I'm new to the sushi world and decided to stop by this restaurant from a coworker's recommendation. I placed an order through the drive-thru and it was ready soon thereafter. I decided to try a few variety of rolls, but did not finish any of them. The offering was was okay, but not outstanding. I now understand why other patrons rated the sushi as adequate. read more

Sakura 12 - Japanese Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

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So on a snowy messy day, I decided to go through Sakuri drive-thru on Winchester Rd. I ordered what I always do, Chicken Teriyaki. When I got home I took a bite of the chicken and it was hard, almost crunchy. So I called the restaurant and explained my issue. The lady who answered the call said she would need to tell the manager. At first, she said to take a picture. I could hear the manager talking to her while I waited. Then she came back and said I would need to return the food today. I told her that I wasn't going back out because of the roads. She then said some people try and get free food. I told her that I'd been going to this restaurant for several years. I could tell that they'd already made their minds up on me returning. Warning!!! DO NOT GO TO THIS RESTAURANT! The food quality has continued to get worse year by year. They seemed not to care that I told them I was going to put in a bad review. I will not be going back to this restaurant, ever again!!! read more

Sakura 12 - Chicken Teriyaki! The chicken is rock-hard! Almost like it was frozen and put immediately on the grill. Don't let the picture fool you! - Japanese Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

In just the past 3 months, the prices have gone up about 30% (just in the last 3 months, not counting previous price increases during and after the pandemic, which was also roughly a 30% increase between 2019 and 2024), which is absurd. I just went back and looked at our order history and receipts to check prices on individual items. Additionally the portion sizes and amount of meat per sushi roll is also noticeably lower, they're using smaller to-go containers than they used to. Sakura 12 used to be our go-to place because it was closer to home, picking up sushi once or twice a month for weekend splurges, to the point that they recognized us when we came in to pick things up. But now? There's no way we're paying 30% more for smaller portions. The sushi was never the best in town, but the admittedly low prices kept them competitive. Now, there's no reason not to go to one of the dozen better places, price was their only edge. If I'm going to drop $100+ on sushi, I'm probably going to spend $20 more to get the REALLY good stuff elsewhere, y'know? read more

They have the best deals on sushi, especially the excellent quality salmon nigiri. The hibachi meals are complimented nicely with their addicting yum yum sauce. This is a must-try place. The service was on point, and the atmosphere is relaxing and very inviting. read more

The customer service at this place is exceptional. The staff is always friendly and willing to accommodate any special requests. I highly recommend this place to anyone looking for a delicious and hassle-free dining experience. read more

Holy smokes! Sakura is the real deal y'all! We made an impromptu dinner while staying in the area for the night. The food was beyond delicious and the price was fantastic! Seriously, we scarfed it. Inside is a bit of a mess, hence the drop of one star. If we lived in the area Sakura would be a very good problem for us. Happy eating Yelpers! read more

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I am a huge fan of pork egg rolls and I bought 3 from here because a friend recommended them to me and I must report that they were absolutely the worst egg rolls I have ever attempted to eat. I will never eat here again and I will not ever recommend this place to anyone who I care about. #Nasty #EggRolls read more

Ordered miso soup, a spicy tuna roll, Boston roll (shrimp, lettuce, mayo), and an eel / avocado roll. Spicy tuna rolls are my favorite. This spicy tuna roll was fishy, not good. The other 2 rolls were good. The miso soup was different. It had something else in it, maybe lemon juice? Whatever it was, it made the miso soup better in my opinion. The prices are very cheap, but I'd rather pay more for fresh fish, and enjoy it. read more

Sakura 12 - Spicy tuna, Boston roll, avacado eel - Japanese Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

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Portions are now truly terrible, they use new trays for the food that leave you with half of the food they used to give you. this place used to be great, used to love coming but as of very recently they reduced the portions by a drastic amount and did not say anything about it. it was fairly priced and good food before now your paying the same for 60% of the food and significantly less than the original portion of shrimp or steak. This place was truly special before, but now it is not even half the restaurant it was. In what world do the portions get downsized significantly yet the prices stay the exact same? When viewing the pictures that are displayed keep in mind you may not even get 50% of the food shown. Truly disgusted and appalled by this place and their business model. Do not eat here, especially if you're planning on it satisfying your hunger for more than 30 minutes. read more

New owners than the original. Food quality and quantity have both gone down. They still offer a cheap meal if you need to get a Chinese fix and have a few dollars but I would go elsewhere for you others option's personally. read more

