Miso was awesome, seared tuna salad, and the vegetarian curry very were all amazing. Service was great. Ambiance was fine, they have outdoor seating out front and in the back. I recommend this place over Teton. read more

Went there last Sunday for dinner. The food was still good but the service we received was not acceptable at all. We made a reservation for 3 at 7:15 pm for safety because we didn't know what time we might arrive. We arrived at 6:30 pm and asked the server at the front if we can get a table earlier than the reservation. She said "No, you will NOT get a table before 7:15 pm." and asked us to wait outside while is winding and raining horribly. Okay, so we went outside and waited for 45 minutes. We got back to the restaurant at 7:15 pm and asked them for the table. They said we need to wait 5 more minutes and ended up waited 10 mins for the table. And here's the funny part: Three men came in while we were waiting for our table to be ready, with NO reservation, asked them for a table. The same server told them they need to wait 20-25 minutes politely while we were standing right next to them. So, what does it make any sense to make a reservation? We made our reservation and ended up waiting for almost an hour, and someone who came with NO reservation only needs to wait for 20 minutes??? I don't know if it is based on my race or the server just doesn't like us, this is unacceptable and made our experience extremely terrible. From now on, I'm still a fan of their food, but I'm not happy with the service I received on the last visit. read more

See all

I've eaten here a handful of times, but tonight was the first time ordering takeout. Sadly, the only enjoyable item we ordered was the Edamame, and we had to salt that ourselves. The dumplings were near mush and had a bitter aftertaste. I ordered the Sushi Plate (Chef's Choice), and it comes with 5 pieces of Nigiri and 1 roll. Unfortunately, the Chef must of been short on fish, and lacking any sort of creativity to serve up a California roll and duplicate nigiri pieces. I'm not sure who draws the line between a cook and a chef, but whoever was in that kitchen tonight was most definitely towing the line. read more

See all

Visiting Buffalo for long wknd. Food was really good. We had Salmon Carpaccio and dumplings to start. Husband had Sashimi and a roll. I had Sato Ramen with a spice bomb. You have to get the spice bomb! Great Sake selection, too. Service was excellent. Would go again when we're back here. read more

SATO - a man eating sushi with chopsticks - Sushi Bars Near Me - Buffalo, New York

See all

I love the avocado salad... wasn't feeling up to dining in tonight so I got it to go and when I got home to find my avocado totally rotten I was absolutely so sad. Like.... they would not have served that to an in house customer so it's sooo sad that they would do that to me. Definitely feel a bit taken advantage of. I'll come back, but definitely don't trust the takeout anymore read more

The miso ramen is the best with the real crab rolls. I wouldn't suggest the house sake unless you like drinking water. But to each their own. The waitress is always the same every time I go which is nice. It's a small place but be sure to to go not during a busy time if you want a quiet meal. I had a group of college kids show up and the one was so loud I couldn't even hear my gf talk to me. Not a stab at the restaurant at all some guest need to be respectful to their surroundings. read more

Is always good. Try something new in town Buffalo. Sato is a cute place in downtown Buffalo. Recommend from ours friends. read more

SATO - Sushi Bars Near Me - Buffalo, New York

See all

Great location. Staff is very friendly. The drink menu has a lot of unique cocktails you won't find elsewhere. I had a drink that included blueberry lavender kombucha, which I never would have thought to use as a mixer but it works. I noticed my drink included an ice cube with a flower in it. That was a cool touch. Most of the specialty rolls weren't up my alley (too many with cucumber or lettuce, and anyone who knows me knows that avocado and wasabi are pretty much the only thing green I consume.) Lots of unique offerings, though, for people less picky than I. My avocado roll was fresh and tasty, but I could have done with a little more wasabi on the side. Service wise, Sato is probably the best of sushi places in Elmwood Village. Unique dessert offerings, too, including some donuts I need to try next time I'm in the neighborhood. read more

