Enjoyed the ambience, fresh cut flowers in miniature vases always get me... After deciding on our order, waitress says "sorry we don't have the spring rolls, & WONT be getting them back". It was a little odd. I ordered the spicy miso ramen, friend ordered veggie ramen. Veggie ramen was mild, as expected, best part was the shiitake mushrooms which must have been soaked in some type of brine prior because they tasted nothing like the broth (aka yummy). Spicy miso ramen was, well, salty. It was good, would have been better with some more veggies or something in it, but I enjoyed it. We also has edamame (can't mess those up) and tea (which waitress forgot about but it was white peach & yummy). I like that all the teas are loose leaf! It was a decent experience. One thing I didn't get was that it was authentic Japanese, yet I saw Kimchi on the menu (isn't that Korean?). read more

I dined at SATO on February 13th, and could not have been more impressed with my first visit. My entire dining experience was enjoyable from start to finish which inspired me to write in my blog about this new modern Japanese restaurant located on Elmwood Ave. For only being several weeks old, I can confidently say SATO is setting the bar high for what's to come. You can read all about my dining experience here: http://thehardymeal.wordpress.com/2014/02/20/sato/. The owners even acknowledged my blog post on both their Facebook page and website and offered additional answers to which sake I was enjoying during my night there. I highly recommend SATO and cannot wait to dine there again! read more

This place has legit ramen, in my view. I had the "Sato Ramen," and it was pretty reminiscent of good ramen I've had in Japan and NYC. I would've ordered other items off the menu (like the gyoza), but the service was pretty bad sitting at the bar. The waitress acknowledged this and gave me a discount, although it was meager ($1.50). So, 4 stars for the ramen, but 2 for the service, so 3 overall. read more

I really enjoy Sato Ramen on Main Street, so I came here for a late dinner with a friend the other night. We sat inside and I have to say I'm not a fan of their table set up, the tables themselves are very small and kind of cramped. I wasn't really hungry, but they had a Monday drink special 2 for 1, so I got a draft beer (at $7, the 2 for 1 is all that really made it worth it). I decided I wanted a snack, so I got the kimchi sampler plate. My companion got the Japanese curry. The kimchi was okay, I liked the daikon kimchi but the other two were just so-so. I also tried some of my friend's curry, which was a little on the bland side. I just really wasn't impressed, and everything on the menu is far too expensive for what it is. They try to make up for the food quality with presentation, but it just doesn't cut it for me. I probably won't come back here. read more

Went for a special occasion dinner. Sushi was some of the worst I'd ever had. Rolls were messy, not very tightly made, with no flavor. The ramen was good. Staff eat at the sushi bar and talk on their phones which seemed strange. read more

So very good and tasty! The drinks are delicious and the staff is super friendly. Highly recommend!

This place has a trendy and modern atmosphere. The food is good, but the day we went we had a very long wait (30 minutes for food) even with a reservation. There were only one person to make sushi but the waitress comp. our dessert. The ramen had a great presentation, but the broth was okay. It doesn't appear to be simmered for hours like many I have had before. The fries was excellent and the sushi was fresh. Overall, we were happy to see this place in Buffalo, NY. read more

The sushi is pretty average in every way. The ramen is delicious with homemade noodles (you can taste the difference). The turkey specials are not app retiring and just weird tasting. The drinks are over priced at an average of $9-10. read more

Seems like a place you go to be seen more than to eat a good meal. The decor is nice but the food is overpriced. I tried one of the ramen bowls. It was solid but not worth it for the price. We also ordered a sushi roll and the pieces were very small. We left disappointed and with so many different options in Elmwood we won't be back. read more

We came here in a large group which needed two tables We reserved in advance so we were seated quickly. Our server was very responsive and helpful with our questions. We got our food without a very long wait. Our table split a few California Roll dishes and loved them. I personally ordered the spring rolls and the Sato Ramen, and both tasted amazing and tasted fresh and well cooked. The atmosphere was great with a modern and cosy feel. The place felt very clean and comfortable. I would definitely recommend it to anyone and for sure will be coming back again. read more

