Can't rationalize the prices of their rolls any longer. Take out has TWO service charges on the bill to make it a 20% tip for take out. Can't justify that. Going elsewhere. read more

Easily the best sushi I've had in Madison. The restaurant is sleek, the menu is solid: some creative options but they don't go crazy with it and lean more traditional overall, which I like. A nice little selection of cocktails and sake. Service is prompt and professional. Want to impress your date, business associate, or mother in law? Take them here! I can't wait to go back. read more

I made my first visit to Red (as part of a party of three) on a brisk summer night. Without a reservation, there was a 30 minute wait for an indoor table (at 6 PM on a Wednesday), so we dined in the ample outdoor seating. We enjoyed a bottle of Sauvignon blanc, Brussels sprouts petals, edamame, and several rolls. Everything was fresh and delicious (with the exception of the edamame). I'm admittedly not very adventurous about sushi; the shrimp tempura, Godzilla, and badger were my favorites. The service was friendly, although a little slow as the outdoor space filled up. read more

RED - Badger in front. Godzilla in back. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

The lunch special sashimi lunch 8 pieces(17 small pieces actually) of chef's choice sushi with one small bowl sushi rice $18 and sushi lunch 6 pieces of chef's choice and 1 roll $17 are very very nice. Fresh sashimi with cheap price at noon. Maybe you will argue that why $17 is cheap? My meaning is that it is cheap comparing to the similar sashimi and sushi dinner with $32. For the roll, I the spicy Godzilla roll the best. Crawfish roll, spicy salmon, eighty-six, duck tempura are all good choices! The pork bun with pork belly and kimchi is kind of special. You could try if you love Korean style Japanese food. Do not order the ramen here please. It is just very normal maybe even under level ramen from my view. read more

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Best sushi i've ever had in my life. Not cheap, not easy to get a table quickly. Worth it, all of it. There's really no better feeling that the sense of satisfaction being full on a perfect dinner of sushi then walking downtown. Your body has energy coursing through it and your hunger is satiated but you don't feel bogged down or tired. The vibe is COOL, great for a business lunch or dinner date. Between the middle tables, the bar bar, and the sushi bar, there's multiple different experiences within the same restaurant. Also I have a memory of the bathrooms being kinda neat? Not usually something I mention on Yelp but i really like this place and it's a 360 degree thumbs up here. read more

Initially we were going to check out Wonder Bar Supper Club but we cringed at the sound of steak bc we'd been noshing all day. Sushi at RED was the better option. Atmosphere was lively and service was good. We only order two entrees. I ordered Spicy Godzilla roll minus the cream cheese. The roll was basically a shrimp tempura roll. What made this dish great was all the crunch they put on top of the roll! So good! We also ordered Ramen. Outstanding broth and good noodles, but what I didn't understand was the ground pork. Why was the meat ground? I've never seen ground meat in ramen before. Also they were charging $3 for pork belly. Pork belly didn't come with it. Both dishes were really delicious! Desserts looked Instagram worthy. Two thumbs up! read more

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I was super excited to try this place. Ambience is killer. I can't say the sushi was anything special, which is disappointing being it's the priciest sushi joint in town . They charge an extra 1$ for a large piece of ice for their 15$ old fashioned. Super stingy with the wasabi. Just meh. read more

Red is one of our favorites. It is a great sushi joint in Madison and they are NOT closed, as Yelp has posted mistakenly. My family and I always go to Red every time we go to Madison. It is delish. The atmosphere is cool and comfy. Service is top notch. No complaints as we have been going to RED for years, even when they were at their small, old location. read more

The best sushi I've ever had in my life. The rolls were worth every penny because they were balanced with memorable flavors. The chef is focused and produces art on the plate. He recently released a peach and heirloom tomato chopped salad with walnut pesto and shisho leaves. Where does this guy come up with these beautiful ideas?! I was inspired by the flavors. I only wish I lived closer, so that I could enjoy the restaurant more often. Thank you Red! read more

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I had previously eatin at the old location several times for lunch. Always had a good experience. Decided to try this new location for dinner on a Friday night. This new location is super nice. The atmosphere is many steps above the previous location and just feels like "the place to be". As expected, it was busy. The wait was only 30 minutes, so not bad. They take your cell phone number and text you when your seat is ready. However, two spots opened at the bar, so we decided to have a drink and eat at the bar. We ordered a couple of drinks and some rolls. Wow, these rolls were excellent! Full of flavor and just looked amazing. Hands down, the best sushi I've had in Madison. Service was great and with 4 rolls and two double top shelf bourbon and cokes, the bill was $75. I didn't feel it was too bad for a great meal and an equally cool atmosphere. I'll happily go back sometime soon! read more