See all

Someone recently posted to the r/Buffalo subreddit saying they were moving from California to Buffalo and were looking for ways in which the two places compare/contrast... As someone who lived in both, I gave him some honest comparisons--the Pacific Ocean vs Lake Erie, places like Yosemite & Sequoia & Joshua Tree vs places like Niagara Falls & the Adirondacks... For food, I said it's a bit of a tossup--that there's food in Buffalo you can't find in comparable quality in California. Wings and pizza are a couple obvious examples. On the same token, there's food in California that you can't find in comparable quality in Buffalo... Latin and Asian foods being prime examples. My comment was immediately flooded with replies asking my opinion of SATO and how it compares.... I was ashamed to admit I'd never been here. That has now changed and I'm happy to report SATO lives up to the hype. The spicy miso ramen is on par with some of the best gourmet ramen I tried in Los Angeles. The gyoza is a little oily, but delicious. All the sushi I tried was great. Very happy to have discovered this gem. read more

Came here a little early for a 6:45 dinner reservation. We did not get an appetizer until 7:30, almost a full 45 minute after ordering. Service was slow! I understand it was one server at the time but the restaurant is not that large. Ramen came out room-temperature and was unappealing. Will be going to other spots for Ramen. read more

SATO - Sato Ramen - Sushi Bars Near Me - Buffalo, New York

See all

Came here for our anniversary as it was where we had our first date, 8 years ago. Checked online for reservations, but nothing about being able to make, so we arrived at 7. We were told the wait would be 25 minutes and we said that's no problem. Then the hostess said "well, we close the kitchen at 830". I said that's fine we know what we want (we would have had our order in by 730). Some more back and forth and it was very clear that she did not want any more diners that evening (2 hours before closing.) so we went down the street to Saigon, where we had wonderful service and a meal. For times being tough for restaurants, I was shocked that Sato was turning away customers. I could understand if it was right before closing, but 2 hours ahead when we knew what we wanted. Not good for business. A huge bummer as I liked them years ago when we used to frequent. read more

I'm done with SATO. The broth they use is excellent, in my opinion. The noodles are .... well, they are the best that you can get around here. I'm kinda biased though, having lived in japan for over 5 years. Ramen was a staple in my diet there, and I became spoiled. However, as far as WNY goes - this is the only spot (well SATO in general as they have 2 locations), that you should be getting your ramen at. Again, the noodles are meh, but, that meh is still infinitely better than store bought ramen... and the broth bumps it up a notch too. It's worth a go. read more

SATO - Sushi Bars Near Me - Buffalo, New York

See all

Food was good but we had a bad experience. In spite of clear written confirmation of the reservation time of 5:30 from Yelp, Sato claimed the reservation had been for 4:00. I showed the receptionist the reservation but she said they wouldn't have a table for the three of us for at least a half hour. After I pleaded, she gave us a large table for which there was no reservation until 7:00, and she informed us we would have to be quick. We quickly ordered and ate our meals. We had wanted to order dessert, but she brought our check at 6:53. Even though there were three empty tables next to us we were told we could not have dessert. It was very disappointing, especially since we were celebrating a birthday. read more

The food here was incredible!!! I ordered the seafood ramen and they use real crab! Not that gross imitation stuff. The broth was so flavorful, noodles cooked perfectly. Perfect amount of add ins. So delicious, I could eat that meal over and over. The service though was not great. The waiter seemed like it was an inconvenience for us to walk in and ask for a table. Maybe he was just having a bad day but it did cause me to knock my review from 5 stars to 4. I will definitely be back for more ramen and I'm looking forward to trying their sushi! read more

SATO - Amazing Ramen! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Buffalo, New York

Service and ambiance was good, food was okay. Sushi was very average and ramen was 7/10. Nothing terrible to say but nothing special either. read more

