A small spot near Boston Chinatown with really good sushi and sashimi. I came from New York so this is a pretty good sushi spot for a quick lunch. Sushi and sashimi were both really fresh and aesthetically pleasing. The owners and staff here are all friendly and welcoming, definitely would come again. read more

Samurai Express - a bowl of sushi and chopsticks - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

4 star for the friendliness of the staff here and reasonable price for the sushi roll considering it's just a simple express sushi diner. location: super conveniently located inside of the wework building. no need to go outside for a simple meal. food: Got the basic tuna avocado and salmon avocado rolls. Rice are thin and fillings are plenty. Good price for a simple box of basic rolls (~$7). Enjoyed the huge piece of eel in the eel teriyaki. however there were only 3 or 4 pieces of broccoli in it so not that satisfying. For $14, you can probably get something better at other places. Service: the lady there is super friendly. people who come here often seems to like her. read more

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Sushi was fresh. It has a been a while since I have have such good sushi. The service was fast which is what I was looking for and the place was very clean. Affordable also read more

I got my lunch through mealpal and this is what I see... I found worms on their broccoli, this is so gross. Will never come here again. I would give 0 star if I can do it, but the minimum is 1 star read more

Samurai Express - There are worms in the broccoli!! Would never come here again - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Very good spot. I come here for the general gau plate - it's their best plate. Online ordering is easy and quick. It's the only way I've been ordering. read more

Samurai Express - General Gau's chicken. Best plate they have. - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

This is a great place for having sushi! It is quality fresh fish with very quick service. This restaurant used to be in the downtown district but now it is conveniently in the Back Bay. I enjoyed the specialty rolls and the Maki rolls and if you come between 11 and 3 you excellent pricing like two for one. Also, if you order two specialty Maki rolls, you will get a choice of a salad or Misa soup. Really disappointed that they didn't have my uni sushi. read more

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I ordered the Spicy Tuna and Eel Avocado Rolls for lunch and WOW. I'm very impressed. The spicy tuna mix is fresh tuna, and the amount of spice is great (I usually have to use additional spicy mayo with my spicy tuna rolls- but didn't need to with this one!) The eel was still warm on the eel avo roll and had occasional, gentle crunch, and the avocado was perfectly ripe. The cherry on top was having received service with a smile! Will 1000% be frequenting this little spot moving forward. read more

Food is average. Similar to most basic fast sushi places. Not much adventurous options though, very basic menu with a splash of random bubble tea choices. Don't come here looking for uni or looking to expand your sushi repertoire. You'll find noodle soups and various fried stuff though! I recommend coming here to cure any sushi cravings you have during lunch if you work around the area. Food: 4 Service: 5 Ambience: 2.5 (you'll leave smelling like oil even if is for a 1 min pick up) Overall: 3.5 read more

I have been going here for years. I find the owner to be a nice guy and find the sushi a reasonably priced, decent quality sushi option. I intend to keep going, hopefully others do the same. read more

The atmosphere of the place was calm for a 2-3pm snack-meal. They played soft rock oldies on a Pandora playlist displayed on a screen. The sushi is made fresh, though rather small with a diameter of about 1-1.5 inches each. I ordered a lunch time special (2 rolls + salad or soup) for $9-10. My salad came immediately, though it was rather disheartening to get an iceberg lettuce salad, though the dressing was rather delightful - I think it was a mango dressing. I ordered a salmon skin roll and an unagi (teriyaki eel) roll. They were both pretty good. The salmon skin roll was a lot crunchier than I'm used to and the avocado in the unagi roll melted in my mouth like mayonnaise. When you go to pay -- I walked up because I was in a rush --there are delicious little guava candies. They're DELICIOUS! The service was quick. The staff was polite, though not perfectly friendly and welcoming. It's a good place for a quick bite of sushi when you're not too picky about it. Even though sushi is supposed to be Japanese, the staff who run it are Chinese, as with most sushi places in the area. read more

Samurai Express - That's their "garden salad." - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Samurai Express is a solid place for a quick bite on your lunch break. They have a fairly extensive menu, and an online ordering system, which is really handy for ordering takeout ahead of time to beat any lines. Even if you order in restaurant, service has always been fast in my experience. My boyfriend is a fan of their spicy tuna rolls, and I'm an avid customer of their sweet potato rolls. They don't have lo mein on their online menu, but I've seen it/ordered it from their special menu in restaurant, and their vegetable lo mein is really good on a cold day - it's a big portion and very filling. Also a big fan of their thai tea! The staff is really sweet, friendly, and accommodating, and the restaurant itself is clean and nicely laid out. It's also just about a block away from the Arlington T stop, and just down the street from Copley, making Samurai super convenient for anyone working in that downtown area. read more

