I love Japanese food. I can never go wrong with Sakura. I've been to the Hilo, Mililani and Kona restaurants and they are all similar. Friendly staff, great food and clean restaurant. I wish that this location had a teppanyaki area but my lunch did not disappoint. The shrimp & veggie tempura was delicious. Oooo and I really liked the Age Tofu. The price is definitely reasonable for a Japanese restaurant. read more

Sakura - Japanese Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

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Anytime I'm craving steak this is my go to spot! It's also my main spot to get sushi The staff are always super friendly and helpful, and there's always ample parking and seating. Whether you get it to go or to stay it's always going to be made to perfection! If you get it to stay it's presented to you sizzling and steaming on a fajita like plate! I highly recommend the fried Philly roll, aloha roll, beef teriyaki (it also comes with a side salad, rice and miso soup) and the green tea ice cream not fried read more

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This restaurant is filthy. The service was great. Food was tasty, if not a bit expensive. But, the cleanliness!! Goodness. Splatters and flecks of food, smudges and more were the backdrop to our meal. This grossness makes one wonder about, and doubt, the cleanliness of the kitchen. read more

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We always, ALWAYS, go to Sakura in person to eat there but today, for the first time, we ordered from Sakura via DoorDash. Rolls were perfectly fine, arrived in shape and warm (I mean the regular temperature, not cold). As for the appetizers, as we expected for a delivered food, not hot off the kitchen. But we warmed it up a little bit and they were totally fine. Now I know I can DoorDash in case for some reasons we don't want to go out but still want to eat Sakura! read more

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I've been craving sushi but have not had great luck with raw fish recently.. so I decided to try an avocado cucumber roll. It really hit the spot! It came with 6 medium-sized pieces (bigger than hosomaki but smaller than the average roll), pickled ginger, wasabi, and shoyu packets. They provide chopsticks and napkins as well. The avocado is buttery and the cucumber is sliced very thin. It's a crunchy texture to experience and not a soggy roll. I like that they roll it inside out (rice on the outside and nori on the inside). Definitely coming back! I did an online order and there's a $1 convenience fee, but so worth it since the restaurant gets packed at night. Eating at the restaurant is overstimulating for me, so I'm grateful they do takeout! They estimate 45 minutes to complete your order but it's often ready before then. They take your payment at the register when you pick up your order. read more

Sakura - Avocado Cucumber roll (2 orders, one order comes with 6 pieces) - Japanese Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

The assorted shimi plater and, sushi rolls were so fresh, Great beers selection. The service was super fast made me feel like royalty. Typical looking restaurants in a strip mall. read more

Sakura - Special menu - Japanese Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

I came here right from the airport after my 5 hour flight "running out of" meals. I love sushi so I was very excited. I did the 2 roll lunch special, which ran around 18$. One roll was very small and the other was a good size but they were both very plain. White rice and fish and seaweed only. I think I have just learned I like rolls with all the fixings and lots of flavor rather than plain ones- not the restaurants fault at all! They were kind to offer to split the check from the get go. They also had great attentive service. The bathroom was unisex one stall, so busy at times but everything seemed clean. read more

Sakura - Japanese Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

I'm giving 4 stars but I should be taking one off for ambience. But, I will warn you in advance so you can avoid the awkward situation. We asked to sit in the sushi bar. In other restaurants, as you'll know, in the sushi bar, you can order directly from the sushi chefs, ask about the latest fish, give extra tips or drinks to the sushi chefs, etc. Not here. It was obvious from the beginning that nobody ever sits in this sushi bar. Firstly, there was a manager type of person leaning on the bar as if it was his personal post. The hostess pushed him aside and began clearing off the sushi bar. I asked, "Does nobody ever sit here?" She responded, "People sit. People sit." She cleared off all the extra napkins, setups, and the manager had taken his papers with him. Then she set up the area for us. But, we were not expected to speak to the sushi chefs or interact with them at all. We were referred to the waitress for ordering. Then we found out there is NO Happy Hour on Sundays. Usually it is buy one roll get one at 50%. Since we clearly were not going to be getting a discount and we still wanted to try a good cross section of the manu, we ordered the signature combination boat. The fish was fresh and plentiful, well-presented. There was a nice variety and white tuna, a premium fish, was included. We enjoyed our dinner here and even had some left overs. We will for sure go back, but we will avoid the faux pas and sit in a booth! Note: I noticed wasabi tobiko in the fish cooler, if you're a fan, they have it. read more