SATO - Spicy Miso Ramen - Sushi Bars Near Me - Buffalo, New York

Wonderful establishment. Loved the ambiance and the food. The cocktails are pretty strong. The sushi variety is very astounding. Definitely has something for every palette. The service was prompt. The staff checked up ever so often to ensure that we were well taken care of. read more

Sato has fallen from grace perhaps more than any restaurant in Buffalo. From inconsistent food to amateur and rude service it's impossible to eat there any longer. This evening after complaining to the manager about the excessively long wait time I was told to leave. When I asked in surprise if he was serious he said "and don't come back, we don't want you here." I'm a regular no more, lol. read more

SATO - Special request - ikura - Sushi Bars Near Me - Buffalo, New York

See all

Three words: Salty salty salty. Initially we were excited to check out a ramen place near where we live and they had a lot of options for ramen, however we were very disappointed by the quality, taste and service of the restaurant. I am not sure why it hais so popular. We tried both the sato ramen and the spicy miso ramen. Not a fan of either. The broth had no chicken or pork flavor at all, just salt. I understand its a mix of chicken and pork broth, but I did not taste anything, even the miso. Honestly it was completely watered down. The chashu texture was rough and the flavor? You guessed it: salt, no dimension of flavor at all. Lastly, the toppings, including the corn, and bamboo shoots were not fresh and also had no flavor... besides SALT. Super unimpressed. Will not return. Lastly, service was not great. Because everything was so salty, I asked for more water, but more water never came. When we wanted to leave, we trying to get the attention from the servers to get the check (and water), but I had to go up to get the check. read more

This place felt like a college dive. Food was edible. We couldn't finish everything, nor was the selection much to rave about. We are from out of town and had a taste for sushi. Uh, well, we ordered the salmon teriyaki roll, shrimp tempura roll, and some crab roll with alot of asparagus. The crab and salmon tasted fishy, the shrimp tempura roll was okay, and they all kept sticking together, laying down next to eachother like smooshed checker squares. Even my avacado salad was lacking luster, it had the amount of a bag of mixed greens in a bowl, delicious but brown off-putting looking dressing, and only half of an avacado on top. I guess people come for the ramen. We didn't order Ramen, but after ordering our meals we noticed almost everyone ordered it. The lavender lemonade was lovely though, along with our pleasant server. read more

Came here for dinner Pros: - Salmon avocado roll was extremely fresh and tasty (avocados were actually bright green). Good portion of salmon and avocados in the roll - Matcha cream brûlée was amazing. I understand why my friend loves it. Just the perfect amount of sweetness. - Clean bathroom - Friendly waitress Cons: - The ramen was disappointing - charsiu lacked flavor and was tough to chew (should melt in your mouth). Had to dip it in soy sauce. Broth also lacked flavor but noodle was good. read more

Space is cute, but fairly limited in terms of seating. I didn't have a problem because I came around 3pm, but it can fill up quickly. My favorite part about the seating upstairs is the mirrors on the wall above the table- you can see what other people are eating without being weird and starting at their plates directly :) This place will definitely give you your ramen fix, my only complaint is that the bowls aren't served piping hot like soups/ramen normally are. The broth is good but could pack a little more punch. I ordered spicy miso ramen, the small is a pretty decent size. Toppings are good, ask for the little trio spice rack if you want to kick things up a little! My spice tolerance is pretty high so I didn't really think the spicy was all that spicy. Overall, pretty good but not the best I've had! read more

SATO - Spicy miso, mi think it not so spicy. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Buffalo, New York

Don't get out often, but for us, this is a perfect neighborhood spot with great food and chill ambiance. Always happy to go here!