Ordered spicy tuna roll and shrimp tempura for lunch. Tuna was chewy and did not taste fresh at all. Ended up with upset stomach. Not going there again. read more

I tried the orange California roll and watermelon bubble tea. The roll was no better than sushi from grocery stores- but if you'd rather sit down in a restaurant, then this is the place to be. The real kicker for the 2 stars was the watermelon bubble tea. I have tried bubble tea from many different places, and this place had the worst bubble tea I've ever tasted. I took one sip and couldn't finish the rest. Sweetened pepto bismal - flavored tea? No thanks! read more

If you're looking for mediocre sushi that probably won't give you food-poising, this is the (a) place to go. I work across the street so was excited about a new restaurant in this menu-deprived part of Boston. However, while there's nothing particularly awful to say about this place, there's nothing that really stood out after my first visit. The best thing I can say is that I'll probably at least go back at some point, but with much less excitement than the first time, now that my expectations have been appropriately adjusted downwards. I ordered the lunch roll special, opting for the spicy tuna and - this was a mistake I'll never repeat anywhere - the salmon skin roll. The special also comes with either miso or a salad for under $10, which given the unimpressive quality of the sushi barely qualifies as a value. The rolls were smaller than what I'm used to seeing. The very hungry might opt for a regular roll + a la carte strategy, or maybe one of the boxes. The spicy tuna was room temperature and not very spicy, with no outstanding flavors. I did like the crispy/soft contrast offered by the salmon skin roll, but it had far to fishy a taste to want to order again. (I suspect this has more to do with the fact that it's, you know, salmon skin than anything against how it's prepared in particular here.) The miso was probably canned or powered, but as good as miso is anywhere. There were nice ratios of tofu to seaweed. The wasabi was way to mild and they only provided 2 small packets of soy sauce (one low-salt). If you get take out be sure to ask for extra. Samurai express has about 15 tables for anyone that wants to sit down. As an irrelevant aside, the restaurant name is a little politically incorrect as both stereotyping japanese people and glorifying a violent martial cultural elite. [update: I really wanted this place to be somewhere I could eat on a regular basis since it's so close. Consequently I decided to go back the following week. I skipped the sushi this time and went with the Pork Katsu Combo Box which was a great improvement over the visit that inspired the initial review. The boxes are more expensive than the Roll lunch, ranging from $16-17 after tax, but worth the premium. The amount of food is substantial and justifies the price, and the variety is nice: tempura, katsu, sushi, with a decent salad and the miso (see above). The katsu is not something I normally order at Japanese restaurants, so don't have a lot to compare it to, but the one here was nicely breaded and fried using acceptable quality of meat. The shrimp tempura was a little over breaded and therefore not as light as I'm used to experiencing tempura, but still pretty good. The california roll is a california roll - hard to mess up and almost always nothing spectacular. If I had to go on this meal alone I'd probably change the rating to 3 stars, but willl maintain some skepticism for the time being.] [Further update: I've been back to SE a bunch of times now and can safely raise the rating on the place to a solid 3 stars. Stay away from the salmon skin roll and your experience should be just fine. I can add to that for an extra dollar, they'll make you a roll that's not listed on the lunch roll menu. I asked them to do a spicey scallop for me which was on a par w/ the rest of their sushi. SE has become a viable regular lunch alternative.] read more

Samurai Express - Japanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Always call ahead or order online, the wait can be inconsistent. However, make sure to check your order if you're doing take out, they've forgotten items on more than one occasion. Yet, I still went back. The food is decent, nothing special, but the only cheap sushi place in the area. You can get brown rice substituted on anything. I recommend their sweet potato roll. Do NOT get the eel though. It is so fishy-and not in the "I'm sea-food" way. So rubbery, so smelly, so not what I wanted. The staff are nice and always willing to correct orders if something goes wrong. I recommend them for grabbing a quick lunch if you work in the area. read more

Great, reliable spot! I love coming here, I go every Friday for lunch! The staff is friendly and welcoming, the sushi is alway fresh and is prepared in a flash. The fish itself is always tasty, they have a ideal lunch special that's affordable and filling. I keep coming back because I simply can't get enough. Would highly recommend checking out if you are in the area! Be sure to try their spicy tuna roll!! read more

Mediocre at best. Prices were relatively cheap for the quality of sushi. Don't expect anything great from this place but you normally get what you pay for so it isn't bad. I had the watermelon bubble tea and def did not enjoy it. Would not recommend the bubble tea here. Even though it is a bit confusing with how you order, pay and get served at first the orders come quickly. I would have given this place two stars if it wasn't for the customer service. They are a bit skimpy on the fish in the rolls. An employee came by to ask us how the food was and my friend informed him that some of the sushi was missing the fish in it. He came back with a whole new roll at no extra charge which made me rethink this place. Since they are new I'm sure they are just working out the kinks for now. read more