RED - The tsunami roll and spicy tuna roll. Both excellent! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

I started this restaurant at two stars because my initial impression of this place was not good. I was confused about the menu, and the bartender was not very helpful. I was confused regarding the sushi on the black menu and the white menu. Unagi (my favorite) is listed on both parts of the menu, but there's a price difference. Why? I didn't think this was a hard question to ask. The bartender's reply? He pointed to the black menu and said, "Well, this is all sushi." I pointed to the white menu and said, "Well this is sushi too." He said the same thing again, and I said the same thing again as if talking to a 2 year old. He said, "Well, this is cooked (pointed to the white menu), and this is not (pointed to black menu)." I replied, "Unagi is always cooked; no one ever serves raw eel, even if they blow torch it a bit. How many pieces do you get with the rolls (pointed to white menu)?" He replied, "8." I asked, "Are they rolls like this (holding my hand in a circle), or this (holding like a cone)?" He said, "They are like circles." So, for those of you who actually know your way around a sushi menu, the white menu contains maki or uramaki rolls, and the black menu contains nigiri. The process of learning this took about 20 minutes. A customer next to me later asked the bartender for sushi recommendations, and he said, "I don't really eat sushi." Why on earth would you have someone work at a Japanese restaurant (that serves sushi) and hire someone who does not eat sushi??? There was only one bartender, so he was the front line to answering customers' questions, whether dining at the bar or getting food to go. Sometimes I just wonder at the stupidity of people who supposedly manage businesses! Due to lack of training, this restaurant starts at a two-star rating of "I've experienced better" because I have been to Japanese restaurants who can effectively explain the difference between different kinds of sushi. Here's what I ordered (about $35): Miso soup - Tinny, lacked depth. Whatever pre-packaged brand used, it was not good. There was a strange after-taste as well. Seaweed salad - Too much cucumber (plain and raw) and not much seaweed. I would have definitely preferred all seaweed like all the other Japanese restaurants I have been to because the seaweed had a great flavor. I actually liked this item the most, sans cucumber. Unagi uramaki - The unagi rolls on the white menu are uramaki because the seaweed is on the inside. I really liked this. The unagi was perfectly cooked - sweet but still able to taste the unagi itself. I would've added a star for the salad and unagi sushi. Ramen - Absoutely pathetic and reason for keeping this review at two stars. This is advertised as a spicy miso broth. What you really get is a gloopy, thick, almost Japanese curry-like broth. It should be noted that Japanese curry isn't spicy at all; it's more on the sweeter side. If this is to remain a broth, then it should be clear (like all other Japanese restaurants who advertise a tonkotsu broth). However, because this tasted so bad, I ate four bites and that's it. I did eat the soft boiled egg, which was the best part, but it would have been better without that brown crud from the gravy (supposedly soup). Unfortunately the right noodles are used, and this makes me sad - what a waste of beautiful noodles. I do realize Madison, WI is not the most happening place for Asians. But if you are going to be a Japanese restaurant, then be one. Train the staff to know the food and culture. Have the staff taste the differences between the different kinds of sushi so they can communicate to customers. Be proud of our Asian culture and educate the population especially in an area of the country where there aren't many of us. These tips are not rocket science! Miso soup $3.50 Seaweed salad $6 Unagi roll $9.50 Ramen $12 Vodka drink during happy hour $4.50 Tax $1.71 Total $37.21 read more

RED - Unagi sushi (under the rolls section) - Sushi Bars Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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This review is for takeout only at their new location. I am a weirdo and don't like fish/seafood and Red hands down has the best and most interesting veggie sushi options. I am a sucker for their veggie tempura roll and have ordered for takeout twice since they resumed their takeout operation in the new space. You can order takeout on their website, choose whether you want your order ASAP or at a specific time, and pay on the site so you don't have to mess with signing for your order when you stop in to pick it up. Picking up has been easy both times; I've just let the hosts at the desk in the entryway know I'm picking up, stepped to the small seating area across from the desk, and been delivered a bag and offered chop sticks and soy sauce. Easy peasy! The sushi itself has been wonderful - tight rolls, perfect texture on the veggies, fresh tasting, and filling. For me, one veggie roll isn't quite enough, and two is a bit too much. At $6 per roll, though, it's a steal and I can eat the leftovers the next day since veggies have no problem making it to the next day in the fridge. Two notes: 1) handles on the takeout bags would be helpful for the hike home, and 2) there appeared to be mayo inside the rolls of my most recent order; the veggie roll has never had mayo that I've noticed and I prefer it that way. Between their old and new locations I've had the veggie tempura roll at least ten times so I'm curious if it's a new addition or an accidental inclusion. read more