Sakura 12 - Habachi chicken - Japanese Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

The situation is, this is not the best sushi in town. It is however the best sushi in the East end. The food was adequate. I ordered hibachi vegetables which came with 4 cups of rice, steamed carrots and of course the veggies. Oh and it comes with an eggroll or salad all for $6.95. The food wasn't the most amazing but it was good enough that I will probably come back. The prices are reasonable. Specialty rolls will run about $5-9 each. The regular rolls (spicy tuna) were around $3. The service is quick enough that they have a drive thru.. If you want decent, cheap, quick sushi give this place a try. read more

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A drive-thru Japanese steak house? We had to try it out for ourselves. The inside looks like a fast food restaurant and they provide plastic plates/utensils. It was the old KFC- they haven't really changed much of the interior. It isn't fancy, but great for a casual meet up. The price is unbeatable. Free wifi is available. We got the sushi B, salmon, and tuna roll. Sushi B comes with a salad which does not come with much (see picture). Sushi was good. I would definitely come back! Staff was very friendly. The fish is what you pay for! read more

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You've been waiting for this restaurant and didn't even know it. Awesome signature rolls. Reasonable prices. Great employees. There are other places in Lexington that have good rolls, but the mix here of awesome, tasty rolls at a great value makes this place hard to beat. We tried two signature rolls and a cooked roll. They are phenomenal. We tried the Lobster Dancing Roll and Kobe Beef Roll from the signature roll section. Wow. Both are taste sensations. If you stuck a gun to my head and asked which one, I'd first tell you to put the gun down. But then I'd have to go with the Lobster Dancing Roll. But honestly, the Kobe Beef Roll has a surf and turf element to it that is absolutely fantastic. We also tried the Philadelphia Roll. It's good, but it ain't a signature roll. Pay up (just a little) and go with the signatures. There is just so much going on flavor-wise with them that I can't see wasting my time with a traditional roll. One caveat...there is an addictive aspect to this place that I can't explain. You'll be back. And back. And back again. read more

I have mad mixed feelings about this place. Look, the price for the food is unbeatable. It's classic sushi/hibachi food you can get through a drive through, which is cool. The catch is that I've had horrible food poisoning here 3x. I came back because I thought the first time was maybe unrelated, and the other 2x my husband dragged me back.... I should have said no to him. LoL. My husband is from India, so he can eat anything from anywhere, but my American belly was not up for the challenge. In sum, if you're looking for a quick, affordable sushi option and you have a strong gut, come on down! read more

Sakura 12 is awsome. It is a great place for really good affordable sushi and hand rolls. I can't get enough. I am addicted to this place. It is located at the corner of Loudon and Winchester in a not so good part of town, but the food more than makes up for it. The service is quick. I have only went through the drive thru here so I can't speak of what it looks like inside. Please note the mic for the drive thru is located at the back door of your car and the menu is at the front door. I sometimes have issue hearing them. I have also tried their hibachi which is also good. This place has a huge menu, but I truly just go here for the sushi. If you are in the area, stop in and give them a try. Their Pink Lady's are addictive. YUMMMMMM read more

Sakura 12 - Japanese Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

Great service and great sushi. Great for pick up, delivery, or dining in. I have been offered a free soda when picking up a big order. I don't expect that every time but it's nice when offered. read more

I ordered hibachi chicken, pepper tuna tataki, seaweed salad, and side of fried rice and broccoli. Inedible. The seaweed salad was the only item that wasn't suspect or terrible (and I'm pretty sure that's pre-made and purchased by the restaurant). I threw everything away. A total waste. Overcooked, no to weird flavor, just plain gross. Won't even feed it to my dogs. read more

For a drive-thru, affordable sushi Sakura 12 is as good as it gets! The Kamikaze roll, Kobe beef roll, and sexy girl roll are all delicious. The crab rangoons are great as well. The service is quick and prices are reasonable for the amount of food you get. Tonight we got our food about 7 minutes after first pulling up to the drive-thru and we got everything (3 specialty rolls and Rangoon's) for just under $30. Not bad!!! It's located in an old KFC building and not in the greatest part of town, plus the idea of drive-thru sushi had my boyfriend and I a little bit skeptical.. but I'm so glad we went! Been there twice now and 10/10 recommend. read more

Sakura 12 - 8 Piece Kamikaze Roll, 10 Piece Kobe Beef Roll, 8 Piece Sexy Girl Roll - Japanese Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