We came to SATO for a friend's birthday dinner. The waitress told us it would be a 10 minute wait. She came back 20 minutes later saying that they apologize for the wait and we need to wait 5 more minutes because the table ended up getting dessert and staying long. That's understandable. After we were seated and given menus, our waiter took 5 mins to bring water to our table and then disappears for another 10 mins before coming back to take our order. At this point, we knew that service here is extremely slow. There were maybe 4 servers. The venue was not even big either. The 1st floor bar area seats maybe 12 people and the 2nd floor dining area had maybe 7-8 tables and can only fit at most 24 people. So each server gets like 2 tables. Why did they seem like they were busy taking 10 tables each. They werent around very often either and didnt really pay attention to their tables either. Spent a lot of their time in the kitchen doing who knows what. Our appetizers came 20 mins after we ordered them. I got the Kara age chicken. It just taste like fried chicken with no flavor to the batter and little seasoning on the meat itself. 5 pieces of that for $9.50? Really? My friend got the Tonkatsu appetizer . He said it was even more tasteless. The wait for the ramen bowls was truly epic. An additional 30 mins after receiving appetizers!! I was thinking that if maybe the ramen is actually really good then it might be worth the long wait but it wasn't. It was just very sad ramen. The broth of the ramen tasted extremely disappointing. If it wasn't for the pickled ginger, bamboo shoots, and green onion toppings adding flavor, the broth would've only tasted like salty hot water. There's only 3 very thin slices of pork, half an egg, some bean sprouts, and a few other things in the ramen. The only thing that redeemed the ramen was the egg. It was a good ass egg. Only half an egg though. We spent practically 2 hours here and we wanted to leave. It took a long time for the waiter to finally come around so we could ask for the bill. He mistakenly charged us for a beer that we didn't order and then after fixing it and returning the bill to our table, he disappears for another 10 mins before coming back to get the bill. The whole experience was just disappointing. Lack of good service. Lack of food quality. The only pros about this experience was probably the egg and the dining environment was nice. Overall experience is two stars. Will not return. read more

Having worked for a Japanese restaurant, which was owned by a Japanese man, I'm usually let down by 'sushi bars.' This place was amazing. Edamame: had the option of a spicy sea salt- wonderful which I paired with a flight of sake- so you get to sample 3 types: of which they had 4 or 5 different flight options- Then spicy miso ramen: amazing- and they had all these sides you could add. Then one of the best rolls every- fresh fish inside and topped with raw scallop and ikura. I was impressed. Service: available and kind. If you are in Buffalo and you want a great Japanese experience please try this place. read more

SATO Ramen was unimpressive. They gave us a California roll for their sushi special. A California roll was not very impressive, given the various other possibilities. The rest of meal was fine. Overpriced, but fine. read more

Just had a great experience at Sato with my husband. It was his third time there and my first, and to say the least I was pleasantly surprised. There were lots of nasty reviews and I really can't imagine why... First, I was greeted right away by a lovely hostess, and since we didn't have reservations she made room for us right away. The ramen is simply to die for, and the sushi was also delectable. Service was friendly and my waitress Ashley, (same name points!) was just adorable and helpful. The food was so good, and decor was very modern and cool. 6/5 stars, will definitely be returning! read more

I've had a few lousy things here but overall I really like this place, & that's very rare for me. The owners are introverts but they've hired a nice enthusiastic staff. The trick here is to find some things you like & stick with them. For me the avocado salad is incredible, scallop sushi mouth wateringly delicious (I didn't think you could eat raw scallops & not sure if it's on the menu), & mackerel sushi... GREAT. Love the flights of sake too, a bit expensive though. Good luck to this place, it's a tough/competitive spot. Definitely go here over Wasabi across the street (the latter is dirty & average Japanese cuisine. read more

As always, fresh, flavorful, and incredible service. My late night sashimi craving on Saturday was exceptional. AJ rocks!

