Robata is a small place with an ample parking lot size for its seating, or close to ample. I think there may not be enough seating for its customer demand... that's a sign of a popular place. Happy hour prices + the food quality are what had my friend invite me here. Some rolls are half off and so are a few beverages, like hot sake. I had never had hot sake. I've only had any sake once. I liked it fine, but I didn't want a second order after I finished the first. I was disappointed that Robata was out of plum wine. Instead I ordered what was described as a white sangria, but it tasted more like a brandy. I had a few sips and gave it to my friend. I had 4 vegetarian sushi rolls. Only the asparagus was included with happy hour. My 3 other rolls were takuan, pickle plum and BB. As much as I like plum (keep reading), and takuan was a pleasant surprise, and the asparagus was good, the BB, which has tempura asparagus, cream cheese, and sweet soy, was my favorite item of the evening. I was happy to see umeboshi onigiri on the lengthy menu. These were of a good size, but I think it perhaps would have benefitted from a higher pickled plum to rice ratio. (The only time I've had it has been from a food truck and I don't know how representative it is of onigiri.) Each order of food took a while to come out. My friend had trouble getting the server's attention when she wanted to put in more orders. Robata is not a place for a quick happy hour bite. It's going to take a while, especially if you're ordering in multiple rounds like we did. When the kitchen got too busy, my order another roll was denied. That happened well before dinner service ended and it was disappointing. I would have waited a bit longer. But it was probably good to get cut off from sushi at some point. We were a little confused by the bills. My friend may have overpaid (not gotten happy hour price) for some of her items, and there was some question about whether mine had been billed correctly, but in the end we decided that mine was probably correct. Hers, though... we aren't sure. I think I'll return to Robata for the BB roll, plum wine, and maybe something new, but I will be sure to have plenty of time, order a bunch all at once, and check the bill. read more

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Since my source for umeboshi onigiri seems to have ceased operations (does anyone know what happened to the Izumi food truck?), i was pretty excited to see pickled plum rice balls on the menu here. I came with a friend for happy hour. We got the half off sushi (which included the mackerel nigiri, which is my FAVORITE (Tho, theirs isn't as good as Sushi Hanna in Alton)) and house hot sake, which was perfect for this freezing week. The heat was out? Which the waitress apologized for. They had a space heater out, so we sat right by that. I also ordered a few of the onigiri to go. They aren't the best I've had, but I'll probably be back semi-regularly to get my fix of the flavor, which is just so unique. Same for half off mackerel Maybe one day I'll even try their non-sushi offerings... read more

Robata Maplewood - Pickled plum rice ball Umeboshi onigiri - Sushi Bars Near Me - Maplewood, Missouri

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I've been to Robota a few times before. Every experience has been consistent for me. I wish it was a bit cleaner, there's a lot of smug on the windows and the bathrooms aren't the best. The service is good and my waitress was friendly. They seemed really busy, so she wasn't very attentive. I asked for a straw and she brought me a boba straw with no wrapper and she was holding it with her bare hands. Needless to say I didn't use the straw, but I wasn't bothered! The food was honestly amazing. I got the Katsu Curry Ramen and the Hurricane roll. They were both so perfect and I'll always go back for the food! read more

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This place has gone way downhill. It has been good in the past, but this time our service was very slow, miso soup came out lukewarm at best, we had to remind server about the rest of our appetizers. And my sushi looked like this. It appears they were understaffed and maybe the service was a one off, but the quality of food seals the deal for me unfortunately. Will not be returning. read more

Robata Maplewood - Rainbow Roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Maplewood, Missouri

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I will have soup in the middle of summer if it's good. It's 2025 now and there are plenty of options for good soup from different influences in the world, unlike 10 years ago in the greater Saint Louis area that when you crave ramen, you ended up going for pho or Mexican chicken soup. Am happy to report that Robata is a good place to satisfy that ramen craving. There's the common favorite tonkatsu then there's the new (to me, probably nontraditional) Kar age ramen. They are both good choices. I am overjoyed that Saint Louis has been expanding its culinary options in the last decade. read more

Robata Maplewood - Menu - Sushi Bars Near Me - Maplewood, Missouri

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We went to Han Loa aka Robata at 7219 Manchester Rd. I had sushi and my husband had ramen. Both were as good as they always were. It had been a while since we'd been there since we moved out of the neighborhood. Go and enjoy some great food. read more