Sakura - 5. Sakura Boat - Japanese Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

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Sakura has been our go-to sushi spot for years. Yes, the wait for a table can be longish, and sitting outside in the parking lot ain't great, but hey. You're in Hawaii. The fish will be fresh and probably they still have whatever you want to order and they'll start bringing it pretty fast once you get seated. So relax and have a great dinner here and next time don't come with your party of eight right between 6 and 7 pm. read more

5 stars for what it is at the price point it is at. We have consistently had good service and the food portions have been good. Food quality has always been consistent and good and PARKING-tons of parking. Typically visit 1-2 times a month read more

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We have been here before a few years ago and it was pretty good. This experience and the food was y unfortunately not as good. It's in a strip mall and pretty plain on the inside. The sushi fish was very thick and chewy. We had to ask for small plates to share our dinner and low sodium soy. Won't be back as I think there are much better sushi places in Kona! Service was so-so and not very personal. read more

Sakura - Sushi dinner - Japanese Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

WE drop in Sakura a few times a month, hidden spot away from the tourist great selection of bento and robata the sushi is always fresh staff is friendly prices reasonable Brad read more

Food and Services were great however we spotted multiple roaches while dining there. I am not trying to normalize this type of conversation or discussion. It's just that I am from California and I don't think the restaurant would receive a passing grade back home. So I don't want to be a jerk if this is normal for the state of Hawaii since it is a tropical island. Unfortunately we did not see the roaches until we were done eating. One crawled on my leg. It was pretty gross. There were a lot of people eating here, which is why I don't want to give this place a one star and tank their rating. read more

Sakura - See my full review. This was just their food score. - Japanese Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

Decent sushi. But not as fresh and I would like. Most of their rolls include cream cheese (not my thing). Service is good, but can feel rushed at times. They have a good happy hour with discounts on rolls and drinks. read more

Dirty ambience. Not friendly. Bathroom and floor and tables are filthy. Clean this place up.

This is in the heart of an outside strip mall. Not much to look at from the exterior, don't go for aesthetics. The food is worth a try, sushi was decent ... fresh. The miso and gyozas were cooked perfectly. Service is OK, fast and efficient. read more

Sakura - Sushi lunch. - Japanese Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

Sakura restaurant. I have been in this place many times with different friends. We love the food, and the service is nice. Recomended to try. In my opinion every menu is good to try. read more

Great tasting sushi! We arrived today from NorCal and ask a local at the rental car store where to go for sushi. Sakura did not disappoint. Fish is fresh, menu options are many. I love their use of cream cheese in many sushi's. Many locals eating here which is always a good sign. Service was great. Server stopped by often and was very friendly. read more

There's not many places open after 8pm in Kona, so Sakura was our savior for a quick dinner. I felt kind of bad that we went close to closing, but there's not much we could do about it. The service wasn't that great and the waitress walked past us multiple times before taking our order. I just wanted something small, so I got the mango cucumber avocado roll. It sounds odd, but it was actually so refreshing. I love my mango and avocado, so it was amazing to have it in a roll with rice. The texture of the crunchy cumber and softer mango and avocado made for a perfect combo. read more

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Great quality fish. Delicious rolls and nigiri. The miso soup was just right. Service was quick and attentive. Priced right.