Ramen was good but noodles were a bit underdone. The sushi rolls were terrible - a joke. I've had better from a grocery store. Chairs hard and uncomfortable. Lighting in certain areas was below dim (people had to use their phone flashlights to read the menu). Service was good. read more

Made a reservation for 5 the week before for a Friday at 10pm. Received a phone call the day of explaining that their kitchen closed at 10:30pm, and that our table would need to arrive on time, and order quickly because of this. I wish this was brought to the forefront a little sooner than 6 hours before, but whatever. We actually arrived at 9:30pm, so it turned out there were no issues with ordering. I ordered the Shio Butter Ramen at the suggestion of a friend. It was very good and my first ramen experience. It contained crab and shrimp, and goodness. The server was friendly and great. I unfortunately did not catch her name. read more

Ordered the Alaska Roll, Shishito Hamachi Roll, Shrimp Tempura Cucumber Roll, and Spicy Tuna Roll. Let me start by saying that I didn't expect Buffalo, NY to have the best sushi but I was still disappointed. Taste was like 4/10 at best but what really earned the 1/5 stars was the fact that they didn't wash the shishito peppers in the roll. A piece of pepper fell out of the roll and I noticed that there was dirt in the folds of the pepper. Took apart the other pieces of pepper and they all had dirt in them. Absolutely disgusted, would not eat here again read more

SATO - Sushi Bars Near Me - Buffalo, New York

This place discriminates against single diners. They ask you to leave in 30 mins without a ore warning. There is no policy listed publicly but they stopped me from ordering dessert because I was out of time apparently. And they never told me there was a time limit at this table. Poor coordination between owners and employees is what I picked up on. So rude though to be asked to wrap up and jot order dessert. wouldn't go back here. read more

Second time at SATO Ramen... and I was quite disappointed. It took them more than 45 minutes to bring our ramens, and mine (the veggie) was just not good. The broth had a bitter aftertaste that was not pleasant. I also believe that a " veggie ramen " should have more than just carrots, corn and mushrooms (which is basically what any ramen has). Maybe next time? read more

Ramen is one of those things where you can go traditional or you can go crazy and mix whatever you want into it, its a Melting Pot and wonderland of things in it. The Possibilities are endless. I'm usually looking for new places to try, when I was growing up Ramen was just Boiling some Water putting some Noodles in it and the Seasoning Packet. These days Ramen is a Canvas for adding stuff like Cabbage, Shallots, Garlic, Bacon, Seafood (it goes on and on). Anyways I heard great things about this place and after spending Half an Hour looking through the Bidwell Farmers Market we came over for Lunch. SATO is known for Modern Japanese Cuisine, not only serving up Ramen but also Sushi, Dumplings & Kimchi. But we just came for the Ramen, while looking over Bowl(s) we wanted the owners of the Restaurant (Josh & Satomi Smith) came over and greeted us. I told them how awesome it is to find a Place that's so Authentic and deeply committed to serving Noodles of Great Quality. While waiting for our Ramen to arrive we split a couple of Appetizers, I got Kimchi (Cabbage fermented with Spices) with each bite that we took packed a Punch and cleaned out our Nostrils. Dad got Spring Rolls (Crisp outside, soft tender inside filled with Cabbage and Carrots) with a Sriracha dipping Sauce on the Side (the heat was restrained though). Then out Bowls of Ramen came, Dad got the Spicy Miso Ramen (Stock of Pork & Chicken topped with Chasu Pork, Bean Sprouts, Corn, Green Onions and a Soft Boiled Egg), I could easily see the Sweat dripping down his Head, he also has trouble using Chopsticks (its not Rocket Science). I got the Shio Butter Ramen ( Stock of Pork & Chicken, topped with Shrimp, Crab, Bean Sprouts, Wakame and Nori, Garlic, Butter, Green Onions and Lemon). I also added some Additions to my Bowl, Pickled Shiitake Mushrooms (for Acidity), Menma (Fermented Bamboo Shoots) and Lotus Root (Asian Starch, who needs French Fries when you can down some of these). The Broth was Smooth, Rich and packed with Flavor (Broth that's been simmering for probably 8 to 10 Hours), Tender Seafood, that Butter just melts right into the Broth to make it Richer, the Fresh Garlic packed a bit of Heat, the 2 different types of Seaweed providing some Texture. I'd come week after week for a Bowl of this, other tables ordering bowl after bowl (has the place gone Ra-mental). I've eaten here 5 Times (they are never getting rid of me or my Dad). One of the other times I came here was to have one of their Specials: Bibimbap (means Mixed Rice) came out to me in a Sizzling Pot and as I opened it, the steam came out (fogging up my Glasses). Then I went to work, I used my chopsticks to mix everything up (I'm like a little kid playing with his Food). Breaking that Egg and letting that Rich Yolk ooze out and have everything bind together. It was hard to eat with my Chopsticks so surprisingly I used a Fork. I'm gonna be a regular here for quite a While, whenever I tell someone about how great this place is and they don't believe me I just tell them go there and then afterwards I'll say: I SATO-ld you so !!! read more