I had high hopes for Robata but felt disappointed. Their food was okay. I personally liked their sushi but my husband had a fried rice dish and it was not very good. The service was also subpar and I felt like they weren't quite paying attention to us. The inside of the restaurant is small and could use some more decor. read more

Small spot close to the house, but Robata has some of my favorite sushi in STL! They have a ton of options when it comes to sushi so it's a great spot for people who have various dietary restrictions or preferences. Ramen is also really good and perfect for a cold day. read more

Terrible service Bad food And the staff did not seem to care Took my bubble team outside to mix across the street read more

I probably haven't been to Robata in 4 years! My friends and I decided to go and I think if it weren't for one of their dishes being so good, then I would have rated it a 3. There is one waitress who does all of the seating, ordering, and cleaning. I really hope that they get some help! But, luckily our group got there at an earlier time to get a table right away before the dinner rush. I felt bad for the others who had to stand by the door to wait for a table. The restaurant is small without the outside patio option being open. Dinner was great as I was craving some ramen on a colder day. Started off with the chicken (kara-age). The pieces are small, but you get what you paid for. As for the entree, I got the tonkutsu ramen and it was portioned very well. My boyfriend got the handrolls and the star of the night, Takana Yakimeshi!!! The Takana Yakimeshi is a pork belly fried rice that took longer to bring out than the rest of the food. The pork belly portions were heaping and the flavor was true unami. Dinner turned out to be about $50 after tip for all of the items mentioned. Thanks Robata! read more

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To start off, I really enjoyed the food. It's other aspects that lowered my rating. I got the fried pork gyoza and the hand roll trio which were both great. Though I will mention that one of the rolls is marketed as yellow tail, and was most definitely made with smoked salmon. I like smoked salmon, so it didn't bother me but it did seem odd. I also ordered a bubble tea which I didn't finish. It was a slushy texture which I did not expect and had a sour flavor to it which wasn't enjoyable. It also separated quite badly after a couple of minutes. There was only one person working when I was there and she was relatively attentive, however at one point she left me alone in the restaurant to go across the street for several minutes which felt odd. They have ample outdoor seating, and a small indoor dining room. Great for small groups but more than 4 people might have a hard time sitting together if it was busy at all. Overall I think I would give it another try but I definitely wouldn't recommend the bubble tea read more

Robata Maplewood - Peach bubble tea, and the empty plate from my Pork Gyoza - Sushi Bars Near Me - Maplewood, Missouri

Decent ramen and sushi for St. Louis. I went here with my boyfriend. We were hungry and ordered both ramen and sushi, or maybe we are just big foody and love food ;). This place is great to go when hungry or if not hungry can just order either ramen or sushi only. This place is very affordable. There is a happy hour special at certain time. We went last night and was not busy at all. There was one waitress at this time. It was just our tablet and another couple at this time that dine in. Definitely recommend going there for a casual meal. read more

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Ahh my friend and I randomly picked this place without looking at reviews. I wish we had checked earlier; otherwise I would have veto'ed. Robata was objectively awful; I got the gyudon (supposed to be seasoned beef with rice and pickled ginger). It was this sad little lump on rice. The menus and tables are grimy and unclean and the food very very subpar. Not worth going to. read more

Nothing to hoot and holler about. The service was fine, very polite and attentive but the food was nothing I would have a lasted in my memory to come back. My boyfriend really enjoyed the 8 Samuri and really enjoyed it, the California roll was good, well presented. I had high hopes for the curry ramen but it lacked flavor, if you're a curry enthusiast you'd be disappointed. It's a good quick stop and does have a drive thru if you want some sushi to go. Service good, food ehh left me a little unsatisfied. read more

Robata Maplewood - Curry Ramen, don't recommend it was lacking flavor to me - Sushi Bars Near Me - Maplewood, Missouri

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Terrible food, it was actually comical. This is why I use yelp reviews, but we were being spontaneous for once. Don't waste your time or money. read more

Poor quality poor service, overall really bad. Great area but really bad overall. I wouldn't come here or order out. I've had a bad experience with both. Always out of things and service is extremely slow if at all. I ordered pick up and arrived at the time told to me but had to wait 30 more min in the restaurant for poor quality food. read more

Robata Maplewood - The "tuna lover" the saddest sushi I've ever ordered. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Maplewood, Missouri