I love this place, but they literally gave me three leaves of lettuce in my house salad. read more

Sakura 12 - This is the House Salad...LOL...there are like, 3 lettuce leaves in here - Japanese Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

I am so happy this place has opened up! Tasty sushi for a good price is hard to find. Don't be fooled by the fact they are in an old KFC building. It is certainly a place you should visit! Tip: If you like miso soup, it is worth it to buy here. The portion is fantastic!!!! read more

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I found my new spot for reasonably priced sushi. My friend and I were studying and he suggested we order food from here, but the cost of delivery from DoorDash was outrageous so I offered to drive to the restaurant myself. I've never seen a sushi place with a drive thru before, and I was relieved I didn't have to call ahead and then go inside for takeout. You definitely can't beat the convenience. The menu is extensive and it took me a while to peruse, but I ended up settling on a Kamizake roll, which was only 6-something dollars. My friend had me order him a chicken bento box, and for a little under 10 bucks, I was impressed with how much food he got (sushi, chicken, fried rice, crab rangoon, egg roll). My sushi was fresh and delicious, and my friend enjoyed everything in his box. Next time I might go the bento route too, just because it's such a good value. I did wait a while in the drive thru line, but everything is prepared to order so that's to be expected. I'll be back! read more

Sakura 12 - Kamikaze roll that got knocked around a bit in the box. Tastes better than it looks, I promise! - Japanese Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

Excellent! Delicious! The tempura was crisp, clean and light. The monster roll and green dragon roll were fresh and well presented. My husband and I were completely satisfied. The price was right. We are so thankful that we found this joint! We will absolutely be back to try the eel! read more

I ordered the steak and shrimp hibachi and got this 8 piece steak and 3 shrimp!!!!! This is a joke !! Will never order here again and will definitely not recommend this restaurant!!!! Worst experience ever read more

Sakura 12 - Hibachi Steak and Shrimp - Japanese Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

They don't let anyone use the bathroom & laugh at you for asking. ridiculous & rude. they also were late getting the order ready

It's a good thing the food is good because they have gotten pretty freakin greedy$$$. So tonight our order was $72 for 5 people with sushi....same order previously was $55...i ask for exta sauce and they tell me it's .75 per sauce .....then they wonder why i did not tip on a carry out order....you're joking right? I guess gouging their customers is how the owners maintain those sparkly Maserati SUVs that they create their own parking spots for.... read more

Sakura 12 - Japanese Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

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I been driving past this place a long time now. After recommendation I decided not come here and I was not disappointed. Wow wonderful selection and great flavors. This will be a spot I hit from now on. Just really happy with everything. read more

Sakura 12 - I got four different rolls, mostly anything that had dragon on the title. - Japanese Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

I stopped for a light bite. Bear in mind, Sakura 12 is as casual as you can get. You don't go for the atmosphere. The menu advertises 50% off susi every day. You order at the counter, and your food is brought to your table. I ordered a Miso Soup, extra tofu, and a 5-piece Sashimi Appetizer. The soup, which came in a plastic container, was a goodly amount, hot and flavorful. The Sashimi, in a styrofoam box, was generous pieces of each fish on a bed of thinly julienned cucumber, with the usual accompanying ginger and wasabi. Pretty good, inexpensive sushi, if you can ignore the containers the food is served in. read more

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Located in the old KFC location off of Winchester Road, I noticed the "coming soon" banner posted for months. I'm not sure what the the long wait was for, but they're finally here and I recently finally got a chance to check them out! Understand upfront, this isn't a Japanese hibachi that you may be use to. They cook the hibachi meals in the back. They have a drive thru. You order at the counter. They serve the meals in a styrofoam box. You get the point... it's more of a Japanese express place. When I walked in, one of the ladies in line told me that they have the best sushi in Lexington. Although it was above par, I have to disagree with her. Maybe I need to try more. Admittedly, I'm not a sushi expert and California roll is my go to. The rice was softer than usual and each piece fell apart. No biggie though, as long as the avocado pieces aren't disclosed, then I'm good. As my meal, I ordered the steak hibachi. After witnessing the huge portion, the styrofoam box made sense, because I took half to go anyways. The steak was excellent as were the veggies that accompanied. Each hibachi meal comes with your choice of a side salad or egg roll. The egg roll was a bit of a let down, only stuffed with cabbage and greasier than most. The don't have courtesy water. You have to purchase a bottled water if water is your preference. Overall, it's definitely recommendable, especially considering the prices. read more