If you are looking for a quick sushi fix, Samurai Express is your place. This is our go-to spot when we are craving some sushi and some quick service. First off, the owners and workers at the place are so incredibly friendly! They always have regulars and amazingly, they remember all their "usual" order - how awesome is that?? They started remembering our usual order just after we have ordered from there a couple of times (we do takeout most of the time). Great staff! The sushi quality is okay but it is made fresh. It comes out quite quickly so that is always appreciated when you are on the run and need a quick fix. Love that we are regulars here! read more

I would rather starve then spend my hard earned money at this place. You should treat your customers with respect no matter what color they are or what they're wearing. Very rude person working at the register today. Seriously do better. read more

Came here for lunch on a Friday. People who work nearby do takeouts a lot but we decided to get a table. Service was slow but that was expected with all the orders that they get. They have lunch special rolls which I thought were a great deal. For about $10, you get to choose two rolls + soup/salad. I ordered the eel & spicy salmon and my wife ordered the salmon avocado and spicy tuna. They all tasted great. I thought the service was great too. They messed up our order and gave us spicy salmon instead of salmon avocado rolls so the owner gave us the right order with no extra charge. Overall its a great place to checkout if you work nearby! read more

This place is incredibly disorganized. I had no idea where to order, since instead of a tidy queue there is a mass of people both trying to order and waiting for their order to be ready. Had to ask four people if they ordered before I realized it was actually my turn and I was holding up other (also confused) people. The waitress stand is next to the kitchen, which both does not make sense, and means that it's in the way of people waiting for orders. Let's talk about the menu for a moment. All "Bubble Drinks" are listed at $3.50. (Add Bubble for $0.50) Uh, no, that means that Bubble Drinks are actually $4. The gentleman at the front didn't give me a receipt. When I asked for one, he said "it's okay, we have your name" and didn't give me one. A gentleman walked in, ordered, got his food and walked out in about 5 min. Everyone else I saw took about 20+ minutes to get their food. One table of people left without paying. Took about 15 minutes after they left for the waitress to realize this. AND, finally, when there were 3 people left waiting for our to-go orders, and 4 bags of to-go food had been placed on the counter without any order numbers (not that we would know our order number since there are no receipts) or names called, I asked if any of them were mine. The waitress told me they were not. I said "Are you sure? Because there are only three people here and you have 4 orders up." She asked me if my name was Sarah. No, it's not. Then no, the food's not mine. Then I asked it if was a #3 with Miso. Yes, it was. Well then it's mine and I've been standing here waiting for it! So not worth it. The food was okay but overpriced for the quality. The Miso is SUPER salty. Not worth it in my opinion. read more

Ordered a quick take-out combo special of salmon and spicy tuna (~$12) during lunchtime, and was unimpressed. The spicy tuna roll was what you'd expect, but the salmon had an odd taste and texture, and didn't seem very fresh. I've walked by Samurai Sushi many times and saw a line out the door so I expected that their ingredients move quickly, but something just didn't seem right. The dressing on the combo-salad was just funky, and the lettuce wilted. Service was friendly and prompt, and makes me want to say this may have just been one bad experience. However, big thumbs up for the low-sodium soy sauce packets, which are rare in the industry. Other sushi restaurants need to follow your lead! read more

Great to get and head to the Boston Public gardens and eat. Very efficient service, with a decent selection of roles. You can order from your phone if you use their QR code scanner! read more

This is my go-to sushi place near my office. Some of the reasons I am a frequent client of Samurai Express: - Quality of their food is always solid and consistent. - I like that you can order online. - The owner and servers are very friendly. - They don't charge extra for spicy mayo (it's really a huge pet peeve of mine when restaurants charge 1-2 dollars extra for condiment) - Their prices are very reasonable (under $10 for 2 rolls and a salad) They're not serving mind blowing food here, but it's very solid and fresh and sufficiently satisfies my weekly sushi cravings. read more

This place was alright. Its more of a 2.5. The food was alright, not as fresh as you would want when you are eating sushi and seafood but the food was good for a quick cheap bite. The place was super cheap! Great for lunch or an afternoon bite to hold you off when you have a late dinner. read more

This place gets two of its stars for convenience and the friendliness of the staff. This place is conveniently located in between Arlington and Berkeley near many offices in Back Bay. You can also place your meal online to have it waiting for you a few minutes later instead of having to wait in the restaurant. The staff are incredibly friendly and the orders come out quickly. The sushi is adequate. It'll settle your craving for an eel and avocado roll, but it's not going to remind you of a quaint little sushi place in Osaka. It's designed to satisfy the lunch crowd in Back Bay, and it does that. You can't knock it too much for catering to its clientele. If you're not in the mood for sushi, you can also order their katsu (in pork, chicken), which is nicely breaded and fried. Overall, a fast, reasonably priced workday lunch spot. read more