We have been wanting to try this place for awhile now but they never seem to be open. Walking it is a small quiet little spot. The gentlemen gave us our menus and brought us water. A few minutes later a gentleman came over and took our order. We was going to get one and do add ons but the gentleman told us it wld be cheaper to do it another way, so we did and asked for extra egg. What we orders was suppose to have dumplings and extra egg, but they forgot both. I told them so they brought them out but the eggs were ice cold. The pork in the noodles was slimy and mushy. The food looked pretty, but didn't have flavor for real. The sushi rice was bland and dry on the sushi. My son got the little bowl and we thought it would have more than just broth noodles and an egg. We also got the chicken with Japanese sauce, the sauce was really good. I wld give this place a 2 out of 10, just based on taste of food. read more

Robata Maplewood - Sushi Bars Near Me - Maplewood, Missouri

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My husband and I ate here recently on a Sunday evening. Limited seating inside, lots of tables on the patio though. Service was slow, however there were a couple other tables as well. We never received refills on our water even when our cups were empty. We ordered Gyoza, Curry Ramen, and the 8 Samurai sushi. Gyoza were fine but fried and I prefer steamed. I'm not sure if this was stated in the menu. Ramen was so salty. I could smell the curry but couldn't taste it. It tasted like the Roasted Chicken ramen from the store. The chicken in the ramen was good. Sushi was also super salty and really nothing really stand out. Overall I'd only come back for the happy hour since it's half off sushi (very limited selection though) and didn't feel like going far from home. read more

I love Robata! I have been eating here since pre-covid and the sheer amount of food you can get here on a budget is astounding! On top of their reasonable prices the food they serve at robata has always been top quality and delicious! This place is my favorite in Stl to get sushi because of their unique dining area and the accommodating staff. I have never had a bad experience here and even when getting take out their food has been beyond fantastic! (They also offer a lot of unique traditional dishes that other places in stl do not, I highly recommend this place for all those who love sushi and trying new things!) read more

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Yes the food tastes good. BUT if I can't keep the food in my stomach that's not success. These folks are not keeping care of the sushi properly. The server did not wipe down the bar, dirty. As we stared into the not working sushi refrigerator case with trash bags stuffed inside. When I called for a refund owner asked for my card info, I called back 4 times to give this info. Beware, you've been warned. I didn't get to eat thanksgiving bc this horrible food poisoning, worse I've ever had. All these things add up to they don't care. read more

I was craving soup/ ramen and I have driven by this place a million times and I finally decided to give it a try. This was an amazing. I had seafood soup with sashimi and it was amazing. Looking for an amazing local place to stay warm this winter?! Hit this place up (it's even great in the summer too ha!) read more

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Overall charming little spot. Robata has a wide variety of Asian cuisine options. They have an extensive selection of sushi rolls, nigiri, and sashimi. I ordered a tuna roll, yellowtail roll, and Philly roll, along with some salmon onigiri. The food was great! Their spicy mayo and eel sauce is a great addition if you want something other than soy sauce. The food comes out as it's ready, so may be a good idea to order some shareable plates. There were also some issues with running out of ingredients. read more

Robata Maplewood - Tuna, yellowtail, Philly rolls - Sushi Bars Near Me - Maplewood, Missouri

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The food has gone down the toilet since the owner is not there. I went this evening and the fried squid was burned to a crisp. I'm not sure what happened to the Ramen broth but it is not the same thick, sumptuous broth I've had there in the past. The service has gone down hill as well. The only time a server is there is to deliver my food and take my money, no check in between. Likely will not return, and do not recommend. read more

Placed an order for 4 sushi rolls to go. They have a drive up window to make it easy to get in and out quickly. They quoted about 20 minutes over the phone but we ended up waiting another 10 minutes once we arrived (plan accordingly). The rolls were all super fresh, the fish was fresh, and the toppings were as expected. The rolls are mostly under $10 each which makes this place an affordable option when you have a sushi craving. The interior is small and crammed- its a popular place, but the lack of seating and parking makes it tricky to get in and out quickly. read more

Robata Maplewood - Sushi Bars Near Me - Maplewood, Missouri

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TL:DR - Small "intimate" dining area. Food is the epitome of subpar. When the best thing we got is green onion yakitori (we also got pork belly, spare ribs and 3 other yakitori), you're in trouble. I wanted to like this place so much, but it definitely doesn't deliver. First off, this used to be an old Church's chicken, and the place is....intimate. You won't get much privacy. I came in on a Tuesday night, and it was SURPRISINGLY busy, which I thought was a good sign. I actually wasn't too hungry, so my partner and I just got a few small things. I got the BBQ-Don, which was like small crispy pork belly and white rice. The crispy pork belly was alright, but really lacking in that umami/savory aspect. Like it's not hard to fall in love with pork and rice. I mean most of the time, if done right, people will over-eat stuff like that because it's such a comfort food. I was able to put this down pretty easy. My partner got the japanese pepper yakitori, green onion yakitori, smelt yakitori, and spare ribs. Again, spare ribs, are not hard to do well, but I was able to put this stuff down easy. Literally the best thing we had tonight was the green onion yakitori. IT'S A GRILLED GREEN ONION. That should NOT be the best thing I get all night! Finishing up the review, service was fine, place was a bit loud, price a bit high for what you get. This is one of the most forgettable places I've been. read more