Generous, perfectly seasoned dishes, presented artistically. Efficient service. Music a bit loud but otherwise quaint and homey. read more

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I've probably been here only a handful of times because I live so far away, but each time I've dined here the service and the food is great. The servers are attentive, the food comes on time. They bring the appetizer, salad, and miso before the main entree and that's how it should be. The beef teriyaki was good. The tempura didn't fail. It came to me on a big plate that looked like art. It looked like I had a piece of coral on my plate. Amazing! My husband and I shamefully ate everything we ordered. We ordered sushi to go for my daughter and didn't order sushi this time for ourselves because I knew it would've been too much. Also not pictured is an order of gyoza that I husband said he surprisingly enjoyed. He said it didn't taste frozen. It tasted like they make it themselves. The steak was definitely a NY. Some other reviews may not like the ambience but it's fine. It reminds me of a Japanese restaurant. read more

Sakura - Tempura and beef teriyaki combo - Japanese Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

This gem of a small Japanese restaurant is a rare find in a busy tourist town. I called to make reservations for our son's birthday and they were very accommodating and gave us the small private room in the back. The room and table was already set and ready for us when we arrived. The service was outstanding and the food was off the charts. We ordered a sashimi platter that was fresh and beautiful. It also came with lots of wasabi and ginger, which I really appreciate it. The rolls were gorgeous and I can't say enough nice things about this small, intimate and extremely busy with locals restaurant if I could give it more than five stars... I would. read more

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This was some of the best sushi ive ever had and im not from some podunk town, spicy tuna roll was the bomb

Tasty salmon skin salad. Very nice hamachi with jalapeno forgot to get a pic of that one. Nice miso soup. Really pretty and tasty Chirashi don other than the imitation crab sticks. Service was quick and friendly. It's nice that they have a large side room for big groups. We enjoy lunch here. read more

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Aloha, Sakura serves up local Japanese faire at reasonable prices. We had a solid lunch. The tempura was perfect. Good rice and tasty miso soup. Hubby enjoyed his ramen with shrimp tempura and side of furikake chicken. Generous servings. Will definitely be back to work our way through the rest of the menu. Mahalo read more

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Very authentic Japanese food. This was verified by my adult children who have traveled to Japan several times. A favorite of the locals. Pick up a gift card from Costco to get a discount. read more

Was craving sushi after a long drive from Hilo to Kona. We went here for a quick lunch. The atmosphere is really nice, they have televisions hung on the wall to watch the news and nice art to look at as you wait for your food. Employees are friendly and the bathroom is clean. Got a godzilla roll, samurai roll and ebi nigiri. I've never had any of these rolls before and it was so delicious. My mouth was craving for more(when i went back to Hilo, i went to get the same roll at the other location) The godzilla roll is so flavorful and it melts in your mouth, honestly the best sushi roll i've ever tasted. The samurai roll is also tasty, good amount of salmon meat on top. Ebi is always a hit, can never go wrong with that. read more

Sakura - Japanese Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

Wow, Sakura is a winner! Excellent sushi & Japanese food at reasonable prices. My wife and I dined here twice during our vacation in Kona. We ate mostly Asian food during our travels and found Sakura to be one of our favorite restaurants. During our visit to Kona, we did quite a bit of research on dinning. There are many well-established restaurants here with lots of advertising and promotion. Frankly, it seemed the more the hype, the less we were attracted. In our years of experience visiting the Hawaiian Islands, we found it is very easy to spend WAY too much money for very ordinary food. We have lived and traveled throughout Asia for many years and know the cuisine well. At Sakura, we enjoyed super fresh seafood at moderate prices. We dined at the sushi bar and enjoyed chatting with the very talented chefs. On our last night, we decided to splurge and ordered the Sakura boat (also nicely priced). The food, the service and even the bill put smiles on our faces. Check out Sakura for yourself... you'll be glad you did. read more

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Friendly staff, great menu, small intimate seating. Fresh food, wonderful presentation. They are open till 10pm. read more

Sakura - Sumai seafood teriyaki chicken skewers - Japanese Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

Ordered take out since we were still at work. Food was super delicious. Will return again.