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Visited based on high recommendations from friends. Went for lunch with a friend and we were both highly satisfied with the entrees we selected!! Only a few reasons for a non perfect score: side choice of salad was medicore, absolutely nothing worth having as an option, young lady that took order lacked courtesy & friendliness-she didn't seem like she wanted to be there. Space is small, so not ideal for big parties, but cool for a quick dine-in or carry-out. Portion sizes for entrees were awesome!!! Plenty of delicious veggies, rice, meats/seafood pieces. Yum yum sauce was excellent! Please do not let location or what was previously housed here sway you for missing out on some delicious food! read more

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This is the type of place where you're going to always over-order. It's so easy to do, even after you stop giggling at the "50% off sushi - all day, every day!" Leaving behind the questionable marketing practice of a product that can never be purchased at its "actual" price, it's so easy to be lulled into the idea that you should go ahead and add more to your meal. When it's only $4.99 for the sesame chicken special, you're not expecting a take-out container (the big one they give you at a restaurant when you're ordering to-go, not the small one for your leftovers) heaping with rice, sesame chicken, and glazed carrots. So you add that roll, or the crab Rangoon; why not, you haven't even broken $10 yet! And then you're hefting a bag or sitting down to an enormous platter of food that guarantees leftovers, and maybe even second leftovers if not as gluttonous as me. But is the food good? Yes! Just good, mind you, but better than it has any right to be for the price. As other reviewers commented, this is not "change your life" food. What it is is better than the majority of the Chinese take-outs and on par with the less-impressive hibachi places in town, for a price that is possibly lower than the former. Feeling broke? Get ONLY the $5 chicken combo special and be sated. Want to have a lot of sushi at better than Kroger prices? They have you covered. Bento boxes seem pricy compared to the other entrees until you get the half-a-combo serving, the six-piece "UK roll" (California rolls with cream cheese), the salad, and the Rangoon appetizer in one, uh, box. And if you're a fan of the "yum-yum" sauce that they give you at the hibachi place, they'll even give you the bottle to drown your rice in it. If this place was closer to the University of Kentucky, you would be waiting in line. It just seems tailored for the broke student who's hungry. Not that I've been that for a while; I'm just broke from normal living expenses. (As a side note, I have to mention that it reminds me VERY much of Ichiban in Bowling Green in terms of a lot of sushi and Americanized Chinese and Japanese food for very little money.) read more

Sakura 12 - "Chicken" bento box. Like teriyaki chicken, the quotes are there because they also offer a "General Tso's chicken" bento box. - Japanese Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

I think there is far too great of a tendency for people to require every sushi experience to be life-altering. Not every sushi dinner has to be the best thing I've ever eaten. This wasn't. But that's okay. What Sakura offers is a solid sushi experience, inexpensively. Sometimes that's all I need. I don't always want to spend $60+ on a sushi dinner. Dinner for two at Sakura cost me $23. That included hibachi-style vegetables and rice, a specialty roll, a spicy tuna roll, a tuna/avocado roll, a fountain drink and a bottle of water. It's a little strange to eat sushi in a former KFC, and normally I'd stay away from any seafood restaurant on the seedy part of Winchester Road. But for Sakura, it works. If you want a fancy sushi experience, go to one of the many upscale sushi joints in town. If you want adequate sushi on a budget, give Sakura a try. I'm certainly going to be going back. read more

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I usually use Yelp when I am in a town and want something other than fast food. Today I was craving sushi and of course I turned to my trusty yelp app... this place did not disappoint. I would have never stopped there on my own, the location is not the best and it's in an old KFC building but I am so glad I listened to the reviews and stopped. I got the Godzilla roll and the Green River roll, it was delicious and there was so much I had to give more than half to my daughter. So if your craving sushi and I believe they have hibachi and a lot more, their menu was huge, give this place a try. They even had a drive thru read more

Sakura 12 - 10 Piece Green River Roll and 8 Piece Godzilla Roll - Japanese Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

I have been here several times and absolutely love it. It is my favorite place for hibachi in Lexington and it is incredibly cheap for it. I typically order the hibachi chicken. It is always extremely fresh with generous portions. I typically split a meal and still have plenty of leftovers. I don't love the carrots that are on the hibachi meals, but they are happy to substitute them with another vegetable if you ask. Everything on the menu is extremely tasty, but if you need to go off menu, they are open to it. Speaking of, while it is a fast food place, the service is top notch. At one point I ordered sushi and was surprised when it was not quite what I was expecting (it had mango eel sauce instead of mango with eel sauce). Upon asking about it, they offered to add mango to the sushi and said if we wanted to in the future just to ask. My only criticism is that the sushi varies between mediocre and great. When you get a good roll, it's the best fast food sushi I've had in Lexington, and the prices are hard to beat. Certain rolls tend to be plain though. read more