Robata Maplewood - BBQ Don - Sushi Bars Near Me - Maplewood, Missouri

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The sushi was good (I had the Alaskan roll), but the house salad was just okay; it was a small portion and was slightly wet due to the amount of dressing. The inside seating area was a little loud, but the outdoor patio was more spacious, which I liked. But, as many have noted, the service was very slow. The restaurant was busy, and they were definitely short-staffed--it seemed like there was only one server working--but it took my friend and I about an hour to get our food, and we only ordered a couple things each. I'm conflicted about whether or not I'd come back here. I really liked my sushi, but I don't know that I'd want to wait over an hour for it again. read more

Service was slow, the food portions were miniscule and the restaurant was empty on a Sunday evening. I do not recommend. The Wasabi came as a small, soupy side. Uck!!!! read more

I read a few reviews before coming here and the majority of it seems to be about bad service. Food was either good or okay according to most reviewers. I wanted to try their ramen so I came in and only ordered the ramen and appetizer so this review will not evaluate their sushi or yakitori. I honestly think this place would have been rated much higher if not for the bad service, which is sad because that really tanked their ratings and mattered to a lot of customers. I went and experienced the bad service myself. I can understand that the place was busy but that does not excuse their employees from not doing a great job. For example, I ordered the Tori ramen, which took pretty long to come out and asked for toppings like sushi nori and fried garlic but they forgot that. My boyfriend ordered tonkatsu ramen and asked for fish cake topping on his bowl but they ended up putting that also on my bowl. The boiled eggs was supposed to be in both of our ramen but when they served our bowls they did not come with the noodles already. I had to ask for it and later they brought our eggs out in a separate bowl which I don't know if it was on purpose or they just simply forgot until I asked. The eggs were really cold and I felt like they just pull them out of the fridge and serve them to us. The quality of ramen was okay! I would say the broth was not as salty as some reviewers mentioned, at least it was not the case for the tonkatsu ramen. However, the pork belly slides that they served were definitely not roasted whatsoever so I think that's a bit false advertising. Despite that, I think pricing is very decent for ramen. I find this place more reasonable than most ramen place in St. Louis as there are definitely places that charge 13-15 dollars for a ramen bowl and the quality was not up to that price point. I don't think there is a really good ramen joint in St. Louis but I would pick this place as the best value. With that being the case, I would come back for the ramen when I am in the Maplewood area or when I really crave it. It's under $10 for a bowl and with that you can't really complain. read more

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Got an order tonight that the sushi was actually rotten. The smell of the fish was horrid. I know the smell of rotting and this was it.

Worst sushi experience ever. First the wasabi was dark green and it just crumbled, must have been sitting out all day. Ordered 2 pieces of tuna nigiri and it was paper thin flavorless tuna with zero fat. My tuna avocado roll had almost zero tuna in it read more

Robata Maplewood - Tuna Avocado Roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Maplewood, Missouri

The food here is amazing. I have tried the fried tofu, gyoza, sushi, ramen, kimchi fries- maybe more? I'm a sushi addict and I've been there like 20 times in 2 months the waitress is very sweet and helpful. And their 90s playlist is always appreciated. read more

Robata Maplewood - Kimchi fries - Sushi Bars Near Me - Maplewood, Missouri

I'm in line and I still regret coming to this place. I ordered and was told 30 minutes. I showed up to he drive through and waited for 10 more minutes. Then the lady asked me to park and come back. It's 20 minutes after my arrival, and I am still in line. If everyone waits this long then I won't be able to get me food in time. Wish I could cancel. I will never come back again. Do not come here. read more