Every time I'm in town, I have to go to Red. The decor is super modern, but still comfortable. They have a solid selection of Japanese whiskey, which is so awesome. Our server was knowledgeable and prompt, always refilling waters and checking to make sure we were happy with our experience. For appetizers, we had the seaweed salad and shishito peppers. The seaweed salad is always sooo good, we have to order 2 for our group of 5. Although it is a healthy portion, none of us can get enough. The shishito peppers had good flavor, but could have been more tender. I might pass up on those next time. Now, onto sushi. Oh my goodness, this sushi. It will ruin all other sushi for you. I tried the crunchy salmon roll, the unagi, and the bliss. Our server recommended getting the bottom of the bliss deep fried, which was the best recommendation ever. All of the rolls were excellent and perfectly balanced, but the bliss was just that. BLISS. It was huge but still delicate, and hit all the marks on flavor and texture. I would recommend ordering the bliss (with the deep fried bottom) 10 times out of 10. It's that good. I have never had anything less than a wonderful experience at Red, and I will definitely be back! read more

Madison delivers again! This place has excellent sushi. One thing that kinda gave me pause is that pretty much EVERYTHING had jalapeños and/or cucumbers. I thought things could have been mixed up a little as far as vedge goes, but everything tasted great. We got three different rolls: Bintoro Nigiri, Red Toro, and Spider. Far and away, I thought the Spider was the best with its tempura'd soft shell crab. I know, call me a loser, it's cooked but damnit it tasted good. Another previous favorite was the Salmon Lover but I like to mix things up. For desert we had the flourless chocolate cake, which was also really good. The only part about this place that slightly puts me off is the clientele. They are so ducking into themselves: truly self-important asshats with expensive clothes and bags and who seem kinda scary (at least for the waitstaff). Of course, I've been twice, so maybe I'm an asshat too. It is fun to sit and make fun of them, though...just don't get caught! read more

The ambience is nice, And location is nice, but I don't understand the price of the items on their menu versus quality of the sushi.... If you want actual sushi - like NIGIRI or sashimi, go to Muramoto- their chefs are Japanese, they know how to make real sushi. read more

The sushi was incredible! Our waitress was lovely and very knowledgeable. The ambiance was relaxing and clean.

Nice atmosphere, great cocktails (try the lychee), and their signature rolls are all unique. A few of them, including the seasonal rolls, have a fruity salsa on top. So good!! read more

Ok. Yes. RED has regained my previous opinion as the best sushi destination in Madison. After my previous review, the owner reached out to me to discuss my experience, to apologize, and to offer me and a companion a return visit on her to make it up to us. Very, very generous and a clear indication of their level of dedication to providing the best experience possible. My daughter and I went for my birthday dinner on Valentine's Day weekend, and it was outstanding. The service, the sushi, the drinks all completely top notch. Could not have been better. Thank you RED for doing a complete 180º from my last experience...we will be back again and again. read more

Meh. That's how I felt when leaving Red. Nothing really stood out to me as extremely good or extremely bad. There is no doubt that you are 100% paying for the location and atmosphere here. While the interior is beautiful and modern, I felt the sushi, while good, was overpriced. I can get similar quality sushi at other places for a lower price. Our service was fine. It was more attentive at the beginning of the meal than it was toward the end. Our server didn't really engage with us, which was fine, too, I guess. Probably the worst thing about it is that I left still hungry. Call me crazy, but if I drop $60 for dinner, I expect to, at the very least, not feel like I need to stop somewhere else to eat in order to have my hunger feel satisfied. What I liked most about my experience (besides looking at the capital building from our outside table), was that we ordered tobiko on top of our sushi and it was multicolored and so beautiful! The overall presentation of the sushi rolls was lovely, as well. I'd probably come back only if someone insisted on coming here, but it won't be my top choice for sushi in Madison. read more

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Very good sushi. Great service. Lots of options for both raw and cooked. We had a large group of 15 and service was outstanding. Only bad thing was it was over priced for sushi. read more

The ambiance here is the main draw. The outdoor patio and the inside restaurant are both beautiful! The presentation is also well done here and the food is tasty. The flavors are very unique; one roll we got had a coconut garlic sauce which I wasn't sure about but it was actually incredible! My only issue is that the portions here are too small for the price, especially for the appetizers which are delicious but very small. read more