SATO - Sushi Bars Near Me - Buffalo, New York

See all

I've been to SATO twice. I really enjoyed both meals! Their sushi and gyoza are good. Their ramen bowls are my favorite. I especially like the Shio Butter Ramen, with shrimp, crab meat, lemon, snap peas and a hard boiled egg. It is an extremely refreshing meal! The ingredients taste very fresh. SATO also has a nice selection of Sake. The Sake flights are fun to order and compare to one another! I didn't really know that you could be a Sake connoisseur, but you learn something new every day. If you don't feel like alcohol, they have some great hot tea. The restaurant is nicely decorated. It is casual, but definitely nice enough for a group outing or date! The service is friendly and they serve quickly! read more

SATO - Shio Butter Ramen - Sushi Bars Near Me - Buffalo, New York

Wonderful ambiance and attentive service. And of course the food is amazing. Cannot go wrong with Sato

This restaurant is great! Very clean inside and lots of options for vegans and meat eaters. They have great sushi and fantastic ramen. I have never had fried lotus root before coming here, but it is one of my favorite things to eat. The staff are always friendly and accommodating. Highly recommend the vegetable spring rolls, spicy miso ramen, and vegetarian ramen. read more

SATO - vegetable ramen - Sushi Bars Near Me - Buffalo, New York

SATO has gradually become one of my favorite places for a nice dinner outing with friends. Interior wise, as mentioned in my review below...it's a nice place -- casual, but also nice enough to dress up for a date. Since my last review, they've added an outdoor patio in the back (not the one in front of Elmwood) which I really like. Each table has an umbrella and it's a very nice and comfortable patio to dine outside. My last two meals there have been outside and I've really come to love their patio. Some of my favorite things on the menu? The chirashi (with ikura) and the Ramen. For the longest time I couldn't decide if I liked SATO's ramen. The flavors were just not bold enough for my personal taste, but after they've started making their own noodles instead of importing them from NYC; I'm now sold on it. Not to mention, they've been experimenting with different weird off-beat flavors (like the Buffalo chicken Ramen) and I would encourage them to keep at it! I tried this past Sunday and loved the weirdness of the dish. Ramen meets chicken noodle soup meets deep fried Buffalo chicken wings. Somehow, it worked. The service has always been pretty good when I've come in here. The desserts are always so, so delicious and I encourage you to save some room and make sure you order some when you come here! They are opening up another location near University Heights which will mostly cater to Univ students. It's focus will be more on Ramen and it's rumored the price point will be lower. I hope they keep it up. It's about time we got some decent Ramen in Buffalo. read more

See all

Service was pretty slow even with a nearly empty restaurant. They have a slightly new menu recently, generally I feel as if the food quality has taken a dive. Would much rather goto K:Dara sadly. read more

Summer special- their patio is dog friendly and they have a special sushi roll for your pup! Service was great and the lady was very friendly and helpful. Will accommodating for the dog as well. We tried the Elmwood, seven spice, July mango special and purple sweet potato roll. These rolls are more than enough for two people to share and enjoy! read more