This place is set-up to be completely legit in downtown Maplewood. The inside dining room is very small with bar tops and a few tables, but there is an outdoor patio that is delightful and spacious. The ramen is very very inexpensive for Ramen in the area. Without any additions, you can get your basic Ramen bowl that comes with veggies, meats, and that egg for $9-$10. It also has yakitori (which is grilled meats) and sushi. I honestly love the appetizers and a pretty robust sushi/beer menu - but the Ramen. The Ramen broth fell apart for me. It was missing that Umami flavor you get from Nori - or something. So this is what you do when you come in: 1) Choose the cut of noodles (regular = no surcharge) 2) Choose Chicken, Veggie, or Pork Broth. If you can't and don't eat pork, this is one of the few options in STL to get a non-pork broth. They also can give you pulled chicken - instead of pork slices. 3) Choose (Salt vs. Soy Base, light broth vs. dark broth) 4) Add any optional toppings. Free toppings are Nori (Seaweed) and fried garlic. Do this. Pros: 1) Atmosphere 2) Chicken Katsu 3) Yakitoro (Chicken thighs were very good) 4) $4- white sangria 5) Plum sake 6) Drive-thru Ramen Bar window! (Order online for faster pick-up) Cons: 1) Ramen broth. My bean sprouts didn't cook because the broth was luke warm. I would make sure to ask for this broth to be pipping hot. And if you can eat pork, go for the pork vs. chicken based both for more flavors. I'll come back to give it another try b/c the atmosphere was nice. But, this doesn't satisfy my Ramen bar experience yet. read more

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Robata sushi is a little iffy as of lately. I got the crawdaddy roll and couldn't eat it after one bite. The crawfish had a flavor like it had gone bad. My husband's gyudon was tasteless. Karaage was good though. It's too hit and miss for me to keep going back. read more

It's small, but worth the wait or doing takeout for the great service and amazing flavors. We've been a few times, but the last time I was in we were able to squeeze in at the bar so we could avoid the 30 minute wait. I loved being able to interact with the super friendly staff and bartenders and getting their personal recommendations. We always see tons of friends and cool folks here so it's a great place to end up for a drink or for dinner. They're also super accommodating and have great portions for to-go/ordering food, so support local! I love the vegetable ramen but my non-veg friends love the wide variety of options on the menu here. read more

The quality of the fish in the sushi was good, and the service was very friendly... but maybe stay away from the overpriced and underwhelming specialty rolls. The plain rolls were reasonably priced for St. Louis, but for $9.95, the Firebird roll was just pathetic. It was barely as substantial as a regular roll but around $5 more expensive. It tasted okay but wasn't anything amazing. While I'm here complaining, the spicy tuna did not have any detectable spice... Maybe the ramen and yakitori are better. Anyway, three stars because the sushi tasted fine but didn't seem worth the price. read more

Robata Maplewood - California, salmon and avocado, "spicy" tuna, Firebird, and one of the vegetable rolls - Sushi Bars Near Me - Maplewood, Missouri

If you're in the mood for ramen, get it here. The ramen is amazing! Every ingredient was fresh and delicious, and the noodles were cooked to perfection. I highly recommend the corn miso broth. Also, I don't eat pork, and they kindly substituted chicken free of charge. The portion was very large and cost less than $10! The restaurant itself is very small, with enough room for roughly 30 people. I recommend calling ahead of your meal to get your name on the list. read more

Robata Maplewood - Amazing corn miso ramen - Sushi Bars Near Me - Maplewood, Missouri

Always satisfying to eat here or get food to go. The staff is very welcoming. And there usually isn't a long wait after ordering

My husband and I had a date night and wanted to try a new place for sushi. Upon pulling up to Robata, there was only one table seated in the restaurant at prime 7 PM dinner rush on a Friday night. This was an instant red flag but we gave it a try anyways. We didn't expect anything fancy, however the floor was sticky and the restroom was FILTHY. They don't have a drink menu, just a dusty shelf with cans/bottles of what they offer. The sushi was simply "OK" and I'd be lying if I wasn't a bit worried about the quality or freshness of the ingredients seeing as they had zero other customers in the restaurant once we ordered and only one carry out order during our time there. Our server was attentive and friendly throughout dinner. read more

Super disappointing. Ordered online with a 55 minute pick up confirmation email. We arrived on time and waited in the pick up line for another 15 minutes. At the wonder we were told "Give us like 6 minutes." After about 5 minutes we were told they were out of asparagus and would need to sub for one of our rolls. Another 5 minutes and our bag was at the window and we were informed that they were out of chopsticks. After getting the food home, the miso soup tasted off and we did not eat it. The sushi rolls are clearly hastily made and not evenly cut. Currently taking suggestions for city (or close) sushi take out places. read more

Robata Maplewood - Sushi Bars Near Me - Maplewood, Missouri