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This is my third or fourth time having dinner with my family at Red. I'm from Los Angeles and we were always enjoying the best sushi. But I'll have to say I don't think I've enjoyed sushi as much is having it here in Madison at Red. The place is modern clean to an upper standard. Service is impeccable casually smart. I had to ask as we were sitting at the bar not the sushi bar but the regular bar because they were so packed. I asked, where do you get this fish? The bartender said with a smile it's flown in daily from Japan! Wow! We all looked at each other. read more

Great food, hands down - some great sashimis and signature rolls but the place is a very high demand one! Quite upscale with great ambience - both indoors and outdoors. The place was completely full on a Monday night and I somehow managed the last spot for 2 thankfully because I made a reservation! So go enjoy this beautiful place but please call ahead, I have not seen such a popular place before. read more

Best sushi place I've ever been to. The volcano roll is my favorite. Surf n turf roll is pretty good too. Try the beef short rib! There are several different flavors of saki, I fancy the cherry blossom. read more

RED - Sushi Bars Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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Delicious; nice atmosphere; enjoyed the cocktails in particular. Close to the center of activity - was conveniently located for us during a visit. Recommend! read more

I have been a loyal customer of Red for years, get take out at least once a week (usually $120 - $130). While I thought the prices were a little on the high side, the quality and presentation made it go down easier. Now with Covid I understand the pressure they are under, hell even my business is down 30-40% with more expenses, most I cannot add to my customers bill if I want to retain them since their income is down. When Red added a surcharge of 10% to pay for Covid related expenses and whatever else I was ok with that, but when they raised the prices on EVERYTHING on the menu by $1-3 dollars per ITEM, that was the straw that broke the camel's back. My usual take out order was $120 and now is closer to $150 Haven't been back in three weeks, shame really. read more

Every visit is delicious. Fresh ingredients. Super fun atmosphere. Clean bathrooms. Fun rotating seasonal rolls. I love that you can make a reservation for two now. I also like that they have a private room available for use for small a small party. We used the room a couple years ago for my birthday dinner and it comfortably fit 14 people (they asked for a $100 deposit which would be given back in the form of a gift card that you're able to use that same visit). read more

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The food is great, but the prices are out of this world. $20 Rolls. Not my cup of tea. We were there with maybe 3-4 other tables and the food takes forever. Desserts are extremely overpriced, tiny, and not that great. read more

The food here was decent but I felt like the establishment was a little too impressed with itself. Our server was sweet but incredibly awkward- maybe he was new or nervous for some reason. He suggested that we avoid the traditional rolls listed on the back of the menu in favor of the fancy fusion rolls. Alarmed, I asked if there was something wrong with the traditional ones. His explanation was that the standard rolls are fine but that people come for the house ones. We ordered a mix and both types were good. Cocktails were good and the dessert offerings were on point. I had to wait for a bathroom which isn't the end of the world but also doesn't match well with a high-end establishment to me. Overall, A-okay for the price point. read more

If RED were in a major metropolitan area like San Francisco, Seattle, Hong Kong, or Taipei, it would rate a three. But for Madison, it's really good. The good stuff: ambiance is modern without being cold or harsh; staff is friendly and refined; sake list is well curated if small; for the most part, the fish is exceptionally fresh; and the vegan "sushi" is inventive and multi-faceted. What could be better: the tables are inexplicably much too small for the oversized tableware (water glasses and plates); the sake is served in tiny ceramic cups not suited to its level (while most high-end Japanese restaurants have switched to Riedel or equivalent crystal stemware); the staff is not well briefed about the fish they're serving (could not answer specifically where each piece was sourced); sushi and sashimi execution is quite one-dimensional; presentation of "chef's choice" sushi and sashimi all at once on a single giant platter is overwhelming to the senses and says "none of this is special." Especially bad: the chef's choice sushi and sashimi included hamachi that was way too old, smelled fishy and tasted like garbage. The sashimi was cut in small, square bits, not in long, uniform, thick slices as is proper, which tells you the "chef's choice" is really scraps the kitchen is trying to get rid of. Advice to the chefs at RED: if you have leftover scraps you want to use, cook them and feed them to your wait staff. Don't pass them off as "sashimi" to your patrons. This is the difference between a really great sushi restaurant and an assembly-line, quantity and margins-based sushi diner. read more

RED - Why is this table so small? - Sushi Bars Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Red ain't bad, sushi is pretty quality but there are a couple things about the place that do not live up to the hype/cost. First, the music is annoying as hell. Bland repetitive techno. I weep for the employees who have to listen to it all day. Second, Sushi fish quality was decent and cut ok but the upgrade rice was half undercooked and fell apart in contact with the soy. A few other things we had were not quite right and a let down. If it was a 40$ dinner it would be ok, but for 60$ it's not impressive. And for Jeebus sake get a better DJ. Or give everyone X with their appetizers so they are into it. read more