SATO - Elmwood Roll, July mango special roll, Sweet Potato Tempura Roll, 7-Spice Roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Buffalo, New York

See all

Since the first time I went to SATO was part of the Yelp Elite event, I knew I had to go back and make sure I wasn't dreaming. So... My mom and I visited SATO for the second time this past Friday. Again, I was not disappointed. We started with drinks, I got the Shandy while my mom got some cute pink drink. Then the food came out... Started here with the Tuna Tartare and Strawberry Salad followed by the Vegetable Curry. Okay but really, why is everything here SO GOOD? The Tuna Tartare melted in my mouth and was accompanied with a basil reduction of sorts, avocado, and tomato. I just want that, all the time. The Strawberry Salad has a delicious dressing and goat cheese (and of course fresh strawberries). Yum. The curry had a bit of a spicy kick to it but still very good. I hadn't realized the HUGE portion sizes or we may have not ordered two ramen dishes: I had the SATO Ramen while my mom had the Spicy Ramen. How do they get the soft boiled eggs so perfect? Again, huge portion sizes which I had for lunch both Saturday and Sunday. The service was just as spectacular as it was for the Elite event. Absolutely zero complaints. I love great service and great food. The atmosphere at SATO is pretty cool too. Unfortunately there was no room for dessert on this visit but that just gives me another reason to go back to SATO soon!!! read more

See all

Food is just okay. There is nothing special about it. If there is anything consistent about this place, it is that they get your food order wrong a-lot, and that the hostesses/ waitresses are always rude. read more

Food - 5 Service - 5 Atmosphere - 5 Price - 4 (ordered a bottle of Sake and I was told it was $35 but in the end checking my bill it was the $50) This is my second time here and I still got the Sato Ramen. I love it. I promise to try something different the next time that we go. To start the table had the eel tacos. They are bursting with flavor and are light but springily filling. My GF had the edamame with spicy sea salt flakes, it was a new spin to the snack and it was just the right amount of spice. We also had the pork dumplings, which you could tell were prepared fresh. They too were not heavy but light. Their rice was sticky and soft. Their chicken was amazing and full of flavor. Not to spicy. I can't think of one reason to complain about their food. I absolutely love the service here. They are prompt, polite and professional. I plan to return here a ton. read more

SATO - Sushi Bars Near Me - Buffalo, New York

Had heard great things about this place prior to taking my family here. Food was great , and the service was outstanding.

If I could give 4.5 stars I would. Sato is a traditional Japanese restaurant located in the elmwood village area. This was my second time visiting Sato in the past year and won't be my last. The ambiance: the restaurant itself is pretty nice but not overly fancy. Seating outside, downstairs and upstairs. Some of the tables are pretty close to each other. The service: both times I've been in there I was very impressed with how clean and fast everything was prepared/served. The waitress was excellent and very informative of the specials. She also gave good recommendations. The food: I ordered the Sato Ramen which comes with pork/chicken, Tare Base pork infused soy with green onions, menma, pickled ginger, and a soft boiled egg. I loved it. Excellent pork. Tons of noddles. I was very full after. The reason why I don't give it five stars is because I'm biased on ramen. I think of ramen as cheap college food that you cook at home. Obviously this ramen is a 100 times better than instant ramen. I still think paying $13 for ramen is too much. That's just my personal opinion. I will still eat at Sato no matter what because it is just that good. Craving ramen, try Sato you won't regret it. read more

SATO - SATO RAMEN - Sushi Bars Near Me - Buffalo, New York

The atmosphere and staff were very nice but the food was average. I ordered the Sato Ramen & lavender lemonade but the soup didn't have much taste to it & the lemonade was too sour with no lavender taste. - If I were to come back, I'd stick to the desert menu. My recommendations would be: 1. Miso Caramel Donuts 2. Coconut Honey Rice Pudding read more