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Saw this place and decided to try it today. It was delicious. Got several different things. Sweet potato roll ($2.45)*: my favourite item by far. The sweet potatoes were crispy which gave it a very interesting texture and flavour. The rolls were topped with a light drizzle of sauce. Very slightly sweet and not overpowering. I would definitely order these again. Mango avocado roll (2.45)*: was good as well. The avocado/mango could have been a bit riper, but overall it was pretty good. Green mango is a popular ingredient in East Indian foods and sauces so maybe that's what they were going for. Hibachi vegetable (6.99)* vegetables and rice. Pretty standard fair. Comes with salad or egg roll. I would definitely get this again, HOWEVER for my fellow West Indians we know the trick that some restaurants like to play where they load you up with rice and then put a scoop of meat of vegetables on top . The rice was good though, however next time I will make sure that the rice is in a separate container. *if you look at the menu you'll notice the prices are discounted by 40%, not sure if that's temporary, but it's obviously a draw to get customers in the door) Take aways: huge menu, great prices, fresh ingredients. Definitely go and try it! read more

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I was in a hurry, starving, and saw this drive thru. I didn't have high expectations but I was quickly proved wrong. Wow, the prices are too good to be true. I grabbed a 6 piece California roll, steak hibachi meal with egg roll, and a drink. All under $15 The California roll was smaller, as expected, but for the price, definitely a huge bargain. The hibachi meal was sooo good. The rice had a great flavor and texture, the steak was soft, and tons of perfectly cooked veggies. I'm talking carrots, onions, mushrooms, broccoli, and zucchini. The egg roll was perfectly sized and tasted good. I can only complain that the yum yum sauce is a little runny but the taste is on point! I will be back for more, that's certain! read more

Sakura 12 - Hibachi steak meal. This thing is masssssive!!! - Japanese Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

Great place to get all-you-can-eat sushi for $19.99! That includes a soft drink which can be upgraded to a bubble tea or beer for slightly more. The selection is great, the sushi was perfect. The hardest thing was deciding what to order. Not all of their rolls are offered and there are no descriptions on the $19.99 menu so I found myself going back and forth consulting the regular menu for descriptions. Nothing was in alphabetical order so this took a while. Note to staff: adding descriptions would really help! Service was excellent and our lemonades were refilled before they were half empty. read more

Sakura 12 - Japanese Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

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WOW I was SO impressed with takeout from this place (via GrubHub). The miso soup was delicious and the hibachi chicken tasted fresh and full of flavor, with extra Sichuan pepper, zucchini, and mushroom adding even more. Prices are fair and everything just tasted great. Can't wait to visit in person. Only complaint is that the house salad was just lettuce in a box but I should've reas the description better. Still some great food read more

Finally a decent sushi spot on Winchester Rd! Awesome rolls and very affordable, I was thrilled to see Sakura was opening so close to home! They even have a drive-thru for call-ahead to-go orders! I really love the Yummy roll and the Angry Dragon... these rolls are HUGE and under $7 each... fantastic spot for lunch, dinner, or to-go. Will be back for sure!!! Update: literally had the Yummy Roll 4 times this week... not sure if that's a "problem" but I'm loving it! Fresh and tasty every time! read more

Sakura 12 - Japanese Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

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Updated. Sakura 12 stated that they did not get the request for no mushrooms on their end. They called to make things right. Ordered via Grubhub. Requested no mushrooms as I am allergic to them. They ignored the request as a result most of the dinner was inedible. I wasted 55$ on this restaurant. read more

Sakura 12 - Japanese Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

What a find! So glad this place is here. It's for sure small and a little odd looking from the outside but man I can't rave enough of how everyone should come and give this place a try. The prices for the food is great and no Asian restaurant in town can compete with this. And a drive thru? Crazy stuff.... The only true weird thing about this place is the music. No song ever ended in its entirety and the type of music ranged from modern pop rock to country and back to upbeat techno lol. And the volume changed constantly kinda annoying but not enough to oversee the food. Keep it up guys! And make up your your mind on the music lol read more

Sakura 12 - Japanese Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

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