It is worth noting before I start this review, that I do not particularly care for extremely over-done, flowery sushi with 1 million ingredients. I generally go to sushi restaurants for simple nigiri/chirashi: high-quality fish over seasoned rice. I went to here years ago and had a terrible experience, promising never to go back: my sushi rice was undercooked to the point of being crunchy and my waitress insisted it was supposed to be that way. Lucky for me, in my hunger and desperation, I decided to go back and give you another chance. Well there are still a couple of opportunities for improvement -- the sushi rice remains a touch under-seasoned -- the quality of the food was vastly improved over my previous experience and the fish was genuinely high-quality. I had a delightful tuna roll and some yellowtail nigiri. While I'm still not entirely sure I understand the hype, I can comfortably say that this is a perfectly good sushi place. read more

As vegetarians, it can be hard to find yummy sushi (which is my favorite food).. But at "RED" do not fear. The nutty roll (vegan) and veggie roll were absolutely delicious and one of the best meals I had while staying in Madison. There were plenty of other vegan/vegetarian rolls to choose from.. Would highly recommend this place for a yummy bite! read more

RED - Sushi Bars Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

So happy that I got to try this place! This is the second location in Madison and is very nicely decorated across from the Hyatt and with tons of parking around. (free after 6pm)! This was also my first time having sushi in madison and forgive me for not having too high expectations since i'm from California, but honestly this place was really good! We started with a bowl of Ramen, and boy... was it good. It had just the right amount of spice and the noodles were authentic and cooked perfectly. the al dente of ramen! The meat was flavorful and I loved the bamboo shoots. Dont even get me started on the broth. it had a ton of flavor and i'm definitely coming back here to get my ramen fix. We proceeded to get 5 different rolls, the tropical roll with spicy tuna, philly roll, chicken teriyaki roll, orange crush, and California roll. We were hosting some new comers and wanted to keep it a little safe so thats the story behind our order and honestly it was a great start! I love salmon and spice to the orange crush was the perfect roll with shrimp tempura, crunch, and salmon on top. I can't wait to come back here and try other rolls! Til then, happy eating!! read more

best sushi ever! this is the place to go if your juggling different restaurants, pick RED! they kindly seated us right away even though we didn't have a reservation they managed to fit us in (if you are going- which you should, don't be like silly ol' me and do give em a ring before you go to see whats up! its easier for everyone!) the hostess/host's and waiters/waitresses are amazing and can answer any questions if you aren't familiar with some things on the menu. they have cooked options as well if you are feeling unsure about Raw options don't even sweat it! lots of variety. the seating outdoor was aesthetic and super nice, you feel the city vibe but its not on the main drag so its not Too loud or anything like that. there is hanging lights and well cared for plants and etc and its very cozy but still a cool atmosphere, not too cramped feelings or anything. look at these pics of this 100 star quality sushi, i mean c'mon. read more

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I decided to grab sushi for lunch along with a friend and the sushi here is probably the best I've had in Madison! Their lunch special, 2 rolls for $13, is amazing! I got the crunchy salmon and Godzilla roll along with miso soup. The miso soup was light and hearty along with bits of tofu and seaweed. The sushi came out shortly after and honestly, at first glance, there's a ton of panko over dressing the sushi but once you taste it---wow. The rice was moist and sticky, the fillings just blended together which created an amazing texture and taste. Best sushi in Madison hands down. read more

RED - Sushi Bars Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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Great atmosphere but not any better than sushi muramoto in Hildale (my usual go to). Everyone always talks about Red but it wasn't much different quality wise than Muramoto! It was a little bit more $$$ though read more

Love Red but I have noticed that sometimes the rolls with tempura items in them have been maybe cooked earlier in the day.

Overpriced and bland.. I had the pick 2 lunch and chose spicy tuna and the spicy Godzilla roll. Neither were spicy. Not even a HINT of spice. I couldn't even finish the spicy tuna roll, it was bland and mushy. I will say the seaweed salad was nice. Other then that huge disappointment because I've heard such fond things about this restaurant. read more

RED - Sushi Bars Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Just not worth its price. For 2 people, our bill came out to over $100. We got the wagyu tartare, which was good (clearly not the wagyu you think of aka japanese wagyu). The rolls were extremely disappointing- between 12-20$ for 6-8 pieces of average sushi, which I would expect to get for 8-10$ for that quality. The otoro roll was also completely minced, which was ridiculous. The atmosphere is cozy, but tables are also too close to each other. I wouldn't go here again nor would I recommend it to someone who knows what sushi should taste like, unfortunately. read more