By far the worst ramen I've ever had. Got the SATO ramen with kimchi (they forgot the kimchi). The broth tasted watered down and flavorless, and the ginger was extremely bitter, like they pulled it right out of the ground. The broth was too bland for the noodles to absorb any flavor, so they tasted like card stock. The only good part was the egg, and they only gave me half of one. read more

They were out of ramen and we were told that another server took the appetizer we ordered so they substituted it for something else. The food was good but not sure why they weren't able to serve ramen for next 4 days and why they never brought the app we ordered. read more

There is not a lot of selection without seafood. The carrot soup was great. the price is a little high, I probably won't go back but I didn't have a bad time read more

Sato is a must try! Instantly fell in love with the ramen and sushi. They have the widest selection of sake I have seen in Buffalo. The decor is beautiful and makes you feel at home in a sense. Look at Joshua's review. I couldn't have said it better myself. read more

My fiance and I dined at Sato on Elmwood on Sunday evening, we will definitely be going back, dispite the mixed reviews we heard from friends. We started off with a beer for him and a tea for me, their tea selection was great, and their cocktails looked lovely. We shared the Kimchi Sampler which includes classic cabbage kimchi, bok choy kimchi, and diakon kimchi. We were disappointed with the kimchi as a whole and decided that on a future visit we would by pass it all together. My favorite of the three was the daikon which was cubed and slightly more acidic than the others while my fiance preferred the bok choy. To start we also ordered the Pork Gyoza which my fiance liked, I was slightly less crazy about the Gyoza which I usually enjoy very much, they had an overwhelming lemon or lemon grass flavor which was not up my alley. Our favorite of the small plates that we shared was the Aged Dashi Dofu which is a fried medium density tofu with julienned nori, daikon, and a very tasty ginger soy broth. For dinner we both enjoyed bowls of Ramen. Both were great portions, with tender and flavorful pork. I ordered the Shoyu Ramen with bamboo shoots, bean sprouts, scallion, soft egg, and pickled ginger, it was great, a classic bowl of Ramen, I later added some sambal to spice it up a notch. My fiance enjoyed the Spicy Miso Ramen which we both really enjoyed, I would highly suggest ordering this Ramen, it is what I will be enjoying next time. The decor was very pleasing, however the bathroom, which is on an exterior wall was freezing. Lastly, our server Kevin was great. Attentive but not overbearing, courteous and polite, everything we wanted in our server. Highly recommend trying this newish edition to the Elmwood village. read more

I have been to Sato once for lunch and once for dinner and love it! Everything from the delicious and unique cocktails, to the sake flights, to the traditional and inventive menu is great. For dinner my friend and I started with the Salmon Carpaccio, and I would come back just for that dish alone! So amazing. Then I had the Cold Udon Noodle Bowl and she got the Spicy Ramen. She commented that she was glad it wasn't an endless bowl or she would eat it until she exploded. I had it when I came back for lunch and also enjoyed it although maybe not to that level! I also tried their sushi which was delicious. I hope they stay open a long time. read more

4 stars for atmosphere...loved sitting on the patio. Service was great too. Enjoyed a sakito and a couple beers. Loved my sushi roll...seven seas I think was the name? Ordered the SATO ramen...just wasn't that impressed. Overall for food id say 3 star. The atmosphere bumped it up read more

This is my go-to place to get Ramen in Buffalo. It's absolutely amazing. I really like the atmosphere at this restaurant. When it's nice outside, they have an amazing back patio area to eat at. My only thing is that the prices are a littleeee high for what you get with the Ramen. read more

Went here for lunch with my daughters. Very contemporary. I had the ramen noodle bowl.. Spicy miso. It was excellent! Homemade noodles, yum. My daughter had the cold noodle bowl with shrimp. The noodles were homemade, very fresh!! The sauce was like a spicy peanut , to die for!!! A little pricey, but worth it! read more

Food did not seem fresh. Wait staff was nice. We had the Sato ramen and fried chicken.

amazing staff , amazing food , and you feel good after eating. they respect covid guidelines perfectly , and clean everything thoroughly. best food i've had in awhile. read more

I don't know why I waited so long to check out SATO! Super interesting drinks and great variety on the menu. I'm a vegetarian, and they were ok with my request of adding the "spicy" element to the vegetable ramen dish. It was such a great meal - filling and perfect for a cold day. Wait staff was super kind and accommodating. Highly recommended! read more