Been here years ago but never wrote a review. They actually picked up where they left off. Great customer service and great food here in Kailua-Kona. Appetizers Shumai was presented well and the taste was superb. Salmon Skin Salad $8.95 was also presented well. The Salmon Skin was light and crisp, very flavorful. It tied in well with the greens. We had the lunch special, Bento B-$14.25 Chicken Katsu/Shrimp & Veggie Tempura. The Chicken Katsu had a nice clean looking batter, light and crunchy with the chicken being very moist. Very flavorful. Bento C-$17.50 Beef Teriyaki/Shrimp & Veggie Tempura. That Beef Teriyaki was thick and I ordered it medium. It was perfect, a light charred outside but tender and tasty inside, thumbs up! The tempura is always good there. Very generous portions for lunch. Miso soup and tossed salad also was served. New York Steak $20.75 was cooked to perfection as well. It was tender yet firm and tasty. Nigiri-Salmon$6.25 and Ikura $6.75 was fresh and tasty. The Kyoto Tempura Roll $14.25 consist of shrimp tempura, cream cheese, topped with spicy tuna, avocado and eel sauce. A great tasting roll. The Tati Roll $15.75 consist of chicken teriyaki, shrimp tempura, cream cheese, avocado topped with eel sauce. A incredible roll, a must order. Finally, for dessert we ordered the Fried Banana Tempura $7.25. It had a light batter served with ice cream. A nice way to end a meal, so good! We had a nice and pleasant experience. read more

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The food was delicious. Was a call in order and was ready when I got there . Service was excellent read more

This was a locals recommendation backed up by consistently strong Yelp reviews. We got there early and got one of the last tables. By the time we left the wait was long and the clientele was mostly local folks. Food quality was outstanding. Sushi/fish quality was high! We will definitely return! Thanks! read more

Amazing food quality!! Best sushi place I've been to in Hawaii! Very friendly staff, VERY attentive but not hovering, reminded me of the 5&6* restaurants I visited in Beverly Hills, Ca as a child in this aspect, their readily available, but await you to signal your ready or need of service. Very informative on what's in the dishes, you don't wait very long for your food & EVERYTHING IS SO ONO!! The atmosphere is very surreal, quiet, you don't have to raise your voice to talk to your party, very family friendly for all ages, something for everyone! read more

Sakura - Special ordered item, hoping will be on their main menu one day. I'll take more photos next time we go this coming week! - Japanese Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

It is not really a Japanese food, for a Japanese person... Their miso soup doesn't taste like real miso.

First time trying this place out! We visited family and a few of our friends joined us for lunch. I ordered the Lunch Special Roll "Any 3 Rolls" for $13.25 Each roll has 6 pieces and comes with miso soup. I chose the Tuna Avocado Roll, Spicy Salmon Roll and California Roll. Our server girl was quick to take our order. The only turn-off was when she turned around to sneeze while taking our order, but at least she was wearing a mask. I also didn't like that they weren't wearing gloves when serving; especially while holding the miso soup bowls with their fingers too close to the soup!! ... Better to hold the outer sides of the bowl. The chef prepared really tasty rolls. I was impressed with the sushi and everyone else enjoyed their Lunch Special Bentos. read more

Sakura - Any 3 Rolls - Avocado Tuna, Spicy Salmon & California - Japanese Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

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So I'm a sucker for food that comes served in a boat, and this place is legit! The quality of their sashimi and sushi is great! Service is fast & they don't turn anyone away. I recommend their lunch specials 100%! When in Kona, check 'em out! read more

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Pros: decent sushi, fresh, reasonably priced. Availability, due to its location and the size of the restaurant, Sakura is more likely to be available than other sushi places in old town Kailua, Cons: not the best sushi that's available in Kailua, if you are looking for higher grade sushi, this is not it read more

Sakura - Sakura boat - Japanese Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

My first time to the Big Island and was advised to go here for dinner. It did not disappoint!! I loved that we got seated way in the back to the private area. The restaurant was crowded so obviously it's a good place to eat. I was waiting for my friends to arrive and surprised them with the Boat! I had them order proteins not knowing I ordered already. They live on the Big Island but I guess never ordered the boat as they were sooo surprised and happy when they saw it. I loved the atmosphere and the service was amazing. We had 3 different servers check on us. I did eat a little of everything my friends ordered but the boat was pounded first. I will definitely come back on my next visit which is very soon!! read more

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