food. After watching several parties who arrived later receive prompt service while we continued to be ignored, we genuinely felt that we were being treated differently because we are Hispanic. No customer should ever be made to feel this way because of their race or ethnicity. The entire experience was disrespectful and completely unacceptable. We will not be returning.

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    Tahoe Roll Special by David

    National's Cafe - japanese - Updated August 2026

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