Just walking into this place I was impressed, It seems small but then there's a whole upstairs! We just ordered the sushi, the nigiri was delicious and fresh and the rolls we ordered were interesting in the best sense of the word. We got 2 carafes of their warm house sake and they have a nice selection of japanese beers. The edamame with sriacha sea salt is a great starter. The only con is that I wish they would list the sushi/sashimi options to make it easier to order by the piece, which is a menu option I enjoy at sushi restaurants, but besides that go nuts here, its great. read more

I was sort of disappointed. The location was good and the atmosphere was pretty nice. Service was ok. The sushi was alright but sort of pricy for the size of the roll. The miso was delicious though and so was the ramen. So personally I think it's a better ramen than sushi place. Overall just an alright experience. Nothing awful but nothing great either. read more

Updating this to 3 Star, the owner actually contacted me and we had a chat about Ramen. I appreciate that kind of effort and care into their restaurant. read more

We visited with a fairly large group for dinner. We were seated in about five minutes and our waiter was helpful and attentive. My table ordered two California Roll dishes to share which were eaten quickly. I ordered my own sushi and sashimi platter which was OK but the sushi rice didn't seem very sticky and it didn't have the vinegary flavor I guess you could say. The mackerel also tasted extremely fishy and was a bit tough. Overall the food was above average except for a few things here and there. Definitely will be coming back soon. read more

I like this place, ramen is good and the ambience and location are too.

awesome ramen. it's probably one of the best in town. try their spicy miso ramen, yummy! read more

Overall a pleasant experience. Server was extremely friendly and knowledgeable. My sushi roll was lacklustre but my friends' dishes were great. They got the spicy ramen bowl and the stuffed hot peppers. Dessert was great.. go for the rice pudding! read more

I have enjoyed every item I have ordered here. my only complaint is that the tables are too close to each other. not a fan of hearing the couple's conversation next to me or sharing my day with strangers. food: good. tables: too close. read more

I've had an itch for good ramen and was really excited to try SATO. Aesthetically, restaurant is modern, simple, and to the point. Very much like Japanese cuisine. We were fortunate to get a seat in the backyard patio which is highly recommended. Our server was excellent but seemed a bit rushed at times, despite the restaurant not appearing to be very busy (Sunday evening). We started with the days appetizer special Okonomiyaki Friesl, a Japanese rendition of loaded french fries. I really enjoyed this dish. It was very unique, and creative and featured a lot of unique flavors that seemed to intermingle well. It was topped with seaweed, mayo, bonito flakes, and an assortment of pickled veggies and a savory sauce, Most importantly, the underlying fries were perfect. Fresh cut, very crispy, and hot (temperature). Our next course was the ramen. My selection was the Sato ramen. It was comfortably hot (temperature), the noodles were chewy (good), and the broth was rich and savory. And that egg. What a gem. My wife ordered the vegetarian Ramen, which was very flavorful, especially for a vegetarian broth. Last we tried an assortment of rolls. Based upon our servers recommendation we tried the Nagoya Roll and the Sweet Potato Tempura Roll. As good as the Nagoya roll was, my favorite was the sweet potato roll. It was crunchy, yet soft, and the nutty flavor of the fried sweet potato was perfect, especially after soaking up a generous amount of soy sauce. Overall, what I really liked about this place was the uniqueness of the menu, the reasonable prices, and simple stress free dining experience. And not to mention they had an excellent beer and drink selection. I wouldn't consider anything about this experience to be incredible, or life changing, but, given the overall experience, Sato is an incredibly well balanced and well rounded Japanese restaurant. We had an excellent time and I look forward to coming back. read more

Love this place. The Ramen presentation is also so cute. Love the food but it's not on the spicy side if you're looking for spicy cuisine

Excellent selection of drinks, a small but tasty menu, as always interesting specials. Good service and beautiful décor. I've loved it since day 1. read more

I had heard a lot about this place. Having had amazing ramen in NYC when I was living there, I was excited to try veggie ramen at Sato. Unfortunately the broth was tasteless and had no salt. The ramen itself hardly had any veggies. Very disappointing. The curry rice was nice though. read more