So close to 3.5 stars. Convenient, cheap, mostly fresh sushi. Nothing creative or all that interesting. They serve what I call "supermarket sushi." $5 tuna, salmon, california rolls. Convivial staff. Crazy sea of people at lunch time with little organization. Come before 12 or after 1 to avoid a nightmare. read more

If you go to a sushi place and order crab rangoon, there's a good chance you're gonna get actual crabmeat in that rangoon! I also had the eel avocado roll. It was fresh and delectable. I feel like they piled more eel into that roll than at most places. So great to have a cheap sushi option right next to my workplace OH, BTW (as if you couldn't guess) I'm no Sushi Expert! read more

This review is just for their bubble tea! I didn't eat here, not a sushi guy. They only had a handful of bubble tea choices but they had taro, which is my favorite. It was a little too sweet (I probably could have asked them to put in half the sugar they used, I watched them do it, I just wasn't sure if it'd be too much til I tried it) but the actual flavor was good. The boba was a little too soft at first but it firmed up as my drink cooled from the ice. For $3.75 it was pretty great, I don't know of any place cheaper. read more

I ordered a Rainbow Roll and Tuna Avocado roll with side salad that cost $17. They served me prepackaged rolls and salad from the to-go refrigerator next to the door. Seriously, I had to make a call so I waited for my order outside on the sidewalk and watched them pull food from the fridge. I thought they were just pulling salad and dressing from the fridge. However, when I got back to my hotel room I realized it was all to-go sushi. The rolls cold & hard from sitting in the refrigerator. It tasted like that $5.99 prepackaged sushi they serve in waste-high, coolers found in large grocery stores. The place was completely empty at 6:00pm on a Tue night. I can understand the need to pre-package to-go salad/dressing but not Sushi orders. read more

Love this place! Every time I stay at the Park Plaza I come to Samurai Express. The owners are super nice, the food is REALLY good, and the atmosphere is relaxing. I love the sushi, and just tried a deluxe combo box this time with chicken teriyaki...very very good. Hard to beat this quality for this price downtown. read more

This place was surprisingly good given its location right next to several offices. I'm a fan of their lunch time sushi specials, which come with either a soup or salad. Service has been consistently quick. Count on going in and out in under an hour. A bonus point when one is in a slight rush but still wants a sit down lunch. The wait staff have been attentive though they did mix up my order once. Besides that one incident, I'm a happy camper when I go to Samurai. read more

The spider Roll is probably the best I ever had. This has to be the best sushi place I've been to in Boston! Smoothies are phenomenal! Service is amazing! I am definitely coming back read more

My first experience was good. I plan on updating this review after I try some more of their food. Prices were not outrageous, but you don't feel like you are getting a steal. The lunch combo of two rolls (12 pieces) and a soup or a salad seems like a decent portion, though 9.15 for lunch is on the steeper side. My coworker said that the Deluxe combo box was enough to split between two people, though I have not had the chance to try this. Im giving this a hesitant 4 stars based on the quality of the food so far. read more

Solid spot for grabbing sushi quickly at a great price. I work in the neighborhood and if I'm having a hankering for eating in or take away sushi, this place fits the bill. Lots of lunch specials, all for less than $10, plus there's boba, too! It's not the most incredible sushi I've ever had, but if you're craving a sushi lunch on a budget, this fits the bill. read more

Samurai Express definitely lives up to it's name....they are fast. Despite the look and feel of their website being stuck in the 90's, the online ordering system is actually pretty efficient and is usually a good option. The employees do a good job of picking up the online orders and having them ready within 5 mins if you choose the "pick up asap" option. The sushi is high quality, I've never had a bad experience here and it is cheap, especially if you take advantage of the lunch specials. If you work or live anywhere near the back bay i would definitely recommend checking this place out. read more

The only place I know that serves fried California rolls (Tiffany roll)! So good! Pace of service can vary. I only get take out here, which can take anywhere from 10-45 mins. Today it was very fast. If you're in a hurry, call ahead! read more

For being in the Backbay, this place is a great value. Great sushi, fast service and a great price.. can't go wrong!

Quick, simple sushi with a nice taste and good service. Not exactly a date night spot, but definitely a good place for a lunch. I stopped by around 1pm and it was not overly busy, and I got my food quickly (for fresh sushi, anyway). If you like sushi, do not hesitate to do lunch here sometime. read more

Food is not impressive but eatable. Service is terrible: ignored my request for sauce once, brought the check right after serving food, urged several times for payment while i am still eating! Unbelievable, that's the rudest thing I've ever come across in a restaurant. Never going again. read more